Another 1-0 away win, more rain and a City with 'issues'

I first went to Bradford in 2001 to watch them play Arsenal in the Premier League. For the record Ashley Cole scored his first goal for The Gunners in a 1-1 draw. But it seems the subsequent 10 years have not been kind to the football club or the City.

Although it now one of my local League Two grounds, this weekend saw me return to Bradford for the first time since that match against Arsenal all those years ago. Although the Daggers have played there three times in the intervening period it has always been on a day something else was going on in my life. For our first visit in March 2008 I was playing in cup final and couldn't make it, in December 2009 I was unwell, and then our last visit, in March 2010, was the day of my missus' 40th Birthday party and I had preparations to complete! So I was quiet looking forward to this one...

We set off from Darlington, late as usual thanks to Rees' failure to get out of bed, and although the ground is only 70 odd miles away it took the best part of an hour and half to get there. We finally arrived in Bradford at 2.30pm and my immediate thought was that we must have landed in another country. I always knew Bradford had a high Asian population but this was unreal. After parking in some small retail park about 10 minutes walk from the ground we soon discovered that, apart from a few other fans going to the ground, we were the only white people there! Now whatever your thoughts on race issues or your political persuasions you cannot tell me this is a good thing for our country? Yes, lets be tolerant of other races and cultures but please, please, please do not let us lose our own. The weird thing was considering the high percentage of Asians living in Bradford almost all their fans were white...

With Emerson and myself in the press box as usual we left Rees and Ryan to go in the away end. Of course being a former Premier League venue the facilities were top class. We collected our pass from a lady in reception and asked where we had to go. She said something in the broadest Yorkshire accent I have ever heard, and I have lived up here for ten years, but I did not understand a word of it. I asked her again, and again I failed to comprehend any of it! In the end I gave up and asked Emerson if he knew where we had to go. 'No!' he replied.

We eventually found a red door which said 'Press' so we assumed we had found the right place and were met by another nice lady who asked us to sign in. We were given a complimentary match day programme and a team sheet and were shown to our seats, halfway up the Main Stand just to the right of the half way line. The view was amazing and with a desk and power point it had everything you could possibly want from a press box...

The view from the press box...impressive!

By now the teams were just coming out and Emerson was getting excited. He always loves the bit just before kick off when the players line up in front of the Main Stand and he was manically waving to all the Daggers lads in the hope one would wave back! Unfortunately none did...

The game started, and after Gav Tomlin almost scored inside 30 seconds, we were under some early pressure. Chris Lewington looked a bundle of nerves as he dropped an early cross which saw them hit the bar. With his kicking also going haywire we were getting a little concerned but Mark Arber did the captains role by having a word with the young keeper and it seemed to do the trick.

We soon begun to get on top and after Tomlin had somehow missed an open goal from 3 yards we eventually took the lead through our Barbadian international Jonny Nurse. A bit of a scrappy goal yes, but a goal none-the-less and it was the least we deserved.

Half time saw us go down to the press room where we given complimentary tea and biscuits plus a choice of sandwiches. Emerson did the right thing and grabbed a handful of chocolate digestives while I went for the ham sandwich. Yes I know I have sold out. After years of saying how football should never lose sight of its working class roots I have now become part of the 'ham sandwich' brigade! What can I say??

The second half saw Bradford huff and puff but they never really looked like blowing down our solid defence, with Scott Doe and Arber again outstanding. We should have sealed the points several times on the break but the old problem of not putting the ball in the net was again evident. Then, with about fifteen minutes to go, it started raining and I realised the one flaw with the lovely stand we were in.

Although it had a roof it had no side protectors and was open to the elements so we were getting wet, very, very wet. We realised that the further back you went the drier it was so we moved to the back row just in front of the Bradford fans in the upper tier and next to the local press guys.

Some action from the second half.

We had only just settled in when the scuffle broke out in our penalty area. Damian Scannell, who had only just come on, seemed very upset and I thought he was rather fortunate to only get a yellow card for his part in the incident. With the crowd getting quiet excited Emerson got a little scared as he does not like all that macho stuff and was now just wanting the match to end.

