On Parade with John Hendrie

Bradford City will be an attractive proposition for any players looking for a new club.

People may have looked at City in the past and thought: “Yeah, they’re a big fish in a small pond.”

But after the season we’ve just had, they are a club genuinely on the up.

On the financial side of it, I was led to believe that Phil Parkinson overspent a wee bit from the budget he was given at the start of last season.

A lot of eyebrows, for instance, were raised when Andrew Davies signed. Having played in the Premier League and the Championship, I don’t think many expected him to stay in League Two.

It was a gamble that’s been totally vindicated for Andrew.

And for Phil, the money generated by the cup run wiped out any debt and has given him a kitty to take into next year.

From that respect it’s all hunky dory – and even more so with the manager and his coaching staff signing for three years as well.

That gets rid of the “will he, won’t he” scenario and everyone knows where they stand.

I said all along that he would still be here next season. I’m not as cynical as some and I couldn’t see Phil leaving.

He just wanted to focus on the football and get the contract sorted at the end of the season. That certainly worked out for everyone.

Phil’s now made it clear that he’s here for the long term. It’s not as if he’s going to jump ship after six months and that’s another big plus for any players the club might be chasing.