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Bradford City WFC vs Stoke City LFC Programme

Bradford City WFC's programme for their encounter with Stoke City LFC in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, Sunday 25 September 2016.

Bradford City WFC's programme for their encounter with Stoke City LFC in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, Sunday 25 September 2016.

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<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Women’s Football Club<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong><br />

<strong>vs</strong><br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong><br />

FA Women’s Premier League<br />

Sunday 25 September<br />

Kick-off 2PM


Proud Sponsors of<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Women’s<br />

Football Club<br />

Tel 01274 882331 Fax 01274 882332<br />

Email info@patchett-joinery.co.uk<br />

Patchett Joinery<br />

Ryefield House<br />

180 Highgate Road<br />

Queensbury<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong><br />

West Yorkshire<br />

BD13 1DS<br />

2


THECLUB<br />

THEPROGRAMME<br />

THE PEOPLE<br />

Club Chair: Sally Thackray<br />

Club Treasurer: Allyson Matthews<br />

Coach Liaison: Jess Pearson<br />

Player Liaison Officer: Jess Pearson<br />

Football Development Officer: Charlotte Stuart<br />

Club Secretary: Sally Thackray<br />

Media Officer: Amee Ruszkai<br />

Photographer: George Wood<br />

Senior Coaches: Charlotte Stuart, Lee Harrison,<br />

Declan Smith, Chris Birks, Sarah Lowden<br />

Junior Coaches: Charlotte Stuart, Shauna Legge,<br />

Adam Fox, Andy Uttley, Joe Bray, Paul Scott, Georgia<br />

Clipson, Danny Barker, Samir Butt, Amee<br />

Ruszkai, Antonia Butcher, Qasim Akhtar<br />

THE HONOURS<br />

Yorkshire and Humberside League Champions:<br />

1988/89 1995/96<br />

Yorkshire Plate Runners-up: 1989<br />

Yorkshire Cup Winners: 1996<br />

Northern Division Champions: 1996/97<br />

FA Cup Quarter Finals: 1998<br />

Premier League Cup Semi Finalists: 1998<br />

North East Premier League Champions: 2006/07<br />

County Cup Champions: 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016<br />

THE DETAILS<br />

First Team Home Venue:<br />

Eccleshill United, Kingsway, <strong>Bradford</strong>. BD2 1PN<br />

Training Venue/Reserves Home Venue:<br />

Rawdon Meadows, BD10 0NN<br />

Email: info@bcwfc.co.uk<br />

Website: www.bcwfc..co.uk<br />

Twitter: @bcwfc<br />

Facebook: /bcwfc<br />

Instagram: @bcwfc<br />

5 Chair Chatter: Chairwoman Sally Thackray gives<br />

her thoughts ahead of this afternoon’s game<br />

6 Match Preview: Everything you need to know<br />

about today’s fixture<br />

8-9 Shauna Legge: <strong>City</strong>’s number three reflects on last<br />

week’s defeat to Blackburn<br />

11 Reserves and ‘A’ Team: <strong>City</strong>’s seniors are in action<br />

away from Eccleshill United today too<br />

14 Today’s Opposition — <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong>: Just who are<br />

this afternoon’s visitors?<br />

15-17 The FA Women’s Premier League: A quick look at<br />

what’s going on around the league this week<br />

19 Our Home of Football — Eccleshill United: Catch<br />

up with our ground-sharers<br />

20-21 Last time out: Read up on the Bantams’ last<br />

outing, as they welcomed Blackburn Rovers<br />

22 Stuart McCall’s Bantams: <strong>City</strong> faced former boss<br />

Phil Parkinson yesterday<br />

23 Fixtures and Results: The club’s full schedule for<br />

the season<br />

THE FACTS<br />

This fixture produces an average of 3.8 goals per<br />

game, based on <strong>Bradford</strong>’s previous eight meetings<br />

with <strong>Stoke</strong>.<br />

In those eight games, 14 yellow cards and three<br />

red cards have also been distributed.<br />

The Bantams went their first five games against<br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> unbeaten.<br />