But the fun was not quiet over just yet. From the Bradford free kick the ball went out on the far side and the referee awarded us a goal kick. The home fans around us were screaming at him, saying it should have been a corner, but from where we were sitting it was impossible to tell who the ball had come off last. The official was only 5 yards away so I was sure he had a better view, which I said to the Bradford press guy sitting next to me. Almost immediately we had a break and Medy Elito burst into their penalty area before slipping on the wet surface just as he was about to be tackled. The idiots behind me were screaming at him for diving and telling the referee to book 'the cheating little c**t...' so I casually turned round and told one of the morons he had clearly just slipped over and had not even tried to claim a penalty. The Bradford press guy then turned to me and said 'Oh so you can't tell if it was a corner or a goal kick from here but you can see that he just fell over can you??' Er yes actually...And I thought it was just the average fan that was stupid...

The atmosphere got a little heated in the press box after that and I was rather disappointed we didn't score a second at this point, although Emerson just wanted to move back to our original seats.

'No.' I said. 'We will get wet.'

Plus it would not have been quiet as much fun!

The final whistle brought both joy and relief to me and Emerson, although for very different reasons I suspect, and I set about preparing for the interviews to follow. We were going to be spoilt as both Damien McCrory and Sam Williams were coming up, along with John Still, and were told to wait in the press room. Eventually John came up and conducted his interview with Radio Stu in the stand while we were chatting to Sam and Damien, who both agreed to have their picture taken with a now very excited Emerson.

Emerson with Damien McCrory.

The interviews were good although nothing out of the ordinary was said. The players were both pleased with the performance, happy with the clean sheet and three points, although Sam seemed a little disappointed he had not scored. John was full of praise for everyone and although he didn't say it you could tell how pleased he was with the start we have made to the season. I asked him if the lack of goals was a worry and he said it was, but not as much as it would be if we were not creating any chances! He seems to have a lot of faith in young Brian Woodall, who looked excellent when he came on, and Jake Reed and is sure the goals will come. But after three wins from four games you cannot really complain!

Sam Williams with his new best buddy!

With that we went to meet Rees and Ryan before heading for our usual post-match McDonalds. Back in the retail park, which again resembled a different country, we discussed the match and the social problems of the City. There were riots here a few years ago and it is easy to see why. How this situation has been allowed to happen might go some way to explaining the recent riots in other areas of the country, but that is for another day and another blog. For now we were just happy with another good away win and a place in the top five, just one point off the top!

My next away assignment will be at Rotherham in September, or should that be Sheffield, where I hope to meet up with some of the lovely Millers fans we met at Wembley last year. I always thought we would be play them again soon but I was rather hoping it would be in League One. Perhaps next season it will be...

Money talks...but does it have to??

To say Arsenal are in crisis would be an exaggeration but these are certainly worrying times down at The Emirates. Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to a limited Liverpool side showed just how weak the current squad is and it seems many fans are losing patience.
With Cesc Fabregas gone, Samir Nasri almost certain to be next and, apart from Gervinho, only kids coming in, there is no doubt the team is in transition. But is Arsene Wenger really blame for this current situation?
Do you think he does not know what the team needs? Of course he does. You do not win all he has won without recognising weaknesses within your own squad. He knows the club needs a centre back, a defensive midfielder and a replacement for Fabregas, and I am sure he has been doing everything he can to get them. The problem is not Wenger's unwillingness to splash out £40million on a player, it is the wage structure of the club. A wage structure that has been in place as far back as when George Graham was in charge.
Yes, the club can afford to pay the transfer fees for players like Juan Mata or Jadson but can they meet their wage demands? And would they even want to? Would it be fair on Robin van Persie or Jack Wilshere to pay any new arrivals twice as much as they have been getting? Would that be good for team spirit or in the best interests of the club?
But perhaps the real problems are further afield. With clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United willing to pay players in excess of £100k a week, why would anyone come to Arsenal for £80k? Even if they were winning trophies it is unlikely they would attract the top, top players as the prize of Champions League football, which is the ultimate stage for any footballer, is clearly not enough. No, money talks and that is the bottom line. Would Fabregas have stayed if his team had beaten Birmingham at Wembley in February? Would that have kept Nasri happy? It seems very unlikely...
So the club are now at a crossroads. Do they give up on their principles to satisfy the needs of the fans or do they stick to their guns and risk dropping out of the top four? Personally I hope it is the latter. Arsenal have always done things the right way and have spent the last six years building a good young side while remaining financially secure, so it would be a shame if they were to abandon all that to chase the quick bucks.
The counter argument, of course, is that it may be better to splash out now to ensure Champions League football again next season, and all the riches that brings, but there is no guarantee that would happen anyway? Liverpool have spent a fortune since January but are they any nearer the top four? On the evidence of Saturday's match I would suggest not, but I guess only time will tell.
Whatever the pros and cons one thing is clear - the next ten days will be a pivotal time in the history of Arsenal Football Club and possibly for the game as a whole. I look forward to the outcome with baited breathe and, whatever your club, I think you should too...

