"Hit it," I, along with thousands of other manic City fans, pleaded at the top of my lungs.
He obliged. With his weaker right foot, James Hanson smashed the loose ball into the corner of the goal from 18 yards to send us 2-0 up in the second leg of the playoffs at Burton. Turnaround on. Bedlam.
"Get on it," we all cried as Gary Jones' corner whistled with purpose into the Villa area.
He obliged. Shrugging off his marker with consummate ease, he powered a header past Shay Given to reignite our once far-fetched and crazy dream of reaching a major cup final.
"Oh my god, no way" I shrieked as Gary Liddle's cross made its way into the Leeds United box in front of a fevered Kop.
Yes way. He obliged. Stooping to nod us in front against our friends from down the road, he almost took the roof off the stadium and the hairs off the back of my neck. 0-1 to 2-1 in seconds against Leeds United - and scoring the winner to boot - boyhood dreams.
He obliged all right. James Hanson obliged many times for Bradford City. He obliged 91 times, one might argue, although the way he put his body on the line every game you'd have to multiply that by some to get closer to a true figure.
He obliged all right, yet for some he wasn't worth celebrating. Slow. Wooden. Off target. Carthorse. 50p head. We all know the descriptions.
Truth is, James Hanson is far from perfect and, like any player, should not be immune from criticism. He is a player with limitations for sure. He isn't silky. He isn't one for the purists. His movement can lack the guile of other top strikers. He misses chances, and was never a Campbell or a Mills in terms of sheer killer instinct in front of goal for us. For a number 9, that lack of a consistent goal threat fostered a sense of frustration that I'd say was fair. We want goals from our front men after all.
However, that frustration grew to unfair proportions from many quarters. It became almost fashionable to have a go at Hanson. A victim of his own success that hasn't met heightened expectations? Perhaps, but given the criticism of many you wouldn't think he's been anything like a success in the first place.
That, for me, is harsh. James Hanson is the lad from Bradford who lived out many of our dreams, doing things in a City shirt we didn't dream of watching, never mind actually doing. We all know his story. That, his sheer honesty in a City shirt, and his central role in some of the sweetest memories I've ever experienced following this club means he will always have my utmost respect. I don't know why he wouldn't.
So farewell Big Jim. It is me that is obliged. Obliged to say thank you. And obliged to say, don't start getting all prolific now that you've gone to South Yorkshire.
