Football Season Review

Bradford probably had the most bizarre season of all League One clubs, as their campaign can be divided into three parts during which the Bantams looked like three completely different teams. It all started like a fairy tale, as their fans dreamed about back to back promotions after seeing their side losing only once in their opening ten games, with the highlight of the early stage of their campaign being a 4:0 home win over eventual vice-champions Brentford. However, things started turning sour in mid October, when top scorer Nahki Wells started having injury troubles. The talismanic striker went in and out of the team between then and January, when he left the club to join Huddersfield, and Bradford suddenly became incapable of winning games, with the early season elation turning into relegation fears. Phil Parkinson worked hard to bring in quality players either permanently or on loan, but did not have much luck with his signings, as on-loan Middlesbrough winger Adam Reach was arguably the sole winter arrival who really fulfilled expectations. Parkinson only managed to steady the ship in mid February, when his men claimed back to back home wins over Port Vale and MK Dons to move away from the relegation zone. Bradford managed to win once in twenty games prior to beating the Vale, which was the worst run of form any League One side recorded during the season. Fortunately for Parkinson, the victories over the Vale and the Dons lifted his players' morale sufficiently for them to finish the season with a decent run of results. They managed to display midtable form in the final third of their campaign and ended up finishing in the top half, twelve points above the relegation zone. However, things could have been far worse for the Bantams had it not been for the points they accumulated in their opening ten games, and Parkinson will be well aware that his men will need to improve on the form they have showed in the last seven months if they are to avoid getting dragged into a relegation fight next season.

Player of the Season: James Hanson