WE MADE IT THEREFORE WE WIN IT!

Bradford City might be regarding this weekend's FA Cup tie against Reading as a bit of an anti-climax, so manager Phil Parkinson will need to be on his best stimulating form to raise the level of his players to take on “relatively lowly Reading FC”. The win in this 6^th round tie at home venue, Valley Parade, is worth £360,000 from the FA Prize Fund and TV rites will pay £247,500 per club. BT and BBC are sharing the fixtures.

Reading have a history of giant killing also, but Bradford have surpassed their previous form in recent games, putting to shame Chelsea and Sunderland in previous cup ties. Parkinson is the first manager to take a fourth tier club to a major Wembley final when Bradford finished runners-up in the Football League Cup in 2013. Parkinson formerly with Southampton as a youth, signed for Bury in 1988 and joined Reading in July 1992, where played over 300 games; so he has left a bit of his heart in Berkshire.

He captained the Royals to a Second Division championship win in 2001-2, so found himself in his final playing season in the First Division, but he rarely played in the first team. In 2003 he bit the bullit and took up managing Colchester United, which resulted in 2005-6, with promotion to the Championship. He then had a go at Hull City, Charlton Athletic and finally came to rest at Bradford City where he has won promotion with a League Two Play Off win and the famed Wembley League Cup appearance. He has managed over 500 games with a win rate of about 38%.

In 1911 when Bradford City won the FA Cup at Old Trafford, after a draw with Newcastle United at the Crystal Palace, they were presented with the new FA Cup that had been made in Bradford by Messrs Fattorini and Sons, which served as the cup until 1991. Unbelieveable!! HERE IS THE TEAM WAITING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THEIR SILVER!

Ps see previous blog!

http://www.fattorini.co.uk/FA_Cup.aspx SEE WEBSITE!