Andy Welsh, the manager of Bury, cruelly rejects Wrexham’s request for a friendly, opting to play Bradford City, a
“fantastic club,” instead.
Consequently, what happened? Welsh and Parkinson have a long history together, but the Bury manager has chosen not to play a preseason friendly against Wrexham. Bury is getting ready for their first visit to Gigg Lane since they
were kicked out of League One in 2019 due to financial difficulties. Bury, who will return home after finalising a merger with AFC Bury, is expected to have a very emotional day. Welsh made the decision to play Bradford City in the friendly rather than Wrexham.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Being from Bradford, I know it’s a great club, and I was on the verge of signing with them under Phil Parkinson. It didn’t quite work out, so I walked over to Valley Parade and met with him,” he said to the Telegraph and Argus. “But as a resident of the city, I am aware of its sleeping giant status, therefore my first instinct
was that Bradford City, who will have a large fan base, should play Gigg in the inaugural game. I required that favour to be called in. After the play-off game, I sent Ryan a note, and the rest is history. I told Phil Parkinson that Bradford City was what we wanted, even though he was attempting to win Wrexham over. They have been a great assistance.”
Next What? On Saturday, Bury will play Bradford in a friendly match. The Red Dragons have some exciting preseason games scheduled in the US in the meanwhile. Later this month, Parkinson’s team is scheduled to play Chelsea, LA Galaxy II, Manchester United, and the Philadelphia Union.
