The January transfer window is one of the best times of the year.
Whilst the weather might be cold and most people try and quickly give up their new years resolutions, for football fans its different. It's action-packed, demanding and tense as fans wait to see who comes through the door at their beloved club. They know what's needed from the first half of the season, but is it what they'll get?
The likes of Wilfried Zaha, Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez have all been good examples of January deadline day signings going right, but then there are the likes of Benjani Mwaruwari to Manchester City, Fernando Torres to Chelsea and Xisco to Newcastle United which didn't work out in the same manner; it's very temperamental.
In the past January window, League Two side Bradford City brought in the strike duo of Lee Novak and Kurtis Guthrie to replace the outgoing Eoin Doyle and James Vaughan, but neither have really been given the time to show their talents, but where are the other last seven January deadline day signings City have endured over the past seasons?
Billy Clarke- Grimsby Town
In an absolutely dire season which saw the Bantams relegated at the foot of the table, the signs were there in January that things would be sour by the end of the 2018/19 season. With club record signing David Hopkin at the helm, he attempted to restore the parity of the club and get the fans back on his side with the welcoming of stalwart Billy Clarke, who had previously been at the club between 2014 to 2017. Clarke failed to turn things around at Valley Parade in his second stint, scoring one goal as a trequartista in his fourteen additional games at the club. Despite split opinions from fans, Clarke was not offered a new contract at the end of the season and went on to join Plymouth Argyle in Devon on a short term contract. However, he was never really given a chance in Plymouth and made just nine appearances before leaving the Pilgrims to join the Ian Holloway job going on at Grimsby Town. Partnered alongside fellow City legend James Hanson, Clarke has made 13 appearances in his short time at the Mariners and has scored two goals.
Jacob Butterfield- Luton Town
Bradford-born Butterfield returned to his hometown club after failing to make an impact at Championship side Derby County to try and help the Bantams stabilise and stay up in League One. However, Butterfield had a mixed stint in West Yorkshire, sometimes disappearing in games or other times controlling the midfield alongside Jack Payne and Lewis O'Brien. He made fifteen appearances at Bradford and scored just one goal, but it was a great goal in Gary Bowyer's first game managing the club. After Derby mutually agreed to terminate his contract, Butterfield was a free agent at the end of the season and quickly found himself a deal at newly promoted Luton Town, however the length of his contract was never disclosed. In his first year at Kenilworth Road, Butterfield has made 14 appearances and scored just one goal in a poor season for the Hatters.
Jacob Hanson- FC Halifax Town
One touted a big future star, Hanson, who is actually a right-back that started off his career as a striker, was quite the prospect when joining Bradford from local rivals Huddersfield Town, having been at the Terriers since he was just thirteen years old. He joined the Bantams for an undisclosed fee with future add-ons, and found himself as a young back-up to Tony McMahon and Stephen Darby in the 2016/17 season. Hanson made his debut in an Checkatrade Trophy tie against Chesterfield and even got his first goal for the club on that day in a 4-2 win at the Proact Stadium, where he played so well that he was shortlisted as the Player of the Round by the Checkatrade Trophy. After just three appearances for City he spent the 2018/19 loan spell at Halifax Town, where he impressed so much in 27 games that he opted to join the club on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.
Charlie Wyke- Sunderland
As the legend James Hanson had left the club to join Sheffield United in their rise to fame, the number nine vacancy at Valley Parade was open. Up stepped Carlisle United striker Charlie Wyke, who fulfilled the big target man agenda Stuart McCall was wanting and so he joined for an undisclosed fee. Wyke instantly made an impact, scoring fifteen minutes into his debut in a 2-2 draw against Gillingham, where City wore the limited edition white kit featuring its own fans names. Wyke would go on to make memories at Valley Parade, grabbing a brace in a 2-2 draw against high-flying Bolton, and clinching himself a hat-trick live on Sky Sports in Bradford's 3-1 victory over Bristol Rovers, who became quite the bogey team for Wyke. After an impressive 56 appearances and 22 goals, the fan favourite left Valley Parade to move closer to home with Sunderland, as his family supposedly live up by Middlesborough, but was instantly replaced by Eoin Doyle, and we all know how that turned out. Whilst in Sunderland Wyke has failed to really flourish, dealing with injuries has limited his game time but in the 48 appearances he has made he has scored nine goals.
