Bantams Blogger Meets... Darby and Jones

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: One’s Mr. Consistency and the other is magic. Bantams Blogger meets City’s STEPHEN DARBY and GARY JONES to talk promotion hopes, the League Cup final and playing against some of the Premier League’s most accomplished stars.

   As the season begins to draw to a close, things couldn’t be much more exciting for Bradford City. This fantastic campaign has seen City enchant the nation on the journey to the Capital One Cup final, and, when the final whistle blows after Saturday’s game at Whaddon Road this week, the Bantams will finish in seventh spot, giving the side an opportunity to win promotion to League One.

   Two players who have been instrumental parts of City’s achievements this year are Stephen Darby and Gary Jones. The latter has been a dynamo in the centre of the park, and the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa have been despatched at the hands of the midfielder’s set pieces. Meanwhile, Stephen Darby has dominated the right-hand side of the defence, with his cool demeanour not giving City’s opponents a prayer.

   Both players are still in their first year at the club, and what a fantastic campaign for them to be a part of. The current season has entailed multiple highs so far and the pair say that they’re relishing playing for the Bantams.

   “I’ve loved every minute of it,” says Jones. “It was a wrench to leave Rochdale but this was the best club I could have possibly come to. They made me feel so welcome, so I’m happy and probably playing my best football. I’m absolutely delighted.”

   “I’ve really enjoyed it,” Darby comments. “Making the League Cup final at Wembley was beyond our wildest dreams and it’s still not over yet. We’ve still got three massive games to go and hopefully we can really push on.”

   What has been the highlight of this incredible season?

  “I think it’s got to be the League Cup final, hasn’t it?” Darby says. “I think the cup run leading up to that was massive and Wembley was a good day out. Obviously, it was disappointing with the result, but getting to the final and the cup run were brilliant.”

   Stephen and Gary quickly established themselves as fans’ favourites. Darby’s calm and composed performances, as well as his ability to create time on the ball, have proved to be a pivotal part of City’s success, and the full back’s defensive heroics against Arsenal ensured that the Gunners’ offensive endeavours yielded few rewards.

   “You train really hard day in, day out, and you want to perform at the highest level and the best level that you can,” Darby explains. “In the big games, you’ve got to be more switched on and I think we raised our game, especially against Arsenal.”

   Similarly, Jones received a warm reception from Bantams fans alike. Through his unfaltering energy and enthusiasm, the 35 year-old immediately endeared himself to the Valley Parade faithful, cementing his position at the heart of the midfield and, incidentally, as a cult hero for many City supporters. Bradford fans quickly grew to admire Jones’ dedication to the cause and how he gives 110% every time.

   “When you’re playing and see the support Bradford City have got, I think it spurs you on a little bit more, ” Jones says. “I want to win every game as well, so combine the two and I think it’s quite a decent combination. Every time I step on the field, I want to win, and I try and wear my heart on my sleeve.”

   The City players more than deserve to soak up their well-earned plaudits. In a marathon season in which the Bantams have taken centre stage in a Wembley showpiece and still gone on to snatch a top seven finish, Bradford have faced as high calibre opposition as you’ll ever get without venturing into the Champions League, including two of the best passing teams in the Premiership. With the Arsenal game being one of the most eagerly anticipated City matches for more than a decade, it must have been difficult to calm the nerves and still produce such an empowered and inspiring performance, especially with the world watching.

   “To be fair, in the cup run, we just took it game by game,” Darby says. “We never really got ahead of ourselves and we kept our feet on the ground. Before the game, when we got the team news and the gaffer and Steve Parkin put the team on the board, we had a bit of a laugh about it because it was a really strong side that they put out, but we just prepared as normal and did what we did in the previous games.”

   “I think when we saw their team sheet, we were like, ‘Oh, God, we could be in for a long night here,’ because they had their full strength team out,” recalls Jones. “But it’s a cup game and it’s eleven men V.S. eleven men. I think, on the night, we showed we can match them, and our penalty shootout record is quite good, to say the least. It was a great night for everybody and put us on the road for that amazing cup run.”

   How did preparing to face Arsenal – one of the world’s most famous teams, bursting with millions of pounds worth of talent and the club of choice for the likes of Vermaelen, Rosicky, and Arshavin  – differ to gearing up for a League Two clash?

