Written by Jason McKeown (images by John Dewhirst)

We’ve suffered too much, for too long, to take any of this for granted. So a long time after the final whistle had sounded on another magnificent Bradford City display, thousands of gleeful supporters were still in the stadium applauding the players and manager as they embarked on a mini lap of appreciation. Then someone pushed Bobby Pointon to the front of the Kop, where he jubilantly delivered a series of fist pumps that were greeted with enthusiastic supporter and player cheers.

And really, we could have happily stayed there all evening. Basking in the West Yorkshire sunshine that had finally broken out. Soaking in the moment. Revelling in perhaps the clearest example yet that the good times are back.

It was some afternoon. Some atmosphere. Some performance and result. Everything you want Bradford City to be in glorious technicolour. The closeness of the scoreline flattered Luton Town, really. The club who this time two years ago were about to visit Chelsea in the Premier League have had some fall. Here at Valley Parade came a painful lesson that their recovery is far from assured. And that their pre-season League One title favourites tag – partly bestowed on them because they have the considerable advantage of collecting £40 million in parachute payments for this season – is absolutely no guarantee of a comfortable ride[1].

For long spells in this game Luton just couldn’t live with Bradford City. It was a beating up, mentally and physically. Every home player won their individual battle, in some cases by quite staggering levels.

Witness a panicked Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield hauling off Millenic Alli after just 24 minutes. The Luton right wing back was in serious danger of being sent off after a series of poor challenges that highlighted just how much he was struggling to cope with the devastating link up play of City’s Bobby Pointon and Ibou Touray. The other Luton wing back – Nigel Lonwijk – was also withdrawn at half time, because he was similarly overawed and running the risk of a red card.

These two relatively early substitutions were the clearest indication of just how much Luton were suffering, but there was plenty more evidence of their struggles on show. Just like Wycombe two weeks earlier, they came with a plan to play out from the back. Just like Wycombe two weeks ago, City couldn’t believe their luck. The Bantams pressed and pressed, with a level of hunger so extreme it was as though the ball was a piece of steak and no City player had been fed for a week.

What was so encouraging for those of us with claret and amber in our hearts was it was a such familiar display. This is now our blueprint. Our DNA. The plan where everyone understands their role. The manifesto that everyone is bought into.

City hounded and won back possession, and in midfield Tommy Leigh – who more than justified his continued league starting place with another terrific performance – and Max Power would quickly get the ball up to Luton’s final third, often by searching for wing backs Josh Neufville and Touray. Pointon and Antoni Sarcevic would drop into space to help the wing back on their side. Through these link-ups, City would routinely cut Luton open. Even if a move broke down, the high press was quickly executed and Luton would be pinned back, usually coughing up possession by being harried into mistakes.

Right from the start, City were in control. Steven Humphrys twice went close to scoring. The first a powerful lash from distance from an angle that flew just wide, the second a near post header from a Power corner that Josh Keely did well to save. But the burly forward finally broke his Bantams duck with a tap in, 33 minutes in.

If the goal was simple, the build up play had so much to admire. It began with Aden Baldwin – making his first Valley Parade appearance since his infamous Doncaster Rovers red card and producing an accomplished display – spraying a ball to Pointon, who set up Touray to charge down the flank and cross. The ball was headed clear, but there on the edge of the box was Curtis Tilt to send the ball forwards again. It got a deflection and was set to bounce behind for a corner, but Sarcevic was alive and capitalised on Mark McGuiness dozing by turning and squaring the ball to Humphrys to score.

My favourite part of all that? The Tilt bit. We’re talking about an open play attack from City that had been started by Baldwin on the halfway line. But when that first cross was cleared, it was Tilt who was on the edge of the box. That is not where you expect central defenders to be in open play attacks. It just shows the level of boldness City are deploying. A few minutes before that, the Bantams had got forward in numbers and lost possession, giving Luton a chance to counter with an overload of attackers to City defenders. With seconds, every home player had sprinted back into position to stop Luton’s break. The crowd rightly showed its appreciation for this level of intensity and commitment.

The goal was no more than City deserved and the only worry going in at half time was that 1-0 was a slender scoreline and Luton surely couldn’t play that badly again. That sort of came to pass – the visitors eventually improved. But the good news for City was that they were 2-0 up by the time their opponents began to get any semblance of their act together.

And that second goal came from Bobby. Our Bobby. One of our own. A low cross from Neufville, and the lad from Low Moor got there first to score in front of the Kop. Pointon would later earn the sponsor’s player of the match award and it’s difficult to dispute that decision.

