Bradford and Rotherham left in derby daze

BRADFORD CITY joint-chairman Mark Lawn and Rotherham United chairman Tony Stewart have welcomed the clubs’ respective Capital One Cup derby draws with Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday.
Bradford City's Chairman Mark Lawn.Bradford City's Chairman Mark Lawn.
Bradford City's Chairman Mark Lawn.

The Bantams, the talk of football when they reached the competition’s final at Wembley last season – beating Premier League trio Aston Villa, Arsenal and Wigan Athletic along the way – have been handed a mouth-watering tie against the Terriers at the John Smith’s Stadium.

A second marque White Rose derby sees the Millers, basking in the feel-good factor along with Bradford following their promotion to League One, play host to neighbours Sheffield Wednesday at the New York Stadium, with the match expected to attract a capacity 12,000 crowd.

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The pick of the other ties sees York City welcome Championship outfit Burnley to Bootham Crescent where the Clarets sealed the old Fourth Division title in April 1992.

It is the Minstermen’s first home draw in the League Cup in its various guises since 2001. Meanwhile, Leeds United welcome Chesterfield, their sixth successive home draw in the competition.

Lawn admits to being delighted with Bradford’s attractive tie and while many felt the club should have been seeded after their magnificent exploits last season, he is relishing the all-West Yorkshire contest against Town, who Bantams manager Phil Parkinson famously turned down the chance to manage after a last-minute change of heart in April 2007.

On a blue riband tie for the Bantams, who earned £1.7m from their cup adventure in 2012-13, Lawn said: “Apart from Leeds United, we really could not have asked for more. I would have loved to have got Leeds away, but Huddersfield Town is the second-best for us.

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“I remember going there and losing 4-0 (in the first round in 2008), but we did also go there and beat them on penalties in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy (in October 2011), didn’t we?

“I would have thought it would be ourselves or Rotherham that will get on Sky and there should be a decent crowd there for the first round.

“It certainly makes a change from going down to Nottingham as we seem to go there quite a lot.”

Millers chairman Stewart admits his side’s draw with the Owls is as ‘good as it gets’ and is now hoping the encounter is selected for live TV coverage by Sky Sports, yet to screen a match from the £20m New York Stadium.

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Stewart, who remains hopeful the Millers will wrap up several signings in the next few days – with manager Steve Evans confident about completing the capture of Aldershot forward Danny Hylton – said: “I have been doing backward somersaults because if I had got a wish-list, that draw would have been at the top.

“It’s obviously going to be a sell-out and will create a lot of interest. It’s as good as it gets.

“The timing could not be better and it’s an exciting fixture. I think it’s got ‘TV’ written all over it. It’s a lovely derby for South Yorkshire.

“I remember the cup match when we beat them on penalties in the League Cup in 2008 at Hillsborough and we will endeavour to do the same and beat them again.

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“To get them at the New York Stadium for the second game of the season is something we are really looking forward to.

“Backsides on seats bring in the money and will allow Rotherham to compete next season against the likes of Wolves and Bristol City.”

Stewart’s company ASD Lighting’s involvement in South Yorkshire football was confirmed in 2007 when they agreed a sponsorship deal with the Owls for the naming rights to the Kop stand at Hillsborough.

But while Stewart was born and raised in the staunch Wednesdayite enclave of High Green in the steel city, his affiliations begin and end with one team these days.

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Stewart added: “We used to sponsor Sheffield Wednesday and certain people in Rotherham thought Tony Stewart was a Sheffield Wednesday fan. But the only connection was that my family lived in High Green, a part of Sheffield that tended to lean towards Wednesday.

“But I probably haven’t watched 12 games at Hillsborough, which shows how affiliated I am.”

Other ties see Barnsley and Doncaster Rovers play host to Scunthorpe United and Rochdale respectively, with Sheffield United entertaining Burton Albion, who knocked the Blades out of the competition in the first round on penalties last August. Middlesbrough welcome Accrington.

League Cup first round draw

Bury v Crewe

Shrewsbury v Bolton

MIDDLESBROUGH v Accrington Stanley

DONCASTER v Rochdale

Preston v Blackpool

BARNSLEY v Scunthorpe

Tranmere v Mansfield

YORK CITY v Burnley

Notts County v Fleetwood

SHEFFIELD UNITED v Burton Albion

Oldham v Derby

Carlisle v Blackburn

Morecambe v Wolves

Nottingham Forest v Hartlepool

LEEDS UTD v Chesterfield

Huddersfield TOWN v Bradford CITY

Rotherham UNITED v Sheffield Wednesday

Port Vale v Walsall

Gillingham v Bristol City

Bournemouth v Portsmouth

Wycombe v Leicester

Brentford v Dagenham

Exeter City v QPR

Charlton v Oxford

Southend v Yeovil

Millwall v Wimbledon

Swindon v Torquay

Birmingham v Plymouth

Stevenage v Ipswich

Cheltenham v Crawley

Bristol Rovers v Watford

Northampton v MK Dons

Leyton Orient v Coventry

Colchester v Peterborough

Brighton v Newport

Ties to be played week commencing August 5.