By Jason McKeown

There is a moment where the journey up the A1 to Newcastle sees the nondescript landscape interrupted by the towering presence of a giant sculpture, boldly standing on top of a hill. It is the Angel of the North. A regular-looking human body, some 66-feet in height, flanked by two huge wings that span a whopping 177-feet in length. Even as you whizz by, it is a sight you cannot miss.

The Angel is looking over towards the city of Newcastle, which begins to appear at the bottom of the valley. You drive past the sculpture and towards the River Tyne, which can be crossed by taking the iconic green Tyne Bridge. And as you head into the city centre, St James Park begins to loom large over the buildings. It’s right at the heart of Newcastle. Right at the heart of a football-mad community.

It is a special, iconic venue – and it is one where Bradford City will perform this Wednesday. For City fans, a trip North up the A1 is rare and hasn’t recently gone beyond turning off for Hartlepool. A visit to any Premier League ground is not something the Bantams have experienced for more than a decade. This is a special moment. An occasion to relish. A glamour League Cup tie, where City will be backed by a sold out away following totalling 5,000.

The Angel of the North was completed in February 1998 by renowned British sculpture Antony Gormley, who said that he conceived it as a symbol of hope. And that’s certainly something Bradford City players can glean inspiration from as the team bus speeds past the sculpture and towards St. James Park.

It is an understatement to say that Newcastle United will be heavy favourites. According to TransferMarkt, the Magpies’ squad value totals some £573 million, compared to Bradford City’s £5.3 million. And sure, most of Newcastle’s big hitters will obviously sit this one out, but the club who finished fifth in the Premier League last season to qualify for the Champions League – and the League Cup holders no less – will have more than enough resources to field a team good enough to wipe the floor against some League One upstarts.

And that’s all just fine really. Because if hope is all we have, it’s fitting of a season where we’ve so far not had to worry about such trifling matters as expectations. After Saturday’s amazing 3-1 win over Cardiff, the Bantams gleefully stand at the top of League One. Six wins from nine league games, two Championship teams dispatched in the League Cup. We had no idea what this season was going to look like, and the start has been greater than we’d ever dare dream.

We’re living in a bubble of happiness. Of hope.

Indeed it’s worth posing the question of whether there is any fanbase in the country feeling as good as we are right now. Whether anyone else is having this much fun. If there’s such a thing as a vibes league, City are surely topping the 92. The giddy enthusiasm of supporters is contagious. If you can find a better atmosphere than Valley Parade this season, you’re doing incredibly well.

It feels like we should be savouring every moment, because we know only too well what the other end of the spectrum looks like. It certainly wasn’t long ago that everything about Bradford City seemed so grey and miserable. The degeneration of everything built up during the Phil Parkinson era. The needless relegation from League One in 2019. The emptiness of the Covid season. The persistent struggles in the bottom half of League Two. The play off heartache of 2023. The loss of confidence in the club’s hierarchy that reached its nadir in March 2024.

So many disappointing matchday experiences. So many unsuccessful managerial reigns. So many substandard players. So much ill feeling. There was no Angel watching over Bradford City, it seemed. No hope. Only hopelessness.

But no more.

Because now there is so much hope. 2025 has been utterly marvellous. We have become a club you can genuinely feel proud of again. Everything seems so joined up, with those at the top working in tandem with the managerial team, the players – in fact everyone employed by the club. Fans have responded magnificently to the upwards direction. The attendances are astonishing. There is just so much unity.

It truly is remarkable how well everything is going. Promotion, via Sarcevic 90+6, was in truth a bit lucky. We almost messed it all up, didn’t we? And maybe that living on the edge period has had the right catalytic effect in driving everyone forwards in the right direction. Because there was no resting on laurels this summer. An utterly purposeful drive to improve the squad for the battles ahead. A clear plan that everyone is bought into, with recruitment focused entirely on providing exactly what Graham Alexander needed to build on his successful tactical approach.

They’ve hit the ground running this season, when there was every excuse for it to be a struggle. A tough initial fixture list. A squad upheaval. But instead, City have excited and delighted – with so many impressive early season victories, so many uplifting performances, so much evidence of brilliant transfer business. And all whilst we supporters largely hold a line of not getting carried away. Of not burdening the team with any expectations.

Which means we go to Newcastle in the welcome, familiar position of expecting nothing and enjoying everything. Will the brush past the Angel of the North gift us a surge of hope that we can cause a cup upset? Erm, don’t answer that. The only ambition to take into St James Park is that we should all exit a few hours later with croaky voices. We will surely chant non-stop. Sing our hearts out for the lads. Roar every City tackle and cheer every pass. We will marvel at seeing our players on the big stage. And just imagine if we score a goal? Oh wow, that would be something.

But don’t expect it. Don’t expect anything. Like the Angel of the North, just hope.

Because the Angel of the North is a little bit like Bradford City right now. Some would call it rather ugly. But it’s bold, it’s brash, and it’s impossible to ignore. Fuelled by our good vibes, we march into Newcastle with our wings outstretched, dripping in positive enthusiasm. Because whatever lessons the Premier League giants might be about to inflict upon us, they cannot take away our restored pride in our club. Or our hope that, finally, we’ve got our City back.

Categories: Opinion, Previews

Tags: BCAFC, Newcastle United