By Phil Abbott, Damien Wilkinson, Nikhil Vekaria and Jason McKeown

Pre-amble

By Jason McKeown

Monday morning and Bradford has its usual hum. Offices reopen and school weeks begin. Canal Road wheezes under congestion. Five Lane Ends has five never-ending queues. “How was your weekend?” conversations fill the air as friends, colleagues and classmates catch up. “Have you watched Adolescence?” “As if Rachel Reeves likes Sabrina Carpenter!” And perhaps more locally pressing – “Did you go to Valley Parade on Saturday?”

At the weekend, more than 20,000 Bradfordians came together to be part of something truly special. A record league crowd for Bradford City, a thumping 4-1 Bantams victory over Colchester United. Promotion very much looks on with eight games to go.

It would mean a lot for the city in any year, but in 2025 there is even greater significance to footballing success. It will be exactly 40 years ago this May since the devastating tragedy of the Valley Parade fire disaster. Over the coming months, expect to read, hear and see reflective coverage on those awful events. And for those who still habour the mental scars of that fateful day, for the current Bradford City to mark the anniversary by earning a first league title since won mean so much.

In a very different way, the spotlight is shining on Bradford in 2025, with the city wearing the crown of UK Capital of Culture. It is a chance to reset reputations and showcase to the world the positive aspects of the area. The scale of the task best illustrated by a GB News commentator beginning 2025 by attacking the decision to award Bradford Capital of Culture with a scathing critique of a city he quickly admitted he’d never even visited. The clip went viral and attracted a depressingly high level of likes.

Fixed mindsets and ignorance aren’t going to be changed by a fourth division football team winning promotion, but the prospect of glory offers reasons for weary Bradfordians to smile. The football club has been a beacon in good times but – like the city’s other major sporting club, Bradford Bulls – has suffered of late. Bradford sport has remained in the doldrums at a time when the city has struggled on with more economic woes and further reputational damage. And though winning games of football don’t fix the poverty and societal issues that are prevalent around the place, Bradford City’s resurgence does offer reason to feel greater civic pride.

For on Saturday, those of us who congregated at Valley Parade got to be part of something that will be treasured for a long time. Amongst the bustling crowd were supporters old and new. Entering the Main Stand, there was even a welcome desk with club employees giving out stickers for kids (and, from what I saw, adults!) who were setting foot inside Valley Parade for the first time. And then at 2.55pm, the teams came out and thousands of claret and amber scarves were proudly held in the air.

With such a big occasion, you could have understood if the players wilted. But the team showed remarkable levels of spirit and courage. They started slowly but soon went up the levels, blowing away Colchester and blowing away an engrossed home crowd. As the goals flew in and the volume of the chants got louder, it was impossible not to feel romantic about this wonderful football club. This was everything we love about Bradford City ramped up all the way to volume 11.

One of the talking points of the weekend was where this victory and occasion stacks up against not just recent Bradford City games, but all time. For those who were making their first pilgrimage, this experience will have set the bar impossibly high. For us long-timers, we’ve not seen it this good for what feels like an awfully long time. Fans who have followed the club for decades have talked about this as one of the best home experiences they’ve ever been part of. In the league especially that feels very apt. Ask yourself: when was the last Valley Parade matchday you enjoyed this much?

WOAP writers Phil Abbott, Damien Wilkinson and Nikhil Vekaria share their perspectives.

“Did you sit down at half time and have a bit of a breather like me?”

By Phil Abbott

I’m still buzzing from the game and most likely will be until the next match. These events haven’t been along for some time and Saturday was a game I won’t forget.

It was an experience that reminded me of some of the local derby grudge-matches we have enjoyed in the past, just without the grudge! The one that sticks in my mind the most is the breathless classic against Sheffield United in October 2016, which ended 3-3. (That’s somewhat ironic given this is about as far from a derby fixture as you could imagine.) That game was a real ding-dong battle, with lots at stake and another massive crowd. It sticks in my mind as to how well City took the game to their excellent, well-fancied opponents, fighting them with the very weapon they had in their own armoury; attack, attack, attack!

It feels a long time since we’ve had such engaging league games. So why did Saturday have that feel too?

Just like many of us have our own favourite recipe for Yorkshire Puddings, what we would define as the contents of our perfect footballing day out will very likely differ too. For me, what Saturday provided was the following delicious ingredient list:

1. Sharing the day with wider family, who attend games less frequently
2. A very busy and vibrant scene around North Parade for the pre-match beers
3. The swathes of fans walking up Manningham Lane to the ground, so much so that the footpaths were rammed
4. Seeing the claret and amber scarves adorn the massed ranks of each stand
5. Unison singing from the Bantams supporters (this time from all four stands!) with everyone really getting into the spirit
6. City playing some unbelievably attacking and exciting football
7. Colchester’s equaliser, which signalled that they weren’t here to sit and admire the Bantams; one of only a few league teams to actually play some football against us at Valley Parade.

