Accrington Web - 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

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2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Accrington Stanley

Bratfud City

2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford & Bingley BS (home)

William Claude Dukenfield, better known as WC Fields, is said to have coined the expression “Never give a sucker an even break” as an aside in a stage show in 1923; twenty years on, in 1943, it was used as the title of one of his films .............. Fields is also the originator (apparently) of

1. “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh1t” (my byword every week when I sit down to write the opening thread for the PL), and of

2. “Fell in love with a beautiful blonde once. Drove me to drink. And I never had the decency to thank her”

Step forward, then, Michael Collins; 32 at the time that Bantams’ Chairman Edin Rahic promoted him from Manager of the u18s to Head Coach of the Club in June 2018 ................. youngest manager in the EFL, he clearly didn’t read the Writing on the Wall (“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” – “Thou Hast been Weighed in the Balance and Found Wanting”) ........... he lasted six League games, winning two for a 33% win record – actually, better than lots of “famous” managers (but he also lost to Macclesfield 4-2 on penalties after a ½-Desmond in the EFL Cup) - before getting the bullet, and being replaced by David Hopkin, who became the club’s fourth manager of 2018 (fifth if you include Greg Abbott as Caretaker) and who they’d signed as a player back in 2000 for £2.5 million from Leeds ........... Announcing The Inevitable Termination of Michael Collins, Mr Rahic expressed both sympathy and appreciation (not!), saying

“The decision is based on an unsatisfactory start to the season and performances not being good enough. We anticipated a much better start and the results have not matched expectations"

Doesn’t ask for much, does he? And should we ask, do you think, who appointed the other three full-time (a contradiction in terms in this case) managers over the previous year? Bet you it was Edin Rahic! Unfit for purpose? Like putting Herod in charge of the crèche ....................

A propos de rien, then, this week’s Starter for Ten; Bradford City has played in European Competition in the last 20 years; true or false?

14 players left in the Annual West Yorkshire Summer Cull; two – GK Colin Doyle and CB Matthew Kilgallon – went to Bonnie Scotland (well, Bonnie Hearts and Bonnie Hamilton); MF Nicky Law joined Exeter; French DMF Romaine Vincelot and NotFrench striker Dom Perignon – sorry, Dom Poleon – went to Crawley; three Germans went to Germany (Brexit Plus); Charlie Wyke went to Blunderland; Paul Taylor went to Donnie; Timothee Dieng – yes, THAT Timothee Dieng – joined Sarfend, and a couple went to the Dole Office ......... to replace them, Bradford signed 14 more (one-for-one like-for-like policy obviously), including CMF Hope Akpan from Burton, RB Kelvin Mellor from Blackpool, RB Joe Riley (I knew his Old Mother!) from Man U, PNE striker Eoin Doyle, Luca Colville, a RMF from Huddersfield, and – three weeks back, CMF Jim O’Brien from Ross County ....... Loans Out – as you’ll have seen – include one Shay McCartan to table-topping Lincoln, and Loans In include Jack Payne from Huddersfield ............ things must be quiet on the Big Band Scene - that said, Jack is leading goalscorer, with 3 in the League and one more for luck ........ not bad for an Oldster!

Preseason wasn’t a resounding success; they beat Bradford Park Avenue 2-1, but lost 2-1 at Guiseley, 1-0 at York, 2-3 at home to the Blades, 0-1 at Carlisle, and 7-2 at Harrogate of the Bananarama (did I mention the writing on the wall?) Once the SeasonProper began things improved – briefly – with 1-0 wins at Shrewsbury and at home to Burton (4 games, 6 points), but of their last 8 League games they’ve won one (1-0 at the Wombles), drawn one (goalless Desmond at home to BrizzleRov) and lost six ............... If the other side score, Bradford don’t win, and they’ve managed to score nul goals four times already. They’re joint 3rd in the Numpty League; Oxford have two points from their last possible 15, the Wombles have 3, Bratfud, Plymouth and Gillingham have four, and Brizzle, Burton and Rochdale have five; they’re currently 22nd with a record of P12 W3 D1 L8 GF9 GA17 for 10 points – below Brizzle on GD (-8 plays -3), a point behind The Wombles, Gillingham and Burton and two points behind Shrewsbury and Wycombe ......... 17 conceded is only 9th worst (Rochdale have let in 25, The Iron 24, Oxford 23, Gillingham and Plymouth 20, Peterborough – surprisingly, since they’re second – 19, and Wycombe and Charlton 18 .......... head of the Duck’s Arse League is Barnsley with 7, and Blackpool (7 draws in 11 games) and Pompey, each with 10 ............so all in all – they’ve only scored 9 in 12 – it’s not looking reet thrillin’ ............. If I were David Hopkin (whose League record must be W1 D1 L4) I’d be looking for another job!

Bradford City was formed in 1903 as a result of a series of meetings arranged by James Whyte, a sub-editor of the Bradford Observer, with Football Association representatives and officials at Manningham F.C., a local rugby league side. The Football League –who obviously saw the chance to promote association football in the rugby league-dominated West Riding of Yorkshire - duly elected the new club into Division Two of the Football League in place of Doncaster Rovers (which I bet went down like a lead balloon in Donnie). In 1911 they won the FA Cup (1-0 in a replay against Newcastle United), and it was only 102 years before they made their next Wembley Cup Final, losing the 2013 Football League Cup Final 5-0 to Swansea. They spent 77 years from 1922 outside the top tier, but won promotion as Runners-Up in the 1998/99 season, managing two years before Greasy-Poling-It back to the Championship (which wasn’t called that then!)

