Bradford City chief Baldwin on American recruitment drive

9:00am Tuesday 15th January 2013 in Bantams Photograph of the Author By Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter

RIASA product Nahki Wells RIASA product Nahki Wells

Nahki Wells continues to fill the rumours section of every national newspaper but the search goes on for another just like him.

David Baldwin flew out to Florida yesterday for the annual NCAA football conference, rubbing shoulders with 10,000 US coaches to discuss the potential future talent from America and the Caribbean.

City’s director of operations is there in his role in charge of the RIASA university programme – but very much with the Bantams in mind. The club get first pick of any players that come through their system.

Baldwin said: “It’s the main source of networking and recruitment for the RIASA programme.

"The connections we are making now are for September and next year. I have various meetings set up with academies that have got 16 to 18-year-olds in. We are a potential outlet for them as an education centre in the UK and also a shop window for Bradford City.

“We’ve already got 57 players in the programme now, of which three have dual nationality. Two of them are showing really promising signs to be introduced to the club. They are probably about 18 months behind what Nahki was when he first arrived in the UK under the RIASA programme.

“But the likes of John Hendrie and Mark Ellis are deconstructing some of their bad habits first and then working with them because you want to present them at the right time for the club.”

Comments(10)

tyker2 says...
9:13am Tue 15 Jan 13

nothing came of the Mexico experiment or even the deal with Belgian 3rd tier club (apparently an enabling club for non EU nationals) so will anything come of this for City

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cookie_brighton says...
9:57am Tue 15 Jan 13

Im reading at newsnow.co.uk that Paul Benson, resisting the call of a permanet move to Bradford, to remain at Fratton Park.
Now the 33 year olds Pompey stay is over, following his return to Swindon.
Di Canio attempts to find a move for the out of favour striker...........pe
rmanently.
I bet he wished he had now accepted citys offer.

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Peter300 says...
10:39am Tue 15 Jan 13

David likes his trips to the States!!! Hopefully a better outcome than the last one.

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tyker2 says...
10:42am Tue 15 Jan 13

just wondering what spending we have done out of the estimated million generated. Did Leeds pay us to off load Gray?

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bcfc1903 says...
2:12pm Tue 15 Jan 13

Would imagine Leeds payed some of Gray's remaining cancelled contract up to him ...and he then simply signed for BCFC...there would have been a signing on fee paid to him and his agent, but besides that...nothing other than his wages and bonuses each month like every other BCFC squad member. Gray will become a valued member of the BCFC squad..class is permanent.

**

We shout with pride...we'll never hide...Claret and Amber!!!!!

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cookie_brighton says...
2:13pm Tue 15 Jan 13

It says on the Crewe Alexander Official Site that there is no inspection planned and the game is set to go ahead, at 7.30 pm as planned.
The pitch was covered overnight.
Sounds like they wanna take our scalp.
Their centre back Mark Ellis is hoping to achieve what Arsenal or Wigan failed to do .....knock us out of a cup competition.
Their manager Steve Davis has already confirmed he is starting a strong eleven.
BRING IT ON
Good luck to the lads tonight.
CTID.

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bcfc1903 says...
2:13pm Tue 15 Jan 13

Payed lol.....old age and all that...i meant PAID.

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bcfc1903 says...
2:16pm Tue 15 Jan 13

Yeah bring it on....our reserves will give them big trouble, it'll go to penalties...that should shut them up!!!!!!

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RuggerTyke says...
3:02pm Tue 15 Jan 13

Get Adil Nabi from WBA on loan - will tap in to the sizable Asian community, summat Mark Lawn is keen on.

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bcfc1903 says...
3:31pm Tue 15 Jan 13

We can't compete with your owner on that score...i'd say Asian support doesn't excist...it's more fair weather support. There are sizable Asian populations in many cities in England including Leeds, Leicester, Bradford, Manchester, Birmingham and London....no football club in those cities have sizable Asian support...i can't see that changing nor can i see Bradford Bulls tapping into that supposed support as it simply doesn't excist. Hope it works out for Omar at Odsal but if the music concert is anything to go by...second rate artists wont surfice.

**

We shout with pride....we'll never hide...Claret and Amber!!!!!

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