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By Jim Brown
For the third successive season the Bantams scored 100 goals but only just, relying on a record 9-0 home win over Bristol City in their final home game. The team finished runners-up their best position since relegation nine years previously, seven points behind Norwich City. Unfortunately in those days only one team was promoted from the division and City would have to wait a further two years to achieve their ambition of returning to Division Two.
Manager Harry Storer made few signings in the close season, just fine tuning to his evolving team. Full back Vic Brown arrived from Leeds, winger Percy Richards was signed from Leicester and experienced goalkeeper Horace Pearson came from Oldham. After a poor start with four defeats in the first six games the Bantams went on a seventeen game unbeaten run which took them into the top three. In December Clarrie Bourton suffered a knee injury which kept him out for two months. The fans had no need to fear his absence – his deputy Arthur ‘Rasher’ Bacon came in and scored 16 goals in 14 games, including five in a 7-3 victory at Gillingham (this after City had beaten Gills 7-1 at home) and a week later netted four as Crystal Palace were beaten 5-1. Sadly Bacon suffered a serious eye injury soon afterwards and had to retire from professional football. Bourton returned and soon found his shooting boots netting 25 goals in 30 games including four goals in the Bristol City rout.
Storer made one big signing in January 1934, paying Cardiff a sizeable fee for Welsh international inside-forward Les Jones. Jones was an instant hit and scored nine goals in seventeen games including a hatrick against Bournemouth. Jones would play a crucial role in City’s surge to Division Two.
Only two sides lowered City’s flag at Highfield Road, Exeter City and Queens Park Rangers and the home record was once again one of the best in the Football League with 70 goals scored and 16 victories.
The biggest crowd at Highfield Road was on Christmas Day when a league record crowd of 27,589 saw City beat Cardiff 4-1 and the season’s average of 14,093 was not only the highest in the division but also better than two first division teams, Middlesbrough and Blackburn and better than two thirds of second division teams. The lowest crowd was ironically against champions Norwich City when on a December Monday afternoon only 6,806 turned up to watch a 0-0 draw.
The team’s away form was better – they won five and drew nine – and the defence was far stronger thanks to the new signings and the form of centre-half Tommy Davison.
