Bradford City

Bradford City manager Graham Alexander has bemoaned the timekeeping during his side's 1-1 draw with Mansfield Town on Tuesday.

"When they scored the goal it became a carbon copy of the Wigan game where the opposition sat in and took an age to do anything," Alexander told BBC Radio Leeds.

"We keep getting told that this will be eradicated, that the time will be added on, but this is not what I'm seeing."

The Bantams boss witnessed Mansfield manager Nigel Clough having "a word with the referee before the game about timekeeping. From what I saw in the 90 minutes, I don't know if it [maybe] affected the referee in some capacity".

"We get these directives in the summer about how the game's going to change - it's a load of rubbish," Alexander added.

Despite his issues with the officiating, Alexander acknowledged City dropped two points against a side 15th in League One with just one league win in 12.

"I think we should win the game. I think the goal we concede is a scruffy goal but we lose a couple of duels we shouldn't," he said.

"We lost too many loose-ball duels in the first half. We should be competing better and I thought second half we did."

Alexander made an early attacking change after naming an unchanged side for the second game running, bringing striker Will Swan on for Ethan Wheatley at half-time.

Striker Wheatley is yet to score for Bradford City in 10 appearances.

"I felt that Ethan ran his legs off in the last few games and we wanted to get the press right. I thought we were a bit blunt in the box when balls were coming in," Alexander explained.

"I just don't think we were aggressive enough and I think Swanny has great movement in the box."

Listen to the full interview with Graham Alexander and more Bantams on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.

Image source, Getty Images

Bradford City manager Graham Alexander says he needs to find a lasting solution to his side's faltering away form if the Bantams are stay in the promotion hunt.

The West Yorkshire side are fourth in League One, level on points with third-placed Bolton and firmly in the play-off picture.

But with just one win in their past seven road trips, the gap between them and automatic promotion has stretched to 10 points with 13 games remaining.

Alexander, who takes his side to seventh-placed Reading this weekend, says he and his backroom staff are leaving no stone unturned as they seek a remedy for their poor away record.

And he insists admitting there is a problem is a first step to turning things around.

"It is important for us to not pretend it isn't happening or that it's just the norm, we have to take it on board," he told BBC Radio Leeds.

"If we can maintain our home form then great but the challenge is to improve our away form and away performance.

"First you have to identify the issue and second, you have to find a solution. We are going through it and we have got some ideas.

"We need to change the mindset of the players but I can assure everybody we haven't just given up on our away form."

Image source, Getty Images

Thursday marks the 15-year anniversary of the death of former Wolves,Southampton and Tottenham defender Dean Richards.

Richards died on 26 February, 2011, aged 36, following a long illness. He had been forced to retire six years earlier because of ill health.

Richards, a cultured centre-back, began his career with his hometown club Bradford City before joining Wolves for a club-record fee in 1995.

After a four-year spell at Molineux, he moved to Southampton in 1999 and then Spurs in 2001.

A week after his death, Wolves and Tottenham met in a Premier League fixture at Molineux.

His widow and two sons, as well as representatives from his four former clubs, were present as the football world paid tribute to a player affectionately known as "Deano".

Image source, Corbis via Getty Images

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."