Play Offs

[LS Bantam]

Thought it was a good game last night. City started well, but we had chances even when they were on top - Barclay missed a sitter, and Patrick wasted a great opportunity to set up a big chance when he elected to take on 4 players at the touchline rather than pull the ball back. Garner almost pulled off a worldy when he hit the bar (wouldn't have counted to be fair), but then we lost our shape allowing Bradford to make their first chance which they duly converted. They nearly had a second due to a poor piece of positioning from Holy, but wasted the opportunity.

Felt we were getting well on top the last 15 minutes of the first half, knocking the ball around well. Several strange decisions from the ref - particularly his bizarre insistence on awarding goal kicks whenever City defenders put it behind for a corner. Moxon's deliveries are deadly, so these are big moments. Second half we were the better side, with substitute Ryan Edmondson missing a sitter after a pearler of a delivery from Jack Armer - and fellow sub Kristian Dennis wasting a chance to set up a big chance when he failed to pull the ball back, electing instead to go for goal from a ridiculous angle.

Some comedy officiating spoiled the game - Edmondson being allowed to cross when the ball was knocking on for a foot over the line, the Bradford lad pushing the ball out of play with his hand, only to be awarded a throw-in, Garner being booked for an absolute nothing challenge (not even a foul in this case, though by the end of the game he deserved his yellow)... the list goes on. Ref looked like he'd bitten off more than he could chew, and the expression on his face all game furthers that belief. Garner and Cook both horrible players to play against - leading with elbows and forearms all game. The 'penalty' would have been soft, but I've certainly seen them given - McCalmont lost his balance, but only because he had 2 hands pushing down on him. Outside the box and that would be given. One of those that you'd be furious with being given against you - or not given for you.

But too much focus on the officials - as I said at the start of the post, it was a decent game between two decent sides, in front of two good sets of fans. Cracking atmosphere, and let's give credit where it's due - that's yet another massive turnout from the chickens.

All to play for on Saturday, and it looks like we're going to have a bit of a rush on ticket sales. They've opened up A Stand for online sales, something I've never seen before. A couple of hundred still for sale in there, but beyond that there are only 7 seats left. Can see another 4-5k being sold, so should be looking at 14-15k including the Bradford fans.

Did enjoy how you wrote a nearly 20 line paragraph on the referee/linesman and followed it up by saying there’s been ‘too much focus on the officials’.

 

[hellogregory]

if we can keep the key players (Moxon, Feeney, Mellish) whose contract situations are still to be settled, we should be able to supplement them with other quality players.

Moxon will go unless he extends his contract beyond 2024. If we go up I think he’ll sign a contract extension. If we’re still in L2 he won’t and he’ll 100% be sold with a year left on his deal.

Feeney is out of contract this summer. Again if we don’t go up he’ll be away. If he had any interest in playing for us in L2 next season, he’d have been tied up to a new deal by now like Guy and Armer have.

Mellish has a year left on his is it? With a possible extra year option if I remember right. No need to rush with him. I don’t think there’ll be queues of clubs from a higher level looking to buy him.

 

[クレイグ]

Ticket website showing as sold out. Mashed the F5 key like an absolute fucking warrior and managed to get two tickets. Lovely.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

That Moxon looks a very good player, he impressed me. Thought him and Banks were the two who showed most quality the other night.

 

[Mighty_Bantam]

Agree on Moxon.

Looks like the exact type of player we need in the middle. If we did manage to go up, I'd like us to try for him. Sorry, Carlilse.

 

[Stocky]

I think he's well courted by teams higher up the pyramid. Carlisle fans will know more but our lot have suggested that a) we were in for him in the summer but he's from Carlisle or around it and chose them and b) we enquired in Jan but it didn't get off the ground with both Carlisle not wanting to sell yet and also I think Moxon was of the mind he'd have more choices at the end of this season.

 

[Claret Forever]

Moxon is the highest rated player for the entire League 2 this year on whoscored. https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/9/England-League-Two . I imagine he'll be on a lot of team's radars.

 

[FiRTHYY]

 

[Mighty_Bantam]

I think he's well courted by teams higher up the pyramid. Carlisle fans will know more but our lot have suggested that a) we were in for him in the summer but he's from Carlisle or around it and chose them and b) we enquired in Jan but it didn't get off the ground with both Carlisle not wanting to sell yet and also I think Moxon was of the mind he'd have more choices at the end of this season.

Yeah, unlkely he'd come to us but you don't ask you don't get.

 

[Alan Partridge]

Mad that he was delivering parcels for UPS when we picked him up in the summer.

 

[loz]

Mad that he was delivering parcels for UPS when we picked him up in the summer.

Crikey!

 

[GTFCfish]

Don’t celebrate a goal too hard .

Yep, don’t be this guy:

 

[BarraMatt]

Yep, don’t be this guy:
View attachment 18583

Or this bloke:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1592715157339533312

 

[Moonie]

Twitter is full of stupidity today. Can see Saturday having a nasty edge to it.

 

[hellogregory]

Twitter is full of stupidity today. Can see Saturday having a nasty edge to it.

A lot of the hard men on Twitter are just that and will be timid little squirrels on Saturday.

