OPPOSITION
Bradford have found some good form of late, and continued that on Tuesday with an impressive 3-2 home win over high flying Rotherham. The Bantams are this year being guided by ex player Stuart Mccall. Mccall is a legend at Valley Parade from his playing days and expectations were high at the start of the season. However, things did not start well and up until November the Yorkshire Club looked like they might be involved in a relegation fight. However, the goals of striker Peter Thorne have helped them to ease away from the bottom of the table, and there is even talk in some quarters of a late push for the play off places. Current skipper is David Wetherall, scorer of one of the most famous goals in City's history, but the veteran defender has announced he will be retiring from playing at the end of the season. City's squad also includes Jamacian Internationals Omar Daley and Donovan Ricketts.
PAST MEETINGS
Not surprisingly, there is not many to talk about. Until this year, City and the Daggers have been competing at somewhat different levels!!! In fact this time 8 years ago the Daggers were competing in the Ryman League, while City were battling to stay in the Premiership, a battle they won thanks to that famous goal from Wetherall on the last day of the season against Liverpool. The only previous meeting between the two Club's is therefore this season's encounter at Dagenham in November. Paul Benson notched for the home side that day, but goals from Thorne, Wetherall and Nicky Law (2) were enough to give the Bantams a 4-1 victory. There have been no friendly fixtures between the two club's in the past, which is not surprising with the geographical locations.
GROUND
Well, this will be the most impressive stadium the Daggers have ever played a league fixture at, and by some way. Valley Parade has been home to City since 1903, apart from when the Club was required to play elsewhere after the tragic fire in 1985. Since then the ground has been entirely re-built and is now a modern all seater stadium, housing over 25,000 supporters. It is the largest ground currently in League Two (stadium plastic having not yet been finished completely). Away supporters are housed behind one of the goals in the TL Dallas Stand. This is a smallish (compared to the rest of the ground) two tiered stand.
CROWD
Bradford, not surprisingly, have the largest average crowds in League Two. They have helped to achieve this by giving large discounts on Season Tickets, which has obviously worked as average gates are around the 13,000 mark!!! Bradford have recently announced details of next year's season ticket policy which is once again aimed at "returning football to the masses". A few other Club's could take note!!! So for this game, the crowd will probably be around the 13,000 mark, which will be the largest regular season league game the visitors have ever played in front of. I would estimate that around 200 Daggers fans will make the journey. When the fixtures came out, this was one of those that Daggers fans were looking out for as Bradford are certainly the biggest name in the division, and therefore this will mean a few more travel than have done to other games.
UD TRAVEL
The train will again be taking the strain (literally when you consider the size of some of us!!) for the trip North. Yoofff has for once proved useful and managed to stumble across some train tickets to Leeds for £16, and we will then get to Bradford from there. With such a good deal on offer, 8 people took up the tickets which is not a bad number for an away game.
PREDICTION
It's a tough one to call. The Daggers look like a different side in the last couple of weeks, but Bradford are also in decent form themselves. If the visitors could get in front then they should get something from the game, but if the home side score first then it is not a situation the Daggers have managed to recover from many times this season. Both teams are also scoring plenty of goals of late, and therefore we go for an entertaining 2-2 draw!!! |
