Bradford Fans.....

[stupers]

For such a 'big' club and a 'sleeping giant' (Not saying we're either by the way) their followings at Vale in recent years have been pretty shocking for a club that has 10,000 season ticket holders. This is what happens when you virtually give your season tickets away each year. You get a load of semi-football fans turn up who enjoy the afternoon out but don't get emotionally involved that much. That's why they only have about 50 fans who create any atmosphere and get about 5% of their 'fanbase' to go to an away game. Valley Parade / Coral Windows Stadium / Pulse Arena has has an awful atmosphere and is a terrible place for banter/singing with any home fans.

 

Just imagine if their fans had to pay a regular price for a season ticket instead of £150-200. I think we'd see how big a 'sleeping giant' the club was then.

[Andy Proctor]

I remember Bradford once bringing in the region of 3,000 to Vale Park on a Friday night during the late 1990s.

 

This was the season when they got promoted to the Premier League and we had not long sold Lee Mills to them for £1 million.

 

1-1 draw in what was a very entertaining game. Good old Division One days.

 

I reckon they will bring in the region of 1,500 on Saturday. Looks like we're on for a healthy 8,000+ gate on Saturday.

 

Im not sure we will get over 8000 on saturday wether bradford bring 1500- 2000 or not. We had 6800 home fans for our first league home match and since then we have lost 2 games so I only expect around 5000-5500 home fans then what ever support bradford bring.

[soothsayer]

Im not sure we will get over 8000 on saturday wether bradford bring 1500- 2000 or not. We had 6800 home fans for our first league home match and since then we have lost 2 games so I only expect around 5000-5500 home fans then what ever support bradford bring.

 

We've got 4650 ST's & there will be at least 1500 walk ups so there'll be 6000 home fans minimum.

[queenybantam07]

For such a 'big' club and a 'sleeping giant' (Not saying we're either by the way) their followings at Vale in recent years have been pretty shocking for a club that has 10,000 season ticket holders. This is what happens when you virtually give your season tickets away each year. You get a load of semi-football fans turn up who enjoy the afternoon out but don't get emotionally involved that much. That's why they only have about 50 fans who create any atmosphere and get about 5% of their 'fanbase' to go to an away game. Valley Parade / Coral Windows Stadium / Pulse Arena has has an awful atmosphere and is a terrible place for banter/singing with any home fans.

 

Just imagine if their fans had to pay a regular price for a season ticket instead of £150-200. I think we'd see how big a 'sleeping giant' the club was then.

 

Tbf, followings fluctuate solely on results. Although our followings to VP have been relatively poor, it isn't helped by dire season after dire season. We finally stopped the rot last season - and did it in style - and we seem to be heading in the right direction.

 

Our ST's are cheap and AFFORDABLE. It works for us, whereas some clubs it doesn't. But the pinochle issue is, you need a relatively decent sized fanbase for such incentive. We seem to get a lot of sour-graped statements thrown our way because of our 'cheap' £200 ST's. But not many clubs would sell 13,000 at £200 like we do. In regards to 'sleeping-giant'....who said that? Mind-you, we haven't averaged less than 8,300 for 18 seasons, and that coincides with our worst performance/result-based decade in the clubs history.

 

There's a buzz around the place atm, and that works wonders for noise-levels. The atmosphere at Valley Parade has been fantastic since the turn of the year. Ask Rotherham & Burton fans etc if Valley Parade is a soulless stadia these days.

 

The video below sorta epitomises the feel-good factor at the moment.

 

Carlisle at the weekend -

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjj9y3Vmb3o

[werstayinup]

we'll beat bradford on saturday, they're on a roll and will think we're easy meat, whats the betting ???????????

 

I wish I was that confident,i am concerned with Wells,Hanson and Yeates all very good on their day.

[grebovale]

Tbf, followings fluctuate solely on results. Although our followings to VP have been relatively poor, it isn't helped by dire season after dire season. We finally stopped the rot last season - and did it in style - and we seem to be heading in the right direction.

 

Our ST's are cheap and AFFORDABLE. It works for us, whereas some clubs it doesn't. But the pinochle issue is, you need a relatively decent sized fanbase for such incentive. We seem to get a lot of sour-graped statements thrown our way because of our 'cheap' £200 ST's. But not many clubs would sell 13,000 at £200 like we do. In regards to 'sleeping-giant'....who said that? Mind-you, we haven't averaged less than 8,300 for 18 seasons, and that coincides with our worst performance/result-based decade in the clubs history.

