Two minute guide to: Bradford (A)
It’s Rob Page’s first away game as Port Vale manager and we take a brief look at opponents Bradford City.
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page (interim)
Last match: 2-1 vs Barnsley
Form guide: W-L-L-L-L
Bradford City
Manager: Phil Parkinson
Last match: 0-2 vs Milton Keynes
Form guide: L-D-W-L-L
Team news
Louis Dodds: gets another start?
It’s a matter of debate whether Rob Page will stick with the side that managed to defeat Barnsley or will opt for a more defensively-minded eleven for a series of away matches. We reckon it’s likely that Page will stick with the same starting eleven which means Louis Dodds keeping his place. Gary Liddle will continue to fill in at right-back for the home side.
Neal
Yates – Duffy – McGivern – Dickinson (c)
Dodds – Lines – O’Connor – Marshall
Pope – Slew
Pre-match quote
“Maybe some people wrote us off before Saturday, but we showed we can compete. We know what we are capable of, we showed that when we won at Doncaster as well…”
– Tom Pope
Last time we met
Doug Loft: last Vale scorer against Bradford
The Valiants were defeated 1-0 at Valley Parade thanks to a 90th minute Carl McHugh goal. In the home fixtures, goals from Lee Hughes and captain Doug Loft earned Vale a 2-1 win.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 32
- Bradford wins: 42
- Draws: 27
Trivia
Tom Pope: scored in 2012
Valley Parade is something of a happy hunting ground for the Valiants. The Vale have lost just one of their last seven visits to the stadium.
Vale’s last win at Bradford came in 2012 when a solitary Tom Pope goal earned Vale a 1-0 win.
Should he start, the game will mark the 250th league start of Chris Lines’ professional career.
They played for both…
Knott: set to face the Valiants
Vale will face former loanee Billy Knott, who turned down a move to the Valiants in favour of one to Bradford.
There have been a number of other players to appear for both sides including:
- Striker Billy Paynter (right)
- Midfielder Marc Bridge-Wilkinson
- Striker Lee Mills
- Defender Rob Kozluk
- Striker Dave Hibbert
- Striker Bernie Wright
- Goalkeeper Chris Pearce
- Winger Peter Griffiths
First meeting – a thumping win
Port Vale’s first league meeting with Bradford City took place on the 10th October 1903. A Second Division clash, it was played in front of around 3,000 people at the Athletic Ground stadium and ended in a resounding 5-2 win for the Valiants.
Vale, managed by Sam Gleaves (right) scored through half-back Harry Coxton (who scored twice), Tom Simpson, Adrian Capes and an own-goal.
However, there were mitigating circumstances for Bradford. It was their first season in the Football League and it had been elected into the competition without playing a competitive game before the season began. The game was their sixth of the season and the club rallied to finish in mid-table while Vale languished in sixth from bottom.