Carrying on with the season prediction posts today we have the FASWL predictions, this post was actually written before the season begun on the 5th of September so these predictions were made before the season actually kicked off therefore is not dependant on any results that may have already happened. Remember these predictions are just my personal opinion, you may have different ones but this post is what I personally think. 

Chelsea

Manchester City 

Arsenal

Manchester United 

Everton 

West Ham

Reading

Tottenham

Birmingham

Brighton

Bristol 

Aston Villa 

Honestly thinking of the final positions of teams for this season was actually quite difficult as each team has actually strengthened their team but honestly I think even though Manchester City & Arsenal have brought in some absolutely fantastic players I think Chelsea might just end up topping the league as they have brought in some absolutely fantastic players that are just going to pip those other teams to the top spot. If Harder, Kerr and England could all play together they could run away with the league. I think Manchester United & Everton could easily be breathing down the necks of the top 3 as their new signings have been fantastic and if the teams gel together they are certainly going to put up a fight.

In terms of the opposite end of the table I honestly couldn't decide who was going to finish where however, I do think it is going to be tight down there and every point is going to end up counting towards survival. I do think though it could be Villa & Bristol down there in the bottom 2, I just think Villa might struggle for their first season and that Bristol just don't seem to have brought in enough to keep them as competitive as the rest of the league. 

Just like with the other predictions I have made recently we will check back in on these predictions in January and at the end of the season. Who do you think are going to be top 3 and bottom 3 this season?

The new FAWNL kicks off on the 20th September and once again I will be following this league closely. Last season was my first season properly watching the FAWNL and unfortunately it was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the season was cut short I really enjoyed going and watching a different league and seeing different teams even though the season wasn't going too well for Bradford. The season brought some great opportunities for me and really opened my eyes to life away from top flight women's football, that is why I will be following it closely once again. 

The league I follow is Division 1 North due to my favourites, Bradford City Women being in this league as well as local team Brighouse Town Women. I may follow Bradford as my main team however, I certainly keep a close eye on Brighouse too as they aren't too far away from me and they play some brilliant football. 

Where as Bradford seemed to struggle last season Brighouse were definitely flying high and could have easily topped the league if it hadn't ended so abruptly. Bradford however, were saved from the abrupt ending and thanks to there being no relegation they live to see Division 1 North for another season. 

When you look at Bradford towards the end of last season they were really starting to make some progress on field with the appointment of Chris Hame's as the new manager but unfortunately that ground to a halt with the cancellation of the season. In the off season though they have rebuilt, retained some great players & brought in some new to strengthen the squad and fingers crossed Chris can build on the progress he made at the end of last season and that City are going to get off to a good start and keep building momentum to have a much stronger season and avoid relegation. 

Brighouse where the total opposite to Bradford last season and were doing absolutely fantastic and could have honestly pushed to win the league if the season hadn't ended as it did. Again though they have moved on in the off season and although they have lost a few players they have retained some fantastic names and brought in some other fantastic players who are just going to add strength and depth to the squad. I think Brighouse are definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with and are going to be challenging for that top spot again and looking at the potential of the squad they could quite possibly make it. 

Both teams have really built up their squads and have been working hard in the off season and I think both teams can do really well this upcoming season. Fingers crossed Bradford become at least a mid table team this season as I do believe they have the potential to finish there. I really think we will see Brighouse challenging that top 2 spot this coming season too 

Although this isn't like my other predictions posts we will check back on Bradford and Brighouse's progress in January and then again at the end of the season.

How well do you think either of these teams are going to do?

So following on from my League 2 predictions today we have my Premier League predictions. The Premier League is a league I follow closely due to my love for Manchester United, they have always been a team I have followed very closely and I would go as far as saying they are my 2nd team I follow them that much. Granted they haven't been doing that well lately but who knows this season might give them a bit more luck. 