THE ISSUE<br />

Editor: Ameé Ruszkai<br />

Photos: George Wood<br />

Print: Staples (<strong>Bradford</strong>)<br />

3


Abi Lee lines up to strike goalwards from a free-kick against Blackburn Rovers last week.<br />

4


Chair Chatter: Sally Thackray ahead of today’s game<br />

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Eccleshill United FC for today’s FA Women’s Premier<br />

League Northern Division fixture against <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong>.<br />

A warm welcome to all players, club officials and spectators who have made the journey from<br />

Staffordshire to be here today.<br />

Playing <strong>Stoke</strong> is always a fantastic battle between two teams who can certainly give as good as<br />

they get, but it’s also always a great game of football between two talented sides.<br />

Our opponents come into this fixture off the back of two wins in a row, and so their confidence<br />

will also be tough to deal with on top of all this.<br />

For us, it’s about getting back to winning ways. Last week’s loss to Blackburn Rovers was disappointing<br />

as we know we can do a lot better—as we showed in the second half.<br />

Today, we will be out to do that, especially with us to be on our travels for the majority of October.<br />

It will be important to end this run of home games with a win, and I know that we can<br />

do that if we are committed and focused throughout.<br />

Elsewhere this afternoon, I’d like to wish good luck to both the reserves and the ‘A’ Team, who<br />

are also in action.<br />

Our reserves have only played one game this season, losing to Middlesbrough in the league,<br />

and today they return to Teesside looking for revenge in the cup.<br />

Meanwhile, the ‘A’ Team are away to Brighouse Town Development, also looking to bounce<br />

back after falling 3-2 against Yorkshire Amateurs last Sunday.<br />

Here’s hoping the club can end the day with three very positive results.<br />

Enjoy the game,<br />

Sally<br />

5


Match Preview: <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>vs</strong> <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

Charlotte Stuart battles with former Bantam Abby Hunt.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> welcome <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> this afternoon,<br />

looking to end a string of home fixtures<br />

with a victory.<br />

Current form<br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> come into this game off the back of<br />

their first league win of the season. However,<br />

it’s been two weeks since they defeated Newcastle<br />

United 2-1, with them out of action<br />

since.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong>, meanwhile, played as recently as<br />

last week, but while they come into the game<br />

match fit, they also come into it having lost<br />

that fixture 4-0 to leaders Blackburn Rovers.<br />

Team news<br />

The clash with Rovers was the Bantams’ third<br />

game in seven days, and that has had an affect<br />

on the squad so early in the season.<br />

Jade Brindle will be unavailable today due to a<br />

knee problem picked up off the bench last<br />

Sunday, while defender Faye Boshell hasn’t<br />

recovered from a knock of her own.<br />

On a more positive note, Laura Elford returns<br />

to the squad after a few weeks out injured.<br />

Previous meetings<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> went into the 2015-16 season unbeaten<br />

against <strong>Stoke</strong> in five meetings.<br />

However, two wins for the Potters in three<br />

encounters last term means that record has<br />

since been surrendered.<br />

The head-to-head reads more evenly now—<br />

four wins for <strong>Bradford</strong>, two draws, and two<br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> wins.<br />

The stats suggest entertainment though, with<br />

this fixture averaging nearly four goals a game<br />

and producing it’s fair share of feistiness over<br />

the years.<br />

6


ABOUT US<br />

Passionate about children and young people<br />

One in a Million is a <strong>Bradford</strong>-based charity that helps children & young people<br />

from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing education through sports, the arts<br />

and enterprise. We have a passion for this great city.<br />

ONE IN A MILLION<br />

The Bantams Business Centre,<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> AFC,<br />

Valley Parade,<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong>,<br />

BD8 7DY<br />

NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURE<br />

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE<br />

Derby County <strong>LFC</strong> <strong>vs</strong> <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong><br />

