Get out 24/25

Yes we did. We found a car parking place for £3 just off manningham Lane. @Loyalbantam tipped me off. I meant to thank everyone for helping us out. Thank you for your help. We got there in the end.

 

Regarding the CEO.

Can anyone think of another example of a business with a multi million pound annual turnover appointing someone to manage it when their previous job was running the social media accounts?

I expect the only time that something like that has happened before is when a tragedy wipes out the head of the organisation and the offspring automatically takes over because of a clause in a will. Or, extreme nepotism promotes someone that is entirely unsuitable for that level of responsibility.

I'm not aggrieved with Sparks for taking the job. It was very probably a once in a lifetime (Bradford City, same as it ever was) opportunity for him. I'm holding the people that appointed him responsible. It was both reckless and showed no real concern for the club's short and longer term future. Particularly coming off the back of Rahic's reign as well. Rupp's spell in 'control' has set the club back at least a decade. I seriously doubt I'll ever see City playing in the Championship again. They'll be lucky to regain and retain a League One spot before I meet my maker.

 

Well I suppose Rahic getting found out could be classed as losing a loved one , well some loved him and wouldn't have a bad word said about him, Julian then took over saying he didn't want the job on a permanent basis hoping he could get a tried and tested replacement in to take over, unfortunately after failing to get his number one choice he told Rupp Ryan could deliver what Rupp was wanting from a CEO sustainability, without him having to finance the club.
An interesting listen here Ryan's accepting he made some wrong calls although he and many thought were the correct call at the time he certainly doesn't deserve the sh1t he's given by the few toxic fans who supposedly support Bradford City.
Bradford City's chief executive discusses life as football's youngest boss - Latest From ITV News

 

I'm sorry, I have to disagree with you on this one Dave - happy to discuss on the Tranmere trip.

Ryan is purely in it for himself as far as I can see!! That interview was absolutely embarrassing at the time it was aired. All about him when the club was languishing, poor results and performances, people clearly staying away from VP, protests being discussed, no communication from the club whatsoever and lo and behold!! An interview from the CEO where he doesn't once mention the 'future', doesn't say what the club is doing to turn things around, absolutely nothing. All ME, ME, ME in my eyes.

And don't get me started on his (unwanted) rebranding of the club....purely an exercise for him to say he'd done this massive rebrand and stick it on his CV for future reference!!

He deserves the stick he gets (NOT personal abuse) because we appear completely rudderless and have done since his tenure began. He 'defended' his mediocrity quote at the Radio L***s fans forum by saying that he thought the brief he had been given by the owner at the start was one of 'mediocrity' and beneath the club. However, it took him several years to apparently do something about it when he 'apparently' flew out to Munich to request a larger playing budget for this season. If memory serves me correct, this 'trip' was less than 2 weeks after he, Rupp, Alexander and Gent had spent days discussing the budget and playing targets etc.! Why didn't he have misgivings at the time....or did his visit just coincidently happen to precede the planned protests....

You know me Dave, I don't 'supposedly' support Bradford City, I bleed Claret and Amber and have done for 50 years but Sparks is out of his depth and I genuinely now do not believe a single word he says. It is time he moves on and takes his self centred ego with him.

 

Totally agree that the feeling about Ryan is he's here trying to pad out a CV for a future, bigger job.

Youngest CEO and all that lot, no doubt several figures at Bradford City will have filled his head with utter rubbish.

I still don't hope he falls on his face or anything career-wise, but he should have left last season. The fact he knew David Sharpe could have stepped in but wouldn't leave anyway speaks volumes about his attitude - it's all about himself, how he can make himself look better, how he can make his work look more visible.

I've no doubt he thinks sticking with the club through this tough period will look even better for his résumé should the club somehow succeed in gaining a promotion. It's too bad that Sparks was allowed to appoint Graham Alexander after we found our recruitment campaign floundering. Bringing Sharpe in after that does nothing for Sparks - even if Sharpe can help him recruit a more suitable successor, the pressure will be immense should GA prove another failed appointment - and another tactical blunder given GA will be leaving us with a squad void of wingers or any other way to play than a 5-3-2.

 

Anyone else think defeat tonight will see the end of GA? If we don't win at least 1 of the next 2 surely the writing is on the wall? Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is just GA's fault but he ain't getting what he has got to perform consistently. The problem has definitely being lack of investment in the squad. We buy or loan crocked cast-offs and quelle surprise we find ourselves down to the bare bones languishing in mid table- albeit tight still at this stage. I never mustered up any enthusiasm for this season based on our recruitment and nothing has changed that for me. What a mess

 

As for Monday I will not be there as I have alternative plans, which align with the movement of the game to Monday.
However, anybody who knows me will be shocked that this will be my 3rd home game I have missed this season and not an away game to boot

 

I think GA is safe as houses for now. And it's moot anyway, the problems at this club emanate from the top. As long as Rupp owns us and deploys Sparks at the helm, we're going nowhere.

