Spark is back for Bantams
CLIVE HETHERINGTON BRADFORD old boy John Hendrie has hailed Mark Hughes as a “breath of fresh air’’ at Valley Parade.
Hendrie, a member of the Bantams’ 1985 thirdtier title-winning side, insists the Manchester United legend’s arrival as manager in February has brought renewed “optimism and hope’’ for the claret and amber faithful.
Bradford topped 14,000 season-ticket sales, the most they have sold as a League Two club.
And fellow former striker Hendrie said: “Mark Hughes has come in and been a breath of fresh air.
“Eyebrows were raised when he first went in there, given the big clubs he’d managed – especially when he actually approached Bradford!
“Now, instead of it being doom and gloom and rumblings, he has more than steadied the ship.
“His style of football at the back-end of last season was good to watch,
it was pleasing on the eye. He’s brought in a good few players this summer and a lot of them are young.
“But they’ve sold more than 14,000 season tickets, which is a record for them, and Sparky has given the place a bit of belief.
“I wouldn’t get carried away, but he’s given the supporters some optimism and hope.
“He’s changed the mood around the place.
“I was at Middlesbrough in 1994 when Bryan Robson became manager.
“Under Robbo, we had a lot of experienced players and we were in what was then the First Division, now the Championship, so it was a bit different to Bradford at the moment.
“But momentum is massive and you always hope things will snowball.
“I’m sure that they’d like to think they will be challenging near the top this season, given the number of new bodies that have come in and with Hughes as the manager.”