Superfatbantam
02-13-2007, 12:31 PM
All it needs on the official website is that musi from The Incredible Hulk playing in the background!tup:
The Colin Todd era comes to an end
Priestfield Stadium has proved a graveyard for more than just Bradford City.
It also claimed their manager.
It was at Gillingham where Colin Todd lost the fans after a slanging match with away supporters in April last season.
And it was at Gillingham on Saturday where he lost his job after one defeat too many.
Chairman Julian Rhodes made up his mind on the long road back to West Yorkshire. A change at the top had to be made.
The longest reign of any City manager for 20 years came to an end following a meeting with Julian Rhodes around mid-morning on Monday.
It came as a shock to Todd. But in some ways, it will be a relief.
Managing Bradford City for the past three seasons has not been the easiest of jobs.
With no money to spend, he has required the skills of a juggler to mix and match with the host of loan players that have flitted in and out of the club. It was inevitable that he couldn't keep all the balls in the air forever.
History will judge Todd's spell in the "fair to middling" category.
He twice took City to 11th in the table and the league record followed a win one, draw one, lose one pattern during those seasons. Even the goals for and against were tied on 150.
But he was up against a constant backdrop of financial uncertainty.
When Todd stepped up from number two to succeed Bryan Robson in June 2004, there was no guarantee he would even see one match in charge.
He soon became used to the Red Adair style of leadership, trawling an extensive list of contacts built up from years in the game to build a side capable of holding their own.
Todd was one of the lowest paid managers in the division but expectation remained high.
City, tipped to be among the relegation favourites having survived administration, astounded the experts by zooming up to second place. Todd was named manager of the month in October 2004 after five straight wins - the club's best run for 20 years.
It proved too much, too soon and though City remained around the play-off picture over Christmas and New Year, they slipped away in the closing stages. But the stakes had been raised.
Having built from scratch in the summer of 2004, he started again a year later. An impressive opening-day win at Hartlepool suggested big things but once again results remained hit and miss.
Play-off hopes turned to thoughts of beating the drop and Todd found himself targeted by sections of the crowd. An ugly clash with fans on Easter Monday at Gillingham just added to the animosity.
The arrival of Peter Etherington on the commercial side suggested money might be available for the current campaign. Todd and Julian Rhodes both talked of a concerted push for the top six.
But Etherington's cash was pie in the sky and Todd found himself in familiar skid-alley territory.
With less than a fortnight to go before the season kicked off, he was struggling to find a full team.
He begged and borrowed four loan players in the nick of time and was rewarded with a rip-roaring opening to the campaign.
City were picking up points and playing with a swagger and having cruised past Tranmere at the end of September to go fourth, there was a genuine sense of optimism.
The bubble burst a week later with a home defeat to arch-rivals Huddersfield. More poor results followed and suddenly the gloss had disappeared.
City went through October and November without a league win. December brought some relief against Leyton Orient and Chesterfield but another stumbled followed over the holiday period.
For the third season running, a trip to Port Vale proved profitable but that win a week into January proved to be Todd's last.
Despite spirited fightbacks against Swansea and Nottingham Forest, the epitaph will be a second half at Gillingham where ten-man City struggled to muster one shot.
Defender Kelly Youga, who received Saturday's red card, was the 11th loan signing Todd had fielded this season - an example of a squad built on sand. There are currently only six players in contract for next season and that includes caretaker boss David Wetherall.
Todd unearthed some Jamaican gems in Donovan Ricketts, Damion Stewart, Johnson and, hopefully, Omar Daley. Youngsters like Andrew Taylor and Nathan Doyle have also benefited massively from learning their trade at Valley Parade.
The critics will point to the likes of Bobby Petta, Craig Armstrong, Danny Cadamarteri and David Graham - experienced players who did little to enhance their reputation. He also never found the ideal strike partner to share the load with Dean Windass.
Todd will argue that his hands were permanently tied. Given City's precarious off-field position in recent years, finances always took precedence and he had no say in the departures of Windass and JJ. But, as Rhodes pointed out prior to that last win at Vale, football will always be a results-driven business. Regardless of the circumstances, if the results aren't there then neither is the manager.
Football has not seen the last of Todd. The 60-year-old, who "celebrated" his last birthday with an FA Cup exit at Millwall, believes there is another management job in him and intends to come back for more.
It was likely he would have walked away in the summer anyway. The end has come three months early.
Those who wanted him out have got their wish. We will wait and see whether change is good.