Kevin Toner- Kilmore Celtic
A signing to provide back-up for Rory McArdle, Romain Vincelot and Nathaniel Knight-Percival, Toner joined the club for the remainder of the season from Aston Villa. He made just two appearances at Valley Parade but did manage to score from centre-back live on Sky Sports in a 3-2 defeat to Scunthorpe United. His next appearance wouldn't come until the last day of the season, and he played out of position in left-back against Rochdale in a weakened City side to avoid injury for the upcoming play-offs. Upon returning to his parent club, Toner was shipped back out on loan but this time down a league to Stevenage in League Two in the hopes of finding more game time, which he marginally did. In his first full start for the club at centre-back he conceded six goals in a 6-2 defeat to Oxford United, which did not give the fans confidence in their new signing, but by the end of his loan spell he had made just nine appearances for the Boro. Once returning to the Villains, it was announced that Toner would immediately leave to return to his home country of Ireland to feature for St. Patrick's Athletic, where he signed a two year contract. In his time at Richmond Park Toner made 56 appearances and impressively scored seven goals, but even featured in the Europa League for the Pats against Swedish side IFK Norrkoping, where they lost home and away to the Snoka's. He wouldn't fulfil his contract at St. Pats however, as he announced on Instagram following a fall out with manager Stephen O'Donnell that he would be departing the club. Toner now plays in the Irish non-league for Kilmore Celtic in the Leinster Senior League.
Matthew Penney- FC St. Pauli
On the 30th of April 2017, McCall gave his senior debut to left-back Matt Penney who had joined the club on loan from Sheffield Wednesday to supply back-up to James Meredith. It would be Penney's only appearance for City before returning to Wednesday and so he has become quite the forgotten man, but he's gone on to much greater stuff. At the end of the 2016/17 season, Penney was sent back out on loan but this time to League Two side Mansfield Town where he made just two appearances throughout the entire season in another lacklustre campaign for the out-of-favour defender. However, this changed upon returning to South Yorkshire, as Penney fought for his place in the 2018/19 Championship season at left-back against Morgan Fox to start for the Owls and managed to make 16 appearances across the season, meaning he must've been putting his all into training to earn a chance under Jos Luhukay and then Steve Bruce. Penney was once again sent out on loan by new boss Gary Monk, as the defender, who was being converted into a winger, was sent on loan to German second division side St. Pauli, where has made 12 appearances and scored one goal in front of one of the most vicious and committed crowds in German football.
Jamie Proctor- AFC Fylde
As Devante Cole left the club to join Fleetwood Town for £75k, City welcomed Fleetwood striker Jamie Proctor to Valley Parade as a swap deal for the controversial Cole. Proctor had an instant impact at City, scoring 5 goals in his 18 games for the club, one included in the play-off semi-final against Millwall, before leaving at the end of the season on a free transfer to Bolton Wanderers. However he scored just one goal for the Trotters in an EFL Cup tie on his debut, but was never clinical in the league and gained promotion with Bolton after making 21 appearances for the Whites. He did spent the latter stages of his time with Bolton at Carlisle United in League Two, where he scored just one goal in seventeen games before returning to his parent club. Strangely enough however, Proctor was nabbed by Rotherham United for an undisclosed fee on a two year deal. However in his two years with the club he only made 23 appearances and scored just two goals for the Millers, as he spent a loan spell at Scunthorpe United in League Two which did not work out, and so he opted to join non-league strugglers AFC Fylde in their bid for survival.
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