Width of a Post writers Kieran Wilkinson, Nikhil Vekaria and Damien Wilkinson share their close up reflections of a day for the ages, and how it ranks amongst the greater moments of their time supporting Bradford City.

“Drink it in“

By Kieran Wilkinson

1908, 1929, 1977 and 1982. Prior to yesterday, these were the only years in which a result at Valley Parade had secured promotion. So even putting aside the drama, on Saturday you were already a part of rare piece of Bradfordian history if you were there.

But we can’t put aside that drama, can we? Blimey. To do it at that time and in those circumstances? Staggering. Words cannot really do it justice.

The moment that goal went in felt like redemption for so many things that we’ve had to endure. That goal, that moment is for having to go through Edin Rahic, Josh Wright, play-off losses to Millwall, Derek Adams, teams on winless runs always beating us etc. Broken promise after broken promise. False dawn after false dawn after false dawn. That group-release of emotion when the ball trickled over the line was a relief, a release from years of disappointment and hurt.

Ultimately, if you were going to choreograph a way to go up, this was it. The atmosphere in the city centre. You’ll Never Walk Alone. The Bantam of the Opera choir. All perfectly pitched and all added to the occasion.

It’s easy to say with hindsight, but that’s a much better way of securing promotion than doing it with a few matches to go or having it confirmed off the back of someone else’s result. Whilst going 3-0 up early on and cruising for the rest of the game might have been easier on the ticker, you wouldn’t change what happened for anything. How many supporters of other teams will have looked at what happened yesterday with jealously?

However, immediately after that initial elation, a dose of typically Bradfordian pessimism kicks in. Did the referee actually award the goal? What if he abandons the match? GET OFF THE PITCH! Thankfully there was no further drama to come.

Is it a match that you’ll ever watch back without fast forwarding to second half injury time? Probably not, but who cares? It wasn’t an enjoyable watch and as the match went on, there was a gnawing feeling that we had blown it and the day was going to end flat. The thought of having to pretend to be excited about a tilt at the play offs wasn’t something to savour.

The dip in form at the end of the season just becomes a quirky footnote, rather than a series of “what ifs” that we’d be bemoaning for a long time. Smallwood’s red card at Swindon? Forgotten. Aden Baldwin’s red card? Forgiven. Dodgy substitutions? Don’t even remember them.

This was my 38th season following City and I’ve been lucky to be at the matches that secured all three promotions before yesterday. Where does yesterday sit in my greatest City “I was there” moments? Probably in the cold light of day, it’s not quite up there with Molineux. That’s partly because the stakes were higher, there was the McCall factor and the idea of going up to the top flight was pretty unthinkable.

However, that’s not to take anything away from it. It’s a moment that will be savoured for years to come. Probably more so than other promotions, it is about one moment, rather than what went before it. It will rightly be talked about in the same breath as Blackpool away, Wembley 1995 and 2013, Everton, Molineux, Aston Villa, Chelsea and other special results. In ten, fifteen, twenty years’ time, there will be reunion dinners for this squad. That’s the impact that a deflected 96th minute goal will have. I’m not sure how many times I have watched the goal back but I’m far from done with it yet!

Drink it in, savour it – Saturday was something very special. It might be the beginning of something even more special. That’s why we support City, that’s why we’ve put up with our fair share of misery.

“A cathartic release of emotion“

By Nikhil Vekaria

Throughout a fair bit of rubbish, I’ve been lucky to experience some amazing moments following City. Cup runs filled with giant killings, multiple trips to Wembley including a promotion and many more in between.

However, the last-minute winner on Saturday was the best moment I’ve ever experienced in a football stadium. It’s hard to imagine it’ll ever be topped.

The irony is that whilst this has been the best season City have had in a long while, resulting in a first automatic promotion since I was a toddler back in 1999, the last few weeks have been far from enjoyable. I stood in away ends in Chesterfield and then Doncaster within six days of each other, wondering how on earth we appeared to be letting this slip, despite Walsall’s historically poor run of form.