I posted the above video on X of the Valley Parade crowd just before the teams came out. In the 24 hours following the game, it had attracted more than 35,000 views. Now, I’m no social media influencer – usually gaining the odd sympathetic like for my posts – so this feels utterly prolific to me.

I think that signals just what Saturday was all about and how significant an event it was, not just amongst the Bradford faithful but across the footballing spectrum too. City took the initiative to slash ticket prices, essentially inviting the casual or first time supporters to enjoy football away from the top divisions. Both the club and the attendees were emphatically rewarded.

The game felt more like a big cup match, or even a winner-takes all play off tie. Very rarely does a team come to play for a draw in such games and credit to Colchester, they were in no mood to do the same either. I think that’s what made it such a great spectacle. How often have we bemoaned other League Two teams coming to park the bus, or City’s inability to break down a team with everyone behind the ball. Did you sit down at half time and have a bit of a breather like me?

Colchester played their part until they were finally blown away, but to see the concourses stuffed with fans, the club shop selling shirts to fans here for the first time and everyone shouting and singing as one, there was a fundamental feeling that we ‘have our club back’.

All the fans ever want is desire and energy. The players delivered this in the most emphatic way possible.

***

“I can’t imagine any other League Two team creating such an atmosphere.”

By Damien Wilkinson

It’s been somewhat of a different season for me personally. Having moved across to Settle before the start of the season, I’m faced with a bit more of a journey and effort to get to Valley Parade.  Coupled with the indifferent form in the October/November part of the season I’ve probably missed the most home games of my season ticket tenure to date. It was beginning to feel like another season of the usual disappointment at this point.

However, it’s fair to say the upsurgence since December has rekindled my interest and attendance, and whilst, like many others, I’ve been waiting for the bubble to burst or it be another false dawn, the team and results have completely swept this away.

So, approaching the game on Saturday, whilst there was a certain amount of apprehension, particularly given the number of times over the years, City have faltered on similar occasions.

The match also had a different significance for me as I had invited my partner, Katie, who would be attending only her second football match in her life! I was geared up for impending disappointment!

Match day routine-wise we managed a few drinks in the ever-fabulous Record Café and did note the vibrant atmosphere across the whole of North Parade, which is great to see. We joined the busy stream of fans down Manningham Lane and were soon in the ground, which by that point had an almost tangible buzz of anticipation.

The response to the entrance of the teams, scarf parade and cranked up noise was a fabulous spectacle and I’m sure must have helped set the tone for what followed. I can’t imagine any other League Two team creating such an atmosphere.

As for the match itself, after weathering some Colchester pressure in the first ten minutes we really did move up a gear and completely blew them away. As Graham Alexander noted we were totally relentless against an increasingly demoralised opposition. It was a definitely a complete team performance for me and we do seem to have discovered how to utilise the full squad brilliantly. 

Given the injuries and squad rotation there is now a massive consistency in how the team performs currently which is testament to both Graham Alexander and the mindset of the players called upon. The fact we have broken a few hoodoos this season and don’t generally wilt under the focus of the big crowds speaks volumes.

A fully deserved and emphatic victory and fantastic atmosphere!

As a footnote to the match, despite my pre-match assurances that the main stand had a roof, being situated on row I meant the last 20 minutes of the match involved a complete and utter soaking from the rain! Katie is still talking to me despite this, and is not completely put off attending a further match – so that is a further accolade to Graham Alexander and the team!

So, how does this compare to other notable Valley Parade matches?  I’m not too far off 40 years of watching City now, so I’ve obviously seen a fair few ups and downs over that time. 

Well, I would say the performance was certainly one of the best in the last five or six years (though perhaps that isn’t a particularly high yardstick and I’m struggling to come up with many notable examples!) Indeed, it’s ultimate importance may vary depending on how we finish the season and consequentially may (hopefully) be usurped by a future fixture. 

I think we should also note the importance of the timing of the £5 entrance offer – this could well turn out to be a genius kick start by the club after the disappointment of the previous two matches.

What is clear is the belief in the team from the crowd is back – it has taken a while given our recent history, but we shouldn’t underestimate how significant this could be over the remaining eight games!

Going back a bit further the most obvious benchmark would be the Phil Parkinson era teams.  I would say both are well drilled teams with everyone knowing how they fit into the overall team. Whilst we maybe don’t have the natural goal scorer of a Nahki Wells, we look like we can create enough goals from the dynamic midfield players.

Perhaps significantly, I’d also highlight that the belief of the crowd then and the affinity with the team, and also individual players, was at a pinnacle with the Parkinson team. I think this led to a different type of atmosphere and trust in the team at that point.

Going even further back the Chris Kamara promotion (and subsequent relegation avoiding) team certainly created some great memories and atmospheres at VP (eg QPR and Nigel Pepper) and set the path to the upward journey to the Premier League and some cracking matches along the way (eg Gordon Watson v Barnsley, Liverpool, Chelsea amongst many others).

