I would like to start today by wishing you all a happy Christmas and the very best for the New Year. We extend our festive welcome to our visitors from Shrewsbury.
Our two clubs played here at a similar time last season and, whilst there were no goals in the game, it was an entertaining match. We hope for more of the same this afternoon, but with some goals this time. I am writing these notes ahead of the Bury game so I obviously don't know the outcome of that match, but today promises to be another tough test for us.
It is traditional at this time of year to look back at the highs and lows of the past 12 months. However, considering the way we allowed last season to slip away so disappointingly and the fact that we find ourselves in the bottom half of the table this time around, as well as being out of all three cup competitions, I think it is fair to say that 2009 was not a hugely successful year for the football club.
As the end of this week also marks the end of a decade, I thought it would be a good idea to review the highs and lows of the last ten years. Then again, having started the year 2000 in the Premier League before suffering a series of financial crises and three relegations, it's hard to take too many positives from that period either!
The main highlight from the last ten years is probably the fact that we have come through such a difficult time for the club with a phenomenal supporter base intact. When we initiated our campaign to bring affordable professional football to supporters about three years ago, it was only ever going to work if everyone got behind it. It is testimony to the ongoing success of the scheme that we can continue to offer cheap season tickets to our supporters, and I am delighted to report that sales in our festive offer are, as of December 18, around double what they were last year. It is clear that, despite being in the bottom half of the lowest tier of the Football League, there is still an appetite among people to come and watch us.
This bodes well for the future, as being able to count on a strong supporter base is one of the fundamental strengths of any football club. People say that events occur in cycles so perhaps the start of a new decade will herald a long overdue transformation in our fortunes, which would be just reward for our fans for their continued support.
Having said that, I am a firm believer in the old adage that you make your own luck. With the continued efforts of everybody concerned with the football club - including the fans of course - then I have to believe that better times are round the corner. I keep telling Mark things will eventually improve, but I'm not sure he believes me any more!
Despite all the challenges we have faced in the last ten years, it is important that we all remain positive about what the New Year will bring. I hope you have an enjoyable, prosperous and successful 2010 and that Bradford City is part of that success story.
Enjoy the game
Julian Rhodes
Joint chairman
