News and build up to Jim Jefferies resigning as Bradford City manager

Jim Jefferies has resigned from Bradford City following a series of bad result and a bust up with club captain Stuart McCall.

Monday 24 December, 2001

Jim Jefferies has resigned as Bradford City manager

Jim Jefferies has had his resignation as Bradford City manager accepted by Geoffrey Richmond bringing to an end an inauspicious 13 month stay at Valley Parade for the Scots manager who joined the then Premiership Bantams.

Pressure had been increasing on Jefferies after the teams excellent start to the season faded and promotion back to the top flight began to look impossible. Jeffries right hand man Billy Brown left the club on Saturday.

Bfb looks back at Jim Jefferies short stay at Valley Parade and forward to the future asking What City should do next

Stan Collymore applies, Evans as his #2

Stan Collymore will apply for the job a Bradford City manager according to his lawyer and as odd as it sounds the 30 year old who won the City crowd with his overhead kick against Leeds has a chance of getting the post.

Stan, who's chequered career has been detailed elsewhere, sights his inside knowledge of fans and players as a key factor in his application and has a secret running mate who he would bring in as coach, thought to be former Liverpool manager Roy Evans.

Publicity shy Evans recently resigned from Swindon and enjoyed a fair relationship with Collymore after he signed him for £8.5m for Liverpool some years ago. The couple's dynamic would be similar to the Peter Jackson/Terry Yorath pairing at Huddersfield in which the coach takes charge of day to day training of the players and the manager is more involved in more general aspects of the running of the team.

Collymore's lawyer Jonathan Crystal confirmed Stan's interest in the post saying "Stan has every confidence in his ability to do the job and he is speaking to a senior man in football to help him out, but his role model is Steve Coppell who became a manager at 30, the same age as Stan. It's a serious application, he played at Bradford and was very popular there, he is very experienced in football and knows what a manager needs to do to turn around a club like Bradford. He has got the ability and faith in his ability to perform as a manager as good as he did as a player."

"Stan enjoyed his time at Bradford and left on good terms. He feels he can buckle down and do the job, he believes he can deal with the sort of problems he had as a player, having been in the same position in the pas and is in a unique position to understand the problems players face. Bradford City will receive a formal application, setting out his and the senior football figure's views on joining the club and their plans for the future."

On the chance of Stan returning as a player Crystal commented "Stan's registration is held as Oviedo and if Bradford wanted him back as a player they'd have to negotiate with them."

See also: The short list

City fans speak out on Jefferies

Neal Ackroyd was at the ground eating a sandwhich as Jim Jefferies left the club and had plenty to chew over at Valley Parade.

James Ramsden takes a look at the City recuitment policy after Jim Jefferies goes with his tail between his kilt.

Bradford City Internet pioneer Neal Ackroyd has added his thoughts to the Jim Jefferies debate with the column Dark Christmas in Bantamland.

BfB columnist Jonathan Jackson assess the situation and asks the questions Jim Jefferies: Will He Fall or Is He Being Pushed?

Roland Harris has slept on his comments on Jim Jefferies, and he still thinks he is right the morning after the night before.

Jeffeires: I did not resign

Jim Jefferies is considering legal action following clams that he never resigned from City. With both sides lawyers meeting before the resignation was announced and with Jefferies having tendered his resignation on Saturday file this under "legal dealings" and expect little to come of it.

Is he Gunnar be manager? Surely not him!

Gunnar Halle turned down offers of a job in Norway last week and has been added to the list of those who would be the next City boss. Another name to come into the hat is one Stanley Victory Collymore...

Club thanks JJ

Bradford City have thanks Jim Jefferies for his time at Valley Parade saying The Club wish to place on record their thanks to Jim Jefferies for despite some very disappointing results on the field, the Board felt that Jim Jefferies as Manager was moving in the right direction and were very pleased with the signings made during his time at Bradford City.

However the club pointed out the failings of Jefferies saying It has been a difficult twelve months with just 12 victories from 48 games played, relegation from the Premier League, a disappointing current position of 16th in Division 1, the recent public disagreement between Jim Jefferies and Stuart McCall, some very unpleasant letters to the Manager from supporters and finally the departure of Billy Brown. Jim Jefferies indicated that he was uncertain whether or not if he could carry on as Manager without the assistance of his long-standing assistant.

Jim quit on Saturday

Geoffrey Richmond has revealed that Jim Jefferies resigned from City on Saturday and that he stayed for the game with Coventry as a condition of his resignation being accepted. Quite why Jim Jefferies felt the need to lie in any number of interviews from then to the Monday when his leaving the club was confirmed is anyone guess.

