Bradford City at home - Printable Version

Bradford City at home - Printable Version

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Bradford City at home - Lord Snooty - 21-01-2026

Huddersfield Town v Bradford City
Sky Bet League One
Saturday January 24th - 12:30 ko
at the Accu Stadium

Huddersfield Town welcome Bradford City to the Kirklees Stadium on Saturday lunchtime for the West Yorkshire derby, the first at our ground since March 2007, although we have had two League Cup games and a FL Trophy game since then. And the reason why it's been such a long time is that while we were high in the clouds of the Premier League, they were plunging the depths of League Two.

But, after all these years, here we are. Already humbled at the Chicken Shack, we now stand 7 points behind them in the League One table. Some fans think that manager Lee Grant should've been sacked on the spot after that dismal display, but it took a few months more to finally see him off. The defeat at Burton Albion was the last straw for the bumbling American millionaire businessman and club owner, Kevin Nagle and Grant was finally dismissed on Saturday night.

Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for the new man to be appointed, unlike last season. Since David Wagner left in January 2019, Liam Manning becomes out 11th permanent manager. Do you remember when we used to laugh at Watford for changing their managers three or four times a year? Oh how we laughed. Laugh

Are we the new Watford? Huh

All images used in this thread are form Wikipedia.

Terriers manager profile: Liam Manning: Born on October 20, 1985, in Norwich, England, had a short-lived non-league playing career before transitioning into successful coaching and management roles across various clubs and leagues.

He has managed 245 competitive matches in his career so far, with 101 wins, 57 draws, and 87 losses, resulting in a career win percentage of approximately 41.22%.

Playing Career: Liam began his youth career at Norwich City and Ipswich Town academies, where he played as a defender/midfielder. He had a one-year professional contract with Ipswich but never made a senior appearance. He spent about five years in non-league football for various local teams including Bishop's Stortford, Leiston, and Woodbridge Town, with a brief spell at Icelandic club Selfoss. He retired from playing around age 25 to focus on coaching.

Management Career: Manning has established a reputation for youth development and a high-possession, high-pressing style of football.

Early Coaching: He started as an academy coach at Ipswich Town before joining West Ham United in 2015, where he coached the U23s and was credited with aiding the development of England international Declan Rice.
City Football Group: In 2019, he became the Director of Coaching and Academy Director for New York City FC in MLS. He then took his first senior head coach role at Lommel SK in the Belgian second division, leading the previously bottom-of-the-table team to a third-place finish.
EFL Management: He returned to England to manage Milton Keynes Dons, guiding them to a third-place finish in League One in the 2021-22 season and earning two Manager of the Month awards. After a poor start the next season, he was dismissed. He then joined Oxford United, leaving them in second place in League One in November 2023 to join Championship side Bristol City.
Recent Career: At Bristol City, he guided the team to a sixth-place finish and the play-offs in the 2024-25 season. In June 2025, he was appointed head coach of his hometown club Norwich City, but was sacked a few months later after a string of poor results. As of January 20th 2026, he is the manager of the greatest team in football the world has ever seen.

Personal Life: Manning is married to his wife Fran, and they have a son named Isaac. In October 2024, their baby son, Theo John Manning, sadly passed away. Liam took a period of compassionate leave during this difficult time and has spoken publicly about the importance of sharing grief and the support he received from the football community and his family. He also lost his father when he was 11 years old.

Liam Manning's first interview on YouTube

A brief history of Bradford City: formed in 1903, when Manningham RFC, a rugby league club, switched codes to association football and was immediately elected into the Football League Second Division without having played a single game.

Early Success and Only Major Honour: Under manager Peter O'Rourke, the club quickly found success, winning the Division Two title in the 1907-08 season and earning promotion to the First Division. Their most successful period culminated in the 1911 FA Cup triumph, their only major honour to date. Captain Jimmy Speirs (pictured below) scored the single goal in a replay against Newcastle United at Old Trafford to secure the victory. This era also saw the club achieve its highest league finish of fifth place in the 1910-11 season.

The Post-War Years and the 1985 Fire: After relegation in 1922, the club spent decades in the lower tiers of English football. There they stayed until the 1980s saw them win the Third Division title in the 1984-85 season. However, this triumph was tragically overshadowed by the devastating stadium fire at Valley Parade on 11 May 1985, during the final match of the season, which claimed the lives of 56 supporters. The club played its home games at other stadiums for 19 months while Valley Parade was
rebuilt.

The Premier League and Financial Crisis: In the late 1990s, under chairman Geoffrey Richmond, the club rose through the divisions and reached the Premier League in 1999 after a 77-year absence from the top flight. They survived their first season in the Premier League with a crucial final-day victory over Liverpool but were relegated the following season. This was followed by a series of financial crises, leading to the club entering administration twice and dropping down to the fourth tier of English football.

