Future secured; now for the manager

So Bradford City are to stay at Valley Parade after all. There were many fans who believed the threats to leave our home were little more than threats, a bit of sabre-rattling and negotiating through the press. However, there was a real danger of leaving behind Valley Parade - the Bulls, the council and importantly the Football League were all engaged in some way.

While it is only correct for the board to try and negotiate the best deal for City, and they should be applauded for trying to improve our financial situation or even underwrite our future, it has felt unnerving to see this played out in the press. It's not like City have 60,000 fans on a shortlist for a stadium which is far too small. Great grounds of English football, like Highbury, Maine Road, Anfield, all have their price. But Valley Parade's is one steeped in history and emotion, and it's perhaps even been immoral to play this game of high-stakes poker to the full view of the world. The club's very soul is embedded in the ground.

The terms of the deal which have led to City's future at Valley Parade being secure remain unclear. While, City initially pleaded poverty in a bid to reduce the rental agreement on the ground, the solution has been to buy back the offices. We've simply swapped one landlord for another and now further indebted to three chairmen - Gordon Gibb, Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes - through a whole array of negotiations; loans, rental agreements, personal guarantees.

The stories have not gone unnoticed throughout the world of football. They potentially threatened our end of season form and turned a tiny threat of relegation into a battle. And they have certainly put off potential successors to Peter Taylor. Having signed one coveted striker though, in Ross Hannah, it's clear there are individuals who believe in the club's future.

Now it is up to the board to appoint the right permanent manager. There are good candidates, average candidates and poor candidates. This blog continues to nail its colours to John Coleman's mast. He has done a tremendous job at Accrington Stanley with limited resources and has huge potential. But whoever that man eventually is needs to be given full backing, time and resources to get the job done and done right.