Symes back with Bantams

Michael Symes has arrived back at Valley Parade after only managing 14 minutes of football during his loan spell at Stockport.

Colin Todd was understandably puzzled why the striker wasn’t given more of a chance by the Edgeley Park club, who face possible relegation to the Conference.

Symes’ single substitute appearance of 14 minutes against Torquay at the end of January was coincidentally about the same length as the entire playing career of cult Bantam Jari Vanhala who has inspired the nom de plum of Vital Football’s latest reporting recruit.

The real Vanhala, a Finnish international, came off the bench once and once only against Reading in 1996 and was never seen again.