Steve Smith in charge

Youth team manager Steve Smith, who took City Juniors to the Youth League Cup final last term, has been placed in temporary charge of the Bantams. Stuart McCall had been favourite to take the post on a short term basis but some insiders are speculating that the club were keen to make sure that the end of Jim Jefferies time at City was not seen as a player's coup.

Steve Smith takes the job as City caretaker manager for the second time having previous taken charge of the team for the games with Barnet at Cardiff at Valley Parade following the sacking of Frank Stapleton. Smith gave a full debut to Des Hamilton in the first of those two games and had been in charge of the City youth team that reached the FA Cup Cup semi final thanks to the skills of Hamilton and Graeme Tomlinson.

Who should be the new manager?

BfB would like to know who you think should be the new manager of Bradford City. Mail us with your idea for a new boss and why you think he should be the new Bantams manager.

What now for Juanjo?

Jim Jefferies resignation casts a doubt over the City future of his imports from Scotland. Jim signed Jaunjo, Gary Locke and Lee Makel from his former club Hearts and picked Eoin Jess and Andy Tod from Scots football.

In the bleak Robbie Winters?

One rumour coming out of Valley Parade has it that Jim Jefferies tendered his resignation after being denied the fund to make a Bosman bid for soon to be available Aberdeen striker Robbie Winters

Jefferies for Scotland manager?

Rumour in Scotland has started that Jim Jefferies will be offered the chance to manage Scotland after leaving Bradford City. A Gary Locke call up seems inevitable.

Jim Jefferies resignation as City manager came after a month in which he fell out with club captain Stuart McCall and lost to the two sides that joined City in relegation to the First Division in 2001.

Sunday 23 December, 2001

Juanjo confirms Jefferies exit

Rumour after the Coventry game has it that Jim Jefferies signing form Hearts Juanjo confirmed to a group of City fans that the manager had resigned. Juanjo was visibly upset by this, according to BfB sources, and speculation post Jefferies on the future of all JJ's Hearts signings including the Spaniard signed last month, Gary Locke and Lee Makel is inevitable.

Jefferies to quit

Jim Jefferies is expected to confirm to Geoffrey Richmond that he would like to resign his position as Bradford City manager. Richmond is expected to accept.

BfB columnists react angrily to Jefferies antics. Michael Wood ask: Where does the hand become the wrist?. Roland Harris says Give the job to Stuart

George Graham rumour

City have been linked with a move for George Graham to replace Jim Jefferies as manager although Burnley's Stan Ternant is thought to be the club's first choice. BfB has written up the third manager shortlist of the past 18 months.

Thrashed at Coventry

A desperate City went down 4-0 at Coventry in what would seem to be Jim Jefferies final game of his 13 month stay at Valley Parade.

Jim: Business as usual

Jim Jefferies insisted that he would have his usual Monday morning meeting with Geoffrey Richmond, playing down talk of his resignation.

Saturday 22 December, 2001

Brown quits, Jim to follow?

Billy Brown has left Valley Parade and rumour has it that City boss Jim Jefferies has also offered Geoffrey Richmond his resignation, a resignation Richmond has asked Jefferies to reconsider.

Thursday 20 December, 2001

Jim wants an apology from McCall

Jim Jefferies has demanded an apology from Stuart McCall following the City captain's comments after being dropped. "I was really disgusted at Stuart's tantrum." said Jefferies, "He came running across the park to me and had words in front of the players. I'm not going to stand for that from him or anyone else, there can be no preferential treatment. I think Stuart should apologise and instead of behaving like he has, he should show more respect. All I did was make a change because he wasn't looking up to it. He had missed two days with flu, still looked really bad on the Wednesday and I told him to take Thursday off. He didn't and declared himself fit to prepare for the weekend but on the evidence of a little practice game he was clearly short."

Tuesday 18 December, 2001

Stuart: I might not play for City again

Stuart McCall has revealed details of the bust up with Jim Jefferies that the City captain fears could mean the end of his Bantams career. "When you are told on the training pitch in front of other players that your legs have gone, you can no longer cover the ground on the park, and you have to accept your age of 37, then I would find it highly unlikely to be selected in the squad for this week's trip to Coventry or probably for any match in the coming future." said McCall.

