On This Day – 12th March
It was on this day back at the start of the Millennium that goalkeepeing legend Neville Southall came in as emergency cover for Bradford City.
City were in their first season in the top division for 77 years (a full review of this season can be read here) and with a injury to regular goalkeeper Matt Clarke, goalkeeping coach Neville Southall stepped in to cover in the Yorkshire Derby with Leeds United.
Southall had put on a fair bit of weight in the years after he had retired from playing and took a fair amount of stick from the the Leeds fans.
One match report stated ‘I’m sure if he turned up on a Sunday morning for my team, we’d turn him away for being too fat’. It was a bit unfair on the Welshman but he took it well.
Michael Bridges scored twice for the visitors and although Peter Beagrie fired in from 25 yards, the Bantams couldn’t get a result to complete a fairytale comeback for Southall.
Despite the defeat, Bradford managed to stay up on the final day of the season as David Weatherall headed in a winner at home to Liverpool.
About Author
