Next Game – Bradford City (home)

Last updated : 19 September 2003 By Tony Scholes

Nicky Summerbee
Not too much over a year ago we wondered whether we would ever play Bradford City again as they spectacularly fell into administration after Mr. Pompous run up something close to the National Debt.

Players were made redundant and eventually, and after a torturous summer of 2002 for the supporters, they were ready to start the season under new ownership, Flamingo Land.

Not only that they were able to bring in a whole host of new players. On the eve of the 2002/03 season three new players were signed and during the season another four were signed on a permanent basis as well as seven players enjoying loan spells with them.

They were still everyone’s favourites to go down but they ended the season in 19th place and were some six points clear of the relegation positions. It was a remarkable achievement and the young side that beat the Clarets at Turf Moor in March looked very impressive.

Although unable to spend any money in transfer fees the manager Nicky Law has been able to bring in a further twelve players since the end of last season with the last two having strong Burnley connections.

Goalkeeper Alan Combe was the first signing from Dundee United and he will be remembered by Burnley fans for his performance against us in 2001/02. He was outstanding that night and made two remarkable saves from Burnley debutant Paul Gascoigne.

Combe was followed by a host of others before the season started. Luke Cornwall was next to arrive from Fulham and then Chelsea’s Robert Wolleaston. Former Burnley target Paul Heckingbottom (a good Yorkshire name) signed from Norwich and Graham’s cousin Michael Branch finally got out of his personal hellhole at Wolves.

Then it was former Bantam Dean Windass who had decided against staying with Sheffield United after the play off final pantomime and Swindon’s Gareth Edds and young keeper Clint Davies from Birmingham. Davies has since been loaned out to Halifax for the season.

Law hadn’t finished either and Patrick Bannister from Derby and Middlesbrough’s Jason Gavin both joined before the season started.

One player he did want to sign but missed out on though was Mo Camara who opted for the Clarets rather than accepting a move to the Bradford & Bingley Pulse Valley Parade Flamingo Land Stadium.

More recently Law did pip the Clarets to a player by offering Nicky Summerbee a two year contract after Stan had offered him a short term deal. Summerbee, son of former Claret Mike, had been training with us but chose the longer term option available at Bradford.

This week though with all their goalkeepers either injured our out on loan they have brought in a face very familiar to Burnley fans in Marlon Beresford. He has signed for a month and made his debut for them in midweek when they won 1-0 at Palace courtesy of a Michael Branch goal.

Palace had looked the brighter side in the opening exchanges but by the time Branch scored three minutes before half time Bradford were on top and remained so throughout the second half for a deserved win.

The Bradford team was: Marlon Beresford, Simon Francis, David Wetherall, Jason Gavin, Paul Heckingbottom, Nicky Summerbee, Paul Evans, Andy Gray, Lewis Emanuel, Dean Windass (Kevin Sanasy 73), Michael Branch. Subs not used: Ben Muirhead, Luke Cornwall, Michael Standing, Danny Forrest.

It was Bradford’s second win in three days after previously losing three on the run and the win took them above the Clarets into 13th place with ten points.

Tomorrow will see us looking to beat Bradford for the first time at the Turf in a league game since we won 3-0 in January 1937.

Click HERE to see Bradford City’s results this season.

Past Results in the last 20 years

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

a

1983/84

3

h

1-2

12,327

Jackson(og)

a

1-2

5,578

Biggins

1984/85

3

h

1-2

7,060

Biggins

a

2-3

8,156

Biggins Grewcock

1992/93

2

h

2-2

13,262

Slawson McCarthy(og)

a

0-1

10,235

1993/94

2

h

0-1

13,517

a

1-0

9,501

Heath

1995/96

2

h

2-3

9,714

Robinson Eyres(pen)

a

2-2

8,356

Harrison Swan

2001/02

1

h

1-1

19,479

Johnson

a

3-2

17,527

Little(2) Ellis

2002/03

1

h

0-2

14,104

a

2-2

14,561

Blake Taylor

Click HERE to see more results against Bradford City.

One from the past

Big Apple beckons as Clarets go through in Cup

Burnley 5 (Pointer 2 Robson 2 Connelly) Bradford City 0
FA Cup 5th Round Replay – Tuesday 23rd February 1960

John Connelly - his late goals ensured the Clarets brought Bradford City back for a replay
Looking for Turf Moor league wins against Bradford City is not the easiest of tasks and so on this occasion we will concentrate on an FA Cup tie that was played 44 seasons ago.

Burnley were going well in the league and had just received what Chairman Bob Lord described as the Club’s greatest ever honour, we had been invited to take part in a football tournament in New York.

Incredibly when asked about the invitation by the local Burnley Express neither Lord nor manager Harry Potts knew anything about it, The Football League had informed the media without bothering to consult the club.

Incompetence at The League, some things never do change and there has hardly been any improvement since.

The weather had turned nasty before the tie and it was so bad that Manchester Road had to be closed to uphill traffic and many bus services out of town had to be cancelled. With floods the previous week this was a massive change from the previous summer when the dry conditions brought about severe restrictions on domestic use of water.

The tie was scheduled for the ground then known simply as Valley Parade and whilst our opponents continued as normal the Clarets went off for special cup training in Blackpool. For those not old enough to recall it meant the players staying at the top holiday resort and being photographed running along the promenade by the local paper.

We looked to be heading out of the cup as we found ourselves two behind with the referee looking at his watch but John Connelly proved to be the hero with two late goals to bring us back to Turf Moor for a replay.

There was a sensation before the game when youngsters arrived to find there were no junior prices. The Club had decided to make it full price for all without bothering to tell anyone. Lord would accept no criticism either and said those youngsters should have been at home in bed and not at Turf Moor for a match not ending until after 9 o’clock in the evening. How on earth did this man ever get away with it?

The match though certainly caught the imagination and supporters were being turned away from as far afield as Todmorden, Rawtenstall and Colne with the news that the ground was already full long before kick off. There were just under 53,000 in there.

And Burnley were not going to make any mistakes this time in front of the packed crowd and went in front after just six minutes through Ray Pointer and after missing a couple of good opportunities it was soon 2-0 when Jimmy Robson headed home from a McIlroy cross after the Irishman had left the visiting full back for dead.

Somehow Bradford hung on at 2-0 until after the hour mark but Pointer with his second and John Connelly, the hero of the first match, both scored within a minute and it was all over.

Robson added his second to complete the scoring and to send Burnley into the last eight and a date with destiny against our local rivals.

The teams were,

Burnley: Adam Blacklaw, John Angus, Alex Elder, Bobby Seith, Brian Miller, Jimmy Adamson, John Connelly, Jimmy McIlroy, Ray Pointer, Jimmy Robson, Brian Pilkington.

Bradford City: George Stewart, Tommy Flockett, George Mulholland, Malcolm Devitt, James Lawlor, Colin Roberts, Robert Webb, David Jackson, Derek Stokes, John Reid, David Boyle.

Referee: E. T. Jennings (Stourbridge).

Attendance: 52,850.