www.boyfrombrazil.co.uk players of the season

1. Stuart McCall

   The emotional vote? Not a chance. At times Stuart McCall was made to look like a guy pushing 38, but those were notable incidents because they stood out in what was another quality season for the Bantams inspiration. Never gave up unlike so many around him. Never gave less than everything he could.

   People will say that City were took good to think about relegation but in truth there were times when you could not see City winning again in the season. Stuart McCall, his attitude and his spirit, made sure we did.

   Stuart McCall’s final gift to Bradford City was making sure that we did not get another relegation.

2. Mark Bower

   What of this season had Mark Bower not turned up with just over half a dozen games to go and provided solidity where previously there was none? Bower did what Molenaar, Myers or Tod could not do and sured up a back line with David Wetherall earning himself a new three year deal in the process.

   Without Mark Bower, Bradford City might have been a second division club now and working on the notion that the player of the season is based on who has made the greatest contribution to the Bantam cause, that ranks him pretty high on my list.

3. David Wetherall

   It’s a pretty simple equation really. If David Wetherall is in the City team, we do well. He played every game when we stayed up. We were doing well in this division with him and pulled away from the drop when he returned from injury. Next season’s captain for sure.

4. Benito Carbone

   At one point he refused to play and he twice left City on loan to other clubs determined not to come back but when he did play, he was stunning.

5. Alan Combe

   Curious things keepers. Alan Combe ended the season at City making world class saves and in the Scotland squad despite technically being the third choice at Dundee United. Crucial saves did as much to keep City from getting sucked into relegation.

6. Matthew Etherington

   How impressive is the Spurs winger who spent a couple of months at Valley Parade? Natural width on the left, good crosser, direct. Needs a little shine on his game, his crossing will improve with regular play, but once he starts playing week in week out we could have the answer to the left side problems for Sven Goran.

   Needs to leave Spurs for first team football next season.

7. Andy Myers

   There is a school of thought that says the reason why Andy Myers has a good season was not that he had got better, but that City had got worse and he had found his level. Perhaps that is half true, perhaps not. Nevertheless Andy provided the only line of defence at times this season and deserves a nod.

8. Ashley Ward

   Watching Ashley Ward is like dental surgery. Many City fans really do not like the man but the reality of the situation was that when he played City did better than when he was absent. His persistent fouling of opposing centrebacks is so very annoying as is the idea that he gets £18,000 a week to do it, but he does get goals.

Finest victories

1. The 5-1 whitewash of Gillingham at Valley Parade
2. The Barnsley 4-0 on the opening day.
3. Tanking Norwich 4-1 when they could have gone top
4. Beating Coventry at VP 2-1

Worst moments

1. Losing 4-0 at Coventry and the manager cannot be bothered turning up for work tomorrow.
2. Stockport County doing the double over us.
3. Burnley’s late winner at VP as the division suddenly got hard.
4. Aidan Davison at Crewe
5. Sean Dyche’s lob as Millwall snatch a late win at Valley Parade.

Best goals

1. Jamie Lawrence’s 30 yard lob over the Gillingham keeper.
2. Benito Carbone’s back, and he is bending free kicks top corner against Grimsby.
3. Robbie Blake’s 30 yarder at Preston.
4. Robbie Blake’s ball juggling in the Grimsby box after a cross from debut boy Lewis Emanuel.
5. Benito Carbone overhead kicks City to a 4-0 first day win over Barnsley.
6. Lee Sharpe curls a penalty top corner against Portsmouth.

Five biggest disappointments

1. Stuart McCall leaving the club.
2. Jim Jefferies giving up. When the going got tough, Jim got going.
3. Danny Forrest never getting a chance when he was in real form. Liverpool gave Michael Owen a chance and a year later he was at the World Cup. Is Forrest a patch on Owen? Only one way to find out.
4. Stan Collymore’s application for the City job being ignored.
5. ITV Digital. No one really thought it would be good, but no one guess just how bad it would be.

Hope springs eternal. Players to look forward to next season

1. Tom Kearney because Paul Gascoigne says he is good
2. Claus Jorgensen because he looks like a young Paul Gascoigne
3. Mark Bower because he looks like he is going to be good
4. Danny Cadamarteri because he is good
5. Michael Standing because everyone at Villa said he was good
6. Danny Forrest because he is still around and is in the reserves at an age when he should be in the juniors and that is good

See you later. Seven would be City heroes who left City this year

1. Stuart McCall, the legend
2. Robbie Blake, scored the goal that gave us promotion
3. Gareth Whalley, should have been our Premiership secret weapon
4. Benito Carbone, exciting Italian from a different era
5. Gunnar Halle, never realised how good he was until he left
6. Lee Sharpe, wasted it
7. Matt Clarke, great keeper, not a great fella