One thing that has propelled the likes of Swindon Town and Exeter City to title pushes is the presence of a lethal forwardman, such as the likes of Jerry Yates, Eoin Doyle or Ryan Bowman who have all flourished this season in League Two.
This is something Bradford City have lacked this season following the departure of club captain James Vaughan in January, as the Bantams began to sink down the table to a lowly 9th position. Whilst Lee Novak has done his best to fill the shoes of Vaughan, the lack of a goal-scoring prowess at Valley Parade has damaged the 2019/20 outcome for Stuart McCall's City. But has this been a recurring theme in years?
Eoin Doyle- 11
The Irishman came into Valley Parade to rectify the sorrows of City fans who were left disappointed by Charlie Wyke's departure to Sunderland on the same day. A proven goal-scorer at League One level, Doyle had been smashing in the goals previously at Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield, but the out of favour Preston North End striker was pleased to get his move to Bradford in a highly publicised move. Unfortunately for Doyle, he received very little service from a dire midfield in a 2018/19 relegation campaign and was feeding off the scraps of Jack Payne and Lewis O'Brien. Despite the challenging circumstances he bagged himself a respectable eleven goals and prepared himself for the 2019/20 season at City but was converted by Gary Bowyer to an old fashioned trequartista throughout pre-season and even at the beginning of the league season. Now a somewhat outcast to the likes of Vaughan, Clayton Donaldson and Aramide Oteh, Doyle was sent on loan to fellow League Two side Swindon Town where he excelled. By December 2019, Doyle had become the first player in the top four tiers of English football to score in eleven consecutive matches since Jamie Vardy did it with Leicester City. At one point he was even the top scorer in all of Europe, but was recalled by City in January for a brief period before returning to Swindon on a permanent deal to continue his career with the Robins.
Charlie Wyke- 15
Wyke's transfer reminds me of what Kurtis Guthrie could be. A physical, dominant, young target man joining from a League Two side, Guthrie possesses the qualities of Wyke and has the potential to follow surely. Anyways, Wyke joined the club from Carlisle for an undisclosed fee on deadline day and was an instant hit, scoring 15 minutes into his debut against Gillingham in the limited edition City white kit. During his time in West Yorkshire, Wyke appeared in 56 games and bagged himself 22 goals, seven of them coming in the second half of the 2016/17 season and the rest in the 2017/18 season where he finished at the Bantams top scorr. He also memorably netted himself a hattrick live on Sky Sports in an emphatic 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers. However, possibly aware of the reckoning heading for Bradford from owner Edin Rahic, Wyke jumped ship for circa £400k to Sunderland as it was closer to home and they were in a better position than City. Unfortunately Wyke has failed to make a major impact at the Stadium of Light as of yet due to injury problems, which even delayed his first goal for the club by a month. In 48 games he has scored just nine goals for the Black Cats.
Jordy Hiwula- 12
The former England Under-19 international joined Bradford from fellow West Yorkshire side Huddersfield Town for a season-long loan, where he would contribute to the Bantams play-off challenge. He made 41 appearances that season out of the possible 46 league games, netting himself 12 goals in the season which was impressive to say he'd been operating as a striker or on the wing. His versatility was one of the main reasons he was so important to McCall's squad. Upon returning to newly Premier League side Huddersfield, he was instantly sent back away to League One side Fleetwood Town to function under Joey Barton for another season long loan. He also impressed again out on loan, making 43 appearances for the Cod Army and scored eight goals. The flared, silky attacker was the subject of interest from several clubs, including City, but opted to join Coventry City on a two year deal for an undisclosed fee where he has been a large reason for the Sky Blues title challenge, making 54 appearances since joining in 2018. He has scored 14 goals in the team.
