BfB

Speaking to the T&A Mark Lawn has confirmed that Bradford City will continue with the Development Squad following Archie Christie’s departure from the club.

To confirming the club’s intentions to retain the DS Mark Lawn said:

We’d like to thank Archie for all the good work he has done with bringing players in and putting the development squad in place. That will still continue.

BfB understands that Peter Horne will take control of the Development Squad.

Mark Lawn has stated in the T&A that Archie Christie has left Bradford City.

More on this later no doubt but my impression is that the club is in a massively worse position as a result of this.

Leon Osborne has left Bradford City but mutual consent after the player failed to make an impact under his fourth manager at Valley Parade.

Signed by Stuart McCall, cherished by Peter Taylor and cast aside by Peter Jackson Osborne’s time at City is tracked by the managers who were in charge of him and if – for want of a better phrase – they fancied having him in the side.

Which is not to say that for players of Osborne’s age – he is 21 – the only people involved in his development are the first team managers but rather than until recently there has been no stable system in place to support players who fall between first team and youth levels.

Taylor saw something in Osborne which other did not and gave the player a number of starts to prove himself. If – with a run of games – Osborne might have settled in and become a better player we will not know but we do know that the chopping and changing around Leon Osborne has not produced a player for Bradford City.

Both defender Steve Williams and keeper Jon McLaughlin played in Bradford City reserves’ 2-1 win over Gateshead.

The Heed – who are second the the Conference and hoping for promotion to the League this season – scored though former favourite (of mine) Kyle Nix but the Bantams pair of Naille Rodney and Adam Baker gave City the win.

The Bantams gave a first start to midfielder Scott Brown along with new recruit Marcel Seip who played centre back with Andrew Burns at right back.

The win is City Reserves’ third victory of the season in three games having already gone to Rotherham and hosted Hartlepool coming out on top.

Bradford City have been drawn away at Sheffield Unitied in the Associate Members cup giving the Bantams their thrid League One opposition in the competition following Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday.

The game will take place in week start 7th November, 2011. Phil Parkinson has talked about playing Scott Brown in the game.

29 year old Dutch defender Marcus Seip has joined Bradford City on a three month contract following a successful trial. The Dutchman is touted as a right back who can play central defence but it is believed that City are looking at the player for his central defensive position and not his play at full back.

Seip joins on a free transfer having left Plymouth in the summer with Phil Parkinson excited to have the new recruit available for tomorrow’s game with Torquay United.

Marcel is another quality player. The more quality players you can get in the building the better. Phil Parkinson

Torquay’s arrival at Valley Parade reminds one of Guy Branston – signed from the South Coast club following a superb display last season – and poises questions about his future. With Andrew Davies and Luke Oliver the regular pair until Steve Williams gets back to fitness – and Davies to return to Stoke at some point – it seems that Branston is increasingly being moved away from the first team.

Meanwhile Luke Dean has joined Harrogate Town on a month’s loan deal.

Adam Robinson, Dean Overson and Darren Stephenson are to go out on loan to get first team experience with Robinson joining Blyth Spartans, Stephenson joining Woodley Sports and Overson joining Vauxhall Motors.

Central defender Robinson and striker Stephenson were moved into the Development Squad in the summer with Stephenson having made his first team debut last season and Robinson made the bench. Overson was brought into the Development Squad in the summer.

Both players join their clubs for a month loan taking with them a development plan which details what City want the player to achieve during his loan deal.

Robinson is expected to feature in Blyth’s home game with Worcester City on Saturday. Overson has a trip to Histon and Stephenson will face Cammell Laird in his debut.

Meanwhile Archie Christie confirmed that the club have turned down almost a dozen approaches for Andrew Burns to is considered back up for Liam Moore at right back and thus unavailable for loan. Having seen Burns in training – and heard stories of “The Baby Face Assassin” – I’m looking forward to seeing him play.

Sunderland midfielder Adam Reed has joined the Bantams on a one month youth loan deal and goes straight into the squad for Saturday’s game with Burton Albion.

Reed, 20, has previous been on loan at Brentford where he caught Phil Parkinsons’ eye with the City manager saying

I thought he did well at Brentford and I liked the hunger and desire that he showed there.

Reed can play central midfield or on the right hand side. 18 year old right flank midfielder Dominic Rowe has joined Barrow on a month’s loan.

26 year old Stoke City defender Andrew Davies has joined Bradford City on loan for three months as the club look to address the defensive problems which have seen goals shipped.

Davies, one time of Middlesborough and Southampton, is six foot three and has experience at England u21 level. His first team chance have been limited at Stoke but as a senior professional his dropping down some four divisions to join City represents something of a coup for the club.

His arrival is expected to bring about a resuffle in the Bantam’s backline with one of skipper Guy Branston or Luke Oliver stepping down for the AFC Wimbledon game and the other perhaps following when Steve Williams regains match fitness having returned to training yesterday.

Davies is expected to make his debut tomorrow.

Former Mansfield and Rochdale manager Steve Parkin has joined Bradford City as Phil Parkinson’s number two replacing Colin Cooper.

Parkin has managed Mansfield Town, Rochdale, Barnsley and been first team coach under Parkinson at Hull City having had a playing career with Stoke and West Brom as well as the Stags.

The forty-five year old leaves Scunthorpe United to join the Bantams.

Bradford City suffered a second defeat in a week going down 3-1 at Crawley Town after taking a first half lead though Kyel Ried. Two second half goals from Tyrone Barnett and one from Andy Drury ends a spell of defeats for the home side and leaves City 22nd with the visit from AFC Wimbledon next week.

Our able BfB match reporter spent the game on the hard shoulder of some motorway and so – unless you, dear reader, step into the gap – we shall present:

• bradfordcityfc.co.uk – Crawley Town 3 Bradford City 1
• BBC Sport – Crawley Town 3 Bradford City 1
• Yorkshire Post – Bantams suffer at Crawley

Signing for Bradford City today Craig Fagan joins up with Bantams boss Phil Parkinson for the third time looking to restart a career which has been lashed down by injury.

Fagan joins the Bantams having not played much in the last year of his contract with Hull City although he did play for the Tigers in the Premier League scoring for them in the infamous half time on pitch team talk game. He had previously played under Parkinson at Colchester United.

Able to play up front or as a winger Fagan goes into the squad for City’s trip to Crawley at the weekend.