Sunday 2nd October 2016<br />

Mickleover Sports Club<br />

Kick-off 2PM<br />

7


Shauna Legge: “It will definitely be a battle”<br />

Shauna Legge battles for the battle against Blackburn Rovers.<br />

Seven days ago, <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> headed into<br />

their clash with Blackburn Rovers full of optimism<br />

and bursting with confidence.<br />

Their first win was secured in midweek against<br />

local rivals Huddersfield Town, with the monkey<br />

off their back and the pressure rid of<br />

thanks to a 1-0 victory.<br />

However, seven days later, a 4-0 defeat to<br />

Rovers has significantly changed the build-up<br />

to this afternoon’s game, which sees the Bantams<br />

welcome <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong>.<br />

It’s about putting things right today, with<br />

Shauna Legge conceded that last week was<br />

just not good enough.<br />

“On the back of the win against Huddersfield<br />

[losing to Blackburn] was very disappointing,<br />

especially to concede four goals when other<br />

results have been such tight margins,” she<br />

said, reflecting on the defeat.<br />

“The first half on Sunday wasn't good enough.<br />

We lacked the hard work and determination<br />

we have shown in previous games and we<br />

were punished for it.”<br />

Some days things just don’t go right, but <strong>City</strong><br />

were lacking the basics in that opening 45<br />

minutes last week, and the improved second<br />

installment that followed made this more<br />

frustrating.<br />

After the break, <strong>City</strong> showed what they were<br />

made of, but it was too little too late.<br />

“By the time we decided to start playing our<br />

football we were already into the second half<br />

and 3-0 down, leaving us with a near impossible<br />

task to turn the game around.<br />

“Although we were behind, I believe we<br />

8<br />

showed some character and battled until the


Shauna Legge: “It will definitely be a battle”<br />

final whistle.<br />

“Blackburn are a good side, but in spells we<br />

looked threatening.”<br />

And while <strong>Bradford</strong> are enjoying these positives<br />

periods, Legge says there is no cause for<br />

concern.<br />

“If we weren't creating any chances alarm<br />

bells would be ringing, but we are creating we<br />

just need to start putting the ball in the back<br />

of the net,” she said.<br />

“I'm confident that if we carry on working<br />

hard and creating chances, the results will<br />

come.”<br />

It’s not just getting goals, but getting them<br />

Player of the match in the defeat to<br />

Blackburn Rovers, Shauna Legge.<br />

early too. Legge believes that conceding first<br />

tends to hurt the team, with the defence just<br />

as important as the attack.<br />

“If we don't get the first goal of the game our<br />

heads go down.<br />

“It would be nice to get an early goal against<br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> so we can settle and build on that. I<br />

think it would really boost our confidence,”<br />

she added.<br />

Moreover, it’s about putting in a good display<br />

and, of course, 110 per cent, as that is will be<br />

needed for the team to get themselves a good<br />

result.<br />

“<strong>Stoke</strong> are always a tough game and it will<br />

definitely be a battle,” Legge said.<br />

Still, she believes that <strong>City</strong> are starting to gel<br />

and that they can play some nice stuff today,<br />

despite the fixture expected to be scrappy at<br />

times.<br />

“Each game we have grown as a team and got<br />

better and better.<br />

“We're starting to know each other on the<br />

pitch in terms of which player wants the ball<br />

where, and it will eventually pay off and we<br />

will get the results we want and deserve.”<br />

Stringing those passes together and finishing<br />

chances are on the agenda today then, but<br />

concentration will be absolutely crucial as <strong>City</strong><br />

look to bounce back.<br />

“Our first half performance simply wasn't<br />

good enough against Blackburn, and it's crucial<br />

that we stay focused throughout the 90<br />

minutes today.”<br />

Last week’s defeat may have been disappointing,<br />

but it wasn’t without it’s positives—<br />

both in terms of what <strong>City</strong> did right, but also in<br />

terms of lessons that they can learn from to<br />

improve; starting this afternoon.<br />

9


Two thirds of <strong>City</strong>’s midfield three last season, former teammates Danielle Whitham (left)<br />

and Ellie Olds (right) shake hands as Blackburn Rovers come away with three points in last<br />

week’s clash.<br />

10


‘A’ Team: Defeat for <strong>City</strong> as they open league account<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> ‘A’<br />