The Premier League is full of exceptional talent and when it comes to predicting the league it is actually quite difficult as each team has different stand out points. However here is what I think the league is going to look like come the end of the season, again just remember these are just my personal opinions, everyone is going to have different opinions.

Manchester City

Liverpool 

Chelsea

Manchester United

Arsenal

Tottenham

Leicester

Wolves

Everton

Newcastle 

Sheffield United 

Burnley 

Brighton 

Crystal Palace

Leeds

West ham 

Southampton 

Fulham

West Brom

Aston Villa 

It really was difficult to come up with these predictions as to be honest a lot of teams have really been building up their squads in the off season, especially Chelsea which is why I think they could end up in the top 3 if those new signings really gel together. Similarly I think if the new signings for Leeds actually link up well together they could end up staying in the league at the end of the season as they really haven't held back when it comes to strengthening the team. When it comes to the bottom of the table this really was the hardest as I just can't work out how it is going to go, I really do think it could be a tight season at both ends of the table. 

Again I will do a follow up post on these predictions in January and then again at the end of the season. But who do you think are going to make up the top and bottom 3? 

As the new seasons approach I will be doing prediction posts for those leagues I watch regularly and follow the most. This is just a personal opinion based on what I have seen previously, heard about in preseason you will all have your own opinions but the blog posts over the next few weeks will show mine. We will do a check in on these at the start of January and then again at the end of the season. To kick off this little prediction series we are going to be looking at how I think League 2 is going to play out. 

As a Bradford fan of course I am going following this league closer than others as it is where my team play, it is also the league I watched most last season (when it was being played). Unfortunately last season McCall didn't really have the time with the club last season due to it ending early but I think he could have really made a difference to the squad and got us back to winning ways. We have Barrow and Harrogate who were promoted up into the league with it being Harrogate's first time it is going to be intesting to see how they do. Then we have Bolton, Southend and Tranmere who were all relegated from League One, could they bounce back or are they going to stay in League 2 a little longer? Bolton have really suffered thanks to financial issues lately but can they get back on track? 

So here is how I think the league is going to finish? 

Bolton

Southend 

Bradford City 

Forest Green Rovers

Tranmere  

Exeter

Cheltenham

Scunthorpe

Leyton Orient

Salford

Oldham

Port Vale 

Newport

Crawley 

Grimsby 

Walsall 

Mansfield 

Carlisle

Colchester

Stevenage 

Cambridge 

Morecambe

Harrogate 

Barrow 

I really do think Bolton have the ability to bounce straight back up and win the league if the signings they have brought in can gel together quickly. I also think Bradford can really push for promotion with McCall in charge as we know he can get the best out of players plus the pre-season vs Huddersfield showed we had really strengthened during the off season. In terms of the bottom of the table I just think Harrogate & Barrow may struggle in the league especially coming off the back of not playing regular football before preseason, I really hope I am wrong on this one though as they are teams with quite a bit of potential. 

So there you have it that is my league 2 prediction. Who do you think will make up the top and bottom 3? 

City Women vs Doncaster Belles friendly at the Mitton Group Stadium and it certainly didn't disappoint. It seems like the off season and some work on the pitch have really improved it's condition since the end of the last season when games were constantly being postponed due to the weather and pitch conditions. It was nice to see plenty of fans in the ground too with Doncaster bringing plenty of fans with them. 

Doncaster were the first out of the block's from kick off however Richard's was on hand to deny them taking the lead. Doncaster did take the lead in the 7th minute though with a nicely worked goal. It didn't take much longer for them to double their lead either as by the 12th minute they were 2-0 up after what looked like a scrappy corner was turned home. 

City came close to pulling a goal back in the 39th minute but unfortunately Harriet Jakeman's shot was saved brilliantly by the Belle's 'keeper. City did manage to pull a goal back to go into half time at 2-1 to Doncaster. City's goal didn't disappoint either as it was a fantastic strike from Keegan Lambert which found it's way through the Belle's 'keepers legs and into the back of the next. It was certainly a strong 1st half from both sides with the Belle's coming out on top. 

