Branston backs Parkinson for Bradford City promotion push (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Phil Parkinson wins backing from unexpected source for Bradford City promotion push
8:10am Friday 9th November 2012 in Bantams
By Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter
City old boy Guy Branston is set to line up for Aldershot against his former club this weekend
Guy Branston would love to see Phil Parkinson lead City to promotion this season – even though he bombed him out.
The pair will come face to face for the first time since the outspoken centre half’s exit when the Bantams face Branston’s Aldershot tomorrow.
Branston was one of the casualties of the major revamp that Parkinson has undertaken at Valley Parade. But despite feeling he never got a proper chance, the well-travelled veteran believes the City boss is well on course to get it right.
Branston said: “Hopefully Parky can get the club up and I personally believe he will.
“Phil’s changed the core of the team wholesale and that needed to happen. He has brought in good players but he’s also changed the ethos of the place.
“I’m a big believer in psychology and the mental side of football is massive. It does drag you down if there’s a negative environment.
“You’d hear it every day, people moaning about the training ground being too wet and things like that. That’s what Phil has done well to sort out.
“He has been given a budget and has got to deliver on that. But that’s a good pressure to have – that’s what gets you out of bed in the morning.”
Branston found himself out of favour under Parkinson and was loaned out to former club Rotherham. But he returned from the cold at the end of the season after the Crawley fracas left City short of defenders.
He said: “I couldn’t fulfil what I wanted to do there but I wasn’t given the opportunity. I was a Peter Jackson signing and my face didn’t fit.
“It was unfortunate for me but I think the gaffer made up his mind before he came in. That was annoying but I didn’t sink into that mentality of sulking.
“I dealt with the situation and like to think that I helped to keep his job when I came back in the team because a club like Bradford dropping into non-league would have been a financial nightmare.”
Branston, who played 19 times for City, praised the club for the way they dealt with him at the end of the season - especially director of operations David Baldwin - when they agreed to cancel his contract a year early.
But he still feels frustrated that the vision he was sold to leave Torquay never took off. He blames former head of player development Archie Christie for that, not Jackson.
Branston said: “I was bouncing off the walls when I signed. I’d had a great season the one before and was so excited about joining a club as big as Bradford.
“But from day one, Archie was getting involved with the contracts and signing everybody. We had player after player coming into the dressing room while the lads already there were down in the dumps because they didn’t know if they were staying or going.
“Poor Peter was saying which players he wanted but realistically Archie had already done the budget. Peter wasn’t allowed to do much. That wasn’t down to the chairmen and the board, that was down to Archie Christie.”
Branston is keen to get into management himself and has been involved in the coaching side with Shots chief Dean Holdsworth. But niggly injuries early on have restricted his on-field appearances and he has played only five games.
In the meantime, he is the brains behind an ambitious new website where players can upload video clips and show off their talent to scouts and prospective clubs.
AllAboutBallerz.co.uk, set up with Leeds-based web firm Pixel Vector UK, is open to any footballer – professional, amateur or Sunday league – and aims to give them the chance of being spotted by a wider audience.
Branston explained: “I dropped into non-league two and a half years ago with Kettering and realised there were some really good players in the likes of Conference North. But nobody sees them.
“This is a way players can showcase themselves for coaches and managers to have a look. Clubs don’t have to rely on the old man in his flat cap going to a game to spot someone.
“Now you can watch the clips of these players and then decide whether they are worth following up. It just gives people exposure that they’ve not had before.
“I’m at the beginning of something and really feel it’s going to take off. There are so many directions it can go. I can see it one day being the centralised database for players; all players of all ages at all levels.”
Comments(25)
Oliver's shinpad
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9:42am Fri 9 Nov 12
Prisoner Cell Block A
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9:54am Fri 9 Nov 12
bcfc1903
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10:48am Fri 9 Nov 12
**
We shout with pride...we never hide....Claret and Amber.
bradfordranger
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3:06pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Dave2610
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4:27pm Fri 9 Nov 12
nowt fresh
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4:39pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Dave2610 wrote:Jimmy's not playing according to T&A so it's all down to Naki and Connell ?.