   “I think when you go to play any team in our league, everyone expects to win, but when you’re playing against Premier League teams, no one expects you to win. It’s a different mentality,” observes Jones. “It’s funny, because we got beat by Barnet on the Saturday and ended up beating Aston Villa 3-1 on the Tuesday, so football is a strange, absolutely strange game. But, as I say, we deserved that cup run, we deserved to get to the final and it was just unfortunate that we came up against a brilliant Swansea team.”

   Getting the opportunity to watch world’s elite contest with Bradford City is something that so many supporters will never forget. As for Jones and Darby, playing with these millionaires was an even more memorable experience.

   “Oh, [it was] amazing. You want to play the best players you can and we were fortunate that we could do that,” Jones says.

   “When you see them on telly, you think they’re good, but when you play against them, you find out how good they really are, and they are quite unbelievable. They get paid a lot of money, and good on them,” he laughs, “because they are top, top players.”

   Darby agrees.

   “It’s been brilliant. You want to be playing against the best players in the world, and to play against Jack Wilshere and Michu has been brilliant.”

   At the moment, City are going into the final day with their play-off spot secure. Regardless of what happens against Cheltenham on Saturday, the Bantams cannot be caught, and Jones and Darby are excited about the forthcoming battle for a place in League One.

   “I’m really looking forward to it and we are on a good run of form,” says Darby. “We’ve had a lot of games this season but we’ve just got a few more to go. We’ve just got to keep pushing on, keep our focus, keep giving it 110% and keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

   “Yeah, [I’m feeling] very confident,” says Jones. “A few weeks ago, no one would give us a chance of getting into the play-offs, so it’s a massive bonus for us - the season goes on for another month. We’ve got a good squad, we’ve got a bunch of fit lads who want to win and we’ve got a good manager, too, so combine them together and I think we’ve got a really good chance.”

   As Jones admitted, many City fans had given up on the Bantams’ play-off attempts after the Exeter game, deeming the subsequent eight-point deficit too great a gap to be bridged. Did the players ever worry that they may not have been able to get into the top seven?

   “No. We always thought that it was possible,” says Darby. “Obviously, it was getting tougher because the games were running out, but, after the Exeter game, we had a meeting as a team, and we knew what we had to do and the way we had to play. From then on and up until now, we’ve done that, got on a good run of form and managed to make the play-offs.”

   “I think, with the squad and players we’ve got, we knew we could put a run of results together,” Jones says. “I think, after the Exeter game, people wrote us off. I think we were 8pts, 9pts behind them at the time when they were seventh, but we knew if we put a run together we could be a match for anyone and that’s how it’s proved because we’ve scraped into seventh place. Hopefully, we can push on for promotion.”

   With Bradford aiming to book a return trip to London, those of us who went to the Capital One Cup final will be getting nostalgic, reminiscing about that amazing day. But what was it like for Jones, who lead the team out onto that hallowed Wembley turf?

   “Walking out into a full Wembley stadium, 90,000, with 30,000 Bradford City supporters, it’s… words can’t describe how good it is,” he says. “But it’s an experience I’ll never, ever forget, and I’m sure that probably most of Bradford City’s supporters will never forget it, as well.”

Let Battle Commence

Bradford can’t afford anything less than the best as late play-off rivals Bristol Rovers rock up at Valley Parade

The battle for promotion is intensifying

   23 minutes. Garry Thompson’s lofted delivery fell into the opposition’s half. The Northampton goalkeeper came out to collect the ball, but a communication breakdown between him and his defender saw it propelled into the path of a lively Nahki Wells.

   It was as though time slowed down. The goal was empty. To grab the lead, Nahki just needed to chase and convert, but would he be able to get there? Could get that essential touch? It was a difficult angle and the ball was rapidly spinning away. It was as much a will-he-won’t-he chance as you’ll see all season.

   But Nahki stretched. And Nahki scored.

   Valley Parade erupted. Finally, City had scored first, and against the physical, bullish Northampton who had been a nightmare down the right side. The Cobblers were left scratching their heads, wondering how costly their defensive blunder may prove to be. The Bradford City fans, though, didn’t need telling how valuable that mishap was.