A new season but same old problems...

I went to my first away game in 1981. 30 years ago this very season. On average I have been to around 15 away games a season, so that is somewhere in the region of 450 games. I have seen some truly awful ones too. Cup defeats at places like York and Wrexham, 6-1 league defeats at Everton and Man. United and more 0-0 draws than I care to recall! However I cannot remember enjoying an away game less than this one.
Of course it was not supposed to be like that. The first game of the season is always about optimism and looking forward to the nine months of football ahead, but even before kick off up at St. James's Park the atmosphere was somewhat muted. Many fans, it seemed, had given up on the team and manager before a ball had even been kicked. Not us though. Oh no.
So I set off from my new flat in Darlington with my three lads in tow, looking forward to the new season. Emerson (8) and Ryan (16) were both in their new 125th anniversary home shirt while myself and Rees (18) opted for the new blue one as we headed for the station for the short trip up to the Toon.
Arriving in Newcastle with still an hour and half until kick off we decided to pop into a local pub to catch the scores from the other games on the TV and have a pre-match soft drink to loosen up the vocal chords. Our first point of call was O'Neill's opposite the station but we were told kids were not allowed in. We were met with a similar response at The Lounge just up the road so we decided to cut our loses and walk straight to the ground and get a drink there instead. Emerson always likes to get in early anyway as he enjoys watching the ground fill up.
So we arrived at the away end at 4.45 and climbed the 300 odd stairs up to the concourse area. Anyone that has been to the away end at Newcastle will know exactly what I mean! Usually by now the atmosphere would be rocking but not today. To say it was subdued was an under statement. All the talk was of Cesc and Samir's imminent departures and a lack of new signings, although personally I was looking forward to seeing our one major new signing, Gervinho, make his Premier League debut. We made our way up to our seats and saw the players warming up. With no Jack it meant a midfield of Rosicky, Ramsey and Song supporting Andrey, RvP and the new Ivorian...still a very good side though.

Emerson, Ryan and Ress before kick off.

As kick off approached the atmosphere did begin to build and Emerson was already enjoying himself, singing, dancing and waving his arms about as he loves to do! My favourite part of the whole season is seeing the teams come out for the first time and after 30 years that excitement never wanes.
Perhaps the doubters would have been silenced had Gervinho scored inside the opening two minutes, but he fluffed his lines and slowly an all too familiar pattern developed. We passed and passed and passed but failed to deliver a final ball. Without Cesc, Samir and Jack we lacked ideas and while Gervinho looked lively, I cannot recall their keeper having to make a save in the first half, despite us having 90% of the possession.
But unrest in the stands was already evident with the chant of 'Samir you're a c**t' gaining momentum. Thankfully Emerson did not really understand as he asked if Nasri was playing. 'No,' I replied. 'So why are they singing his name?' he asked. I just thought it best to change the subject!
Of course I was not joining in with that nonsense as he is still and Arsenal player, and you cannot blame him for wanting a move. I guarantee all the idiots singing that song would not turn down a better job offer with better pay and prospects. Why should footballers be any different? And we will get top dollar for him...

Second half about to get under way.