In the 2nd half there wasn't too much action to report on with both sides battling it out in the midfield trying to get another goal on the board. Unfortunately for Bradford it was Doncaster that found a breakthrough and got their 3rd after a fantastic free kick curled it's way into the back of the goal. 

The game finished with the Belle's winning 3-1 but there were definitely some positives from the game for Bradford to take away. City certainly seemed a lot stronger and a lot more physical than last season so it just goes to show how much work they have put in during the off season, they were winning more battles for the ball due to this which will definitely help them during the new season. 

City were also moving the ball around much better and getting into some good positions thanks to this however, there will still a few wayward passes in the mix that lost them possession there was a lot less than previous games. City still seemed to struggle in the final 3rd again with players often having a lack of support after a break and having to go backwards or give the ball away. If they had a little support then they will certainly have had a lot more chances and possibly a few more goals. 

Doncaster did really well pressing and putting pressure on City which gave them some great opportunities and they played extremely well for the full 90 minutes, I think if they play like this for the full season they could end up doing really well. They were getting in around the back of the City defence a little too easily which put them in some great positions however, City 'keeper Richard's made some fantastic saves to keep City in it. City did also make some good interceptions throughout the game to deny some Doncaster chance and also create their own however, not much seemed to come from this due to the lack of support in the final 3rd. 

There has definitely been some great improvement from Bradford during the off season and they did look a lot better than the end of last season and a lot stronger. I really think if they play like this against teams in their own league they are really going to be able to hold their own and do well in the league.

Roll on the 20th September for the start of the FAWNL.

Following on from last week's look at the Bradford City 2020/21 home shirt today we are going to take a look at the Bradford City 2020/21 away shirt which to be quite honest with you I prefer over the home shirt as Avec have gone for one of my favourite City away shirt colourways. The shirt is in the Barcelona style navy clue and claret which I absolutely love and have loved when we have had it in previous year. I love how this seasons shirt features fading claret stripes as it just makes it a little different from previous. 

Similarly to the home shirt the away shirt also features the overlapping V neck collar which doesn't actually look V neck. You also have the cuffed ribbed sleeves similal to the home shirt and I love how they haven't put these in claret but have kept them in the navy blue that flows with the shirt a lot better. 

The sleeves also have the Avec taping just like the home shirt but this time in white. The taping just adds a little something extra to the shirt and stands out without taking over the shirt. It is different to what we have had in previous years but again it fits in without looking out of place. 

Again this shirt is a lightweight, interlock polyester that is designed to keep you dry and comfortable which if is like last year as I said with the home shirt this is going to be spot on as I actually prefer the comfort of the Avec shirt compared to some of the bigger branded football shirts. This is another shirt with the side mesh panel are again something that I always welcome to shirts as if I am wearing these to work out in I like that extra air flow. 

Just like the home shirt the JCT600 and Mitton group logos take centre stage in the white so they stand out but don't take away from the design of the overall shirt and the white just flows with the rest of the design. You also have the club badge, one star and Avec logo on the front with the traditional black ribbon on the back to pay tribute to the victims of the Valley Parade fire disaster. 

To finish off this kit the team will be playing in blue shorts & socks with the claret & white trim which all flows well with the design not like some kits where nothing matches and they look out of place. 

What I loved most about this launch though was how Bradford actually got their women's team involved. It was great to see Katy Woodcock & Maisie Norde in the images along side men's team players Richards-Everton, Callum Cooke & Connor Wood. I always love to see the male and female sides linking up together, I just hope there are more things like this in the future as the women's team can definitely benefit from it in the long run.  

If you are looking to pick up this shirt it will cost you £49.95 for the adults, £45 for the youth, £37.50 for the juniors and £26 for the Infants which comes with shorts.

Out of the shirts we have seen so far from Bradford I think I do prefer the away to the home shirt just because it is in the navy and claret colour. Which do you prefer?