Have you heard the one about Burnley signing a former England International? Selling lots of shirts, scarves, T-shirts, and other memorabilia? Selling out of tickets for the home matches? Well it worked two years ago. Let's hope Ex-England International Mania Part Two has the same gripping climax.
I still find it hard to believe we've signed Gazza. I know it's a cliché, but seeing the words on TV 'Paul Gascoigne - Burnley' does take some believing. So I was looking forward to the match - who wasn't? - but years of underachievement tend to make you apprehensive, make you think there's a good chance that something's going to go wrong. He's injury prone, he'll get sent off, it won't work. At least the marketing side can't lose. This is bigger than the Ian Wright signing, and I'm pretty sure we won't be out of pocket. So well done Stan and Barry Kilby. At this stage of the season you've got to take a gamble. We didn't last season, and failed by two points to get in the play-offs.
We didn't win, and that's a disappointment, but four points from the past two games was what I hoped for. It looks like we need to win three of our last six games to be in the play-offs, and that's what we hoped for back in August.
Naturally the atmosphere was great, and at times, particularly in the first 45 minutes, we played some great football. The team and the crowd were buoyed up for the match, but so were the Bradford team. It's true that every match is going to be a cup final, but that's what we want. At the end of the match we could have lost it, Bradford playing anything like a team that had lost four of its last five matches, so we really had to battle. Gazza said he felt the pace of the game was fast, but he still looked to have lots of time on the ball. Of course, because he is a genius he makes that time, and the ball does the work.
Gazza came in for Moore A, who wasn't even on the bench. Unless he was injured it was strange to leave him out. The midfield of Gazza, Ball, Grant, and Little meant Lee Briscoe at left back had too much work to do on the left. Moore A would have been a good outlet. Ian Moore started up front with David Johnson. With the signing of Gazza, Johnson has been happy to take a back seat, but what a player he is. I thought Ian Moore was fast, but Johnson is quicker, and has a real eye for goal. We've got to sign him on, and the crowd remind Stan of that when he was substituted after 75 minutes.
By then he'd scored his second in two games, caused many a problem, and should have had a penalty. Balls had been passed through on the ground to the front men and Johnson had narrowly failed to beat the offside trap, before Moore raced down the left wing and crossed along the ground as Johnson ran in. For me it was a clear penalty, as either Halle or Wetherall tripped him. The referee Master Bates from Stoke-on-Trent waved play on.
He failed to punish a number of fouls during the game, and decided everyone was there to see him when he booked Gazza after 52 minutes for a foul, a minor foul, and his first of the match. He'll be able to tell his grandchildren in years to come. Shortly after he did spot a foul on Johnson just outside the box. Gazza territory! While the wall was forming itself, a quick free kick was expertly turned round the post by City keeper Alan Combe. This was the first of several top quality stops by Combe, who is on loan from Dundee Utd. I saw him on TV when Bradford played Wolves, and he had a good game there as well.
Burnley's goal came after 20 minutes. Little's corner was headed by Cox, and quick as a flash Johnson was there to crash the ball into the roof of the net. Unfortunately the flood gates didn't open. Almost immediately Beresford had to tip over a free header from Jess. Am I the only person who thinks Marlon is a lot better keeper now than when he left? He is rightly keeping NTG out of the team.
Before half time chances went begging at both ends. Ian Moore should have scored, but Combe saved well again.
For the first ten minutes of the second half, although we were on top, Bradford were coming into it more. The defence was looking shaky. But we still got two more glimpses at Gazza's magic: a free kick that was bent round the wall, and heading for the top corner but for Combe, and a run and shot that was too hot for the keeper, but no one was following up.
The Bradford fans sang "You're just a fat Geordie Bastard" and Gazza waved. He's not; I've seen him look fatter and play for England. He looks very fit to me and I'm sure he'll get better for the run in, and hopefully the play-offs.
I suppose it had to happen, the equaliser, and I suppose it was deserved. Ashley Ward had a hand in it. He was roundly booed all night but played well. We must stop booing ex-Bastards, as they invariably play well when we do so. It was a scrappy goal, but one we've conceded often. We had chances to clear, but didn't. Marlon got his hand to it, but it crept into the corner after 78 minutes.
Little had gone off, apparently with flu symptoms, and Johnson had tired to be replaced by Maylett. The final substitution was made with five minutes to go. Payton replaced Gazza. He got rapturous applause. It was a real pleasure to see him in a Claret and Blue shirt, and hopefully I can see him in it nine more times this season. Payts had two chances, a shot, and a header, both close, but off target.
The result means we're four points off our final total last season with six games to go, and that's also something we would have been happy with at the start of the season.
Scorer: Mooney (25).
Attendance: 19,479.
Referee: Master Bates of Stokey.
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before