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Bradford v Grimsby Preview

By: Alex Green
Date: 18/04/2008

WITH only a few games left of the season Grimsby travel to West Yorkshire to face undoubtedly the biggest team in the league in the guise of Bradford City.

Home > 2007-2008 Season > Previews > Bradford (a)


The Opposition

Overview

Though hard to imagine the once Premiership outfit now sit on the bottom tier with the biggest attendances and an amazing number of season ticket holders thanks to their well publicised season ticket prices. On the field Bradford aren't exactly setting the world alight like many teams who find themselves down here, ourselves included, the culture shock of League Two immediately dismisses our arrogance and false sense of grandeur. The build up to any season in a lower league has most fans believing in some way at least that this league will be a walk in the park that we have a chance of breaking our club records of points totals, consecutive wins etc. Like Bradford though we find ourselves struggling to come to terms with what we are witnessing: mid-table obscurity against teams we didn't really know much about only a few years ago. Now we find ourselves been bullied and played off the park by them and having to rebuild for another year. As always we find ourselves worrying as the season comes to a close that our brightest shoots will be picked and cultivated elsewhere and we find ourselves yet again being introduced to a bunch of new journeymen just doing their day to day job with not much care but for their next pay cheque. Alas it’s what both us and Bradford have to come to terms with and for any Bradford fan reading this it’s been four very long years and I know I still don't believe what a mess we've found ourselves in.

The Team
Stuart McCall (above) can count on one of the largest squads in the league and with a mix of youth and experience - and I mean a lot of experience if you can count on David Wetherhall in defence alone. In goal Donovan Ricketts (left) has been solid with support from Wetherhall and the equally experienced Paul Heckingbottom and up front the Bantams can call on the prolific strike power of Peter Thorne with 13 and followed by Conlon with 7 and two others closely behind with 6. A good mix of goals from all areas is a good start but to miss out on the play-offs is a massive blow to Bradford and McCall will need to get there next year or better to retain his job.

Key Player
Peter Thorne. Manchester born Thorne is City’s leading goal scorer with 13 and his impressive tally is a big reason City are as high in the league as they are. Once of Blackburn, Wigan, Norwich and Cardiff Thorne is used to a high level of football and have excelled down here in the lower leagues. With 3 goals in 4 games of late his form has increased giving the lacklustre Town defence something to worry about.

Recent Form

TownBradford
LWycombe(h)0-1
LRotherham(h)0-1
LRochdale(a)1-3
LMK Dons(w)0-2
LBrentford(h)1-2
Currently 14th in League Two.
DBrentford(a)2-2
DBarnet(h)1-1
WMorecambe(h)1-0
LRochdale(a)1-2
WDarlington(a)3-1
Currently 10th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownBradford
Danny North10
Danny Boshell7
Thorne14
Nix8

Team News

TownBradford

  • Gary Jones and Justin Whittle are rules out through injury.

  • Nick Fenton has recovered from the knee injury which caused him to limp out of Saturday's game.

  • Danny North is likely to be rested after a run-out for the reserves in midweek.

    Alan Buckley has vowed to give some of the youngsters like Matty Bird an outing.

  • Chilean striker Willy Topp is the only injury doubt.
  • Probable Teams

    TownBradford
    G1Barnes
    D24Atkinson
    D6Fenton
    D3Newey
    M2Clarke
    M10Toner
    M11Boshell
    M8Bolland
    M17Hegarty
    F7Till
    F23Butler
    G34Loach
    D2Williams
    D5Wetherhall
    D6Bower
    D19O’Brien
    M11Rhodes
    M15Colbeck
    M18Penford
    M22Nix
    F10Thorne
    F8Johnson

    Subs

    TownBradford
    13Montgomery
    22Bird
    18Bore
    20Taylor
    19Jarman
    30Saynor
    TBAMedley
    TBABentham
    7Daley
    33Starosta

    Head to Head

    Town have only taken 2 points from the last 7 games against Bradford and not done much better before that, although they had a good record against City in the 70s.

    P 54 W 18 D 13 L23 F66 A 76

    Bradford Head-to-Head (103rd on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    Bradford 3 Grimsby 0 (Sat 27th October 2007)

    A nightmare last five minutes against Bradford at Blundell Park cost Grimsby what would have been a valuable win.

    Report

    Prediction

    Bradford City 2-2 Grimsby Town

    Reader's POMs

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