Jimmy & Naki will have him in a pickle, he will wish he never got out of the jar!!
Dave2610
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4:43pm Fri 9 Nov 12
So he wouldnt be traveling all that way not to be played surely!!!!!!!!
nowt fresh
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5:00pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Dave2610 wrote:Don't know where youv'e read that see "Bradford City aim to inflict more home heartache on Shot-shy hosts" in T&A " Parkinson, who is again set to be without James Hanson ?.
Jimmy trained on his own yesterday afternoon and he has gone to Aldershot! So he wouldnt be traveling all that way not to be played surely!!!!!!!!
audal
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5:03pm Fri 9 Nov 12
nowt fresh
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5:05pm Fri 9 Nov 12
audal wrote:Which was ????
All those posters who think they are better than others because they went to Wigan and should be first in line for the Arsenal game should feel pity for the likes of myself and 4,760 wet and windy fans just to watch the first league cup game in nov. 1960. but i am still here.
Dave2610
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5:22pm Fri 9 Nov 12
nowt fresh
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5:22pm Fri 9 Nov 12
nowt fresh
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5:26pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Dave2610 wrote:If your so much in the know what about the "euro lotto" numbers for tonight !!hope your right though Jimmy was badly missed Tuesday night IMO.
I havent read it anywhere I am in the know!!!!!!!!!!
Dave2610
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5:29pm Fri 9 Nov 12
he lives with my daughter and I sponsor him so I know!!!!!!
nowt fresh
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5:42pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Dave2610 wrote:O/K so what about the lotto numbers ??.
Nowt fresh he lives with my daughter and I sponsor him so I know!!!!!!
Dave2610
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5:47pm Fri 9 Nov 12
bcfc1903
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6:48pm Fri 9 Nov 12
bradfordranger wrote:Branno did a great job in the games he played at the end of last season being a major factor in keeping Bradford City Football Club up....total respect for the fella.
A Carthorse of a player. If Nakhi doesnt turn him inside and out, I will shoot myself!! Feed the Nak and he will score !!
Whoisevans?
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6:50pm Fri 9 Nov 12
nowt fresh
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6:54pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Whoisevans? wrote:Yes may be Branston's insight into the Archie Christie situation throws a little more light on why Jacko walked out ??.
I liked Branno he was a solid defender in the air if he had been a bit nimbler on the deck he would have been a great asset, could never knock him for commitment. It just goes to show that outside interference can affect how the team perform. Glad Archie got the marchie orders.
Whoisevans?
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7:02pm Fri 9 Nov 12
nowt fresh wrote:I used to go watch them train at Rawdon and Colin Cooper used to do all the coaching and Jacko just stood on the touch line with his arms folded. I thought then this was a strange situation never saw that with the other managers.
Whoisevans? wrote:Yes may be Branston's insight into the Archie Christie situation throws a little more light on why Jacko walked out ??.
I liked Branno he was a solid defender in the air if he had been a bit nimbler on the deck he would have been a great asset, could never knock him for commitment. It just goes to show that outside interference can affect how the team perform. Glad Archie got the marchie orders.
tyker2
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8:34pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Dave2610 wrote:doubt branston will be playing as he has been named and an an unused sub most of the season to date
Jimmy & Naki will have him in a pickle, he will wish he never got out of the jar!!
Birky Neil
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8:57pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Birky Neil
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9:01pm Fri 9 Nov 12
sergioleone
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10:04pm Fri 9 Nov 12
Dave2610 wrote:dave2610 how do you know the gaffa doesnt want it to be kept quiet! bit daft to give the opposition our team news aint it??
I havent read it anywhere I am in the know!!!!!!!!!!
bettyswollocks says...
8:48am Fri 9 Nov 12
I was sorry to see him go but with the defenders we've got in the house now he was never going to get much of a look in.
I hope whatever he does turns out well because he's a hard worker with a faultless attitude.