h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Ben,

Hope you're settling into your new Northern home! Now that you're in the area on a full-time basis, I thought you might like to go and see the mighty Bradford City play again. The new season begins on Saturday, our first home game is next Tuesday, and our second home game a week on Saturday sees us take on Milton Keynes Dons, so we have the chance to avenge that dreadful humiliation that you witnessed a few months ago!

City have won all their pre-season games, finishing off with a 5-0 stuffing of Stockport at the weekend, so I'm cautiously optimistic about the coming campaign. The full fixture list is here: http://www.bradfordcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html - the home games are the ones shown on a purple background. Let me know if you'd like to take in a game. Whetever GreyDesk says, I don't believe that you're really a bad luck charm!

Sounds good to me, Ormy. For the time being I'd much prefer a weekday game, unless Z fancies seeing a weekend match. Mind you, I rather fancy the Swindon Town game, having spent many a good night drinking with the landlord of my local who was a great Swindon supporter. And if I am supporting a team, then it presumably means that the other team will win!



B

OK, that's a date for Saturday February 11 2006, then! Let me know if anything sooner takes your (or Z's) fancy!

In the late Eighties, I went to see City play at Swindon. It was going very badly; early in the second half, we were 3-0 down and had had a man sent off. But then it started to get foggy - and in the away end we started chanting 'Come on you fog'! Eventually you couldn't see 10 yards ahead, and the ref had to abandon the match. When that was announced, we cheered as though we'd won!

*laughing out loud*

You'll have to remind me nearer the time, because I don't have a diary for next year. And yes - I would like to arrange something for sooner.

I'll point Z this way.



B

Sounds rather good fun..

I don't really follow this division enough to know which will be an exiting match. So I will leave it all in your expert hands...

Well, it's often hard to predict the great games. Tranmere away doesn't sound like one to savour, but last season it was a nine-goal thriller that we edged 5-4 thanks to a last-minute winner!

However, with that caveat: Chesterfield on Saturday September 2 looks a decent prospect insofar as there should be enough away fans to create a good atmosphere, but the visiting club don't have a reputation for hooliganism, so I'd expect it to pass off peacefully. And City will be wanting to avenge another awful day at Valley Parade last season - we led Chesterfield 2-0 with 15 minutes left, but still contrived to lose 3-2.

If you're after a midweek game, Ben, next Tuesday's match with Southend is the only midweek fixture before Christmas that I'm likely to be able to get to. We have another Tuesday game on September 27 against Colchester, but that's the first week of the new Uni semester, and I fear that campus commitments may have to come first that night.

Are you a fan in general, Z, even if the joys of Coca-Cola League One have passed you by?

Next Tuesday is a bit soon for me, but Sept 2nd sounds good.

B

Fair enough, Ben.

Incidentally, in the latest issue of 'When Saturday Comes' magazine, supporters from 103 different English and Scottish clubs answer the same brief questionnaire about their team's performance last season and prospects for the coming one. Among the questions is: 'What was your team's worst moment of last season?'.

I had the honour of answering on behalf of Bradford City. Guess which match I nominated as our worst moment of last season?

And we've started the season with a 2-0 win away to Hartlepool - who were one of the teams I tipped for promotion in that 'When Saturday Comes' questionnaire!

Revenge is sweet! Mwahahaha!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4127158.stm

Ben, I've just realised that I did a rather silly thing when I invited you to come to the match on 'Saturday September 2'. Bradford City are at home to Chesterfield on September 2... but it's a Friday. That game has become a rare Friday evening fixture for City in order to avoid clashing with the Wales v. England World Cup game the next day. about that.

Assuming that you don't fancy Friday night footie, alternative games that really *are* on Saturdays include the visit of Bournemouth on August 27 and our first-ever meeting with Yeovil Town on September 17.