   Last Monday, before Bradford took on Torquay, the Bantams were eight points off of the play-offs. Now, City sit in eighth, invitingly close to that vital seventh space. A place in the end of season showpiece lingers temptingly two points away. We are so nearly there.

   City’s habit of coming from behind has foreshadowed the club’s promotion charge, in which they have done exactly that: crept up on the leaders to really add substance to the play-off bid.

   Tomorrow, Bristol Rovers, who are, like City, chasing promotion, will face Bradford. The Bantams must continue their excellent midweek home form, and take advantage of the fact that Exeter and Rotherham are locking horns with each other: regardless of whatever happens at the New York Stadium tomorrow, a Bradford win would see Parkinson’s men sneak into the seventh spot.

   All of Bradford’s remaining five games involve contesting their fellow promotion contenders. City have still yet to play the aforementioned Bristol Rovers, as well as  Chesterfield, Rotherham, Burton Albion and Cheltenam. Every game is, effectively, a six pointer.

   Pile up victories, and City’s position amongst the pack is strengthened. Anything less, though, and the chances of another trip to Wembley will rapidly slip away.

   As the season draws to a finish, it’s clear that the stakes couldn’t be any higher.

Looking Back

How a rare room tidy lead to a trip down memory lane

Luke O'Brien was once a regular for the Bantams

   Tidying my room is a mammoth challenge that I undertake once in a blue moon. It involves being ruthless, being resourceful and being reminiscent of football seasons gone by, as it is seemingly inevitable that an old City programme or newspaper cutting will be unearthed.

   This time, it was a stack of football cards from the 2007-08 season that entertained, as a certain City talisman was at the centre of the pile.

   “No! Is that… Our Andrew Davies?”

   The blond hair had been shaved off, the trademark beard was nowhere to be seen and he was sporting the red and white strip of Middlesborough, but it was still the very same Andrew Davies who is now such an instrumental part of Phil Parkinson’s squad.

   I knew of his Premier League history, but I had no idea that he’d been immortalised on a football card.

   There was one of Kasper Schmeichel in his Manchester City days, and Glen Johnson as a Portsmouth player. A floppy-haired Gareth Bale, who is now Tottenham’s shining light, was a three-star defender with an “attack” rating of merely 40.

   The moral of the story? Football is fickle. A lot changes in six years.

   In terms of Bradford City, the guarantee of change has been the only certainty throughout the League Two stint, with McCall, Taylor, Jackson and Parkinson all bringing their own plans to the club in hope of securing that evasive promotion. Hanson and McLaughlin have been the closest things to constants, and each reformation has seen new talent drafted in and other players released.

   Bradford under Stuart McCall, for example, differs greatly to the present incarnation of the club.

   Joe Colbeck and Omar Daley paced down the flanks, and Mark Bower shaped the defence alongside David Weatherall and Paul Heckingbottom. Ex-City dynamo Luke O’Brien is at Oxford, but Bantams fans still fondly remember his time in the team and the way in which he charged up from left back and whipped crosses into the box. The teenager who clinched the winner when City took on Macclesfield, David Brown, now lines up for Bradford Park Avenue. Scott Loach is currently plying his trade for Championship team Ipswich Town.

   Dean Furman, such a superb player for City in the McCall era, has since captained Oldham (though, at the moment, he's on loan with Doncaster) and represented South Africa at international level. He may be returning to Valley Parade if Athletic survive the drop and the Bantams win promotion, or if Bradford stay in this division and Oldham don’t avoid relegation.

   More recently, tough-tackling Michael Flynn waved Bradford a fond farewell, joined by Craig Fagan and Chris Mitchell. Personally, I always felt that the latter was unlucky not to figure more in the line-up – 3 assists in one match clearly indicates a footballer of calibre – as he could create chances and knew how to exert influence on the game.

   Yet, Mitchell wouldn’t fit into Parkinson’s squad, and that is why he was given the chop at the end of last season. Under the League Cup miracle man, the team play more flowing, passing football. Gary Jones catalyses City’s offensive efforts. Kyel Reid and Zavon Hines whiz up and down the wing to create chances. Will Atkinson’s link-up play with Jones can perplex defences, and it certainly did cause trouble for Paul Lambert’s side in the Villa home leg. The team is entirely different.