 

There's a buzz around the place atm, and that works wonders for noise-levels. The atmosphere at Valley Parade has been fantastic since the turn of the year. Ask Rotherham & Burton fans etc if Valley Parade is a soulless stadia these days.

 

The video below sorta epitomises the feel-good factor at the moment.

 

Carlisle at the weekend -

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjj9y3Vmb3o

 

I bet it ain't as loud as our GLAD ALL OVER when WE score :)

[grebovale]

http://youtu.be/lC8NrpHoANo. Not bad me thinks :)

[Mcphee4Scotland]

Tbf, followings fluctuate solely on results. Although our followings to VP have been relatively poor, it isn't helped by dire season after dire season. We finally stopped the rot last season - and did it in style - and we seem to be heading in the right direction.

 

Our ST's are cheap and AFFORDABLE. It works for us, whereas some clubs it doesn't. But the pinochle issue is, you need a relatively decent sized fanbase for such incentive. We seem to get a lot of sour-graped statements thrown our way because of our 'cheap' £200 ST's. But not many clubs would sell 13,000 at £200 like we do. In regards to 'sleeping-giant'....who said that? Mind-you, we haven't averaged less than 8,300 for 18 seasons, and that coincides with our worst performance/result-based decade in the clubs history.

 

There's a buzz around the place atm, and that works wonders for noise-levels. The atmosphere at Valley Parade has been fantastic since the turn of the year. Ask Rotherham & Burton fans etc if Valley Parade is a soulless stadia these days.

 

The video below sorta epitomises the feel-good factor at the moment.

 

Carlisle at the weekend -

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjj9y3Vmb3o

 

Dear Queeny,

 

The problem is that on some match-days at Valley Parade in recent seasons; many fans of other clubs have commented that there is no way there was no way that there was 12-13,000 fans in your ground, more like 7-8,000.

 

It seems like your board simply count the number of season ticket holders you have and add them to the attendance for your home games, even if many of them never turned up to the games; which is fooling to say the least.

 

During out worst season in League Two culminating in our worst League finish in over 20 years; we had a special-priced cheap season ticket campaign on (target 5,000); and sold in the region of 6,500 season tickets. But our average attendance for the whole season was less than that figure for the course of the season even including the away support because many of our fans 'lost the will to live'.

 

What I will say is that Vale's away support was officially the best and highest in League 2 last season, and if you check; the figures and statistics will back up my comments.:D We must be one of the best supported teams on the road in proportion to our home attendances.

 

Even in the 2009/10 season when we didn't even reach the play-offs; we still had the best/highest support in League 2. Night match or not; for Bradford who claim to be a big club, and only bring 250 fans like they did last season for an 80 mile journey is poor to say the least.

[blacksheep]

Dear Queeny,

 

The problem is that on some match-days at Valley Parade in recent seasons; many fans of other clubs have commented that there is no way there was no way that there was 12-13,000 fans in your ground, more like 7-8,000.

 

It seems like your board simply count the number of season ticket holders you have and add them to the attendance for your home games, even if many of them never turned up to the games; which is fooling to say the least.

 

During out worst season in League Two culminating in our worst League finish in over 20 years; we had a special-priced cheap season ticket campaign on (target 5,000); and sold in the region of 6,500 season tickets. But our average attendance for the whole season was less than that figure for the course of the season even including the away support because many of our fans 'lost the will to live'.

 

What I will say is that Vale's away support was officially the best and highest in League 2 last season, and if you check; the figures and statistics will back up my comments.:D We must be one of the best supported teams on the road in proportion to our home attendances.

 

Even in the 2009/10 season when we didn't even reach the play-offs; we still had the best/highest support in League 2. Night match or not; for Bradford who claim to be a big club, and only bring 250 fans like they did last season for an 80 mile journey is poor to say the least.

 

It's football league regulations that the official match attendance is not the amount of people who walk through the turnstiles, it's the number of tickets sold for a game (which includes Season Tickets). Every football club in the land counts season ticket holders whether they go to the game or not. And as 95% of our home support are season ticket holders, they're included in the attendance even if the crowd is a lot lower than that. This would not be so apparent with a club like Leeds, for instance, who have 14k season ticket holders but had 33,000 at their last game.

 

And as for the comment which said only 50 fans generate any atmosphere, the place is very different these days. The atmosphere on Saturday was the best I've heard it for a league game for over 10 years.

 

And with the exception of a small minority of young kids trying to get a rise out of people, the only fans that talk about Bradford City as a so called "sleeping giant" and this "big club mentality" are generally fans from other teams. And it's actually really boring now.

