David Wetherall

David Wetherall (born 14 March 1971 in Sheffield) is a former English central defender who finished his playing career with Bradford City at the end of the 2007–08 season. He also served as the club's caretaker manager for three months in 2007. He supported Leeds United and started his playing career there, playing more than 200 games before he moved to Bradford City. He is now part of the club's coaching setup.

Playing career

Trainee

Wetherall began his career in 1989 with Sheffield Wednesday. He was studying for a Chemistry degree at the city's university and he represented Great Britain in the 1991 World Student Games—the football section was staged at venues around the region, including Valley Parade. He gained a first class honours degree in chemistry in 1992.

Leeds United

He moved to Leeds United on 15 July 1991 for £125,000. He made his debut against Arsenal on 24 February 1993 but it was not until the 1994–95 that he became a regular in the Leeds team.

Wetherall played in the game when against arch-rivals Manchester United in 1997 when Roy Keane badly injured his knee. Keane later took revenge on Alf Inge Haaland during a Manchester derby and said to him as he lay on the ground: "And don't ever stand over me again sneering about fake injuries, and tell your pal (David) Wetherall there's some for him as well.

David Wetherall will always be remembered fondly by Leeds fans in particular because he twiced scored against Manchester United, first in 1994 in a 2–1 win, and then the only goal in 1–0 in 1997.

He played more than 200 league games for Leeds scoring 12 goals. In total he appeared in 250 games.

Bradford City

After more than 200 league games in eight seasons at Leeds United, Wetherall left on 30 June 1999 to join West Yorkshire rivals Bradford City, who paid a club record £1.4 million. Aged 28, he was signed to give experience to a Bradford side who had just been promoted to the Premiership. Manager Paul Jewell had made a number of signings aged over 30, prompting journalists to call his team "Dad's Army". Bradford won their first game 1–0 with a last minute goal at Middlesbrough scored by Dean Saunders who started a celebration pouring scorn at the club's cynics. Wetherall's first goal for Bradford was in a League Cup game at Reading before he scored again in the following round as City were knocked out by Barnsley. His first league goal came in a 2–0 win against Newcastle United on 18 December 1999. Wetherall missed only two cups game for City during his first season, and was the only player in the Premiership to have played every minute of the league season. His partnership with the emerging Andy O'Brien in central defence was the front line in City's survival attempt. But City went into the final game of the season facing possible relegation. After only 12 minutes of their final game with Liverpool, Wetherall headed home a Gunnar Halle free-kick. City held on for a 1–0 win and with Wimbledon's defeat at Southampton, Bradford stayed up with a then record low of 36 points.

The 2000–01 season started early for Bradford after chairman Geoffrey Richmond decided to enter the Intertoto Cup. Wetherall did not play in the team's first game away at FK Atlantas, and after playing in the second leg and the two third round games, he missed the semi-final with Zenit St Petersburg because of an ankle injury. City subsequently lost both legs. Wetherall started the league season but after playing all 52 league games since joining Bradford without leaving the field, Wetherall limped off before half-time during a 2–0 defeat to their nearest rivals Derby County in November 2000. Days after new manager Jim Jefferies took over, Wetherall was ruled out until the following February following a groin operation. His first game back was on 24 February 2001 as City lost 2–1 to West Ham United. His return to league action lasted just four games when he was ruled out for the rest of the season after scoring in a 2–2 draw with Newcastle United. Bradford lost their Premiership status a month later after losing 2–1 at Everton.

Wetherall's start to the 2001–02 season was hampered by a groin injury and his first full game of the campaign came on 14 September 2001 when he scored in a 5–1 Division One victory over Gillingham, which put Bradford second in the table. A groin injury again kept Wetherall out of the side for nearly five months, during which time he was linked with moves back to the Premiership at either Southampton or Manchester City, but he opted to stay at Valley Parade. He returned from injury for a reserve game in March after four months out with just over two months of the season left. He returned to the side against Burnley in a game noted for Paul Gascoigne's debut for Burnley, and scored in his next game as Bradford eased any relegation worries by defeating Crewe Alexandra 2–0. He played in the club's final seven games and was named club captain for the following season after Stuart McCall left the club.