   Football evolves and changes so fast, and is begs the question: is there room for sentiment in football?

   Yes, one could argue. Players will always have their favourite clubs and the magic of representing their boyhood team will never fade. Passion, emotion and spirit drive a team to success – the Bantams team that we’ve got now always admirably give 100% to every game; players like Jones and Ravenhill are a credit to City in terms of work rate. However, players don’t know how long their time in the first team will last, let alone their tenure at the club, and they’ll have to be ready to face the possibility of a move.

   When the transfer window opens and Parkinson makes changes to the team, we’ll all have our personal pick of who to keep and get rid of – just like my room tidy, coincidentally. I’d quite like to retain this whole squad, because we’ve enjoyed so much success this year and we are in possession of a set of players who are capable of beating any side. I expect to win every game, and I’ve never really felt that about City before.

   Bradford City is a magnet for players, especially after the publicity generated through the club’s part in the League Cup final. Phil Parkinson himself is a massive draw, and the huge fan base, the one that was out in such voice at Wembley and which dwarfs the number of supporters of nearly every team in this division, is even more of a pull.

   Thanks to the cup run, we’ve got the money to keep our assets and to recruit that extra talent to strengthen our bid for success next year.

   We’ll have to wait with bated breath to see what Parkinson has planned for the team, but, until then, there’s a promotion battle to fight.

Oh, and if you’re curious about that Andrew Davies football card, here it is:

Wembley Woes

A week on from the Capital One Cup final: The Bantams may have left London without a trophy, but the Wembley weekend has given us memories that will last longer than cup euphoria

The team reflect on their cup defeat

   I’m not going to lie: when Swansea lifted the cup at Wembley, I was an emotional wreck.

   “I wanted Gary Jones to lift the cup,” I sobbed, clutching my Carl McHugh mask and staring dismally into my flag. “Everyone wanted us to win the cup and complete the fairytale, but we didn’t, and Duke got sent off, and I wanted us to draw and win on penalties, but…”

   Initially, I was fine. We’d had a good innings, I thought, and we’d all done better than anyone could ever have expected us to. The tears came when Wembley’s stadium announcer explained how well the Bantams had done to get to this final; it was the moment when I realised that City would never complete such an awe-inspiring feat again.

   “But they’ve done so well to get this far,” my mum consoled. “We’re winners anyway. And, at least McLaughlin got a game. I bet that he wasn’t expecting that.”

   By the time that I was back on the coach, I was OK. I rang up other relatives to discuss the game, and sorted through the bounty of headphones, wristbands, touch-screen gloves and phone socks that the Capital One team had given us. I viewed all of the pictures that I’d taken over the weekend, admiring the sea of claret and amber, smiling at the photo of Paul Jewell and me, and immersing myself in videos of the build-up.

   And that was why the weekend was so special. Not because of the pictures (I don’t have a natural eye for photography, believe me), but because of the build-up to the game, and the memories that this amazing, brilliant, odd-defying cup run has therein created.

   Take travelling down to London, for example. On the Saturday, our coach was decked out in City colours and turned many heads on the motorway, with fellow supporters beeping their horns and neutral travellers giving us fist-pumps. At the services, the congregation of claret and amber shirts outside WH Smith’s spellbound the other customers.

   I began browsing the morning’s newspapers, and it was incredible to see how the nation’s press had got behind our humble club. Mark Lawn and his wife were at the centre of The Sun, and Nahki Wells occupied two pages of another tabloid. Jake Turton and Gary Jones were in The Daily Mail, alongside an article about the Wembley suits.

   In London itself, the well-wishers were in abundance. Employees in Harrods noticed my scarf and expressed their support.

   Sunday morning was no less memorable. In the hotel’s restaurant, a Slovakian Liverpool fan wished me luck at the fruit counter, and some Swansea fans joked about how they wanted the game to pan out. A group of Americans explained how the story had made waves in the states and said that they would be cheering on the underdogs.

   Walking down Wembley Way took my breath away, especially as the whole path had just merged into one huge ocean of claret and amber. I’d been to the national stadium before, to see England play Slovenia, but gearing up to watch my beloved Bradford City in a League cup final had a whole new air about it.

