Parkinson: Bradford City fans can help us give Hereford a pounding (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Parkinson: Bradford City fans can help us give Hereford a pounding
7:30am Thursday 23rd February 2012 in Sport By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson wants a huge crowd against Hereford to make Valley Parade an uncomfortable place for the visiting players
Phil Parkinson is calling on the biggest home crowd of the season to make Valley Parade horrid for Hereford.
Parkinson has welcomed the £1 ticket offer to swell Saturday’s gate against one of their rivals in the battle for survival.
City got over 15,000 supporters for the Stockport game a year ago when they last slashed prices. And while they may struggle to reach that figure again, the current season’s best of 11,738 against Torquay in October should be beaten.
Hereford’s biggest audience this term was 7,456 at Swindon and Parkinson believes the extra numbers can have an impact.
He said: “We keep saying it’s about making Valley Parade an uncomfortable place for the visiting team and the crowd can play their part in that. This ticket idea is great and what we want to bring more supporters into the ground.
“We’ve had a good result down at Torquay and now there’s a big week coming up, starting with an important game against Hereford.
“It’s one we are relishing and when the ground gets a good atmosphere in there, it can make a difference. When the crowd are off their seats behind us, that can really lift the players.”
City have lost five times at Valley Parade but are unbeaten in seven since Rotherham’s 3-2 win three months ago. Parkinson insists they must keep working to make home advantage count.
“Performances at home have been better, although last Tuesday wasn’t the best spectacle in the world.
“But we’ve set out to make our stadium a hard place to come and play.
“In recent times, too many teams have relished playing on our patch. You hear opposition players saying that they raise their game because of the size of the place.
“Well let’s turn that round. We can only do that with the manner of our performances and make it difficult for them.”
Fans have until midday on Saturday to buy tickets from the ground. After that, normal £20 admission prices will apply.
Joint-chairman Julian Rhodes does not believe City will be making too much of a loss.
He said: “Let’s be honest, we wouldn’t be expecting a huge crowd if we weren’t doing this. Ninety per cent of the people here would have been season-ticket holders, so the money coming in wouldn’t be great anyway.
“Season-ticket holders know we do offers like this once or twice a season. But I think if you ask any of them about last season, they would probably identify that Stockport game as the most exciting they came to because of the atmosphere.
“And for what the season-tickets cost, compared to this they are still a bargain.”
Comments(11)
Freddy
says...
8:40am Thu 23 Feb 12
Quote » | Report this post » total90 says...
10:39am Tue 21 Feb 12
Will all the posters who contribute their views and those who read them, listen to the Chairman, Manager and Players! They are crying out for us the supporters to believe in ourselves. To truely believe, firstly in ourselves, as Bradford people, and secondly believe that our vocal contribution for 90 mins. of positive support, can really make a massive difference!. The difference between victory, 3 points and a well earned point,or even if we lose, with it's doom and gloom. It is down to those who can remember the great atmospheres, when we were in the top flight, to show the younger generation what can be achieved at VP. Massive respect to the younger generation of City fans by the way, for sticking with us, you've had little to cheer. I plead to the 1 pounders, don't sit and rubbish the team that the rest of us have been totally supporting, win or if we loose, home or away. For your 1 pound the least you can give back is 90 mins. of true support, when we're winning, an even louder when we're not!. Throats raw, hands sore, points earned!”
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I TOTALLY endorse TOTAL 90's previous comment( ABOVE); when the £1 offer was announced. It is up to the, hopefully, very large crowd , to be that extra man on the pitch.
To boost the Players confidence--even when they make an error-Support-Suppor
t-and encourage again. That way we WILL get the result we ALL want.
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bettyswollocks
says...
9:02am Thu 23 Feb 12
TBS
says...
10:24am Thu 23 Feb 12
Meat Pie
says...
10:45am Thu 23 Feb 12
Giving the Port Vale keeper nothing to do for 94 minutes is not going to a) bring the crowds in and b) get people on their feet cheering.
If big crowds were the answer then surely we would have been promoted years ago? It is what happens on the pitch that matters and from that, everything else flows.
To expect people who have largely watched rubbish and continual decline for 12 years to jump up and down is not being realistic.