 

[Moonie]

Personally don't care if City fans are in the home ends, so long as they keep themselves under wraps and don't do anything stupid.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

They should have given Bradford behind the goal, they gave our club a lot.

Better to cram everyone in than gaps

 

[Ellis]

Sold out in less than hour, build the stands Stott!

 

[Moonie]

They should have given Bradford behind the goal, they gave our club a lot.

Better to cram everyone in than gaps

Totally disagree with this. Already 10k home sales (likely a handful of Bantams who've evaded detection are included in that figure), and more will sell. Why give them more when we're going to need the Waterworks ourselves?

They gave us 10%, and still had 4k empty seats. We've given them 10%, and will likely have 3-4k empty spaces. Seems fair to me. We could have filled the Midland Road Stand, though I understand them not giving us the whole thing.

 

[FiRTHYY]

Totally disagree with this. Already 10k home sales (likely a handful of Bantams who've evaded detection are included in that figure), and more will sell. Why give them more when we're going to need the Waterworks ourselves?

They gave us 10%, and still had 4k empty seats. We've given them 10%, and will likely have 3-4k empty spaces. Seems fair to me. We could have filled the Midland Road Stand, though I understand them not giving us the whole thing.

The way I understood it was, you’d shifted 8,000 tickets prior to our lot going on sale. As soon as we’d sold out, you announced 10k sales.

Could be wrong, but I don’t think you’re past 10k home sales, yet.

 

[Moonie]

The way I understood it was, you’d shifted 8,000 tickets prior to our lot going on sale. As soon as we’d sold out, you announced 10k sales.

Could be wrong, but I don’t think you’re past 10k home sales, yet.

The 8k figure was tweeted by the club a few days ago. Yesterday, they tweeted the following:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1658445778874949634

More have been sold over the phone and at the ground today, so I'm confident we're over that 10k figure now.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Totally disagree with this. Already 10k home sales (likely a handful of Bantams who've evaded detection are included in that figure), and more will sell. Why give them more when we're going to need the Waterworks ourselves?

They gave us 10%, and still had 4k empty seats. We've given them 10%, and will likely have 3-4k empty spaces. Seems fair to me. We could have filled the Midland Road Stand, though I understand them not giving us the whole thing.

Because to me Carlisle has a top fanbase level of about 12,000 at best and that takes some grabbing.

Assuming the ground still holds 16,000 we could have given Bradford 4,0000 and filled the rest, don’t see much wrong with that.

The only real time I’ve drastically seen a surge was Bury at home back in 1994 when I think the whole city turned up outside the ground, and after that its big fa cup games and Leeds and well…….leeds were and always have been a massive draw whether you like them or not.

Never know why…..Carlisle should be like Plymouth or Swansea able due to location to grab a huge gate but never works here.

For me Brunton Park is one of them grounds that deserves filled up with 15-16,000 here and there.

 

[Moonie]

Because to me Carlisle has a top fanbase level of about 12,000 at best and that takes some grabbing.

Assuming the ground still holds 16,000 we could have given Bradford 4,0000 and filled the rest, don’t see much wrong with that.

The only real time I’ve drastically seen a surge was Bury at home back in 1994 when I think the whole city turned up outside the ground, and after that its big fa cup games and Leeds and well…….leeds were and always have been a massive draw whether you like them or not.

Never know why…..Carlisle should be like Plymouth or Swansea able due to location to grab a huge gate but never works here.

For me Brunton Park is one of them grounds that deserves filled up with 15-16,000 here and there.

We had more for the visit of Lincoln in 94/95 than we did for Bury that year - with fewer away fans. Also seen bigger crowds when Torquay and Leeds visited (17k for the latter, though 3k were from Leeds) for league games, and numerous cup games. I'm sure we'll shift a good few more for this yet, expecting no fewer than 14k by kickoff time. Just a shame they've had to take online sales down.

 

[Moonie]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1659183385661636608

 

[Alan Partridge]

Should be on for 15k all in, you'd reckon?

Including the 8k from Bradford.

 

[FiRTHYY]

Should be on for 15k all in, you'd reckon?

Including the 8k from Bradford.

My pals just obtained x5 tickets from his Carlisle mate, so they’ll be 8,005 City in the home end.

 

[LS Bantam]

I’ll be watching from the departure lounge at Leeds Bradford, will be heart broken boarding that plane at 5:30 no doubt.

 

[hellogregory]

Well only 1-0 down from the first leg. I expected us to be behind by more so in that respect it was a result. But with some of the chances we missed I do wonder if we’ve had our big chance and have let them off the hook. Will Bradford be as below par again? I doubt it. I think they’ll play with purpose and look to really stamp their authority over a team who’ve won 2 in their last 12 games and get the goal that kills the contest. We’ll probably have our moments but again our lack of quality will be the difference.


Carlisle United 0-1 Bradford City

 

[Moonie]

Should be on for 15k all in, you'd reckon?

Including the 8k from Bradford.

Over 12k home tickets now, so 15k+ by kickoff for sure.

 

[Pie Chips Gravy]

A number of friends have confirmed that they have tickets in the home end, and most of these aren’t the types who will remain silent should City score. It could get a bit messy