Suspicions that Pointon was slightly hampered playing in the drudgery of League Two are proving to have substance. City’s move up a level is seeing Pointon move up a level in his game too. He was sparkling here, dazzling opposition wing backs with his running with the ball and so clever with his movement and link up play. Thank goodness we’ve locked him down on a new contract, because on this evidence he’s going to attract a lot of interest from higher league clubs very soon.

But as is the theme with City goals, there’s so much more to enjoy and admire than just the end part. So again, let’s rewind. Luton’s Cohen Bramall – the guy brought on at half time to rescue Lonwijk from getting a red card – played a low pass forward to Jordan Clark on the half way line, but Matt Pennington pressed and produced a brilliant sliding tackle to win possession. Neufville quickly flicked it past Bramall and to Humphrys, who passed it to Sarcevic, who found Neufville in space, who crossed for Pointon. Desire, tempo, speed and skill. Just outstanding City football all round.

City’s first goal had originated from play down their left, and their second from the right. The jabs kept coming from alternating angles. They left Luton punch-drunk. They simply had no answer. It wasn’t until the 75th minute that they registered an actual shot on target. That was a free kick attempt well blocked by the previously under-worked Sam Walker.

The City keeper has quite the backline in front of him – alongside Baldwin, Pennington and Tilt were colossal. The latter is quickly winning over those who had doubted the wisdom of recruiting a 34-year-old centre back who wasn’t exactly pulling up any trees for Salford in League Two last season.

Though Luton belatedly made a game of it in that final half hour, City should have been 3-0 up and out of sight. Pennington had launched a long ball forward to Will Swan, who from out wide charged into the box and laid the ball on a plate for fellow sub Tyreik Wright. The back of the net did not bulge, as Wright’s shot was too timid and blocked by Keely. When a couple of minutes later Luton pulled a goal back through Gideon Kodua – who outjumped Touray to head home Bramall’s cross – you feared City might ultimately come to rue Wright’s miss.

But of course, we know this team are made of strong stuff when it comes to defending leads. So the eight remaining minutes (that included four minutes stoppage time) passed with City holding firm. Though Walker had to make one characteristically important save, the defence – bolstered by adding Ciaran Kelly late on – was not to be breached. Cue the final whistle. Cue the lengthy celebrations. Cue the Bobby fist pumps.

Right now, it feels like the biggest issue facing City is the risk of getting carried away. At least that’s true for us supporters. Because from what we’ve seen so far, how can you feel anything but giddy and optimistic? We’ve now seen three absolutely superb City performances from their four games. And even the Northampton stalemate, which was less impressive, was a match the Bantams should have won.

Is this a play off contender team? Is this a squad with a promotion push within it? Is it Champions by Christmas, or do we have to wait until Easter to go back on the piss with Sarcevic? And what’s this early League One table that shows the Bantams above Huddersfield?

Argh stop. Just stop. It’s easy to dream of world domination when there are no blotches to our record so far. But…it’s August. It’s early days. It’s a long season. There are more testing times to come. There is still much to prove, not least if we can improve on our patchy away league form from last season. The visits to Stockport and Peterborough this week will teach us much.

Personally, I don’t want to look ahead. I don’t want to place down any markers. I don’t want to set any expectations.

I just want to enjoy this.

Because this is all just so lovely and so special right now. 20,000 crowds are becoming the norm. Raucous Valley Parade atmospheres, where everywhere you look there are beaming smiles. Pride in Bradford City. Pride in being a Bradford City fan.

I’ve supported City for nearly 30 years now. I’ve seen them operate in higher divisions than they are right now. I’ve seen them accomplish greater feats than these early season victories. I’ve seen better players than the ones we cheer on this season.

But still, this here and the now has much in common with some of the very best times I’ve experienced being a Bradford City fan.

Those commonalities include the shared unity we currently feel. The excitement of going to watch our club – sadly lacking in recent years. The love of the players, because they are so committed and brave – qualities that we supporters rank above all else in terms of what we want to see in those who represent our club. The admiration for a manager who just gets it. The confidence of knowing the club is well run on and off the field.

We’ve seen enough dark times to appreciate the good times when we’re in them. And that’s why we can’t take any of this for granted.

[1] After the game it was announced that a Luton Town fan has been arrested for allegedly racially abusing a City player. And whilst one utter idiot should not define a fanbase, it all added to a day Luton supporters will want to quickly forget.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2025/26, BCAFC, League One, Luton Town