MATCH OF THE DAY
Bradford slam TV snub as they steal the show again
BRADFORD stuck two fi ngers up at the BBC and BT Sport after Jon Stead ensured yet another Premier League giant- killing in the only game yesterday not to be televised live.
John O’Shea’s own- goal and Stead’s second- half strike lifted League One Bradford into the quarter- fi nals of the FA Cup with a 2- 0 win over sorry Sunderland, after they had thumped Premier League leaders Chelsea 4- 2 at Stamford Bridge in the previous round.
But the TV stations’ decision not to show the match cost the Yorkshire club £ 250,000 and manager Phil Parkinson believes his side’s anger over that decision
has now been vindicated. “We were disappointed this wasn’t on TV. If you just talk about the fi nances, £ 250,000 for a club like ours would have meant a lot,” he said.
“We had to take it on the chin and make sure we put in a performance. Hopefully they will make it a televised game in the next round – I think they will after this.”
The decision was taken before Sunderland’s replay against Fulham and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker tweeted: “The BBC can only show two ties in each round and select them pre replays. If they could have waited, Bradford would obviously have been chosen.”
It failed to dampen the spirit of Bradford goalkeeper Ben Williams, who said: “We’re just living the dream at the moment.” But it was a nightmare for Sunderland manager Gus Poyet, who laid the blame at the door of referee Kevin Friend.
Friend denied penalty appeals for a foul by Rory McArdle on Steven Fletcher when Sunderland were trailing 1- 0 and Poyet said: “It was an easy decision. He was in the right position, he saw it. I can’t do anything about that.”