JOHN Dewhirst has been a regular Bradford City supporter since the early 1970s and co-founded the City Gent fanzine in 1984.

He edited it for two years and has a particular interest in the history of the club, having authored four books, collaborated on a further three and been involved in the production of four more.

Dewhirst is currently penning his latest book on the history of the City and Avenue rivalry.

He is a self-employed accountant undertaking diligence and financial management support of under-performing businesses on behalf of banks and investors...

“Ironically just as the history of Bradford football has been defined by failure, I have spent the vast majority of my career working with failed companies,” he said.

“Maybe it is inevitable that I have been interested in understanding why the Bradford football clubs have been so unsuccessful in the past 100 years.”

Here he gives his own personal view on the situation at Valley Parade – and how the change of head coach is not enough without a change of attitude from those who employ him.

“I have supported City long enough to have been familiar with numerous managerial changes, the latest of which came this week with the sacking of Michael Collins only 77 days after his appointment.

“It was the right decision because Collins was evidently out of his depth but it was cruel nonetheless.

“Cruel for a young man to suffer the public humiliation of utter failure and dismissal early in his career and equally cruel that those in charge at the club had allowed such an individual to have been exposed in that way in the first place.

“Cruel that Edin Rahic had not previously stood alongside his man to offer public support. Inevitably there has been the suggestion that Collins was hung out to dry, a sacrificial lamb.

“I was equally disappointed by the sacking of Stuart McCall and the manner in which he was treated. Stuart is a good guy who in my opinion deserved better.

“The general consensus is that other individuals at Valley Parade have been badly treated and there have been unconvincing explanations for why some are no longer with us.

“I am not in denial that football is a cut throat environment but I had expected different at Valley Parade when it came down to the basics.

“Today we welcome another new head coach to the club when David Hopkin takes the reins against Blackpool. But I’d feel more comfortable in welcoming him if I could be confident that he will be treated the same as any other football manager at any other club in this country.

“Amidst all the change at Valley Parade the big question is whether Edin Rahic can change and whether he really can demonstrate that lessons have been learned.

“For a start I would hope that the tactics and team selection will be left to the new man and that the chairman can resist his urge to interfere which has patently been counter-productive.

“I am not alone in having concerns about how the club is being run and dismayed that, like myself, so many supporters feel disengaged and disappointed. Valley Parade no longer feels like a happy place.

“I originally welcomed the acquisition of the club by Stefan Rupp and Edin Rahic and like most supporters believed that they would enable the club to progress through targeted investment, professional management and financial stability.

“They appeared to offer a sensible, ambitious vision that was unlikely to risk the future of the club. Equally important they also signalled that they attached importance to the values of the club and its heritage.

“Historically when there has been a crisis at Valley Parade, the supporters have rallied round and helped the club to bounce back.

“City supporters are no strangers to adversity and guarded in their expectations which makes them well qualified to stand by the club in its current situation.

“Yet what marks the mood of the moment is the extent of disconnect between supporters and the club, all the more remarkable for the close bond that existed only 12 months ago.

“The chairman has talked about his strategy of introducing a German model to Valley Parade yet this remains ill-defined. It’s clear that morale at the club has been poor.

“Maybe it’s something as simple as the human factor because unhappy, miserable people are hardly likely to perform to the best of their ability.

“All of this raises major questions about the leadership of Bradford City AFC.

“The sacking of any manager is a failure, particularly given that the appointment of Michael Collins had been trumpeted so positively just a few months ago.

“The episode has been a failure of leadership and if confidence and self-respect is going to be restored, the chairman needs to start asking a few questions of himself.”