Hendrie and McCall. That dynamic partnership will be forever associated with what John Dewhirst, then editor of 'City Gent', called ‘Bantam Progressivism’: those few glorious years in the mid-1980s when the club charged from the brink of extinction to within a single point of the top flight. John Hendrie joined the Bantams from Coventry City in June 1984 as part of a mass raid on the Highfield Road youngsters which also brought Greg Abbott and Martin Singleton to Valley Parade. He made his City debut on 25 August 1984 and went onto miss only one game – the final fateful game - of the 1987-88 season. The pigeon-chested winger quickly won the hearts of the Valley Parade crowds. His bursts down the wing became a trademark of City’s charge up the leagues. 59 goals in 212 appearances tells its own story, but behind those bald facts are hidden the tremendous number of assists for the likes of Bobby Campbell and Ron Futcher. His controversial dismissal at Manchester City in April 1988 meant that he missed the final game of the season when City needed only one point to secure promotion to the top flight. How they missed their Scottish winger that day, going down 2-3 to Ipswich at a packed Valley Parade. Sadly, what became known as the ‘nearly’ side was broken up. Hendrie was transferred to Newcastle United for £500,000 in June 1988. After a successful career with the likes of Middlesbrough and Barnsley – whom he went onto manage – John is currently working as a players' agent and in the media. In the summer of 2004, when City were fighting for survival, John showed where his heart lay when he turned out in the charity match that raised many thousands of pounds and helped save the club.
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