All three senior teams are in action this afternoon<br />

for <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong>.<br />

The reserves are out to bounce back from<br />

defeat three weeks ago to Middlesbrough –<br />

returning to the scene of that loss in the cup<br />

today.<br />

Their derby clash with Leeds was postponed<br />

last week, and so the pain of a 6-1 result going<br />

the other way remains fresh in their minds<br />

from their first trip to Teesside earlier this<br />

month.<br />

With them having had plenty of time to learn<br />

from that now, the team will be out to avenge<br />

defeat in a competition that they<br />

have loved over the last few years.<br />

Having reached the final three seasons<br />

in a row, it’s clear that <strong>City</strong><br />

love a good cup run and today they<br />

will also be driven by the hurt of<br />

only claiming runners-up medals in<br />

the 2015-16 edition of the competition.<br />

It’s a case of bouncing back for<br />

<strong>City</strong>’s ‘A’ Team today too.<br />

The side started their league campaign<br />

last week, and things were<br />

looking good when Vanessa<br />

Holroyd had them 1-0 up early<br />

on against Yorkshire Amateurs.<br />

However, the score would<br />

read 2-2 at the break after a<br />

good recovery from the hosts,<br />

and then 3-2 at full time in<br />

favour of the Leeds-based<br />

outfit.<br />

This afternoon, they face Brighouse<br />

Town’s Development<br />

side, who were promoted at<br />

the end of last season. Town finished runnersup<br />

in the Second Division after losing only one<br />

game all campaign – Tingley Athletic’s reserves<br />

pipping them to the title by just a<br />

point.<br />

They’ve not started the current season as impressively,<br />

losing their first round cup tie to<br />

Silsden and drawing at Wetherby Athletic in<br />

the league, but this promises to be an interesting<br />

clash between two confident teams.<br />

You can follow us on Twitter @bcwfc for regular<br />

score updates of both these games<br />

throughout the afternoon.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> Reserves<br />

11


TODAY’S<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong><br />

MANAGER<br />

Charlotte Stuart<br />

COACHING STAFF<br />

Lee Harrison<br />

Faye Boshell<br />

Chris Birks<br />

PHYSIO<br />

Kirsty Goodbold<br />

CHLOE PRECIOUS<br />

CHARLOTTE OATES<br />

CHARLOTTE STUART<br />

PAIGE CROSBY<br />

ZOE ROBERTS<br />

SHAUNA LEGGE<br />

ELLIE OLDS<br />

ABI LEE<br />

MEG LAWSON<br />

HANNAH CAMPBELL<br />

LAURA ELFORD<br />

LUCY SOWERBY<br />

ROSIE MCDONNELL<br />

Sunday 25th S<br />

2016<br />

Kick-off 2<br />

CHELSIE STOKES<br />

FAYE BOSHELL<br />

JADE BRINDLE<br />

JESS GRAHAM<br />

KEAVY SMITH<br />

12


TEAMS<br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong><br />

ABBIE IDDENDEN<br />

KATE ASHER<br />

ASHLEIGH HAYES<br />

LAURA GARSIDE<br />

CASSIE HYDE<br />

KELSEY RICHARDSON<br />

EMILY OWEN<br />

MANAGER<br />

Andrew Frost<br />

COACHING STAFF<br />

David Tuck<br />

Tom Read<br />

PHYSIO<br />

Pippa Inwood<br />

eptember<br />

PM<br />

MEG BOWYER<br />

NATASHA LILY<br />

HANNAH KERYAKOPLIS<br />

ALICE LANGSTONE<br />

ANNE-MARIE ATHERTON<br />

NATALIE HALL<br />

NICOLA HUDSON<br />

HOLLIE GIBSON<br />

LUCY RIDGWAY<br />

JAMILLA PALMER<br />

MILLIE ELSON<br />

RACHEL BALL<br />

13


Today’s opposition: <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong><br />

Formed in 2001,<br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong>’s inaugural<br />

season in the<br />

West Midlands<br />

League Division One<br />

ended in success as<br />

the team gained promotion<br />

via the play offs.<br />

From there, they consolidated their position<br />

in the West Midland Premier Division and<br />

began entering into the Staffordshire County<br />

Cup.<br />

A first final was reached in 2007, which they<br />

won, and they’ve returned to retain the trophy<br />

every year since—bar 2008.<br />

In 2011 a landmark was reached as both the<br />

first team and reserve team reached the<br />

showpiece occasion to<br />

play against each other,<br />

something achieved<br />

once again in 2013.<br />

Promotion to the Midland<br />

Women’s Combination<br />

League was in<br />

2009 as the team finished as champions.<br />

Four years later, after narrowly missing out at<br />

the end of the 2011-2012 campaign, <strong>Stoke</strong><br />

gained promotion to the Premier League in<br />

2013 as part of a superb treble winning season.<br />

That successful term also included the League<br />

Cup and the Staffordshire County Cup. The<br />

Staffordshire County Cup was retained in seasons<br />

2014-15 and<br />

14<br />

2015-16.


