In 2012, Bradford City FC was a football club in the throes of slump. The former Premier League side, like the city itself, were in decline – losing three leagues in 12 seasons.
The huge divide between the wealthier clubs and the lower-level teams, embodied recently by the attempt to create the Super League, was already being felt at the time. But with a squad costing just £ 10,000 to assemble, Bradford would deal a blow to the lower league minnows and shake up the football establishment. It’s “A football fairy tale”.
Former Bradford City forward James Hanson and Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton shared their story in the seventh episode of StoryCast ’21, a Sky News podcast series telling 21 extraordinary personal stories from some of the biggest news events. of the century.
Subscribe to Storycast 21 now on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Streamer
James Hanson had always dreamed of scoring the winning goal at Wembley.
The forward had been a promising young player with Huddersfield Town and Bradford City, but in 2009, as the 21-year-old stacked the shelves of his local Co-op supermarket, his dream of Wembley seemed to be light years away.
As a child, Hanson had lived just minutes from the training ground of Bradford City FC, a club deeply connected to its fans and the local community.
The city had been united in grief in 1985 when 56 supporters were killed in a fire at the club’s stadium.
Former Bradford City forward James Hanson, center, shared his incredible story in the latest episode of StoryCast ’21
More than a decade later, Bradford City FC would get a promotion to the Premier League – only to move down the divisions to the Championship and then to League One.
In 2009, the team had slipped to Ligue 2 when they paid £ 7,500 to sign Hanson de Guiseley out of the league.
Bradford City FC was a football club in the …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-21 10:07:00
