From the crazy, wacky hairstyles of Jamie Lawrence to the dominating presence of David Wetherall, every Bradford City fan has that one player who has stood out more than any other for them during their time at Valley Parade.
My favourite player whom is likely to be many Bantams fans favourite is and always will be the legend himself, Dean Windass. For me Windass emphasised everything I loved to see in a footballer, desire, passion and the will to give a hundred percent every single game he played.
What a striker this lad was. Playing across two spells at Valley Parade, Windass made a total of 216 appearances for the Bantams and bagged himself 75 league goals in the process, many of them memorable goals like the one he scored with the outside of his foot at Anfield during the 1999-2000 season. The striker born in Hull in 1969 is still Bradford City’s third highest ever scorer behind fellow legends Bobby Campbell and Frank O’Rourke, a title he was desperate to take at City shown with his decision to stay initially in 2006 despite interest from various clubs higher up the English football pyramid.
Initially wearing the number 15 shirt during his first stint with the club, Windass joined the Bantams from Oxford United for an initial fee of £950,000 in March 1999 as Paul Jewell built a team capable of challenging for promotion from Division One. He helped the team to runners-up position in Division One that season meaning the Bantams gained promotion to the top division of English football for the first time in 77 years. During the summer, Windass decided against the idea to go on holiday and instead continued to train in preparation for his own first season in the top flight, a real show of commitment from the striker. During the 1999-2000 Premier League season Dean Windass would go on to make 40 top flight starts for the Bantams and would be top scorer for City with ten goals in all competitions including strikes against Liverpool, Arsenal, L***s and a hat trick against Derby County. The striker was the main attacking threat in our battle for Premier League survival during our first top-flight season.
Unfortunately our second season in the Premier League was to bring mixed fortunes for Windass. With Paul Jewell now gone and Hutchings in charge for a brief spell, Windass was now down the pecking order at Valley Parade after the big acquisitions of Benito Carbone and Ashley Ward and was as likely to feature in midfield as he was to play upfront, a position the forward was not too familiar with. In March 2001 the striker was sold to Middlesbrough in a deal worth around £600,000 however that was not to be the last time Windass would feature in the famous claret and amber of Bradford City.
Dean Windass returned to the club in July of 2003. The strikers second spell at Valley Parade was equally as successful on a personal scale to his first as Windass climbed to third on the list of all-time Bradford City scorers. Unlike in his first spell with the Bantams however City's fortunes both on and off the pitch were very poor leading to a mass exodus of players as the clubs wage budget tumbled following the highs of the Premier League back in 2001. During his second spell with City the club suffered relegation to Division Two. Windass himself offered Bantams fans hope however as during the 2004–05 season the talisman bagged 28 goals to become the top scorer across the whole Football League that season although the club could only finish in mid-table. The following season Windass added another 20 goals to his personal Bantams tally as City matched the previous season's 13th place finish in Division Two.
For me these were the times when Dean Windass became my favourite ever Bradford City player. Playing within a poor team, a team that was ever changing due to financial troubles and stipulations he never gave up and would always give 100% to the cause. His dedication to the Bantams was further seen when despite speculation about a return to hometown club Hull City, and repeated bids from then Premiership outfit Wigan Athletic now under the management of former manager Paul Jewell, in October of 2006 Windass instead signed a three-year extension to his Bradford City contract. His main desire to stay at Valley Parade was the ambition he possessed to score the 40 goals he then needed to become the club's all-time top scorer. Unfortunately for both player and fans this feat would never come true though.
Dean Windass finished with 75 league goals and 87 goals in total during his two separate spells with Bradford City, making a total of 216 appearances in the famous claret and amber. During his time at the club the forward really did epitomise everything a fan could want from a player at their football club. I’m grateful I was able to watch Windass play down at Valley Parade and I’m grateful for all the effort he put into his performances during his time with our club.
One situation that happened away from the club perhaps best sums up the type of person Dean Windass was and still is. After his strike in the Championship play-off final for Hull against Bristol City, Hull City Council were considering creating a permanent tribute to the striker but instead he replied: "Nah, I'm not a legend. I don't like that word. People fight for their country, there are soldiers in Iraq. I'm just a footballer who gets paid a lot of money to do what I enjoy.”
A true Bradford City legend.
Who was your favourite Bantam? Want to write a bit about them? Post in the comments box below if you would and we'll get back to you!
