'That hurts' - Harry Lewis lifts lid on Bradford City 'narrative' after collapse of Barnsley FC deal
Harry Lewis lifts lid on Bradford City 'narrative' after collapse of Barnsley deal
Harry Lewis has conceded he was “hurt” by the perception his heart was not with Bradford City after the collapse of a proposed move to Barnsley.
In the summer of 2023, the goalkeeper was targeted by the Reds after Bradford’s League Two play-off semi-final loss to Carlisle United.
A proposed switch fell through and Lewis stayed put for the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, eventually departing for Carlisle in the mid-season window.
The summer saga somewhat soured his relationship with some of the club’s supporters, who felt Lewis was itching to get away.
Harry Lewis lifts lid
In an appearance on the BBC’s Bantams podcast ‘Take Me Home’, the 28-year-old has sought to set the record straight.
He said: “I remember it like it was yesterday. I’m downstairs on the phone with my agent, I think it’s going to get done. The canteen’s that way and the meeting room is that way. I’m kind of stood outside on the phone to my agent, he’s like ‘yeah, I think this is going to get done’.
“As I’ve turned around and looked into the analysis room bit, they’re watching clips of Sam Walker. The gaffer, Doyler (Coli Doyle), so I said ‘they must think this is getting done because they’re currently watching clips of my replacement’. Wednesday, wake up, bid’s rejected.
“Call from my agent, move’s dead, Bradford want X, Y, Z, clauses, extensions, all this sort of stuff. Barnsley are like ‘no’. I called Sparksy, said ‘Sparksy (Ryan Sparks, CEO), what’s going on?’.
“He said ‘Harry look, we’ve got an option on you, we value you higher than that’. I said ‘look, that’s fine, that’s absolutely okay’. I said ‘I love it here, I’m having a great time’. This was Wednesday. We’re going to play Getafe I think it was on Friday. Friday morning, phone starts blowing up. ‘What’s this you’re going to Barnsley?’ It’s all come out now.
“[The] game finishes and some kid runs up to to the pitch, Bradford fan, and he’s like ‘Harry can I have your gloves?’. I said ‘I’m really sorry, you’re not supposed to be on the pitch, come off to the side of the pitch and we’ll sort it out’. I haven’t shaken hands.
“Then this fella runs on to the pitch and he’s right in my face. He’s like ‘you’re not giving my kid your gloves because you’re off to Barnsley aren’t you?’. He was right in my face to the point someone dragged him away. Move’s dead - I’m not going anywhere. I was like ‘oh my God’.
“Then I probably felt a bit more expectation from outside and a few murmurs. It hurts me now, even to this day, the narrative seems to be that once that move fell through, his heart wasn’t in it anymore. That hurts me so much because that is not me, it’s not me at all, not for one second is that me.”
Harry Lewis’ post-Bradford City path
Lewis stepped up to League One level with Carlisle but could not prevent the Cumbrians suffering back-to-back relegation down to the National League.
Earlier this year, he returned to the third tier with a permanent switch to Mansfield Town, but has managed just three appearances for the Stags.