Recent History: A notable resurgence came in the 2012-13 season when Bradford City, a fourth-tier club, reached the League Cup final at Wembley, ultimately losing to Swansea City. In the same season, they returned to Wembley and won the League Two play-off final to gain promotion to League One. In the 2014-15 FA Cup, they famously defeated Premier League sides Chelsea and Sunderland before being knocked out in the quarter-finals.

The club was relegated back to League Two in 2019 but achieved promotion to League One at the end of the 2024-25 season. They are the only professional English club to wear claret and amber colours, which are incorporated into their "Bantams" nickname and crest.

Head to Head

Town lead the head to head with 20 wins to City's 14, with 16 draws.

The first two matches against Bradford City were in our first ever season in the top flight of English football, games 5 and 6, playing back to back in September 1920. Fred Lunn, who only ever played six times for us, scored both of his Town goals in this one. A 1-0 win at Leeds Road, followed by a 2-0 win at Valley Parade, with Ernie Islip getting the second.

City got relegated at the end of the next season and so it was many decades until we played each other in the league. There was an FA Cup game in between, when Town won 2-1 at home, en route to a famous Final at Wembley against Arsenal.

Our next league meetings came in Division 4 and both games were drawn. There were some very dreary games in those days and I do remember going with my dad to Valley Parade and sitting in that old wooden stand and watching a goalless draw.

After we'd both been promoted, things got livelier. There was a famous 6-3 at Leeds Road on New Years Day in 1983. Brian Stanton got four goals in that one, alongside a penalty from Malcolm Brown and a goal from Phil Wilson.

The 1986/87 season saw a 4-3 defeat away and a 5-2 win at home. Duncan Shearer scored four times in that one. Any chance of a Town player scoring four in this one, please? Whistle

There was another 4-3 at Valley Parade in 1994/95, which we won. Andy Booth scored a couple, with Ronnie Jepson and ex Bantam Paul Reid getting the others.

In 1996/97, we played out an exciting 3-3 draw on a Friday night Sky Sports match at the McAlpine Stadium. Chris Waddle scored direct from a corner kick in the 6th minute and by the 38th minute, we were 3-0 down. Instead of crumbling though, our brave lads fought back and goals frpm Paul Dalton and Ian Lawson had us only one goal behind at the break. Gary Crosby completed the comeback just after half time and the rest of the game was a thrilling end to end encounter with Andy Payton fluffing a great chance to win it late on.

All the games in that era were always full blood and thunder occasions, with the names Kevin Gray and Gordon Watson being etched in the history of the rivalry. That's something that our current squad don't have and were clearly not as fired up as the Bantams were as the teams met earlier in the season when we wimped out with a 3-1 defeat. Zepiqueno Redmond (pictured), a name that I don't think will be remembered in years to come, scored our consolation.

Bantams manager profile: Graham Alexander: Born in Coventry in 1971 to a Scottish father and an Irish mother, he is now 54 years old.

Playing Career Summary: A reliable and durable defender/midfielder, Alexander holds the record as only the second outfield player in English football history to have made over 1,000 professional appearances. He was also known as a penalty specialist, scoring 77 of 85 spot-kicks throughout his career. He made 40 international appearances for Scotland.

Scunthorpe United: Started his career here, making his debut in April 1991 and establishing himself in the first team.
Luton Town: Spent four years with the club.
Preston North End: Played for eight years at Preston, a club where he is highly regarded by fans.
Burnley: Joined Burnley and was a key part of the team that won promotion to the Premier League in 2009. He became the fourth oldest player to score in Premier League history while there.
Preston North End (Second Spell): Finished his playing career at his beloved Preston, scoring with the final kick of his career in 2012.

Managerial Career Summary: Alexander had a mixed but generally successful managerial career before joining Bradford City, with several promotions on his resume.

Fleetwood Town: His first full managerial role began in December 2012. He guided them to promotion from League Two via the play-offs in 2014.
Scunthorpe United: Took charge in March 2016, leading the club to the League One play-offs in his first full season.
Salford City: Appointed manager in May 2018, where he achieved promotion from the National League to League Two in his first season.
Motherwell: Managed the Scottish Premiership side from January 2021 to July 2022, helping them secure a fifth-place finish and European football qualification.
Milton Keynes Dons: A brief spell in 2023 was cut short after a poor run of form despite a strong start.
Bradford City: Appointed manager in November 2023. In his first full season (2024-25), he led the team to automatic promotion to League One. He signed a new three-year contract in July 2025, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028.