   I’ll never forget the journey down to my seat at Wembley; hearing “Claret and Amber” blasting out over the speakers; the big screens showing the Bantams’ journey to the final; seeing Bradford City run onto the pitch for the warm-up.

Through the unwavering support of the fans, Bradford City continued to surprise the nation, even when it was clear that the Swans would be lifting the trophy.

   I can remember very little about the game itself, though. I can recall Swansea’s first goal: that gut-wrenching feeling when Duke scrambled to clear the ball, and knowing that we’d conceded but nonetheless praying that McCardle would just reach for goal and poke the danger clear. I can recall screaming when the back of the net rattled and subsequently attempting to rally the troops.

   It’s alright, I told myself. I said 1-1.

   I can remember burying my head in despair when Duke left the pitch, but the most prominent memory, as it will be for many people, is of waving my flag after the result was all but confirmed. I didn’t actually watch any of the game for those final thirty minutes, and any recollection of action on the pitch during that period is very hazy, but chanting, “If you love City, stand up,” with 30,000 others is something that I certainly haven’t forgotten.

   Gary Jones’ corner was met with rejoice from the City faithful, and the captain’s tame shot was celebrated like it was a goal itself. Through the unwavering support of the fans, Bradford City continued to surprise the nation, even when it was clear that the Swans would be lifting the trophy.

   As we lick our Wembley wounds, it’s important not to lose sight of the magnitude of what the Bantams have achieved. Time and time again, our valiant City heroes have proved unbeatable in the face of so many Premier League opponents, countering all of the odds and capturing the imaginations of the nation throughout this enchanting journey.

   If the odds had ever been anything to go by, City would have been eliminated in the first round, when they took on League One’s Notts County. If the odds had been right, the cup run would have ended against Burton, when the Bantams were trailing 0-2 before Stephen Derby clinched a dramatic winner. If the odds had been reliable, Bradford City wouldn’t have touched the hallowed Wembley turf to compete in the cup final on February 24^th, and that’s what we’ve got to bear in mind.

   I’m well over the defeat now, and I’m firmly focused on our promotion ambitions. We are being described as the “outside hopefuls”, but, with the games that we’ve got left, and with many of them seeing us take on squads that are leading the pack with us, it’s certainly doable.

   Especially for a team that have subverted the odds before.

If Carlsberg Did Managers...

You’ve Got To Love Phil Parkinson

Bradford fans will be hoping for a sight like this on February 24th

   During pre-season, like most City fans, I’d read about the Bantams in the newspapers and watch them train on Look North, eagerly anticipating the coming season and looking forward to seeing the new signings in action. The bookies often listed us as favourites for the title, and promises of promotion accompanied the new managers.

   Not that those promises ever materialised.

   Until now.

   Step forward Phil Parkinson, a man who boasted Colchester United, Hull City and Charlton Athletic as previous employers, and who was a fully-fledged legend amongst the Reading faithful. When he signed on the dotted line last season, I had no idea that he would lead a serious promotion challenge and get the club to Wembley, especially in a competition that’s usually dominated by Premier League giants. 

   But, then again, City hadn’t exactly filled their fans with cheer before this.

   It’s fair to say that, in recent years, Bradford City have been no strangers to the managerial-merry-go-round. From the Stuart McCall era and the Peter Taylor plight, to the short-lived tenure of Peter Jackson, the Bantams have seen plenty of changes in gaffers. That’s a lot of anticlimaxes.

   Take Peter Taylor, for example. With an impressive C.V. that contained promotions and work with the national team, he appeared to be the prime candidate for the City job. However, within months of his appointment, the Bantams were hovering close to the relegation zone and there were calls for his resignation. It’s just crazy to think that we could have been playing non-league football the following year, as we all believed that Taylor would have got us to League One.

   After Peter Jackson’s departure, Phil Parkinson stepped in, and something happened to the club.

   Impact players were drafted in and new signings were made. The squad’s mentality changed. Parkinson vowed to make Valley Parade a “fortress”. Although I didn’t realise it at the time, he was laying the foundations for a promotion push and preparing to seriously contend for a play-off spot next season.