But Saturday felt different from the start.

The pre-match scenes on North Parade were scarcely believable as fans of all ages and backgrounds gathered to celebrate in what felt like a party before the game had even begun. Pubs were bouncing, the sun was shining, and all was well with the world.

Marching down to Valley Parade and arriving at the ground was a special experience. People everywhere, colours on show, all focused behind one very simple goal; beat mid-table Fleetwood Town and return to League One after six years away. No more derbies with Harrogate Town. No more painful defeats to sides on their first foray in the football league. No more late season rallies to finish 11th in the bottom tier, wondering if it’d ever be our time.

Truth be told, the game took a while to get going. After an emotional rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone and a perfectly observed silence to commemorate those lost in the fire almost 40 years ago, City didn’t fly out of the blocks. In fact, they were indebted to a superb Sam Walker save midway through the half that prevented Fleetwood taking the lead.

The good news? Notts County were 2-0 down early on to champions-elect Doncaster Rovers. One of the threats was gone. A straight shootout between City and Walsall, without a win in three months.

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a second half where not much happened for long periods fly by so quickly. My mate (who somehow gets a phone signal at Valley Parade) passed on the news of Walsall opening the scoring just before the hour mark. It appeared City would not be getting any favours.

I could swear that the next time I looked at the scoreboard, it suddenly read 82 minutes. Dreams of the day having the perfect ending turned into a realisation that the season might have a few more games yet. My mind turned to the play-offs and the thought of a return to Chesterfield, the scene of such a painful draw merely weeks ago. Not again City. How have we let this slip?

Then, Jack Shepherd hit the post. Shortly after, Antoni Sarcevic skied over from 6 yards out.

How had it happened again? Surely, we deserved this moment at home. In front of our own, record-breaking crowd. We’d had the recent pain of watching us give champions Leyton Orient a guard of honour on our own patch. The Carlisle pitch invasion. Half of Swindon surrounding Jack Shepherd in the 95th minute. The Doncaster pitch invasion.

But this time was different. When George Lapslie’s shot hit Antoni Sarcevic (or maybe newly crowned Bradford legend James Bolton), the ball seemed to take an age to dribble over the line. But it did. City had done it.

The reaction to that ball crossing the line was unlike anything I have experienced in a football stadium. Practically the last kick of a 46-game marathon. A cathartic release of emotion, of pure joy and relief from everyone within Valley Parade.

I first went to watch City just before I was five, when my Dad took me to watch Stuart McCall’s testimonial. I’ve been hooked ever since. It was the thing me and Dad used to do together. I’d come home from Uni, grab a few pints with him, head into Valley Parade and we’d chat and put the world to right.

When he passed just over three years ago, my Mum decided she didn’t want to lose the seat he’d sat in for years and got her own season ticket for the first-time. Over the past few years, she’s developed from having a passing interest to WhatsApping me throughout the week asking for injury updates, or with her own reaction to Graham Alexander’s latest interview. She’s now a certified Bantam, although still can’t resist asking which way we’re shooting at the start of each half.

I stood with her and my two best mates in the Kop on Saturday and was overwhelmed. City had done it. People say the best way to earn promotion is by winning the play-offs at Wembley. They’re wrong. The best way to earn promotion is by scoring in the 96th minute at home, with 24,000 fans on their own patch, experiencing it with the people they love.

A few hours after full-time, I was stood on North Parade as Alex Pattison, Jack Shepherd, Michael Mellon and Tommy Leigh arrived as heroes. And heroes they will always be.

“Fleetwood 96^”

By Damien Wilkinson

Saturday 3 May 2025 seemed to take an eternity to arrive. 

There seemed to be a plethora of media coverage during the week – tales of previous promotions, near misses and well wishes from ex players and managers, not to forget Jason’s cathartic replay of the far too many low points of the last eight years. 