The club would like to clarify reports that Colin Todd was sacked during a telephone conversation with Julian Rhodes. This was NOT the case. Colin Todd's employment with the club was terminated at a meeting between the two.
http://www.bradfordcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10266~980449,00.html
The Colin Todd era comes to an end
Priestfield Stadium has proved a graveyard for more than just Bradford City.
It also claimed their manager.
It was at Gillingham where Colin Todd lost the fans after a slanging match with away supporters in April last season.
And it was at Gillingham on Saturday where he lost his job after one defeat too many.
Chairman Julian Rhodes made up his mind on the long road back to West Yorkshire. A change at the top had to be made.
The longest reign of any City manager for 20 years came to an end following a meeting with Julian Rhodes around mid-morning on Monday.
It came as a shock to Todd. But in some ways, it will be a relief.
Managing Bradford City for the past three seasons has not been the easiest of jobs.
With no money to spend, he has required the skills of a juggler to mix and match with the host of loan players that have flitted in and out of the club. It was inevitable that he couldn't keep all the balls in the air forever.
History will judge Todd's spell in the "fair to middling" category.
He twice took City to 11th in the table and the league record followed a win one, draw one, lose one pattern during those seasons. Even the goals for and against were tied on 150.
But he was up against a constant backdrop of financial uncertainty.
When Todd stepped up from number two to succeed Bryan Robson in June 2004, there was no guarantee he would even see one match in charge.
He soon became used to the Red Adair style of leadership, trawling an extensive list of contacts built up from years in the game to build a side capable of holding their own.
Todd was one of the lowest paid managers in the division but expectation remained high.
City, tipped to be among the relegation favourites having survived administration, astounded the experts by zooming up to second place. Todd was named manager of the month in October 2004 after five straight wins - the club's best run for 20 years.
It proved too much, too soon and though City remained around the play-off picture over Christmas and New Year, they slipped away in the closing stages. But the stakes had been raised.
Having built from scratch in the summer of 2004, he started again a year later. An impressive opening-day win at Hartlepool suggested big things but once again results remained hit and miss.
Play-off hopes turned to thoughts of beating the drop and Todd found himself targeted by sections of the crowd. An ugly clash with fans on Easter Monday at Gillingham just added to the animosity.
The arrival of Peter Etherington on the commercial side suggested money might be available for the current campaign. Todd and Julian Rhodes both talked of a concerted push for the top six.
But Etherington's cash was pie in the sky and Todd found himself in familiar skid-alley territory.
With less than a fortnight to go before the season kicked off, he was struggling to find a full team.
He begged and borrowed four loan players in the nick of time and was rewarded with a rip-roaring opening to the campaign.
City were picking up points and playing with a swagger and having cruised past Tranmere at the end of September to go fourth, there was a genuine sense of optimism.
The bubble burst a week later with a home defeat to arch-rivals Huddersfield. More poor results followed and suddenly the gloss had disappeared.
City went through October and November without a league win. December brought some relief against Leyton Orient and Chesterfield but another stumbled followed over the holiday period.
For the third season running, a trip to Port Vale proved profitable but that win a week into January proved to be Todd's last.
Despite spirited fightbacks against Swansea and Nottingham Forest, the epitaph will be a second half at Gillingham where ten-man City struggled to muster one shot.
Defender Kelly Youga, who received Saturday's red card, was the 11th loan signing Todd had fielded this season - an example of a squad built on sand. There are currently only six players in contract for next season and that includes caretaker boss David Wetherall.
Todd unearthed some Jamaican gems in Donovan Ricketts, Damion Stewart, Johnson and, hopefully, Omar Daley. Youngsters like Andrew Taylor and Nathan Doyle have also benefited massively from learning their trade at Valley Parade.
The critics will point to the likes of Bobby Petta, Craig Armstrong, Danny Cadamarteri and David Graham - experienced players who did little to enhance their reputation. He also never found the ideal strike partner to share the load with Dean Windass.
Todd will argue that his hands were permanently tied. Given City's precarious off-field position in recent years, finances always took precedence and he had no say in the departures of Windass and JJ. But, as Rhodes pointed out prior to that last win at Vale, football will always be a results-driven business. Regardless of the circumstances, if the results aren't there then neither is the manager.
Football has not seen the last of Todd. The 60-year-old, who "celebrated" his last birthday with an FA Cup exit at Millwall, believes there is another management job in him and intends to come back for more.
It was likely he would have walked away in the summer anyway. The end has come three months early.
Those who wanted him out have got their wish. We will wait and see whether change is good.
The club would like to clarify reports that Colin Todd was sacked during a telephone conversation with Julian Rhodes. This was NOT the case. Colin Todd's employment with the club was terminated at a meeting between the two.
http://www.bradfordcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10266~980449,00.html