Richie Smallwood has stated that the decision to quit Bradford City was made by Graham Alexander and David Sharpe, the club’s head of football operations. Legends of Valley Parade were born during the 20224/25 campaign.
The team received their first promotion since 2013 owing to an Antoni Sarcevic deflection/Fleetwood Town own goal – that point is debatable – in the 96th minute of their season’s final match, which secured their promotion to League One.
They celebrated their accomplishment in the days that followed, but parties cannot last forever, and the pressing problem of next season’s roster quickly took precedence. The club reported that six players were being released at the conclusion of their contracts, while another five, including Smallwood, were still in talks.
On Monday, just under three weeks after the retained list was disclosed, Bradford announced that the captain and Player of the Season, who joined the club three years ago, will leave at the end of his contract.
Richie Smallwood provides clarity on the Bradford City exodus.
The Bantams made a contentious move, which the 34-year-old now admits was not his decision. According to the Telegraph & Argus, Smallwood intended to stay with Bradford for the next season and hoped to sign a two-year contract. However, the manager preferred the prospect of spending one more season with the midfielder, and no offer was ever made to Smallwood.
“I don’t have an actual answer as to why I’m not staying,” the former Bantams skipper told T&A. “I have no idea what happened, why the manager changed his mind, or how he arrived at this choice.
“We felt we’d done enough to earn another term, but despite some initial discussions, I was never offered another contract, which is what we don’t understand.
“There was no bargaining because there was nothing to bargain over, no figures or anything. Those early discussions focused on my current contract and its terms, but we believed I deserved another two-year contract.
“We weren’t dead set on that; we were willing to negotiate a one-year contract, which appeared to be all the manager was willing to provide. But that was great; I could have negotiated a one-year contract, but last Thursday, I received a message from Graham asking me to meet him later that day.
“That was it; that was when I was delivered the news, but prior to that day, we were waiting for a contract to be provided. “There were conversations about going to visit the owners about the budget, then about the contract length, with the club only prepared to negotiate a one-year deal, which we agreed to.
“I spoke with Sharpey myself and told him I was willing to negotiate a one-year contract; from there, I was waiting to hear back from the manager, as it appeared to be in his hands.”
But the next time I heard from him was that message and meeting last Thursday, when he told me he’d changed his mind.”
Bradford made a pretty daring decision on Richie Smallwood.
Smallwood was a vital component in Alexander’s promotion-winning machine. He started as a midfielder in 43 of the club’s 46 league games last season. Of course, the details matter, as they usually do in these types of discussions.
It’s unclear how much money he was earning or what he expected to be offered, which could have influenced Bradford’s choice.
Taking one of the key components of a great team will always be a dangerous action. It is now up to Alexander and those around him to find adequate replacements for Smallwood, both positionally and as leaders.
To be fair, they have already made a start on both fronts with the arrivals of midfielder Max Power from Danish side AGF, who will address the position, and Curtis Tilt from Salford City, who will handle the authority. Both signed two-year contracts.
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