The Neal Ackroyd Column

Monday 24 December, 2001

Plenty to Chew Over at Valley Parade

I was at Valley Parade at 12.45 today (Christmas eve, 2001). I was tucking into a rather tasty sandwich in the Upfront cafe. Looking out of the window, you could see a number of comings and goings. People turning up to buy match tickets, only to find the ticket office had closed for Christmas at midday. Last minute shoppers looking for bargains on the first day of the Upfront sale. Chris Cooper and Derm Tanner looking for today's news story. Walter Kidd, in full training kit, looking incredibly pensive heading towards the club reception and Richmond's office.

And then the TV screen in the corner became the focus of the attention. Just a single line on Sky Sports News. Jim Jefferies has left the managerial position at Bradford City. Some people in the shop came to look. Others carried on shopping regardless. No one really seemed to care less.

I was there. Just a thin wall between me in the club shop, and the room where the history of Bradford City AFC changed yet again.

As I left Upfront, I saw Chris Cooper and Derm Tanner huddled out of the wind near the North West Corner stand exits, chattering into mobile phones, relating the news back to their respective Sports News Desks. And then it struck me - just how far City had fallen. 14 months ago, there would have been whole teams of reporters, camera men, OB units, even fans outside VP. Today, one day before Christmas, were just two local reporters, shivering against the cold, reporting the news back via mobile phone.

That is what the club now has to battle against: A lack of interest. The signs are there - a dwindling support, a season where it looks like the crowd and the players almost couldn't care. GR seems to be more interested in either becoming the next Graham Kelly, or getting a cafe to sell good, tasty, value for money food. On the cafe front, it looks very promising. With more rumours that there could be resignations from the League this week, Richmond could well be in line to be Chairman of the Pheonix League. But these things count for nought if the footballing side is allowed to wither away.

The Chairman needs to re-concentrate his efforts on helping the club truly make that next great step. All things stem from that - GR's profile will fade within football if City are allowed to fade. The cafe will be a failure without an associated football team that attracts the punters to the Manningham area to spend their money, rather than heading towards Canal Road or the Kirkgate Centre. GR needs to reconcentrate, and re-double efforts on the footballing side.

It's time for the next, great footballing partnership, a footballing version of you bring the looks, I'll bring the brains. A manager skilled in getting the best out of limited resources, combined with a Chairman just able to offer that little bit extra when required. A manager with a plan, a Chairman with a plan.

The manager with a plan? I'm with the school of thought that a manager should do a lower division managerial apprenticeship, followed by a step up the leagues. Therefore, looking around the lower divisions, one name leaps out at me. Danny Wilson.

Stop laughing at the back, let me finish. I truly believe Wilson is one of the brightest young managers about. Okay, he had a bad spell at Wednesday, but you have to take that in the context of what he was working with and around. At Barnsley, and at Bristol City, both clubs with resources similar to the present climes at Valley Parade, he's created attractive, hard working teams playing good football. He's a Yorkshire lad, and I know well that if the chance of a calling to return back home comes along, you seriously listen to it. Some of you may say that he should be getting Bristol City promoted, a club of that size, but we were a big club in the Second and never looked likely to get automatic promotion in any of our five seasons down there.

As for Richmond - a public statement of his intentions for the next five years might just provide that missing focus. We all laughed behind our hand's when we were told we would be in the Premier within five years, but GR worked damn hard to help achieve it. Since then, the focus has been lost - now, Geoffrey, is the time to please focus back on the footballing side.

Have a good Christmas.

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