We’re obviously not yet at such levels with the current squad, but come May 4th that could be on the cusp of starting to change and memories of some of the matches along the way will be cemented into a new folklore!

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“Saturday showed just how special Valley Parade and Bradford City can be.”

By Nikhil Vekaria

It felt like a damning indictment of our home performances in recent years, that when I sat down to write this, I had to rack my brain to think of league performances that even came close to what City delivered on Saturday.

This was a side missing arguably its four best players from the start, coming off two successive defeats and playing one of the form teams in the country. Yet Saturday showed just how special Valley Parade and Bradford City can be.

The atmosphere on North Parade before kick-off was superb and it was so good to see the city itself thriving. It didn’t feel like we were coming in on the back of a home defeat by Tranmere, which in truth was a performance it felt like we’d seen so many times at Valley Parade over the last few seasons.

This City side is different. The club’s decision to sell tickets for £5 was truly vindicated, as the Bantams put on a show that suggested they simply won’t be in this division next season.

Two important goals for the often-maligned Calum Kavanagh. Another brace for George Lapslie, a player who arrived in January when it appeared it could so easily be another ‘what if’ season for the Bantams. Superb performances all over the pitch – from the veteran Richie Smallwood and stalwart Brad Halliday to other January additions like Tayo Adaramola and Brandon Khela.

Bobby Pointon and Alex Pattison returning from injury to a raucous reception when the game was already safe? That was just the icing on top of a superb City performance.

Which takes me to the question – the best home league game since when?

I’m going back to October 2016. To a game we didn’t even win. Bradford City 3-3 Sheffield United. Two big clubs at the top of League One, fighting it out in front of a packed Valley Parade including a sold out away end from South Yorkshire. That day felt special because it showed what City had the potential to be. We had a great side to watch, a team full of talent and endeavour, and a fanbase who were truly locked in.

At times over the last couple of seasons, it’s felt like those days may not come again. Saturday showed they can. With eight games to go, a five-point gap to fourth placed Port Vale is significant. There are big tests to come but write this team off at your peril.

Keep performing like this, under a manager who has galvanised the club, and days like yesterday don’t have to feel like special occasions. They can simply be what we get at Valley Parade every second Saturday.

***

Post script

By Jason McKeown

It’s been a lean few years, with the greyness of recent events making the colour of the Colchester experience all the more vividly colourful. And like Phil, Damien and Nikhil, it takes some brain-racking to remember a league occasion as good as this.

We did have some good days under Mark Hughes – funnily enough a home encounter with Colchester two years ago, where a big crowd cheered on two late City goals, stands out. That was fun, but this was better.

So we have to go back further. The Oldham home game at the start of 2021/22 maybe? That was the first game with fans back after Covid. The first time we got to set foot inside Valley Parade for nearly 18 months. Special for sure, especially when Lee Angol struck a stoppage time winner. But even that pales into insignificance.

Like Phil and like Nikhil, Sheffield United in October 2016 stands out as a wonderful Valley Parade day for me. One of the best games Valley Parade has staged in the last decade no doubt. All that was missing was City nicking it 4-3.

Before that there was the cup games of the Phil Parkinson days. Sunderland and Reading at Valley Parade in the FA Cup. Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leeds in the League Cup. No question these were better experiences than what we saw on Saturday. But they’re unusual, one-off cup occasions that are very different from the regular bread and butter. No one is going to take them off the top of the list, but if we’re talking about league games they have to be ruled out.

Before that there was Stockport County in 2011 – a nervy, dramatic occasion where Gareth Evans sparked scenes of jubilation. Michael Branch’s last minute winner in Bryan Robson’s first game as manager, all the back in 2003, was another moment to be forever grateful you were there. Smashing Gillingham 5-1 in 2001, where Benito Carbone delivered one of the great individual performances I’ve ever seen. Damien has mentioned the Premier League days that gave us stirring home victories over Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in 2000. And who can forget Gordon Watson day in 1998? The come-from-behind late victory over Barnsley, where Watson scored twice in front of the terraced Kop to spark utter bedlam. My first Bradford City game was in 1997, so memorable home league matches before then are not ones I’m qualified to talk about.

You will have your own choices. Of course you do. Your first game. The first time you took your child. A win you were especially heavily invested in. A performance that was especially riveting. A game that sticks in your mind for all sorts of merited reasons.

Perhaps Saturday goes into your list of all-time favourite games, or maybe it doesn’t get anywhere near it. There’s no right or wrong on this. But what we surely can all agree upon is that occasions like the Colchester game are the reason we endure long, barren periods full of crap. Why we stay loyal and why we don’t give up. And it’s the spring in your step that Saturday provided, which we take into this Monday morning, that leaves you grateful and proud to be a Bradford City supporter.

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC, Supporting