FAWPL Round-up: Sunday 18 September<br />

There were more twists in the FA Women’s<br />

Premier League at the weekend, with Middlesbrough’s<br />

defeat an eye-catcher, while<br />

Newcastle United beat Huddersfield Town in<br />

an eight goal thriller.<br />

After a fast start, Boro are starting to stutter<br />

now, with a 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham<br />

Forest their second loss in three games.<br />

They made a real statement on the opening<br />

day with a 6-0 hammering of champions West<br />

Bromwich Albion, but with the Baggies glued<br />

to the foot of the table, that result has since<br />

seen it’s shock value decrease.<br />

Andrea Bell’s 73rd minute effort was enough<br />

to give Forest the three points, with the Midlands<br />

outfit going steady after two wins from<br />

their three league games thus far.<br />

While Boro begin to falter, fellow newlypromoted<br />

side Leicester <strong>City</strong> are now going<br />

strong. Since losing 4-0 to Fylde on the opening<br />

weekend, they have won three out of<br />

three – the latest a 2-1 result over West Brom.<br />

It looked like it would be a point apiece for<br />

some time, with the Foxes opening the scoring<br />

through Lauren Impey before Kel Darby equalised<br />

on 50 minutes. However, Kayleigh Hillier<br />

popped up with a late, late winner in stoppage<br />

time to steal the win for the home side.<br />

The Baggies remain at the foot of the table<br />

then, but they aren’t the only winless side at<br />

least. Huddersfield too suffered another defeat<br />

on Sunday, falling 6-2 to Newcastle.<br />

Results—Sunday 18 September:<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 0-4 Blackburn Rovers<br />

Leicester <strong>City</strong> 2-1 West Bromwich Albion<br />

Middlesbrough 0-1 Nottingham Forest<br />

Newcastle United 6-2 Huddersfield Town<br />

Mollie Lambert got the Magpies off to a great<br />

start with six minutes on the clock, and things<br />

just got better from there.<br />

Both Sophie Williams and Shannon Etherington<br />

bagged braces on the day, while an own<br />

goal helped the Toon Army make it six.<br />

The Terriers are only kept off the foot of the<br />

table by a point picked up against Blackburn<br />

Rovers earlier in the campaign now.<br />

Rovers, meanwhile, now top the standings<br />

after they beat <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 4-0 in a comprehensive<br />

performance – Faye McCoy, Lynda<br />

Shepherd, Ella Toone and Natasha Fenton<br />

with the goals that took them to the summit.<br />

15


FAWPL Preview: Sunday 25 September<br />

As the cup competitions start to get underway,<br />

we have only three games in the FA<br />

Women’s Premier League’s Northern Division<br />

to concern us today.<br />

The one in front of your eyes today sees <strong>Bradford</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> welcome <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> for what promises<br />

to be a physical encounter, as always.<br />

Two sides who will commit everything to get a<br />

result, they are both looking to add to their<br />

solitary league wins this season and push up<br />

the table in the process.<br />

<strong>Stoke</strong> will be especially raring to go today,<br />

having not played since their first win two<br />

weeks ago – that a 2-1 result at home to Newcastle<br />

United.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong>, meanwhile, are out to bounce back<br />

from last Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to Blackburn<br />

Rovers.<br />

Rovers aren’t in action today, and so they<br />

could well be knocked off the top of the table.<br />

Both Fylde and Derby County will be keen to<br />

take advantage this afternoon, looking for<br />

results to propel them to the summit.<br />

Fylde will visit a Newcastle side who are full of<br />

confidence after scoring six against Huddersfield<br />

Town last week. However, their opponents<br />

this weekend have conceded just two<br />

goals to their nine scored, and will present a<br />

much tougher task.<br />

They sit just above Derby at the moment by<br />

one goal, and so both will not just be going for<br />

wins today, but wins by significant margins.<br />

It’s more than likely that the higher scorer<br />

today will replace Rovers at the top.<br />

Fixtures—Sunday 25 September:<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>vs</strong> <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

