Match Thread Cheltenham Town v Bradford City FA Cup 1st Round - Sat 1 Nov 2025 3pm

Everybody thought Cook would start today.
Most on here hoped he’d score and have an impact

A couple clearly hoped he wouldn’t.

 

Good point. I've been discussing with others (amazing how many non-Bantams are fascinated by our start) I'll be delighted with finishing in the top 9.

However, I still think we could be on the edge of an amazing season. A couple of tweaks and some money spent in January and who knows.

 

Think you need to have a word with yourself

 

Try harder m8.

 

It was Cooks first start today and as I posted we had 28 shots making their keeper save 8 that's with Cook and the formation Alexander preferred to play today, I'd suggest we win the game easily with better finishing.

 

Agreed. If we can hang in and around there until January, the right additions then could be pivotal.

Realistically though, I reckon we've still got at least two more transfer windows until we're really ready to aim towards the top of L1. But whilst we're there as it stands we have to go for it.

 

Lucetti interview. The ref said there was a second whistle!!!!! That was his explanation!! Which is a none explanation. Stop the game and re-take the free kick. It is not rocket science.

 

Maybe slightly biased, but the game should be replayed and the referee demoted to refereeing five-a-side at Goals. It doesn't change that we failed to score, having dozens of chances and 89 minutes but the goal should have not stood

 

I'm sure that's the one Alexanders is planning for, of course no one wanted us to lose today but without seeing their goal and why we stopped defending overall we did enough to get a result.
Power saying the ball was in play when the second whistle went, we pride ourselves in defending set pieces so why would our defenders and goal keeper stop ?, a very honest assessment from Power, don't blame the official we had enough chances to win the game well said Captain.

 

A comment from their forum

"I definitely heard a whistle just as the ball was in the air and the ref stood with his arm out as if it was a Bradford free kick after the ball was in the net. Obviously pointing to the centre point in hindsight. I didn't celebrate the goal at all as I thought, at first, the free kick was going to be retaken, and then because he'd given them a free kick."

 

The only way this result will turn into a disaster is if we let it affect our confidence or the way we play. We have done exceptionally well this season and we should remember that. And I am sure under GA we will

 

It took a good while for Raynor and Kywomia to actually confirm the referee had given the goal but a honest reflection on the game from Power the more I hear him the more I like him.

 

Does this mean GA will be in the stands for the next game after getting a red card?

 

So I’ve been watching football for nearly 40 years, and when a free kick is ready to be taken the referee just blows once. So why would the ref say he blew it twice? That’s contradictory, and no wonder the players stopped. Baffling!

 

Busy on here tonight so we must have lost.

Still out of the cup our form is shocking so a deffo slide to the bottom 4 is on the cards.

Doomed i tell thee doomed

 

Performance is a bit off anyway at the minute. No goal in just shy of 50 shots or 267 minutes. One win in 6 but it was against Everton U21s. Something has felt off in the last 2 or 3 and everyone's had their chance in the team.

 

Max Power's interview was very good and the right attitude to have. We had the chances to win 2 games in that match and didn't take any of them so the only people to blame for us not winning are us for not taking the chances. Blaming the referee today only hides that we've failed to score from 28 shots, since the goal against Stevenage we've had 49 shots and 0 goals so effectively 270 minutes without scoring which needs looking at why that has happened.

 

That's why I thought we were too quick in changing the date for the Lincoln game, we know Tuesday night games don't generate the crowds or atmosphere as on a Saturday why not wait till we see the outcome of the first round games.

 

Honestly i wouldnt mind if all 4 drawn games we had been playing poorly but with a little luck we could have easily won 3 out of the 4.
We are creating chances we a playing well despite missing a fair few key players.
The major problem is our start and folk getting all giddy think that we would walk this league.