Jefferies claimed he had no problems with McCall, the reverse would not seem to be true "What it boils down to regarding team selection is that there is only one man's opinion that counts, that obviously and quite rightly being the manager's." said McCall, "But the manager quoted after the Manchester City game, 'We didn't lose this game because of Stuart not playing, remember he was in the team when we got beaten at West Brom, Millwall and 4-0 at Birmingham' and I think that says it all."

Jefferies once again played down talk of a fall out "We'll have a look and see how he does in training this week, so we'll have to wait and see."

BfB sees Jefferies point. At 37 McCall does not get around the field like he he did and this does present problems for the Bantams. McCall is still worth his place in the Bantams starting eleven, Lee Makel should never be picked over him, but that place like any other player is not untouchable and McCall should be big enough to take critism from the manager. The bottom line at the moment is that Jim Jefferies is City boss and has decisions to make that will decide if he is, eventually, sacked or not. Stuart McCall has had the chance to become manager and will probably get offered that chance again one day. When he is he will rightfully expect to have the final say on team selection and positioning (JJ, it is said, wanted to play Stuart at full back).

Jim Jefferies arrived at Valley Parade with the call: I am not Geoffrey Richmond's "yes man". He is not Stuart McCall's "yes man" either. Jefferies picks the team, Stuart needs to be able to take this criticism and hopefully this issue can be put to bed and Stuart can get back to holding down his place in the team.

All of which means Robbie Blake stays at City.

Ternant for VP rumour

One Rumour not oft repeated rumour in Bradford has it that Burnley boss Stan Ternant has agreed to take the City job when it is "made available". File under "Unlikely" although Ternant has figured in City's short lists for manager for the previous two appointments. However boy hood Claret Ternant is unlikely to give up his job at the Turf Moor league leaders for City who had strapped for cash and do not enjoy the fervent support of the club West of the Pennines..

Monday 17 December, 2001

Storm in a teacup

Jim Jefferies has played down talk of a major fall out with club captain Stuart McCall. "Stuart missed two days with the bug that's been going round and I didn't think he was quite there. I felt he's been due a rest anyway and although he still tried to rally and come in, I wasn't going to take the risk and go to Man City with somebody I felt might struggle when he was not really 100 per cent." said the City boss. "Stuart would play with a broken leg - but you can't do that. He'll think he was fit to play but I have to make decisions."

Jefferies continued to explain where the tall of a fall out may have come from "There's been no bust-up as far as I'm concerned. Unless by a bust-up you mean raising your voice- then I've had a lot of them in my time because that's what managers are supposed to do at training and set the tone. But it was purely a footballing decision and if there's a problem it's certainly not mine.". Jefferies point is well made although when recovering from flu one might have expected McCall to have made the bench.

Jefferies, who believes the paper thin midfield played well (It did going forward) continued "We played some great stuff in the middle of the park yesterday, passed the ball well and had a bit of a buzz about us. As the game wore on I was intending to take Lee Sharpe off but he got stronger and stronger - and he could have scored. Remember Stuart has been in the team when we got beaten at West Brom and Millwall and 4-0 at Birmingham. We didn't lose this game because of Stuart not playing, we lost because we didn't defend well at set-plays. We contributed to our own downfall by not dealing with setpieces but I still felt it was one of our best away performances."

Sunday 16 December, 2001

3-1 defeat at Maine Road for City without McCall

City took a lead at Maine Road but with Stuart McCall dropped the paper thin midfield got swampt and Man City won 3-1.

More on McCall vs Jefferies

Word has it that Jim Jefferies and Stuart McCall have fallen out after the manager told the captain that he would not be an automatic choice for the centre of midfield and that he would be playing right back against Manchester City.

Jim Jefferies on the other hand has denied that the row kept McCall out of the side saying that the skipper had flu and that although there was a disagreement at training, it was nothing serious.

McCall/Jefferies bust up?

Rumour around Bradford has it that Stuart McCall and Jim Jefferies had a blazing row on the training ground on Friday and as a result McCall has been dropped from the City squad for the game at Maine Road.

Should there be truth in the rumours then this would present something of a decision point for club. On one side would be Jefferies, making some progress with the team but not having a side in the automatic promotion race means he has limited support around VP. Nevertheless Jefferies has put in place much of the staff on and off the field and as such is a key stone in the Bradford City set up.

The other side, Stuart McCall, is loved by the fans but is of a lesser importance. McCall is in the final months of what would seem to be the last contract he will be offered at City and although loved is not pivotal in the club's future.

Of the two sides McCall is easier to get rid of for the club, but a tougher loss for the fans. Perhaps the question facing those with the decision to make is: How much weight should a player, even the most loved in a club's history, carry against the manager?