Derby County <strong>vs</strong> West Bromwich Albion<br />

Newcastle United <strong>vs</strong> Fylde<br />

County have a more difficult game than Fylde<br />

on paper, as they take on last year’s champions<br />

West Bromwich Albion. However, the<br />

difference in difficulty depends on what paper<br />

you’re looking at.<br />

One would imagine that the current title holders<br />

would be a tougher game than the team<br />

that last year finished ninth, but this season<br />

the table shows something different.<br />

The Baggies are out to get their first points on<br />

the board still, having lost all four games this<br />

season to leave them at the foot of the table.<br />

Derby, meanwhile, have a 100 per cent record<br />

from their three games and will go out looking<br />

to maintain that.<br />

16


2016-17 FAWPL Northern Division: The Standings<br />

POS P W D L GD PTS<br />

1 Blackburn Rovers <strong>LFC</strong> 4 3 1 0 10 10<br />

2 Middlesbrough <strong>LFC</strong> 5 3 0 2 10 9<br />

3 Fylde <strong>LFC</strong> 3 3 0 0 7 9<br />

4 Derby County <strong>LFC</strong> 3 3 0 0 6 9<br />

5 Leicester <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> 4 3 0 1 2 9<br />

6 Nottingham Forest <strong>LFC</strong> 3 2 0 1 0 6<br />

7 <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>LFC</strong> 3 1 0 2 -3 3<br />

8 Newcastle United <strong>WFC</strong> 4 1 0 3 -4 3<br />

9 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> 5 1 0 4 -8 3<br />

10 Huddersfield Town <strong>LFC</strong> 4 0 1 3 -7 1<br />

11 West Bromwich Albion <strong>WFC</strong> 4 0 0 4 -13 0<br />

/FAWPLOfficial<br />

@FA_WPL<br />

thefa.com/wpl<br />

#WeArePremier<br />

17


Lucy Sowerby shows her disappointment at full time as <strong>City</strong> fall 4-0 to Blackburn Rovers.<br />

18


Our home of football: Eccleshill United FC<br />

“That’s exactly what we needed.”<br />

After four defeats in succession, Eccleshill<br />

United bounced back with a 5-2 victory over<br />

Westella & Willerby on Wednesday night.<br />

The Eagles made themselves work hard for it<br />

though, with then going 2-0 up inside nine<br />

minutes before finding themselves tied at 2-2<br />

with 25 to play.<br />

Jake McCann-Tomlin and Marcus Edwards<br />

gave the home side the perfect start, but Alex<br />

Wood was a thorn in their side as his brace<br />

got Westella back into things.<br />

A ruthless final 20 minutes were enough for<br />

United to get a well-needed win though.<br />

Matthew Mathers edged them back into the<br />

lead, before Edwards added his second of the<br />

day five minutes later.<br />

The points seemed certain there and then,<br />

but Adam Turner added a fifth with two<br />

minutes of normal time to go just to be sure.<br />

Having slipped out of the top six due to a poor<br />

run of recent form, this victory puts the Eagles<br />

on the brink of returning to that promotion<br />

chasing area and manager Sean Regan was<br />

delighted with what he saw from his team.<br />

“I think every single player has worked hard,”<br />

he said, even if he believes United put themselves<br />

under pressure at times.<br />

“The opposition are always going to get their<br />

little spell, and they did,” he conceded, before<br />

heaping the praise on his players.<br />

“We’ve gone from 2-0 up to 2-2, and for me<br />

that showed massive character to come back<br />

from that.<br />

It’s a long season ahead, with only eight of 42<br />

league games played. However, it’s a promising<br />

start for United that will give them plenty<br />

of confidence as they assess their aims for the<br />

months to come.<br />

19


Last time out: <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 0-4 Blackburn Rovers<br />

