MATCHWATCH : Bradford City (a)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday December 13 2025, 3pm
Where : Valley Parade, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7DY
Capacity : 24,840

Another long away trip just before Christmas isn’t something I particularly favour especially when it’s up north to face a really rather good Bradford City who are coming up trumps in the division after gaining promotion out of the basement last season. The Bantams are currently flying and could well have gone top of the table midweek had Vale Park had better drainage.

There is some hope about Reading that the team can at last start to stand up and be counted in these away trips after several seasons of pretty miserable visits up and down the country. While Blackpool was a grand result it should be remembered they were fairly pitiful but at least Reading managed to rinse them as so often on their travels Reading have turned up at strugglers in poor form and turned into a charitable concern for the afternoon. To help things out too, there'll only be a minimal number of days since last shambling onto a pitch for the players.

So this is as tough as it gets in this division though, 90 minutes up north in the company of a team that’s flying and that has had a week off too. Therefore any form of point out of this should be seen as an achievement. However this might be a decent time to get to play them as their form has dipped over the last month or so with defeats at Cheltenham in the FA Cup and at home to Burton in the league. They are though proving to be as adept at draws as Reading with 5 draws to go with 4 wins, in the last 11 league games - therefore the aforementioned form of point might well be the obvious conclusion.

Bradford have several threats already well versed in lower league shenanigans. The forward line is a really decent striker pairing of Will Swan & Antoni Sarcevic (10 goals between them) and there’s also the exceedingly useful midfield combination of Bobby Pointon (top scorer) and Josh Neufville (9 goals there). The defence is also contributing goals so Graham Alexander is building a decent all round squad of players that will represent possibly the greatest challenge yet faced by Reading this season. To add to the issues the club will face is the fact that a certain Tom McIntyre now finds himself on loan in West Yorkshire so it’ll be a return to what seems to be the standard for Reading this season in facing former employees every week.

Marriott and Ritchie should be available again and Reading will need as many options as possible after yet another appearance from AFC Charity Shambles in midweek.

Referee

Paul Howard

Previously

02 Nov 24 > Reading 2-0 Fleetwood Town (FA Cup)
06 Feb 24 > Stevenage 0-1 Reading

Historically

This is season 26 in the story of Reading Bradford league confrontations, in the 25 previous ventures into this part of West Yorkshire Reading have been bettered 13 times while emerging victorious on 8 occasions. The last league win for Reading was a 1-0 victory back in March 2003 while the last league visit was a year later in 2004 when we all endured Windassgate and lost 2-1.

Reading’s best victory at Valley Parade was the 5-2 win 40 years ago in May 1985, tragically it actually turned out to be the last complete 90 minutes of football played at Valley Parade before the devastating fire that followed at the ground a week later.

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use a RoyalsTV subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Millsy]

Bradford is I think the only place I've ever been to, where asking for a place to stay was warned away by the locals: "I wouldnt' stay anywhere jere Bradford if i were you, best go elsewhere"

Largely irrelevant to this thread but it's the only Bradford story I have.

Thanks.

[Sutekh]

One memory..... WINDASS

[Mid Sussex Royal]

One memory..... WINDASS

The cup quarter final too on that dreadful pitch when Parky's side tried to kick us off the park.

I'd give Rino a start in this and move one of Savage and Wing further forward.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Bradford is I think the only place I've ever been to, where asking for a place to stay was warned away by the locals: "I wouldnt' stay anywhere jere Bradford if i were you, best go elsewhere"

Largely irrelevant to this thread but it's the only Bradford story I have.

Thanks.

IN for all the neanderthal "Bradford's a shit hole" comments. Tbf, the part you'll see near the ground is, but so is Whitley.

[Hound]

Starting 11 was ok for the last two games, but I’d certainly look at Rino in somewhere - maybe for Doyle but again he’s short

We’re so ridiculously reliant on Kelvin to tide us any sort of presence up front. Not sure what the answer to that is until January. MoM seems done, not that he offered a lot either

[Snowflake Royal]

Starting 11 was ok for the last two games, but I’d certainly look at Rino in somewhere - maybe for Doyle but again he’s short

We’re so ridiculously reliant on Kelvin to tide us any sort of presence up front. Not sure what the answer to that is until January. MoM seems done, not that he offered a lot either

We could always stick a CB upfront and try to pick up knockdowns/flick ons.

We're playing like that's our game plan, so either stick a big aerial CB lump up top, or PLAY THE BALL ON THE PITCH THROUGH MIDFIELD OR LONG INTO THE CHANNELS YOU PCUNTS.

[Hound]

Starting 11 was ok for the last two games, but I’d certainly look at Rino in somewhere - maybe for Doyle but again he’s short

We’re so ridiculously reliant on Kelvin to tide us any sort of presence up front. Not sure what the answer to that is until January. MoM seems done, not that he offered a lot either

We could always stick a CB upfront and try to pick up knockdowns/flick ons.

We're playing like that's our game plan, so either stick a big aerial CB lump up top, or PLAY THE BALL ON THE PITCH THROUGH MIDFIELD OR LONG INTO THE CHANNELS YOU PCUNTS.

Did actually cross my mind but we don’t have any options there either really. Burns crap in the air for his size. Other two painfully slow. Maybe Dorsett is our best bet

[tidus_mi2]

Feel Bradford's style of play will allow us greater freedom to play the way we want to than Peterborough but they're near the top for a reason so would certainly take a point if offered.

[Snowflake Royal]

Starting 11 was ok for the last two games, but I’d certainly look at Rino in somewhere - maybe for Doyle but again he’s short

We’re so ridiculously reliant on Kelvin to tide us any sort of presence up front. Not sure what the answer to that is until January. MoM seems done, not that he offered a lot either

We could always stick a CB upfront and try to pick up knockdowns/flick ons.

We're playing like that's our game plan, so either stick a big aerial CB lump up top, or PLAY THE BALL ON THE PITCH THROUGH MIDFIELD OR LONG INTO THE CHANNELS YOU PCUNTS.

Did actually cross my mind but we don’t have any options there either really. Burns crap in the air for his size. Other two painfully slow. Maybe Dorsett is our best bet

There was one moment last night when Williams noded on for Marriott to chase in behind that nearly came off. First time all season the long ball to the front looked like it had a purpose.

[Millsy]

Bradford is I think the only place I've ever been to, where asking for a place to stay was warned away by the locals: "I wouldnt' stay anywhere jere Bradford if i were you, best go elsewhere"

Largely irrelevant to this thread but it's the only Bradford story I have.

Thanks.

IN for all the neanderthal "Bradford's a shit hole" comments. Tbf, the part you'll see near the ground is, but so is Whitley.

I was nowhere near their ground, was there on business, but yeah we have our shithole areas too for sure. Just never heard anyone warn people away from their entire city before.