The second half did not produce any better football but it did at least provide some talking points on the pitch. Alex Song did what we all wanted by stamping on that odious twat Barton, who then ran off to tell the fourth official. What a hard man he is. But that was only the start. With about fifteen minutes left Gervinho was clipped by Barton in the penalty area and went over, all-be-it rather dramatically. The referee, Peter Walton, waved away our appeals and Barton took the law into his own hands. After picking on Diaby last season he was at it again as he grabbed our new boy around the throat and tried to lift him to the ground. Now I'm not saying Barton is racist or anything but there does seem to be a pattern developing here...I'll leave you to join the dots...
I actually felt sorry for Gervinho as if you were in a new country and were being manhandled by an idiot with a stupid haircut the likelihood is you too would react. He did with a little slap that sent the tough guy falling down as though he had been shot and Walton produced a red card. No not for Barton but for Gervinho! Genius! As the Ivorian sadly trudged off the pitch all hope we had of a winning start went with him.
The idiots in the away end wasted no time in venting their feelings with chants of 'spent some f**king money' directed, presumably, at Wenger
I really wanted us to score at this point just to see how he would react. Would he shut up and celebrate or stand by his principals and continue with his moronic chanting? What do you think? The fickle twat would have no doubt have been singing 'we're going to win the league...'
The final whistle blew and while I was frustrated we had not won a game we had dominated I just could not understand the boos that were ringing out around me. The guy in front was of course one of the first to jump on this bandwagon too but before I could say anything the guy next to me jumped in and started having a go at him. Soon others were joining in and I have to say it was sad to see Arsenal fans fighting and arguing amongst themselves. It's the first game of the season for crying out loud...No it's not new players we need but new fans, fans who appreciate what we actually have, not these glory-hunting morons who do not understand anything about football.

Not even a drab 0-0 draw can curb his enthusiasm!

So a rather sad end to what should have been a great day but no doubt these scenes will be repeated throughout the season unless things change behind the scenes, which, lets face it, is unlikely.
Luckily Emerson still enjoyed himself and his synopsis of the day was that he was disappointed we hadn't scored but he was blaming the ref for not giving us a penalty! That boy knows more than fans three times his age...
After our usual stop at McDonalds to reflect on the days events we returned home just in time to catch the highlights on MOTD. Yes it was a penalty, yes Barton should have been sent off (again!!) and yes we lacked a cutting edge, but hey things could be a whole lot worse. We are financially stable, we are still unbeaten despite being down to 10 men away from home and as Emerson said, 'Gervinho is pretty good ain't he?' Yes he most certainly is...

1-0, correct goalscorer and plenty of rain...A day out in Macclesfield

Just 12 weeks after our relegation back to League Two had been confirmed at Peterborough, the new season was here again and many things had changed. Greeny and Romain had both left for pastures new, Robbo had retired while we had several new players and a new home kit to enjoy.
For me though one thing had stayed the same. Despite rumours to the contrary I was back in the press box for our opening day trip to Macclesfield and as well as my usual companion Emerson, this time I was joined by his older brothers Rees and Ryan, who are spending the summer with me.
The journey up was an absolute nightmare. The driving rain clearly did not help but it seemed everyone and his mother was on the English motorway network and most, it seemed, only wanted to drive at 50mph! Not ideal when you are running late to begin with...
We eventually arrived in Macclesfield to find the match had already kicked off. With all the turnstiles now shut we walked into reception and were led through the executive suite to the ticket office. The woman in charge was a rather unpleasant individual who seemed determined to make life as difficult as possible for us. After waiting for around ten minutes she finally returned with my press pass and we were told to walk half way back around the ground to the 'Late Gate'. Once there we were told we were not allowed in and had to go back to reception! After explaining that we had just been sent from there in the first place, and we were of course missing the game, we were eventually allowed in, although the older lads had to pay and decided to sit in the away end to 'sample the atmosphere.'
The press box was at the back of the Main Stand, opposite the away end, and was a very cramped. By the time we had settled down it was nearly half time but thankfully it appeared we had not missed too much, as the game had been largely uneventful up to that point.

