2017-18 Preview: Appetite for challenge quickly returns as Bradford City target step up

STUART MCCALL can pinpoint exactly when the clouds of despair that followed Bradford City's League One play-off final defeat started to clear.
REFRESHED AND READY: Bradford City manager Stuart McCall.  Picture: Bruce RollinsonREFRESHED AND READY: Bradford City manager Stuart McCall.  Picture: Bruce Rollinson
REFRESHED AND READY: Bradford City manager Stuart McCall. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

“I got away on holiday more or less straight after Wembley,” says the 53-year-old, who visibly winces at the memory of May’s 1-0 defeat to Millwall. “It meant the next bit of football I had was Scotland v England at Hampden Park.

“I came back on June 9 and went straight up to Glasgow for STV. What an incredible game. Bad, good, great and then heartbreak from a Scotland perspective (as Harry Kane netted a stoppage-time equaliser for England). I’d said before the game that Scotland would snap your hand off for a draw because none of our players would probably get in the England team.

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“After 75 minutes (with England leading 1-0), that was even more the case. But then the two goals from (Leigh) Griffiths came. You have to listen to the STV recording, the moment the second goal goes in I give this almighty, ‘Yeeesssss!’ A great moment.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t last and I can honestly say I have never been as disappointed in a draw that I haven’t played in as I was that day at Hampden. It was a fair result, don’t get me wrong. But we were so close.

“What that day did, though, is get me up again for football. In the past, I had been involved with Scotland so was going to the game thinking: ‘It would be great to be part of this’.

“Three weeks (of the summer) as a player was enough before I wanted to get back for pre-season. It is the same as a manager now and that Scotland game got me thinking: ‘I want to get back to Bradford here and get things going again, get the recruitment under way’. It was like a light had been turned on.”

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McCall, his appetite restored after the dejection of Wembley, quickly got down to work in what has been a summer of upheaval at Valley Parade.

Bradford City's players watch on as Millwall collect the League One play-off final trophy.  Picture: Bruce RollinsonBradford City's players watch on as Millwall collect the League One play-off final trophy.  Picture: Bruce Rollinson
Bradford City's players watch on as Millwall collect the League One play-off final trophy. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

Several familiar faces who played such a big role in the club’s rise under Phil Parkinson and McCall have moved on, replaced by a host of new faces. It promises to be a fascinating campaign as Bradford look to make it third time lucky after back-to-back appearances in the play-offs.

“Football changes so quickly that you can’t feel sorry for yourself for too long,” he said. “Obviously, the fixtures coming out gave me a bit of a pang on the back of the Scotland-England game.

“It really helped, as did the reaction of the fans. Like everyone, I was really disappointed with what happened at Wembley and it is hard not to think, ‘what if?’ at times.

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“But, what helped bring me out of that mood was popping into the club and seeing all the cards and messages that had been sent in. People saying things like: ‘You should be proud of the season we had’. Things like that were great to read and helped me a lot.

HELLO THERE: Former Leeds striker Dominic Poleon has joined Bradford this summer.HELLO THERE: Former Leeds striker Dominic Poleon has joined Bradford this summer.
HELLO THERE: Former Leeds striker Dominic Poleon has joined Bradford this summer.

“Then, once we were back training and the new lads had come in, it was a new season. We can’t change what happened at Wembley and the job is to improve on last season.

“It is a big ask. Only three of 24 clubs can get out of this division.

“We were on a mid-table budget last season and I would imagine will be the same again. What we do is get the best out of what we have got and we think we can do that.”