The Archive

Near oblivion might have followed, but David Hobbs loved Bradford’s roller-coaster ride to the Premiership and recalls the tense afternoon at Hull that kick-started it

“So, hypothetically speaking, when are the play-offs?” The question drew a few snorts and guffaws as we trudged towards Turf Moor for another tense encounter with our close neighbours Burrnley. I can’t remember if anyone offered a serious reply, but the query was more in hope than any real expectation that Bradford City would be in Division One in a few weeks. Once again it looked as though we would be subjected to another season of frustration. When our new chairman Geoffrey Richmond had declared in January 1994 that the Bantams would be knocking on the door of the Premier League within five years, those who weren’t giggling at the back of the fans’ forum must have just thought the man was barking. There was nothing wrong with a bit of ambition, but he didn’t have to make us look ridiculous.

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The resilience of Australian fans and some English satire catch Ian Plenderleith's attention this month, but it’s a site campaigning to give fans the right to leave their seats that really has him applauding

Enter the poetic world of the Wollongong Wolves, the Blackdown City Demons and (my favourite) Manly United at Back Of The Net!, a site devoted to Australian football. The above teams all play in the New South Wales Premier League (current leaders: the Bonnyrigg White Eagles) and this is the web location to find out how Manly’s Orhan Dincer recently scored past “a grasping Matthew Trott”. You feel the description of the goal must sound better than it actually looked.

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Good news for Swedish oenophiles: Anders Frisk has opened a wine business. Marcus Christenson reports on other reactions to the referee’s sudden retirement

“Frisk” means healthy in Swedish and for many years fans amused themselves by singing “Frisk, Frisk, Frisk, you must be ill” when the now world-famous referee was having a bad game.

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Dear WSC
While listening to Alan Green’s Five Live commentary on Chelsea’s game with Barcelona I was struck by the big Ulsterman’s remarkable similarity to the voice of Shaggy from Scooby Doo at excitable moments. Have any other readers noticed similarities between commentators and their cartoon characters? I’ll certainly be keeping an ear open for it in future.
Steve Morgan, Kingston

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Celtic’s 'Brazil international defender' lived up to his name, but not his reputation. Dan Brennan explains how the club blew around £9 million for ten appearances

In February, the Maracana was the scene of a humiliating defeat for fallen Brazilian giants Botafogo as they were felled by regional nobodies Americano in the semi-finals of the Rio de Janeiro state championship. Failing to marshal their back-line was a man who, if you’re a Celtic fan, would have prompted flickers of recognition and perhaps an involuntary shudder. Rafael, as they call him nowadays, is a bit older and sports a jazzy new blond hairstyle. But beneath the coiffure, he is still, by all accounts, Scheidt.

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