The view from the press box

I had the pleasure of siting next to the guy who was working for the Press Association and what an eye opener that turned out to be! He spent the whole game on his mobile phone going through every piece of action as it happened...'Ball played out of defence by the Macclesfield No. 4, left footed into the inside right channel...' This went on for the entire match and became rather tiresome after a while. And I thought Alan Greene was annoying...
Half time at least brought us some relief, as well as a nice cup of coffee and a sandwich, while I used the time to catch up on exactly what I had missed. This basically amounted to a shot from Luke Howell that was easily saved  by the home keeper and a Jon Nurse effort that went wide. Oh and a great save from Chris Lewington which we had just caught as we walked into the ground.
The second half began, and to a backdrop of the PA guys dulcet tones, we looked to be playing rather better. New boys Howell and Sam Williams were looking good and it wasn't long before we took the lead. Gav Tomlin whipped in a great free kick from the left and Arbs rose to head it goalwards at the back post. The ball looked to be looping in but Medy Elito and Williams both arrived to bundle the ball home from virtually right on the line. Arbs wheeled away in celebration while Elito was also getting some congratulations so it was unclear exactly who had scored.
With a low roof and a CCTV camera blocking our view the PA guy had been unsighted and asked me who had scored. I was sure it was Elito so, without thinking of the consequences, that is what I told him. Within seconds he had immediately released that information to the BBC and Sky while the stadium announcer also gave the scorer as Elito on his/my say so! It led to some debate in the press box as a local reporter seemed to think Williams had got the final touch while others thought it was Arbs goal. Shit, what if I had got it wrong??  Oh well it was too late now...
Back on the pitch and it was developing into an exciting game with chances at both ends. Lewi was having a blinder in goal for us and made two terrific saves to keep us in front, while their keeper also did well to save a close range Scott Doe header.
But the games biggest talking point occurred with just over ten minutes left. A mistake at the back by Arbs forced Lewington to race off his line and block efforts from first Emile Sinclair and then Rob Draper. The referee, on the advice of his assistant on the near side, decided he had handled outside the area and produced a red card, much to the anger of the lads in green and everyone in the away end opposite us.
Our view seemed to suggest the officials had indeed got it right and it did at least give James Shea the chance to make his debut. Emerson was particularly excited about this as he had gone about us signing an Arsenal goalkeeper for the last few weeks...
The final ten minutes was quiet exciting as Macclesfield threw everything at us, but we defended well to seal a great opening day away win. Meanwhile the PA guy was still on his mobile and was now marking the players out of 10. Most of the Macclesfield players were getting 5's and 6's (harsh I thought) while several of ours were getting 7's. Arber was given a top mark of 8 while Lewington only managed a 6 despite his earlier heroics. I could not let that go and told him that surely he deserved at least a 7, and thankfully he saw sense and changed it! But then came the really interesting bit. The guy was asked about the possession and with nothing more than his eyesight to go on he said, and I quote, ''Lets call it 60-40 in Macclesfield's favour!'' Really?? So next time you see the possession stats in the paper or on TV remember that it not done by any scientific method, it is just made up by a fella in the stand!

Our players walk off after a great away win

After the game came the usual round of interviews and first up was the great man himself, John Still. He was overjoyed with the result and the performance, especially baring in mind the injuries we had been suffering. He said Shea had been carrying a knock and should not even have been on the bench while Nursey was also injured and would not have played had others been fit. He also hinted at some changes for the Carling Cup tie at Bournemouth on Tuesday evening. As we were walking back to the changing room area he asked us about our journey as they had left at 9am and not arrived until 1. I said we had encountered similar problems and had missed the kick off!
With the rain making a comeback we decided to make our way out of the players entrance to meet Rees and Ryan, who were waiting for us looking rather wet! We hung around for a bit as Emerson wanted to have his picture taken with Shea but as he failed to appear Nursey was only too happy to do the honours, saying he was looking forward to his chicken pizza on the journey home!

Nursey with his new best mate

With that we set off to McDonalds to reflect on a good start to the season while I was left wondering if I had got the goalscorer right. After apologising to Arbs on Twitter that night for taking his goal off him I later discovered, via The Football League Show, that I had in fact been right all along and yes, it was Elito's goal! To say I was relieved was an understatement...you guys don't realise the pressures I have in my job!
So, after 12 short weeks away, football is back and boy have we missed it! Next up for me is a trip to Bradford in two weeks, riots permitting of course!