Wetherall was one of 19 senior first-team players to be laid off by chairman Geoffrey Richmond in May 2002, after the club were put into administration and the players unpaid since April. The players then went on strike before a pre-season friendly at Hull City even though Wetherall, as the club's PFA representative denied the move would happen, before the club was saved, and players reinstated. Wetherall played in the club's opening game of the season as Bradford drew 0–0 with Wolverhampton Wanderers live on television, but was again ruled out through an injury, this time to his hip. A planned comeback was put off five weeks later, before he sought the advice of a specialist in Denmark. After sitting out another three months through injury, Wetherall made his return as a substitute against Gillingham in December 2002 but was again injured in a reserve team comeback three days later. He again returned in February 2003 against Coventry City and played 15 games during the final three months of the season.

Wetherall kept off his injury problems and played in the first 15 games of the 2003–04 season, but was ruled out for two months after suffering medial ligament damage, following a knee injury sustained during the club's 1–0 defeat to Watford. He returned on 28 December 2003 in a 1–0 victory which gave Bradford their first win in six games. His return to the defence added a second successive clean sheet. The revival in form was short-lived and despite Wetherall missing just one more game, when he sustained a calf injury, Bradford were threatened with another relegation. Wetherall scored a header against Reading in a 2–1 win and gave Bradford a "slim chance" of avoiding relegation, only for that to be confirmed two weeks later after a 3–2 defeat to Wimbledon.

Despite the club's relegation to League One and another spell in administration, Wetherall turned down a move away from Bradford City after snubbing Coventry City during the 2004 summer. In October 2004, Wetherall and fellow veteran player Dean Windass both signed year's extensions to their contracts, with Wetherall's keeping him at City until the end of the 2007–08 season. He also put his injury problems to one side for the 2004–05 season and missed just one league game – a 1–1 draw with Walsall in February when he was ruled out because of suspension ending his run of 42 consecutive games. Bradford manager Colin Todd had identified Wetherall as a key player for the season, but despite scoring four goals and striker Dean Windass' 27 goals earning him the league's top scorer's crown, Bradford could only finish 11th.

In October 2006, days after playing his 250th game for Bradford, he signed a new deal keeping him at the club until 2010 with a clause allowing him to move into a coaching role when his playing career ended or continue playing beyond 2010.

He received the first red card of his career in a 2–2 draw with Cheltenham Town on 30 December 2006 for two bookable offences.

When he took as Bradford caretaker manager Wetherall stepped down as captain and instead handed the armband to centre back partner Mark Bower. But when Stuart McCall was appointed the new manager in June 2007, Wetherall was reinstated as club captain for the 2007–08 season. On 20 February 2008 he announced the 2007–08 would be his last as a player, although Bradford City would keep his registration, and instead he would join the club's coaching staff. Bradford fans held a special day to celebrate Wetherall's career, when they took banners and wore fancy dress and laboratory coats during the club's 1–1 draw with Rotherham United on 22 March 2008. In his penultimate month as a footballer, Wetherall was also named the League Two fans' player of the month by the Professional Footballers Association. He played his final game for Bradford against Wycombe Wanderers on 3 May 2008 in a 2–1 defeat.

Managerial career

Wetherall was one of four senior players to act as Bradford City manager for two weeks during November 2003, following the sacking of Nicky Law. He, as well as Peter Atherton, Wayne Jacobs and Dean Windass oversaw training but just one game when City lost 1–0 to Stoke City with Jacobs taking charge from the touchline. Wetherall took his first full steps into management on a caretaker basis when he was appointed player-manager at Bradford City following the sacking of Colin Todd on 12 February 2007. The side were on a poor run of form but Wetherall, whose role was extended in March, could not reverse the fortunes and the side were relegated to League Two. During Wetherall's short stint in charge the club won just two games and drew another four. During his spell in charge of Bradford, Wetherall appointed his former Leeds teammate Nigel Martyn as goalkeeping coach, a position he kept under McCall.

Wetherall returned to concentrate on his playing career after Stuart McCall was named full-time manager during the summer of 2007. Wetherall holds the UEFA B coaching licence and is due to complete his A licence during the summer of 2008, when he will return to the Bradford City coaching set up.

Managerial statistics

updated 5 February 2008.

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	L	D	Win %
Bradford City		12 February 2007	22 May 2007	14	2	8	4	14.28

Hall of fame

Wetherall was inducted into football's hall of fame in December 2007 for his work with football's anti-racism campaign. He had become involved with the campaign with former colleague Gunnar Halle while they played at Leeds United.

References

External links

• David Wetherall Vital Profile