The Roland Harris Column

Saturday 28 June, 2003

Windass back in Bradford with my best wishes

Dean Windass is back at Bradford City. He is making all the right noises about coming to the club to make some noise and get involved in something. I like that about Deano, to be honest, there is not a lot I don't like about Deano.

I like his skills and the fact that like Peter Beagrie he knows that proper courage is using those skills when a big boot would get you off the hook.

I liked his bottle, I like his attitude, I like the way he laughs on the pitch, this week I think we can all agree that there are some things more important that football.

I like the way that he ripped into City fans after his debut goal for Sheffield United in that 5-0 drubbing.

Cause that is what the Windass debate will be. Why should we take him back after that.

Cast your mind back to the days of Jamie Lawrence, Peter Beagrie, Lee Mills and one other. Robbie Blake normally but here comes this guy we have just signed from Oxford for a million and frankly replacing Blake the golden boy made people resent him.

Not everyone of course. I mean if you were at Bury away in the final weeks of the promotion campaign then the name Dean Windass will always mean to you the guy who turns up and is bothered when no one else seems to be but if you stick to VP, then chances you didn't see that.

And then there was the booing.

I used to want to physically hurt the people around me in the Ciba Stand when the booing started for Dean Windass after a month in the Premiership. The City Gent pointed out the contrast between Windass and Stuart McCall's celebrations after the 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Sheff U. McCall never got booed, he didn't have a score to settle.

Windass did and if you like him, then you like him for that sort of thing and frankly if you booed it was aimed at you and you deserved it.

But if you were a Bantam who backed the boys all season and drank the drink of the righteous on the day Dean Windass was the main man when we beat Liverpool and stayed in the Premiership then rejoice cause our boy is back

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