 

Not sure what it is about Port Vale away as a fixture. I've never been in the 22 years as a Bradford City fan. In fact one season in the mid/late 90s I actually bought a ticket, paid for coach travel and still decided to sack it off. I know others feel the same. It's like your close but your not. It's like it should be a good game with a decent crowd but it never is. I'll give it a miss.

[queenybantam07]

Dear Queeny,

 

The problem is that on some match-days at Valley Parade in recent seasons; many fans of other clubs have commented that there is no way there was no way that there was 12-13,000 fans in your ground, more like 7-8,000.

 

It seems like your board simply count the number of season ticket holders you have and add them to the attendance for your home games, even if many of them never turned up to the games; which is fooling to say the least.

 

During out worst season in League Two culminating in our worst League finish in over 20 years; we had a special-priced cheap season ticket campaign on (target 5,000); and sold in the region of 6,500 season tickets. But our average attendance for the whole season was less than that figure for the course of the season even including the away support because many of our fans 'lost the will to live'.

 

What I will say is that Vale's away support was officially the best and highest in League 2 last season, and if you check; the figures and statistics will back up my comments.:D We must be one of the best supported teams on the road in proportion to our home attendances.

 

Even in the 2009/10 season when we didn't even reach the play-offs; we still had the best/highest support in League 2. Night match or not; for Bradford who claim to be a big club, and only bring 250 fans like they did last season for an 80 mile journey is poor to say the least.

 

Wow, this has been talked to death. We used to include ST's into the official attendance from 2007 to 2012. But to suggest the attendance was actually 3,000+ lower than the official figure is laughable. Our stands are quite vast compared to a lot in L2. Take just our lower tier of the main stand - than holds just under 5,000. Although it was never full, it was relatively populated. So if our 'actual' attendances were nearer 7,000-8,000, that would mean we had roughly 4,000 fans spread out in the other three stands (plus the upper tier of the main stand - including away fans), is crazy.

 

Your away average was something like 20 higher than ours. Take into account your last two away days accommodated you circa 3,000 fans, that might be why. We also had two cup finals to attend last season too don't forget, and you only pipped us to first place in the average rankings on the final day - whilst we occupied it all season. Without our cup shenanigans, we would've probably dwarfed your average (don't take offence to that). As the last time we had a decent in season in L2 was in 2009 when we finished 9th - we averaged 1,100+.

 

Of course it matters if its a night match. It doubly matters when we NEVER seem to play you on a weekend. So, it's no surprise to why our followings at VP have been consistently bad. Those who actually want to go, can't.

 

At least we don't proclaim to bring over 1,200, have you accommodate more blocks and then bring 650....on a Saturday.

[Trentham Lakes Valiant]

I like Undercliffe Cemetary

[stupers]

Tbf, followings fluctuate solely on results. Although our followings to VP have been relatively poor, it isn't helped by dire season after dire season. We finally stopped the rot last season - and did it in style - and we seem to be heading in the right direction.

 

Our ST's are cheap and AFFORDABLE. It works for us, whereas some clubs it doesn't. But the pinochle issue is, you need a relatively decent sized fanbase for such incentive. We seem to get a lot of sour-graped statements thrown our way because of our 'cheap' £200 ST's. But not many clubs would sell 13,000 at £200 like we do. In regards to 'sleeping-giant'....who said that? Mind-you, we haven't averaged less than 8,300 for 18 seasons, and that coincides with our worst performance/result-based decade in the clubs history.

 

There's a buzz around the place atm, and that works wonders for noise-levels. The atmosphere at Valley Parade has been fantastic since the turn of the year. Ask Rotherham & Burton fans etc if Valley Parade is a soulless stadia these days.

 

The video below sorta epitomises the feel-good factor at the moment.

 

Carlisle at the weekend -

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjj9y3Vmb3o

 

The 'sleeping giant' thing was done to death last season during your fantastic cup run I'm afraid by the media and your own fans (who may well have jumped on the bandwagon). By your reaction to me saying that, you are a level-headed fan and see that it's not the case. Having a look at who's in our league this year, I would say you sneak in to the top 6 of big clubs in the league.

 

I've been to your place the last 3 or 4 years. It's been a dead atmosphere, but I'm sure it has improved as you picked up in the 2nd half of the season. I can go on what I've seen when I've been there and when I've watched on the TV. A lot of your fans thought that you were too big for league 2 (so did some of ours) and I'm sure that did nothing to help the atmosphere when you played Accrington or Dagenham. I am also sure the atmosphere at your 1st home game in a higher division was better than it has been in a long time.