The team need to give the crowd something to cheer about and something to want to come back and see again.
audal
says...
10:47am Thu 23 Feb 12
Rambo
says...
11:33am Thu 23 Feb 12
audal wrote:Going a bit off topic here but regarding the cartering - I bought a large packet of crisps from the kiosk in the Bantams Bar against Port Vale. £1 it cost (yeah I know thats pricey, but at the time I wasn't bothered).
On the subject of finances(again) may i ask when does the catering franchise cease, will the club make it in-house or go out on tender again? sorry for being ignorant regarding this side of the clubs financial affairs as i do not use these facilities.
What did bother me though was that a guy behind the bar took for it and I paid him, but there were 2 girls working alongside him who upon hearing about how much the packet of crisps cost started laughing about it, couldn't believe how much of a rip off it was etc.
Now its probably much ado about nothing. But my other half runs her own coffee house and if she heard her staff taking the mick out of their own prices like they did in front of customers they'd be disciplined. And to be honest, it does reflect badly on the caterers and the club, especially when the caterers are not exactly in everyones good books at the moment.
BD16
says...
12:24pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Meat Pie wrote:In defence of the team, Port Vale game with a spoiling game plan that involved rugby league style tactics. Their keeper did make 1 really good save from Hanson as well, if I remember correctly.
The team will have to deliver far better than the previous home game against Port Vale. I have never been as bored at a football match as I was at that match and it is one of the few times I have actually wished I hadn't bothered going to the game.....and I have watched some poor games across the years. Giving the Port Vale keeper nothing to do for 94 minutes is not going to a) bring the crowds in and b) get people on their feet cheering. If big crowds were the answer then surely we would have been promoted years ago? It is what happens on the pitch that matters and from that, everything else flows. To expect people who have largely watched rubbish and continual decline for 12 years to jump up and down is not being realistic. The team need to give the crowd something to cheer about and something to want to come back and see again.
What we need is a large crowd and an early home goal to force the opposition to come out and play a bit of football.
total90
says...
12:55pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Meat Pie
says...
1:35pm Thu 23 Feb 12
total90 wrote:The question does not disappear up it's own backside -that statement is perhaps reflective of your failure to make a sensible and logical case.
Aftornoon Meat Pie. The question of does good football create a good atmosphere or good atmosphere create good football, disappears up it's own backside, a bit like Sean from Richmond. Mp, I think you must watch too much Premiere and european football! If you are waiting to be entertained before you take your hands from under your backside, you'll be waiting for a long time. This is the forth/second division, a lot of endevour, little consistancy and a few sparks of entertainment. Be proactive Mp and make it happen! Who knows you might just enjoy the experience.
Good football will bring a good atmosphere (why wouldn't it?) but that doesn't necessaily work in reverse - as I said, if that was the case we wouldn't be getting big crowds and have a poor team to watch.
Being in the 4th Divison doesn't mean we can't be entertaining (thank you, by the way, for pointing out for me which league we're in) as lots of teams have come to VP and played some good stuff.
Largely, (and I'm sorry to say) that cannot be said of our team.
I agree that the crowd need to get behind the team but I am tired of hearing this same old line from the club - give us something to shout about.
total90
says...
4:33pm Thu 23 Feb 12
you watch actors and reward them with applause, you don't expect that applause to make a difference to the performance! Football supporters are different, we go week in and week out because of loyalty to the club, believing that our vocal contribution will improve the quality of performance. The notion of I bought a ticket so I should get entertainment, does not automatically work in football. Mp you can't buy the players, pick the team or even play for the team, but you can give City a hand, be part of a Valley Parade Supporters Fortress. My ambition is to be part of a Premiere quality supporters tribe, who are temporarily in the wrong division. The type of support I am encouraging can only assist City where as your model I fear is a part, and I repeat part, of what might be keeping us is this div.
click2find
Scargutt2 says...
8:30am Thu 23 Feb 12
This season we're actually playing some great football, so hopefully other regular attendees will be encouraging their friends and families to attend safe in the knowledge they will be getting a really good game for just £1.
Hopefully then some of the floating supporters will come to further games this season.