In a game which was supposed to see the Bantams<br />

build on Wednesday's win, Blackburn<br />

Rovers spoiled the party with a comfortable 4-<br />

0 win on Sunday.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> just weren't as sharp or as clinical<br />

as their opponents, who showed exactly<br />

why they are still unbeaten this season as they<br />

rose to the top of the table.<br />

<strong>City</strong> played some lovely football against Huddersfield<br />

Town in the midweek 1-0 win, but a<br />

scrappy start to the game didn't allow either<br />

side to really get the ball down and play.<br />

Instead, it was about taking the chances that<br />

came your way - particularly from set pieces,<br />

such was the flow of the game.<br />

Blackburn did exactly this. With less than 20<br />

minutes played, Faye McCoy broke the deadlock<br />

from a corner and <strong>City</strong> were suddenly on<br />

the back foot.<br />

With chances few and far between throughout<br />

the game, this proved crucial. In fact, the<br />

only opportunity between this and Rovers'<br />

next goal on 42 minutes was a free-kick 30<br />

yards out for <strong>City</strong>, which Abi Lee couldn't direct<br />

on target.<br />

Just before the interval, Blackburn made the<br />

most of a free-kick of their own, with Kayleigh<br />

McDonald's delivery nodded goal wards by<br />

Lynda Shepherd - a deflection sending it looping<br />

over a stranded Charlotte Oates.<br />

Oates made some terrific saves through the<br />

game, but even her best efforts couldn't keep<br />

this one out, and she would have to pick the<br />

ball out of the back of her net once more before<br />

half time.<br />

In stoppage time, Blackburn scored a truly<br />

terrific goal from a rare bit of lovely football in<br />

the opening 45 minutes.<br />

Saffron Jordan's back heel was latched onto<br />

by Ella Toone, who applied a finish that<br />

20


Last time out: <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 0-4 Blackburn Rovers<br />

showed just why she's off to the under-17<br />

World Cup with England this month.<br />

<strong>Bradford</strong> put the pressure on in the second<br />

half, looking for some way back into the<br />

game, but chances remained at a premium<br />

even if the quality of the football improved. It<br />

was end-to-end, but lacking in opportunities.<br />

Hannah Campbell had <strong>City</strong>'s only real opening<br />

of the half just minutes in, but it was only a<br />

half chance as her strike on the turn was<br />

blocked by a defender.<br />

As a result, the visiting 'keeper only had to<br />

make routine stops, come out of her goal to<br />

gather up attempted through balls, and deal<br />

with the non-stop pressing up front.<br />

The <strong>City</strong> striker and teenage debutante Keavy<br />

Smith both connected with crosses into the<br />

area later in the half, but neither could direct<br />

them on target from difficult positions.<br />

The closest we came to a fourth goal was at<br />

the other end. Had it not been for Shauna<br />

Legge's bicycle kick clearance on the line,<br />

Blackburn would have added to the scoreline<br />

with just over 15 minutes to play, the fantastic<br />

defending sandwiched in between a number<br />

of good saves from Oates.<br />

Rovers were happy to continue to try their<br />

luck from range, both in open play and from<br />

set pieces, but just as it seemed that <strong>City</strong> had<br />

managed to keep the score at three, Natasha<br />

Fenton showed just why the visitors are so<br />

confident outside of the box as she arrowed<br />

the game's final goal into the top corner.<br />

It was a top quality way for them to round<br />

things off, but also a reminder to <strong>City</strong> of what<br />

they had lacked all day - that touch of brilliance<br />

in the final third.<br />

The frustration for the Bantams is that they<br />

know they can produce this going forward, as<br />

shown on Wednesday, but things just didn't<br />

click this time out as the three points went<br />

back to Lancashire with Rovers.<br />

<strong>City</strong> XI: Oates; Roberts, Boshell (Brindle<br />

46' (Smith 65')), Crosby, <strong>Stoke</strong>s; Lee; Legge,<br />

Stuart, Graham (Olds 57'), Sowerby; Campbell.<br />

21


McCall’s men: The past is the past<br />

The build-up to yesterday’s fixture between<br />

Bolton Wanderers and <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> has<br />

