The sorry story of 2018/19

This week marks the end of the end of the 2018/19 football season, one that ended much sooner as far as Bradford City AFC was concerned. Behind the scenes there is much that needs to be done to rebuild the club but changes are already underway. From an historical perspective it is astounding how badly the record of 2018/19 compares to other prior seasons when failure could have been excused by virtue of financial weakness. What makes it so unforgiveable is that in relative terms at least, the club squandered resources last season that many of its rivals did not enjoy. It was said on many occasions in the last twelve months that we’ve had it tough at Valley Parade previously. True. But the following analysis demonstrates that 2018/19 was…

…even worse than what your grandad watched

Back in December it seemed that the Bantams might transform the season and avoid relegation and I was not alone in believing that 2018/19 could have been memorable for good reasons. [Refer to an earlier post uploaded on 29th December: History for the Making!] Sadly it wasn’t to be and these updated graphs show how the recovery had petered out by the end of January. We managed 21 points in the first half of the season (with just 6 wins) and no more than 20 points (and only 5 wins) in the second not to mention 7 successive defeats.

A Great Escape would have been exceptional but by no means unprecedented in the history of Bradford City. There have been four such instances of a miraculous recovery in the second half of a season when relegation had looked all but inevitable at the beginning of December.

The campaigns to note were 1908/09, 1935/36 and 1986/87 when the points accumulated in the second half were significantly higher than in the first. A fourth season, 1983/84 is remembered for an impressive mid-season recovery that actually commenced prior to the midway point of the season. The cumulative points in each of these seasons are compared to 2018/19.

1908/09 = First Division

City’s first season in Division One having been promoted as champions. The club avoided relegation with victory in the last game of the season after a significant improvement in form in the second half of the season. Bottom of the division from the start of the season, by the end of November it seemed a hopeless situation. Thereafter began a fightback and even though Bradford City remained in bottom position at the end of January, the club was no longer adrift. Victory in the final game at home to FA Cup winners Manchester United secured the escape and we finished 18th out of 20; of 38 games played there were 12 wins and 10 draws. The origins of our Bantams nickname date from this season, introduced at the end of November to inspire a recovery and raise morale. The turnaround provided the momentum that led to a 7th place finish in 1909/10 and then 5th in 1910/11, not to mention FA Cup victory in April, 1911.

1935/36 = Second Division

Having finished the previous season in 20th position, there were limited expectations in August, 1935 and the club hovered just above the relegation places through to the end of March, 1936. However signs of a recovery came at the beginning of January with victory over Manchester United at Valley Parade. In the final 20 games of the season in 1936 there were 11 wins, five draws and only four defeats. We finished 12th out of 22 and of 42 games played: 15 wins, 13 draws and 14 defeats. Unfortunately the following season the club was relegated finishing second to bottom.

1983/84 = Third Division

The Bantams had been promoted from Division Four in 1981 and had consolidated at a higher level, finishing 12th in 1982/83. That season however had been torn apart in November, 1982 when manager Roy McFarland (who had been appointed less than 18 months before) opted to take charge of his former club Derby County. His decision was highly controversial but with news of financial difficulties at Valley Parade at the end of the 1982/83 season it seemed that McFarland may have had forebodings. Following insolvency in the summer of 1983 it was a minor miracle that the club was able to begin the new season. With a threadbare squad and the loss of star striker Bobby Campbell to Derby County few gave the club much hope to avoid a return to the basement division. By the middle of November the Bantams were in 23rd position with one win from 15 games and five points adrift from 20th. Thereafter began a sensational recovery with ten successive victories. Statistically the improvement in the second half of the season relative to the first was not impressive but as a mid-season turnaround what happened in 1983/84 is without precedent in the club’s history. By the end of January, 1984 Bradford City were in a safe midtable position with a 13 point buffer relative to the relegation places. The season finished 7th (out of 24). Of 46 games played the team managed 20 wins and 11 draws.

1986/87 = Second Division

Homeless after the Valley Parade fire, the 1985/86 season had been a difficult experience and it was a major achievement to have finished 13th. ‘Home’ games had been played at Elland Road, Leeds and Leeds Road, Huddersfield and then Odsal Stadium in the new year. Odsal proved to be unpopular venue and far from ideal as a football ground. Despite a decent start to the season and positioned 8th after eight games, a collapse in form left the club sitting just above the relegation places by the end of December, 1986. The return to Valley Parade at the end of December gave hope and inspired an improvement in performances. Nevertheless at the end of February, 1987 the club was bottom of Division Two with seven wins and seven draws out of 28 games. The signing of Ron Futcher is generally regarded to have invigorated the team and eight wins and three draws in the last 14 games saw the club rise up the table. Bradford City finished 10th out of 22. In total there were 15 wins and 10 draws from 42 games.