City fans must wonder what they have done to deserve their second goalkeeping crisis in just four seasons.

In a typical season, most clubs will have to call on a maximum of two goalkeepers with last weekend's opponents Leeds having the benefit of Nigel Martyn being an ever-present this season.

In contrast, Neville Southall became the fourth goalkeeper to appear for City this

season with two, Gary Walsh and Matt Clarke, ruled out through injury while another, Aidan Davison, initially turned down a permanent transfer before having a change of heart.

The 31-year-old is undergoing a medical today and looks set to finally put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

City had been discussing a possible move with another goalkeeper, believed to be Bayern Munich's Sven Scheuer.

However, Davison's dramatic U-turn means City's record of fielding five goalkeepers in the 1996-97 season is likely to stand.

In that ultimately successful campaign against relegation under Chris Kamara, Jonathan Gould made nine appearances, Ben Roberts two, Eric Nixon 12 and Mark Schwarzer 13 before Davison appeared in the final ten games.

City fans arriving at Valley Parade before the Leeds game were stunned to hear that Southall would be

making his debut.

Clarke, who had been expected to play, had fallen down stairs the previous evening which aggravated the knee injury which had ruled him out for the previous two months.

It was a shocking piece of misfortune for a side which had already been without Clarke and Walsh for long periods of the season.

The late collapse of the Davison deal on Thursday also hit the club hard because Richmond was very

confident the previous evening that he would become a City player.

However, the Bantams will not be caught out again thanks to Davison's U-turn.

The most ironic fact in the whole saga is that City have two of the best goalkeepers in their history with both Walsh and Clarke in superb form when in possession of the jersey.

Several fans are adamant that Davison would have been able to prevent City slipping to defeat against Leeds last weekend but, in truth, we will never know.

However, after finally agreeing to move to Valley Parade, the Northern Ireland goal- keeper will now be doubly determined to play his part in ensuring that City win their battle for Premiership survival this season.

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