James Hanson- 13
A Bradford City legend, Hanson went from stacking shelves at the co-op to scoring in front of 15,000 fans. In his eight years at the club, he made 283 appearances and scored an influential 77 goals, even winning the player of the season award in that time. In the 2015/16 season, when was City's top scorer, he missed out on a lengthy amount of football as he was replaced by Devante Cole and Steven Davies, but as Davies was injured he returned to the first team and fought for his place. He also scored his first professional hattrick in a 4-0 triumph over Walsall after spending over a month out of the squad. Hanson would eventually move on, joining promotion favourites Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee and even scored on his debut in a 4-0 thumping of AFC Wimbledon. Despite being linked with Bradford at the start of next season, McCall dismissed the rumours and would go on to play in the Championship for the Blades but proved not quite good enough and spent a loan spell at Bury FC, but failed to score in 17 appearances in Manchester. He was transfer listed at the end of the season by United, but chose to leave the club by mutual consent to force a move through to AFC Wimbledon. Injuries dampened his career in London, as he struggled to get the ball rolling for the original Dons before once again being linked back to City, yet this time it was Bowyer who denied a return. In June 2019 he dropped down a league for regular football at Grimsby Town on a two year contract. Just in August, he scored five and assisted three, earning himself the August Player of the Month award. He has scored nine goals in 29 games.
Billy Clarke- 14
William James Clarke (otherwise known as Billy) made over 100 appearances in his time for Bradford and became quite the stalwart in his tenure at the club. In his first season at the club, in 2014/15, Clarke disposed 14 goals in a season which saw Bradford overcome the likes of Chelsea and Reading and to lose out in the play-off semi-finals. Clarke left the club in 2017 to join London side Charlton Athletic, but suffered a serious knee injury which damaged his career at the Addicks. He was released at the end of the season and returned to City, to end the relegation season making fourteen additional appearances for the Bantams and nudge his appearance talley for Bradford to over 100, whilst also moving nearer to his family who had stayed in Bradford whilst he was at Charlton. Clarke was not retained at the end of the season and dropped down a league to Plymouth Argyle, but failed to adapt to his new Southern home and made just nine appearances before being released in December. Clarke quickly found himself a new team, joining Hanson at Ian Holloway's Grimsby on a six-month contract.
Nahki Wells- 15
The Bermudian forward earned his plaudits whilst at Bradford, having scored 18 goals in 2012/13 season before sniping himself another 15 one season later. Wells scored a quality 42 goals in 91 games before he was acquired by rivals Huddersfield Town on an undisclosed fee, committing his future to the club for the next four and a half years. At the end of his first season with the Terriers he was the club's top scorer with 14 at just the age of 24 and an instant fan favourite. Upon Town's surprise promotion to the Premier League, a windfall of £250k came to City as part of the Wells deal but he was sold to fellow Prem side Burnley for approximately £5m on deadline day, but never really got going at Turf Moor and failed to score in his first year at the club before he was shipped out on loan to Queens Park Rangers, where he would go onto flourish under the service of Ebere Eze in midfield, netting a combined 20 goals in 46 Championship appearances, in his one year extended loan deal. As his loan deal in London has come to the end and he has returned to Burnley, Bristol City have been quick to snap up the in demand striker and has already scored two goals in eight games.
2012/13- Nahki Wells- 18
2011/12- James Hanson- 14
Dave Syers- 10
Surprising to say he was a midfielder, Syers had only ever played for Yorkshire clubs when playing for Bradford in 2010 following a successful trial. Scoring 10 goals in the 2010/11 season, Syers signed a contract extension for the next season at Valley Parade, and he would go on to win the Players Player of the Season, but the actual Player of the Year award were cancelled as the board declared the season 'rubbish'. Syers left the club to join Doncaster Rovers and under Dean Saunders he went on to help Rovers win the League One title on the final day. Syers went onto join Scunthorpe United for originally a one month loan before being recalled and was linked with a return to City which was denied by the club and so he joined the Iron on a two year deal. He scored his first hattrick of his career in a 5-1 victory over Portsmouth, but the entirety of the 2014/15 season he was injured and was therefore released by Scunthorpe. It took the experienced midfielder a while to find himself a new club, but in January 2016 signed on the dotted line for Rochdale on a contract until the end of the season. Once he ran out of time at the Dale, Syers entered the latter stage of his career in non-league football, spending stints at Guiseley, Darlington and finally Farsley Celtic. I actually saw Syers score an impressive goal in Farsley's 5-0 demolition of Bradford Park Avenue, showing he still has it despite being 32.
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