Their record League win is 11-1 over Rotherham in 1928; record League defeat is 8-0 by Man City in 1927, and 9-1 by Colchester in December 1961; “most appearances” and “most goals” records are both held by Ces Podd (574 and 502 respectively): most goals in a season by one player is 36 in 1961/62 (held by David “Bronco” Lane, of whom I’ve written before); in March 1929 one Albert Whitehurst scored seven times in a game against Tranmere ........ famous ex managers include Jimmy Wheeler (“Aye aye! That’s yer lot!”), Ray Wilson, Chris Kamara, Terry Yorath, Frank Stapleton and Bryan Robson ..................former players include Paul Jewell, Chris Kamara, Roy McFarland, David Niven (between films – oh, sorry, David McNiven) and Dean “Don’t Sign, Lad” Windass. And they did play in Europe in 2000, in the InterToto Cup (no idea what Dorothy or the Tin Man thought of that!), beating FK Atlantas 7-2 on aggregate and then RKC Waalwijk 3-0 before losing 4-0 to Zenit St Petersburg ................ I’d have given you recent head-to-head but for the fact that Sky made sure that my old broadband was switched off on Monday, and then completely failed to activate the new one I’d arranged with them! They may be hearing from my Solicitors!

Deadline for entries, then, is – as always – scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 13th October, which may well be unlucky for some ........ hopefully, it’ll be a Bad Bantams Day! Let’s see if we can regain a (playoff-bound) Top Six spot! AND – please – can we keep 11 players on the field?

Good luck to everyone! ................ Keep the Faith! .............. And thanks for playing!

:theband::theband::theband:

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Stanley 2 Bradford 1 please

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

2 - 0 to Stanley please

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Stanley 1 Bradford 1

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Stanley 3 - Bantams 1

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Another explosion of mind boggling facts Div3. Thanks from a former Farington lad who looks forward to your prematch introduction every game. 3-0 to Stanley this week.

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

4-1 to the Stanley please.

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

2-0 to the Stanley please D3N. :)

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Stanley 3 Bradford 1 please D3N

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

stanley 2 bradford 1

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Stanley 2-0 Bradford.

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Stanley 3 Bradford 1

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

:) Accrington Stanley 2 - 1 Bradford City :) Please for me

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Accrington Stanley 2-2 Bradford City

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

2-0 Stanley please chaps

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Accrington Stanley 2 Bradford City 1, please

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chimer (Post 1218279)

3-1 Stanley for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Div3North (Post 1218290)

Stanley 3 Bantams 1

Well THAT doesn't often happen :D:D:D:D:D

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

What, you both agreeing :D

:) :) :)

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Quote:

Originally Posted by VALAIRIAN (Post 1218356)

What, you both agreeing :D

:) :) :)

No, us both getting the score right for the same game - something neither of us does with any regularity ..........

Or ever, really!

:p:p:p:p

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Suspicious Betting Pattern Emerges As Kiwi Dethroned

Sheer incredulity :eek: at the fact that my partner-in-crime and I picked up 2 of only 4 maxis gained as a result of our 3-1 stroll against Bradford :) almost caused me to forget, once again, to write the regular report :o, but I've finally remembered :rolleyes:, so here we go.

The most important maxi was gained by Lord Stiffupperlip :D, as his took him to the top step of the podium, ahead of Leylandii and Tom D, who still share 2nd place, on countback. Div3North's took him up to 4th= :), just a point behind and level with MikeA, whilst mine saw me sneak into the Top Ten :), in 9th. The last hero was Revived Red, whose success took him from 19th= to 14th=.

Kiwi John's drawmongering fall :confused: from the top of the heap to 6th was matched by Cashman's from 4th= to 11th, in Cashy's case due to omitting to put a guess in at all :eek:. KJ did at least pick up a single point for City's goal. StevieR, Monkeyhanger and Accytom18 all suffered significant falls in mid-table after predicting draws, but a single point for Benboy was enough for him to climb above everybody :eek: who has played less times than him ;) (i.e. he's now 29th of 34).

For a home game against a team floundering around near the bottom of the table, 20 predictions of a Stanley win against 6 draws was perhaps a bit less :rolleyes: optimistic than you might expect. Now I wonder what you're all going to come up with for an away game against one of the season-long front-runners :confused:? Mind you, all that front-running only finds them 4 points ahead of the mighty Reds :D.

So, on we roll to see if we can give the Posh the Push. Can we :eek: - course we can :):). On Stanley On!!

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Reporter Eats Humble Pie as More Facts Emerge

It has been pointed out to me, in a most gracious manner, that Cashy did in fact submit a guess by PM from his holidays :), which I filed and forgot :(. So the old chap gets 4 points and moves back to his rightful place, i.e. 4th= with D3N and MikeA. Which means it was AccyMad rather than Cashy who got pushed out of the elite to allow me my (probably temporary :rolleyes:) elevation.

Corrected table attached …..

On Stanley On!!

Re: 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 13 v Bradford City (home)

Cheers mate, hey bet yeh my memorys worse than yours :D