The Giant Killers
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BRADFORD CITY
The Bantams started life as Manningham Rugby Club before taking the bold step of adopting the Association code in 1903. The Football League instantly embraced them with open arms as it gave them a toehold in the Rugby stronghold in Yorkshire. City's rise was swift, hitting the big time in 1908 before Jimmy Spiers settled the 1911 F A cup final in their favour. The good times faded after the first war and City dropped out of the top flight in 1922, returning only for a brief spell over three quarters of a century later for two seasons of Premier League football at the turn of the 21st Century. Both periods of top flight Football have been followed by a slump down into the fourth tier of the English game and it could have been worse as City were forced to seek re-election to the League twice in their Fourth Division days of the 1960s before the concept of automatic relegation to the fifth tier had been thought of. While the 1911 team remain legends in Bradford the club have had other notable cup days but they were all dwarfed by possibly the greatest come back in a giant killing ever when City turned around a two goal defecit at mighty Chelsea in 2015.
Magic Moments
5-0 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Second round: 3rd February 1906
Attendance: 17,000
Scorers: Willie Clarke, Andrew McGeachan, George Robinson, Wally Smith, Jimmy Conlin {half time 3-0}
Ranked at the time: 27
Today: outside the top 300
3-1 @ Aston Villa
Third round: Saturday January 12th 1935
Attendance: 30,785
Scorers: John Hallows, Charlie Keetley {image left} {2}:
Ranked at the time:208
Team: 1:George Swindin, 2:Charlie Bicknell, 3:Bud Hamilton, 4:Charlie Moore, 5:Alf Peachey, 6:Charles Mitchell, 7:Joe Spence, 8:John Hallows, 9:Harry Adamson, 10:Charlie Keetley, 11:George Murphy
3-1 vs Blackburn Rovers
Fourth Round: Monday February 3rd 1936
Attendance:
Scorers: Harry Travis {2}, John Hallows
Ranked at the time: 176
Bradford: 1:?, 2:?, 3:Charlie Bicknell, 4:?, 5:?, 6:?, 7:?, 8:John Hallows, 9:Harry Travis, 10:Charlie Moore, 11?
Fourth round: Saturday January 24th 2015
Attendance: 41,014
Scorers: Jon Stead, Filipe Morias, Andy Halliday, Mark Yates
Ranked at the time:15
Team: 12: Ben Williams, 2:Stephen Darby, 23:Rory McArdle, 5:Andrew Davies, 3:James Meredith, 11:Billy Knott {Replaced by 14:Mark Yates-80}, 8:Gary Liddle, 20:Filipe Morais {Replaced by 10:Billy Clarke-89}, 25:Andy Halliday {Replaced by 18:Christopher Routis-87}, 9:James Hanson, 16:Jon Stead. Manager: Phil Parkinson
2-0 vs Sunderland
Fifth round: Sunday February 15th 2015
Attendance: 24,021
Scorer: John O'Shea {own goal}, Jon Stead
Ranked at the time: 217
Team: 12: Ben Williams, 2:Stephen Darby, 23:Rory McArdle, 5:Andrew Davies, 3:James Meredith, 20:Filipe Morais, 8:Gary Liddle, 10:Billy Clarke {Replaced by 14:Mark Yeates-86}, 11:Billy Knott {Replaced by 25:Andy Halliday-77}, 16:Jon Stead {Replaced by 13:Francois Zoko-89}, 9:James Hanson. Manager: Phil Parkinson