   The game against Fleetwood unveiled a new-look Bradford team, but the Wimbeldeon tie presented a side that played with so much composure, skill and dominance, and I just couldn’t believe it. Gary Jones was incredibly energetic and involved in midfield; the goals were coming in from anywhere and everywhere; some of the chances created by midfield were fantastic. City were tearing their opponents to shreds. The club’s form under Peter Taylor became a distant memory.

   Parkinson himself is the epitome of calmness and composure. When Paul Lambert was flaring up on the touchline, Parkinson was cool, considering tactics and changes in players. However, he’s also so passionate and appears to really love the club and his players: his celebrations with Parkin, his post-Arsenal embrace with Gary Jones and desire to remain in Bradford have all proved this.

   He’s probably quite the speechmaker, as well. I wouldn’t mind being a fly-on-the-wall in the changing rooms when Parky is addressing the team: in order to steady the players and produce such great displays against Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa, he must have said something brilliant.

   Parkinson’s fashion sense is making waves, too. If teachers’ clothing choices are anything to go by, the v-neck sweater has soared in popularity, and I’ve no doubt that the City gaffer must be partly responsible for this sudden influx of jumpers.

   Granted, it’s not all been cocktails and glitter under Parkinson (There’s been the slump in league form, but we won’t dwell on that too much.), but he’s taken us on a journey that we’ve all been encapsulated by.

   Long-term, the sky’s the limit in terms of what City can achieve under Parkinson. He’s managed to turn the club around and has completely revolutionised the city-people are just so proud to be from Bradford and he’s breathed new life into a town that deserved to be put back on the map.

   With that in mind, Bradford City can walk out at Wembley in the knowledge that they’ve not only got a whole city and country behind them, but also a fantastic manager who most clubs would be desperate to have.

   Can City win the cup? I certainly think so. Especially with Phil Parkinson at the helm.

London Calling

The Bantams Are Going To Wembley. Can't Believe It? Neither Can I.

City's triumph prompted wild celebrations

   If probably sounds clichéd, but if, two years ago, you had told me that Bradford City would be busy gearing up for a League Cup final, battling for promotion and capturing the imagination of the British public, I wouldn’t have believed you.

   I wasn’t ever too negative about the Bantams, but I could have never have envisaged such a great run of form for the club. I’d dreamed about getting to the play-offs, of course, but never thought that those hopes would materialise. Peter Taylor’s dismal reign made sure of that.

  Yet, now, we’re going to Wembley. I just keep pinching myself.

   I’m just absorbed by the hype, drama and emotion that surround City’s monumental feat. I love opening national newspapers to find a two-page spread on Matt Duke, and watching Alan Connell and Carl McHugh on Soccer AM was just brilliant. I’m completely gripped by cup fever, and I’m loving every second of it.

   It’s not just me: the whole City has turned claret and amber. You can’t walk around the town centre without being reminded of the impending clash, as there are scarf sellers everywhere-not to mention the posters offering the chance to scoop tickets.

   I am slightly irritated about the so-called “one day” City fans, though. Although they help to generate more income for the club, which will be superb in the long-term, it is annoying to hear people brag about how “We’re going to Wembley” when they have no idea who Nathan Doyle, James Meredith and Luke Oliver are. The strangest thing is how passionate some of the plastic fans at my school are becoming: one allegedly compiled a list of all of the Bantams games that he’s been to and emailed it to his critics. I’ve almost developed a pastime of mentioning a Gary Jones free kick and subsequently watching their faces puzzle over what I’ve just said. They often have no idea what I’m going on about.

   However, it’s not something that I’m going to lose sleep over. Next season, when many of these ‘fans’ will be sat at home watching Soccer Saturday, we’ll be the ones celebrating, safe in the knowledge that our club are in no danger of administration as they compete in League One. Moreover, though, we’ve had to endure years of decline and heartbreak, so February 24^th is going to mean more to us than it ever will to them.

   I talk to people about Wembley every day, yet the magnitude of the whole thing – Bradford City in a LEAGUE CUP FINAL – is still sinking in. The enormity of the achievement is something that I’m struggling to comprehend; humble City, a club who I have seen lose to Accrington Stanley and Crewe Alexandra, beating three Premier League teams and securing a place in the history books. I mean, fair enough if it was some other underdogs-maybe Barnsley, who had that notable F.A. Cup run in 2008-but not Bradford City. Things like this just don’t happen to our club. We’re not inundated with things to celebrate.

