TFF Bradford Matchday Programme Pages

An apology, especially Jon!
The '....and Finally' part has somehow changed from how it left me to how it appeared in print and may not make so much sense. (Do they not have proof readers?)

The 'unabridged' version is obviously available elsewhere on the Forum to view but that which was sent to be printed reads as follows, with the headings in their correct places and not stuck within the text:


How exactly do you define who has and who hasn’t been a manager of a football club?

Managers who never actually started work.
The obvious one here is Leroy’s second reign. He was announced as manager on May 17th, 2007, did the Press Conference and was due to start work on June the 1st by which time the club had changed ownership and made other plans. If Leroy never actually started work, he shouldn’t really be listed, should he?
A second case is Albert Hoskins back in 1929. He accepted the job and was announced as manager in the press, but subsequently changed his mind and never took up the post. ‘Rothmans Football Yearbook’ lists him as manager in 1929 but, like Leroy, he never actually started work so to my mind he shouldn’t really be listed.

Caretaker Managers
For instance there is no way I would count Jimmy Hargreaves in 1984. How many others would a one or two game caretaker stint open the doors to? Mick Buxton, Dickie Hancox and several others. The two exceptions who had lengthy caretaker terms would be Frank O’Farrell in 1976/77 and Wes Saunders in 1991/92. I would include both of these.

Consultants
This particular Batesonism gave us Neil Warnock in 1993 and Colin Lee in 2001. I would say that you would have to include both as ‘managers’. Atkins also started off in the caretaker category but went on to accept the manager’s job permanently anyway. I am pretty sure that the club expected Colin Lee’s role to go the same way in 2007, but he wasted no time in getting Keith Curle in when Lubos Kubik was sacked so Lee would not be listed for a second stint. (abridged) (jon)