Inside story of Bradford’s shock of the century
EXCLUSIVE: Inside story of Bradford’s amazing Cup upset
LESS than 24 hours before one of the biggest- ever FA Cup giant-killings, Bradford’s players were sitting in Kensington’s Marriott Hotel watching Celebrity Big Brother.
There are more enthralling ways to spend Friday night in London, but for this squad the excitement was all to come. Two goals down against Chelsea, the League One side mustered a glorious comeback, scoring four times to leave Jose Mourinho’s hopes of an historic Quadruple in tatters and the Chelsea boss talking of being ‘ashamed’. But how did this team of free transfers pull it off?
Parkinson started devising his Stamford Bridge blueprint on Thursday, taking shape and tactical sessions aimed at nullifying Chelsea’s threat. Midfielder Filipe Morais said: ‘We had an idea they might rest a few players and that gave us more confidence.’
Parkinson informed his squad of the starting line-up after Friday morning’s training session and they arrived in Kensington at 5.30pm.
They sat down for dinner in the plush hotel restaurant at 6.30pm, when players were given a choice of steak, pasta or chicken, and, whisper it, a small bowl of apple crumble and custard.
With no curfew, the players retreated to their rooms to watch Cambridge v Manchester United. Some, though, switched over to Channel 5 midway through for some lighter viewing. Those who stuck with the football were impressed by Cambridge’s gutsy display in securing a goalless draw. ‘They were hungry and I took great inspiration watching them,’ revealed Morais.
Bradford’s soon- to- be heroes were back in the hotel restaurant between 8am-10am for breakfast before congregating in the lobby at 11.30pm for a 10-minute pre-match walk around Kensington.
Some did impressions of Jose Mourinho to ease their nerves, while goalkeeping coach Lee Butler — very much the joker in the Bradford pack — did his utmost to keep the players relaxed.
Bradford had lunch at the hotel at 11.45am before setting off for Stamford Bridge at 1.15pm.
Caught in the Fulham Road traffic, they were confronted by the heart-warming sight of thousands of Bradford fans, who swarmed around the coach to provide the loudest of good-luck messages.
After arriving at the ground at 1.30pm, some players stayed in the dressing room until the warm-up, while others strolled on to the pitch to soak up the atmosphere.
Parkinson reiterated his gameplan 10 minutes before kick-off — to break down the flanks, not to run through the middle of Chelsea; to hit diagonal balls into tall forward James Hanson, allowing attacking midfielder Billy Knott to pick up second balls; not to press all over the pitch but only in their own half and to minimize any risk-taking.
Then Parkinson urged his charges to believe in themselves, telling them they were fitter than Chelsea. ‘We were all in there wishing each other luck, it was really genuine,’ said Morais. ‘At some clubs you’ll see players just tap someone and say “Good luck” and not really mean it. But we were shaking hands and hugging and we meant it.’
One player’s attempts to gee up his team-mates in colourful language saw substitute Alan Sheehan suggest he calm down, prompting a ripple of laughter.
As they opened the door to the tunnel, Chelsea were already waiting for them. For Morais, who played in Mourinho’s first game as Chelsea manager, a friendly against Oxford in 2004, this was a poignant moment. But his attempts to keep concentration were scuppered by his old mentor.
‘As I came out I heard a scream of “Filipe Morais” in a Portuguese accent. It was Jose,’ said Morais.
‘I didn’t know where to look. I said “Hello Mister”, which is gaffer in Portuguese. He shook my hand, gave me a hug and said to me, “You’re 29 now, you’re a big man”.
‘At that time I didn’t want to see him because I was so focused. That’s just Jose.’
AFTER the first 39 minutes, Morais might have been fearing his reunion with Mourinho would be the highlight of his afternoon because Chelsea had raced into a 2-0 lead.
But Jon Stead’s phenomenal strike before half-time changed the game. And then came the moment that will remain with Morais for the rest of his life.
‘It was an easy tap-in but it was crazy,’ he said. ‘I dreamt about it twice in the week. Before the game I thought I wouldn’t celebrate scoring against Chelsea. I didn’t know what to do, but my overriding emotion was that I’d scored for Bradford, they deserved my passion.’
‘We could sense the tide was changing, we could smell it.’
Two more goals followed and Bradford were legends. Even Mourinho got caught up in the romance, making his way to the visitors’ dressing room and telling the players the achievement could never be taken from them.
Morais’s night ended with Eden Hazard’s shirt and a meal in the Marco Pierre White restaurant on the Stamford Bridge site. He didn’t want to leave.