Bradford City Question

[Elwood]

Wasn't real sure where to ask this, but was thinking about them the other day, and noticed they're going to drop down to League Two next season, and I found that strange, as they were in the Premiership when I first started following it closely (1999-2000 season, I believe).

Did they suffer the same sort of financial problems as Leeds have, or was it something slightly different? I know Leeds pretty much gambled that they'd be getting Champs League monies for a few seasons, and not getting CL monies led, among probably other things, to their financial troubles. Did Bradford do sort of the same thing? And how bad is their current financial situation? It would seem they have the potential to do a bit better than Leauge Two, but that's just me looking at it from the outside (and since they were in the Premiership that first season I followed it, they seem to me to be a team that "belongs there", even if maybe they really didn't at the time).

[kezza77]

Bradford City have, I would say, traditionally been seen as a second tier club. The season that you got into watching the premiership was their first of two seasons in the top flight since 1922, so its probably not right to say that they belong there as they do not have a great history of top flight football. In terms of their plight on the football field I believe that that is due to off field events.

The financial situation is not really comparible to the leeds situation. The collapse of ITV digital took a big toll on many football clubs, including mine Gillingham FC, but also Bradford who went into administration after they were relegated from the prem. They were still paying high wages and this combined with ITV digital problems led them to debts of around £30 million I think. So unless anyone else knows any better I think this was the start of their drop through the divisions.

[speedofsound]

Bradford City only avoided relelgation in their first season with a last match upset over Liverpool. Paul Jewell managed that team and quit soon after the win against Liverpool when the chairman told him the season was a disappointment.

To the best of my memory, Bradford City over spent on players who were either injured a lot or just didn't play well for the team.

The last I've heard is the team is in financial trouble and player David Weatherall finished the season as player/manager.

[Pigs]

Well I think your questions been answered.


Just bear in mind that Bradford are traditionally a second tier club. The Championship is really the league for them. Infact I'd say they are a very similar club to Wigan Athletic. Similar size stadium, in a Rugby League town.

Whereas Wigan are competing with Wigan Warriors. Bradford are competing with Bradford Bulls, who's stadium is actually bigger, and who are actually older.

They have potential to get promoted to the Premiership but staying there is another thing. They need a decent manager. Like Paul Jewell. He's the reason they got into the Premiership in the first place, and the reason they went down is because he quit. (Don't be surprised if Wigan get relegated this year) Looking back, it seems ironic that Paul Jewell managed them both.

They overspent just like Leeds, hence their financial situation isn't all that great. Now their attendence's are really low and if I'd were living in Bradford I'd rather watch Bradford Bulls too who are far more succesful.

[Elwood]

Thanks for the info :)

[fernb8]

IIRC they dropped a tonne of cash on Benito Carbone and a few other imports who just did not fit well into the system. As has already been said, they struggled financially after being relegated and went down at the wrong time as the ITV deal collapsed costing those relegated teams even further.

I think that everyone has already provided a good outline of the demographics in the area, coupled with being a Northern team and having a few other teams in the area which draw larger crowds or have a bigger following (ie Leeds).

[RichardL]

They also crippled themselves financially by expanding the ground on two sides when they didn't have the cash to do so. Administration came and went soon after, as did their better players.

They've only had 13 years in the top 2 divisions since WWII, all since 1985, so they are hardly underperforming with regards to their typical league position.

[speedofsound]

IIRC they dropped a tonne of cash on Benito Carbone and a few other imports who just did not fit well into the system.

One of those guys was a Romanian player, but I can't remember his name. Was it Radescu? Whatever his name was I remember they dropped a lot of cash into signing him and he was a total bust. In fact I think he missed much of the season with injury problems.

[Pigs]

One of those guys was a Romanian player, but I can't remember his name. Was it Radescu? Whatever his name was I remember they dropped a lot of cash into signing him and he was a total bust. In fact I think he missed much of the season with injury problems.

Dan Petrescu played for Bradford City at that time. Also Stan Collymore who went mental and then moved to Spain.

Here's a page from the BBC in 2002 that also had links to other news at that time when Bradford were in the crap.

Bradford Future Secure (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/2165922.stm)

Richmond admitted that he had made mistakes in his role as chairman, but was adamant that all decisions were made in the best interests of the club.

He said: "I wish I had played it a different way. It looked right at the time though.

"Sometimes when you are chairman of a football club you get hanged if you do and hanged if you don't.

"If we had got relegated and hadn't made serious attempts to stay up I think fans would have been angry.

"I certainly didn't see fans protesting in the streets as we were signing Benito Carbone, Stan Collymore, Dan Petrescu, David Hopkin, Ashley Ward and others - there were celebrations in the streets.

"But it didn't work out and the rest is history."

[M]

Carbone was the one they bet the bank on, on transfer deadline day iirc. And as has been alluded to, "traditionally" they haven't even been a second-level team, more like one that has alternated between third and fourth levels. I saw them play at the fourth level against Chester in '94: within 6 years Bradford were in the Premiership and Chester the Conference!