There's no plan, direction, ambition or capability in how we're run. I'm sick of saying it, but it remains true.

We've recruited en masse in the summer, but without any real quality. I mean, think back to the promotion winning side of 2013

McLaughlin
Darby
Davies
McArdle
Meredith
Reid
Jones
Doyle
Thompson
Hanson
Wells

Can anyone, with a straight face, tell me a single player from the current squad who gets into that side? Possibly Cook, but even then I don't think he'd be a good foil for Wells.

We are, and will remain, a plodding league 2 side without change at the top.

 

GA most certainly is safe as houses at the moment
Even Mr Sparks must realise nobody wants to manage a badly run club proof being him being knocked back by some prior to GA being appointed
Let's start sorting from the top first he wouldn't be the 1st name on my list for the bullet
However MKD saw through him and got rid very quickly in a well run club with a plan and a strategic way of operating his position right now would be questionable

 

Not sure there's a lot to debate, Julian couldn't get his first choice so told Rupp IHO Ryan was capable of running the club the way Rupp wanted his train set running, stability blah blah blah I think we both accept that.

The managerial appointments he made from outside the club Adams, Bowyer and Hughes all he previous promotions on their CV, I'd suggest at the time the majority were happy with those appointments, obviously when things didn't go the way we'd hoped then we got the "I didn't fancy him when he was appointed comments".

I have posted many times Ryan is in it for Ryan as are the majority of ambitious people quoting various things he will do IMO to bring success to the club like increasing seating with regards where you sit in the stadium, I won't criticised him for the increase in last seasons tickets overheads have to be covered and an increase wasn't unreasonable the tickets are still cheap, notice I didn't say good value, because for many seasons both under him and previous people in his position Julian Rahic the product on the pitch has been poor.

I have not said he doesn't deserve the criticism he gets but not the abuse he's been getting hence my toxic comment.

I didn't think I inferred he had brought the club any sort of success and I believe that's for two simple reasons he's never been a CEO previously which is a big step up from his previous position at the club, and secondly he has never had any grounding in the game, we know he was relatively close to MacAnthony and you'd think maybe he may have taken advice from him with regards running a football club or other CEOs for that matter as I hear Ryan is well liked amongst the hierarchy at other clubs.

So in conclusion I'm far from defending Ryan he's not brought any level of success to Bradford City during his time as CEO he may have made us a more sustainable club (which isn't a bad thing) but as fans we want better than what he and Rupp have given us under both their tenures at our club and that can't be defended.

I purchased my season ticket again because that's what we do, it had nothing to do with "the letter" or a promise from Rupp "he would not only put more finance into the club but he would be seen as getting more involved", not as some are suggesting it might have been the reason fans renewed I'm in it till I die as the chant goes.

But I'm sure we'll find something Bradford City to talk about in the pub before the Tranmere game.

 

I know we all love that team, but there are 3 or 4 there who aren't amazing players.

If this team somehow goes up, we'll probably a couple to that team... but that's a big if, and feels increasingly unlikely.

If we DON'T go up, none will be remembered barring Cook and Halliday. And maybe Smallwood, but for a variety of reasons.

 

His successor Michael Williamson could hardly be classed as a success although he got plenty of praise on here for his possession football that didn't deliver results .

 

I think Parky knew as you say there were players within that team who weren't amazing but what they may have lacked in skill they certainly made up with regards team work, bottle and adding what some of the more skilled players may have lacked.

 

All of the players in that side ranged from good to excellent, and all were capable of playing in League 1. As I say, none of this team would get in. You could debate Cook or Hanson, or possibly Halliday or Darbs, but I'm probably still going with Hanson, and I'm definitely going with Darbs for more than just ability. He brought leadership and composure.

Anyhow, the key point is, we've brought lots of players in, but not much in the way of quality

 

Hanson 100% for me too. That's not knocking Cook in anyway. Cook probably the better finisher but Hanson brought more overall.

 

The other thing is our defenders and Sarc are now injured. They're the key signings, the ones that will allow is to sink or swim.

Just a little early to judge imo.

 

They're all much of a muchness to me. Players who've been on the fringes of successful teams and probably very good pros. You need a few of those. But they're nowhere near the quality of a Davies or McArdle.

Anyway, enough of being misty eyed. It's early in the season, but I've seen nothing to suggest we'll fare any differently to how we have over the last few years.

 

Oh yes! 4-4-2!! Tried and tested. Some might say it never works