 

As for your season ticket prices, I'm sure they do work for you. My point was that if they were stuck back up to a normal price, what would happen then? I don't think there would have been 10,000+ season ticket holders paying £350 a pop. Like you said it works for you, but what if someone else comes in, takes over and realises that your season ticket deals start earlier than most (presumably for cashflow reasons) and sticks the price back up to an average league one level. Suddenly someone has to find £350 for their season ticket when previously they were paying £200. One of my pals is a Blackburn fan, and he's dreading the day they Chicken boys stick the ticket prices up because he think 50% won't bother again. Do you think the same would happen at your place?

 

As for away followings, we had good ones all season, not just the last couple of games. Can you honestly say the same? Were 700 people making the trip to places like Gillingham in January? Or was it the 2,500 you took to places like Cheltenham at the end of last season that tipped you over the edge? We can all look at statistics and make them say what we want. Like blacksheep said, Vale is hardly a glamour game if you're a Bradford and I would say vice versa for Vale fans. We've played each other too much the last 10 years and it was hardly the first team I looked for when the fixtures came out, put it that way.

 

Genuine statements/questions, not trolling or anything like that. Just be interested to see what you think to all that. Respect to Bradford for the cup run and the way you could've kept your heads down after the cup final and finished 15th, but turned it around and got yourselves up.

[queenybantam07]

The 'sleeping giant' thing was done to death last season during your fantastic cup run I'm afraid by the media and your own fans (who may well have jumped on the bandwagon). By your reaction to me saying that, you are a level-headed fan and see that it's not the case. Having a look at who's in our league this year, I would say you sneak in to the top 6 of big clubs in the league.

 

I've been to your place the last 3 or 4 years. It's been a dead atmosphere, but I'm sure it has improved as you picked up in the 2nd half of the season. I can go on what I've seen when I've been there and when I've watched on the TV. A lot of your fans thought that you were too big for league 2 (so did some of ours) and I'm sure that did nothing to help the atmosphere when you played Accrington or Dagenham. I am also sure the atmosphere at your 1st home game in a higher division was better than it has been in a long time.

 

As for your season ticket prices, I'm sure they do work for you. My point was that if they were stuck back up to a normal price, what would happen then? I don't think there would have been 10,000+ season ticket holders paying £350 a pop. Like you said it works for you, but what if someone else comes in, takes over and realises that your season ticket deals start earlier than most (presumably for cashflow reasons) and sticks the price back up to an average league one level. Suddenly someone has to find £350 for their season ticket when previously they were paying £200. One of my pals is a Blackburn fan, and he's dreading the day they Chicken boys stick the ticket prices up because he think 50% won't bother again. Do you think the same would happen at your place?

 

As for away followings, we had good ones all season, not just the last couple of games. Can you honestly say the same? Were 700 people making the trip to places like Gillingham in January? Or was it the 2,500 you took to places like Cheltenham at the end of last season that tipped you over the edge? We can all look at statistics and make them say what we want. Like blacksheep said, Vale is hardly a glamour game if you're a Bradford and I would say vice versa for Vale fans. We've played each other too much the last 10 years and it was hardly the first team I looked for when the fixtures came out, put it that way.

 

Genuine statements/questions, not trolling or anything like that. Just be interested to see what you think to all that. Respect to Bradford for the cup run and the way you could've kept your heads down after the cup final and finished 15th, but turned it around and got yourselves up.

 

It has been mentioned a lot, and in some ways I can see why. I think the potential of the club is a big factor. With Bradford being a decent-sized city, and we were playing in Europe only in 2002, you cannot begrudge those who do see us as sleeping-giants. It is played down (believe it or not) by more than most at BCFC, but you do get the feeling it's only a matter of when not if, when we return to at least championship level.

 

TBH, l2 is difficult at the best of time, but it's made a great deal harder when teams come to Valley Parade and sit 5-6 in midfield. Every Pre-match interview from thee' opposing team would read the same pretty much every week. 'Got to keep the crowd quiet' etc. when on form, VP is one of the most atmospheric grounds in the country. A lot of today's generation fans won't have sampled it, due to our 12 year downward spiral.

 

In regards to your away followings, I weren't suggesting you just had two good ones at the end last season, I was insinuating that the allocations meant you just pipped our average at the end. I was well aware you traveled well last season. Ours were 2,400 at Chesterfield and only 1,400 at Cheltenham - obviously both sell-outs.

 

Moving on. It should be a great game this weekend, and I can see it being a tight-affair - probably only one goal in it.

 

After the start we've had, I'm quietly confident. Understandably.

[Vital Spark]

All this bickering about size of away support is getting tedious. Yes, we had a good away following last year mainly due to challenging for promotion, but this year will be a different story.

[jk77]

2000 fans my ar se..