Whilst this was all compelling, enjoyable and engaging I couldn’t help wanting to press the fast forward button to 3pm, Saturday and kick off.

Let’s just get this done, right?

Well of course, it’s not that simple and of course there’s plenty of other stuff to get in the way.  Fortunately though, I found myself first thing on Saturday morning boarding a train from King Cross, with my brother Kieran, having spent a couple of days enjoying the sights and sounds of London.

Arrival into Bradford around lunchtime and we headed to North Parade where we were greeted by the incredible scenes there! The street was jam packed with fans, flares and much fervour creating an almighty pre-match atmosphere that was absolutely amazing and would have graced a Champions League final precursor. 

A few drinks later and it was time to head to Valley Parade with the nerves starting to emerge.

The walk along Manningham Lane was equally vibrant and there was much interest and good natured well wishes from many of the bystanders en route which helped elevate the buzz.

The concourse of the main stand was almost bursting at the seams when we got there, an expectant buzz and massive queues for everything not to mention fans taking selfies with Chris Kamara in one corner.

As we all know the last match of the season commemorates the Fire and I have to say the players entrance to You’ll Never Walk Alone was very emotional to say the least, particularly with it being the 40 year anniversary.

After the impeccably observed minute’s silence Valley Parade erupted into a wall of noise and the game was finally underway!

So, let’s get a quick opener and calm things down?  No, instead it all felt very cagey and whilst City remained on top, the play in the final third seemed a bit rushed and nervy, with a few good chances being spurned.  After this pressure I did start to get the feeling that Fleetwood might score with their first attempt and this indeed almost occurred, thankfully Sam Walker making a great save to prevent what would have been a nightmare scenario for us.

A few penalty and red card appeals, more near misses compounded by news of Walsall’s opening goal (and subsequent fake news of Crewe’s equaliser) and things suddenly seemed to be hurtling towards the end and a grim dawning that maybe this might not actually be our day. 

Whilst I’d obviously contemplated this during the week, it surely wasn’t really going to happen was it?  I actually had a flash back to the Ipswich match from 1988, when another team who didn’t need a last day result got one unexpectedly.  Not that that has haunted me (!) but please noooooo.

This was then made even worse with Jack Shepherd’s cannon off the post, and Sarce somehow contriving to balloon the ball over the bar when it seemed easier to score.  The tentacles of the dreaded play offs began to tighten a grip around us.

But we somehow kept going though and wow, did we keep going! 

In a season of twists, turns and ups and downs Antoni Sarcevic pulled the ultimate twist and turn which diverted both the ball into the net and the Bantams onto a path to League One. 

Inconceivably, ridiculously, unbelievably and insanely occurring in the 96th minute.  The 96th minute!

The resulting outpouring of emotion was totally off the chart!  Absolute bedlam all around us with people both in disbelief and going completely mental.  Everyone!  Twenty-three and a half thousand fans going totally bonkers. 

After an anxious time waiting twice for the pitch to be cleared (I really did fear an abandonment at one point, and imagine we will unfortunately face more significant repercussions) the final whistle at last sounded and we could finally celebrate what had, over the course of the match, become an unlikely triumph.

What an amazing way to achieve a promotion.

More scenes of unbridled joy and I think the significant exuberance and celebrations of the players, wider squad and coaching team spoke volumes of what Graham Alexander has achieved at our club in the last year or so.

Having witnessed many of the great wins and triumphs over the years, given the nature of how it was achieved, it is definitely up there with the biggest highs we’ve experienced. 

As others have noted after eventually leaving the ground and walking back to the station, the atmosphere amongst a massive volume of departing fans on Manningham Lane was incredible, especially with some help from a guy appearing with a Bhangra drum!

It’s been a difficult finale but over the course of the season we deserve to be where we finished, we got to League 1 and thankfully talk of that “96th^h minute” can now become part of City folklore.

Much better than doing things normally?!

Categories: Opinion

Tags: 2024/25, BCAFC