Bradford City fans are hoping for a better performance next season after narrowly missing out on the final play-off spot by just one point, despite a 4-1 win against Newport County at Valley Parade on the last day of the season.
Early summer saw the arrival of new recruits Aden Baldwin, Callum Johnson, Antoni Sarcevic, Tyreik Wright, and Neill Byrne, signed permanently to the club. These additions were finalized quickly, generating excitement among supporters, as the club usually has a slower start to its signing activities.
At a recent fans’ forum, owner Stefan Rupp announced that the club would be taking more risks, moving away from its previously ‘sustainable’ model that has not brought the desired success. He also stated that the club would be competitive in the transfer window. However, despite this early promise, significant activity has yet to be seen.
Let’s take a closer look at Bradford City’s transfer activity so far and compare it to other clubs, such as Port Vale, which seem to be conducting better business this transfer window.
Bradford trialists don’t live up to expectation
Bradford City fans were surprised to see a trialist goalkeeper line up for the club in their first pre-season game against Chorley FC, even though their number one keeper, Sam Walker, was in the squad and slated to play the second half. Supposedly, back-up keeper and coach Colin Doyle was unavailable, and youngster Zac Hadi was injured, necessitating a trialist for the game. The trialist is believed to be 25-year-old Brad James, listed on Transfermarkt as being signed to Spennymoor Town in the sixth tier of English football.
However, the trialist goalkeeper did not meet the standards, leaving fans puzzled as to why he was given game time when Walker was fit enough to potentially play the entire match. The decision to trial a player unlikely to sign with the club, especially with better options already available, seemed illogical to many.
The Bantams lost 2-0 to Chorley, with the Vanarama National League North side looking more like a fourth-tier team compared to those in claret and amber. While pre-season results are not crucial, it was still disappointing not to score a single goal.
Local rivals Huddersfield Town scored seven goals against Guiseley AFC, the second team Graham Alexander’s side would meet in a friendly at Nethermoor Park in Leeds.
For this game, two more trialists joined the match-day squad for the Bantams. These were believed to be centre-backs Niall Maher, 28, released by Grimsby Town in the summer, and Sam Graham, 23, released by AFC Fylde. Once again, the results were not as important as the performance, but fans were left questioning the logic behind trialing defenders who did not impress and how these signings align with owner Stefan Rupp’s promise of a more competitive transfer window.
Fans are bemused as to why the club is spending time on such players instead of making impactful transfers that would improve the squad. If these are the types of players Bradford is considering, it suggests the club is still operating on a budget, leading to concerns that next season may be another wasted opportunity. Supporters worry that failure to strengthen the squad adequately could result in a return of fan protests, something Rupp will likely want to avoid.
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