been unavoidable to those in the area all<br />

week.<br />

Phil Parkinson faced his former side yesterday at<br />

the Macron Stadium. (Photo: Telegraph & Argus)<br />

A remarkable 4,300 away tickets had been<br />

sold five days prior to the game, with the<br />

Bantams’ fans keen to get one up on former<br />

coach Phil Parkinson.<br />

However, a big talking point for the travelling<br />

fans in the build-up was whether to applaud<br />

the man they once adored or to boo<br />

the man they felt betrayed them in the summer.<br />

Parkinson’s departure remains a mystery.<br />

Local media in both the <strong>Bradford</strong> and Bolton<br />

regions, plus the man himself, have stressed<br />

that the move was simply about a new challenge,<br />

which has not appeased the claret<br />

and amber army.<br />

To leave Valley Parade after five years of<br />

incredible progress, and with so much more ready to be made with new owners coming in, it<br />

was baffling when it emerged that the manager was leaving to join a recently-relegated club<br />

up to their eyeballs in debt.<br />

To some, this is how he will be remembered – as the man that walked out with so much unfinished<br />

business to attend to. Defeat in the play-offs was disappointing, but it was felt that Parkinson<br />

could guide <strong>City</strong> to automatic promotion this season.<br />

However, to forget everything ‘Parky’ did for the club would be unacceptable. Promotion to<br />

League Two and a run to the League Cup final gave fans the season of a lifetime in 2012-13,<br />

while the victory at Stamford Bridge last January will go down as the greatest cupset of all<br />

time.<br />

Fans could put their trust in the manager and his ways for the first time since the turn of the<br />

century, with the club’s almighty slide down the Football League drawn to an end, and then<br />

turned on its head.<br />

Some fans will have applauded Parky yesterday, some will have booed, but, moreover, some<br />

won’t have reacted. Some are happy to leave the past in the past and support the current<br />

team – Stuart McCall’s team.<br />

It’s an exciting season that lies ahead for <strong>City</strong>, but it’s not a season about getting one-up on<br />

Phil Parkinson’s Bolton. It’s about cheering McCall’s men to success, and moving on from<br />

what is now history.<br />

22


2016-17: Fixtures and Results<br />

COMP DATE TIME HOME SIDE AWAY SIDE VENUE<br />

L 21/08/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 0 2 Derby County Eccleshill United<br />

L 28/08/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 0 2 Middlesbrough Eccleshill United<br />

LCUP 04/09/16 14:00 West Brom Albion 2 1 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Rushall Olympic<br />

L 11/09/16 14:00 Fylde 3 2 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Fylde <strong>LFC</strong><br />

L 14/09/16 19:45 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 1 0 Huddersfield Town Eccleshill United<br />

L 18/09/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> 4 0 Blackburn Rovers Eccleshill United<br />

L 25/09/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> Eccleshill United<br />

L 02/10/16 14:00 Derby County <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Mickleover Sports<br />

L 05/10/16 19:45 Huddersfield Town <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Shelley FC<br />

L 09/10/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Leicester <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> Eccleshill United<br />

L 16/10/16 14:00 West Brom Albion <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Rushall Olympic<br />

L 30/10/16 14:00 Blackburn Rovers <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> STF Stadium<br />

L 06/11/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Fylde Eccleshill United<br />

L 20/11/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> West Brom Albion Eccleshill United<br />

L 27/11/16 14:00 <strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Norton United<br />

L 11/12/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Newcastle United Eccleshill United<br />

L 18/12/16 14:00 <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Nottingham Forest Eccleshill United<br />

L 08/01/17 14:00 Leicester <strong>City</strong> <strong>WFC</strong> <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Riverside<br />

L 15/01/17 14:00 Newcastle United <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> SportNorthumbria<br />

L 26/02/17 14:00 Middlesbrough <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Thornaby FC<br />

L 26/03/17 14:00 Nottingham Forest <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>City</strong> Basford United<br />

/BC<strong>WFC</strong><br />

BC<strong>WFC</strong>.co.uk<br />

@BC<strong>WFC</strong><br />

@BC<strong>WFC</strong><br />

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