Bradford in popular culture: Bradford's popular culture is a vibrant tapestry woven from its rich industrial heritage, profound literary and artistic roots, and a diverse, youthful population. The city's cultural identity has been significantly shaped by its status as the world's first UNESCO City of Film and its reign as the self-proclaimed "Curry Capital of Britain".

Cinema and Screen: Bradford has a long-standing history with film, dating back to the birth of cinema, which led to its UNESCO City of Film designation in 2009.

Filming Locations: The city's diverse architecture, from the Italianate structures of the Little Germany quarter to the rugged Pennine moors, has made it a popular backdrop for numerous film and TV productions, including Peaky Blinders, The King's Speech, Downton Abbey, and Happy Valley. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a particularly famous location, notably used in The Railway Children.
National Science and Media Museum: This prominent cultural institution, located in the city centre, is the UK's largest visitor attraction dedicated to photography, broadcast media, and the internet, and is home to the first-ever IMAX screen in Europe.
Film Festivals: The city hosts several film-related events and festivals throughout the year, celebrating all aspects of the moving image and nurturing local talent.

Arts and Literature: Bradford's literary and art scene boasts internationally renowned figures:

The Brontë Sisters: The nearby village of Haworth was home to Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Brontë, where they wrote classic novels like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. The Brontë Parsonage Museum is a major literary pilgrimage site.
David Hockney: One of the world's most influential living artists, Hockney was born in Bradford, and the city's Cartwright Hall Art Gallery and Salts Mill in Saltaire house extensive collections of his work.
J.B. Priestley: The acclaimed novelist, playwright, and broadcaster was also a Bradford native, his work often reflecting the life and character of the city.
Bradford Literature Festival: This internationally recognised event attracts a wide range of authors and audiences, further cementing the city's literary credentials.

Music and Entertainment: The city has produced several notable musicians and entertainers:

Zayn Malik: The singer-songwriter and former member of the global sensation One Direction was born and raised in Bradford.
Dynamo: Magician Steven Frayne, known globally as Dynamo, hails from the city.
Kimberley Walsh of the pop group Girls Aloud.
Smokie: The glam rock band most famous for Living Next Door To Alice.
Kiki Dee: Pop singer who had a number one with Elton John, Don't Go Breaking My Heart.

Food Culture: Bradford's reputation as the "Curry Capital of Britain" is well-established, a testament to its large and diverse South Asian community. The city offers a vast array of high-quality curry houses and Asian fusion restaurants, which are a cornerstone of its modern popular culture and social life.

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture:
The city was been named the UK City of Culture for 2025, an accolade set to transform its cultural landscape further. The year-long programme included over 1,000 events, exhibitions, and performances, showcasing the city's vibrant diversity and creative spirit to a national and international audience.

Recent form - last 6 matches:

Burton 3-1 Town
Town 3-0 Rotherham (EFL Trophy)
Stockport 1-0 Town
Town 2-2 Exeter
Lincoln 1-1 Town
Town 2-0 Northampton

City 1-2 Cardiff
Blackpool 1-2 City
Mansfield 3-0 City
City 1-0 Port Vale
City 2-1 Wigan
L.Orient 2-1 City

Town are 6th in the League One table with 39 points. Billy Bantam's Flying Circus is in 3rd with 46.

Leading scorers (all comps):

Terriers:
Leo Castledine (12)
Bojan Radulovic (8)
Joe Taylor (7)
Alfie May (5)

Bantamweights:
Bobby Pointon (7)
Antoni Sarcevic (7)
Will Swan (5)

Club connection anagrams: All have either played for, managed or coached both clubs.

Spank Ejector
Ken Charlatan
Winkle Lash
Jade Snot
Ruby Deluxe
Swine Boiler
Janus Gave Ham
Roy Retry Hat
Terry VCR Hero
He Tests Vim

RE: Bradford City at home - themaclad - 22-01-2026

Spank ejector

Oo er missus

RE: Bradford City at home - theo_luddite - 22-01-2026

Music and Entertainment: cum on Snoots - are you sleeping at the back? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCOSPtyZAPA

The best thing to ever wander off Manningham Lane ...... well, depending on your disposition. You might want to ask friends of Zoe from Fartown for confirmation on that one.

Might have to fix a couple of goalscorers and Badger

s if I get to see the teamsheets soon enough.

Not sure if the cheapest and best curry caf ever is still there under the shadows of the skating rink but went in more than once doing my HNC's in Bradford College just the other side of the old bus station.

RE: Bradford City at home - Lord Snooty - 22-01-2026

Definitely asleep on that one, theo. I never knew they were from Bradford.