   And that’s partly what makes this cup run so spectacular. It involves our club, our club who, for so long, have had so little to shout about.  We’ve conquered three teams from the Premier League and will be marching to Wembley on February 24^th. It’s more than what many of us would ever have dared to hope for.

   Going to Wembley?

   See you there.

UnWembleyvable!

BANTAMS DEFY THE ODDS AND PROGRESS TO WEMBLEY WITH HISTORIC VICTORY 

The Capital One Cup heroes celebrate their win

   They all said that it was impossible. They all said that we'd succumb to the occasion. They all said that the Arsenal victory was a fluke.

   Then again, Bradford City have never complied with expectation.

   Bradford went into the second leg with something to defend. They’d acquired a 3-1 lead at Valley Parade on what was a very memorable night and were just 90 minutes away from making history. For the long-suffering City fans who have winced as their team have plummeted down the divisions, it was just spectacular.

   In typical City fashion, though, they didn’t make it easy for themselves.

   The Bantams rivalled Villa in the opening minutes, with Wells and Hanson driving towards the goal to test the Premier League defence. However, Paul Lambert’s side were soon on the counter: Benteke poked his header marginally wide of the post.

   From then on, we knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy night.

   The early threat seemed to have unnerved Bradford somewhat, and Villa charged up in numbers. Nzogbia’s pinpoint cross was met by a Villa player, but the subsequent header flew over the bar. Just moments later, Duke was equal to Benteke’s effort.

   23 minutes in, it happened. And it wasn’t nice.

   The forward play from Villa pushed the Bradford defence back, congesting the box. Benteke escaped from his marker and flicked the ball into the net. Paul Lambert sprung to life on the touchline, punching the air.

   He believed that the comeback was on.

   Villa continued to pile on the pressure, but City resisted. Some brave defending from McArdle, McHugh and Good saved Bradford’s bacon, and Atkinson and Wells pulled back to ease some of the strain. Duke, again, was on fine form, denying Stephen Ireland by getting just his fingertips to the ball.

   It was nearly the end of the first half, and Bradford had broken: Wells’ powerful shot just flew wide of the post. Villa were no stranger to the Bermudan’s prominence in front of goal, and this served as a reminder that the League 2 team could provide a potent attacking threat.

   Half time came, and it couldn’t come quick enough. We couldn’t defend for the remaining 45 minutes. We needed to regain composure.

   And regain composure, we did.

   The Bantams began to get bodies forward and string passes together. Zavon Hines’ superb sprint up the wing won a corner, and, as Villa know all too well, Bradford are lethal from set pieces.

   It was the visitor’s chance to capitalise, and they did not waste it. A Gary Jones cross oozed textbook perfection, finding a lively Hanson, and the ball rattled the back of the net. A thunderous header, it was the perfect way for Hanson to silence his critics and end his lengthy goal-drought.

   Bradford nearly made it a second after Nathan Doyle’s ball reached Hanson, but the forward jumped wide. City had bounced back and were charging forward in numbers.

   Parkinson swapped Nahki Wells for Garry Thompson. His tactic involved clearing the ball for it to be picked up by Darby and the Arsenal hero, who both showed incredible attacking flair to sprint forward and create chances. It could have easily been 2; Thompson rattled the crossbar.

   With just a minute of normal time left, Andres Weimman slotted home to give Villa a final prayer of progression. But this was City’s night. That minor setback wasn’t going to change things.

   After the Arsenal game, we began to hope. As the four minutes ticked away, we began to believe. And, as the final whistle blew, we began the most exciting celebrations that have graced Bradford City in a long time.

   We’d done it. We were going to Wembley.

   For years, I’d watched my team plummet to the depths of the fourth division, fighting to stay up after losing game after game. I’d seen Peter Taylor’s side fall woefully below expectation, and the club that I love teeter on the verge of administration.

   Now, Parkinson is taking us to Wembley.

   Mission impossible? Not for the Bradford boys.