Written by Jake Verity (images by John Dewhirst)

Has this season been a success?

Yes.

With nine games to go, Bradford City sit eight points clear of the play-offs and twelve adrift of the automatic promotion spots.

There are five to play at home and four away before the regular season comes to an end.

And we now find ourselves in a situation where expectation, rather than hope, suggests we will be heading into a play-off campaign.

Take things apart for a moment and consider this: in each of our last three seasons, we have gone into the final game of the regular season either already in the play-offs or still chasing promotion.

For a club that has endured some pretty dismal times in recent history, cup runs and another League Two promotion aside, that represents quite the change in fortunes.

It started, admittedly, under Mark Hughes, but has been taken to a completely different level under Graham Alexander.

It now means we have a very real chance of playing Championship football next season.

Take a step back

This week I found myself reading an article I wrote on the eve of the Wycombe game before the season started. At the time, I made one thing clear: we had a lot to play for and plenty to be excited about, but the aim for this season was simply to enjoy the ride.

And enjoy it we have.

From successive 3-1 wins away at Huddersfield and Cardiff. Beating two Championship clubs in back-to-back EFL Cup ties. Watching Andy Cook score against his beloved boyhood club at St James’ Park. And building a home record that clubs across the country would envy.

But of course we all want more. Of course we do.

The simple fact is that Bradford City are back. And while it might not quite feel like that after nearly 5,000 of us left Wigan feeling a little deflated, a bit of context never hurts.

In that same article, I touched on the fact that Bradford is going through something of a sporting renaissance. And that feels more true than ever.

The Bulls are back in the Super League and flying. And this week we genuinely found ourselves singing about the possibility of going to Tottenham for a league match.

What a reversal in fortunes for a club that spent far too long glancing at the top two in the National League simply to see a bit of variety in our fixtures.

There is a curtain-raiser of a home game against Bolton, followed by four more home matches to enjoy. And four away trips where we will try to sort out our form on the road, which we all know needs to improve.

But Championship football. Really?

The thing is, we have every chance of making it there.

We lie fourth in the play-offs and are currently on course to face a Stevenage side who are more than beatable.

Around us are teams with their own vulnerabilities. Huddersfield Town are struggling and in real danger of dropping out of the play-offs entirely. We dominated them at Valley Parade and admittedly struggled away during a wobble in form.

Elsewhere, the runners and riders include a Stockport side we did the double over, a resurgent Plymouth Argyle, a Reading side we deserved to beat away before a very unfortunate ending and did beat at home, as well as a Wycombe team we overcame on the opening day.

Then there’s Bolton. But we drew away at their place and should not have too much to fear.

Why?

Because the truth is that this is one of the best Bradford City sides since the turn of the millennium.

We are currently on track to potentially exceed the points haul achieved under Phil Parkinson in the 2015/16 season. If we do, we would likely finish in our highest league position since relegation from the Championship.

If that is not enough, there is more.

We would enter any play-off campaign with a sold-out Valley Parade, a packed away end and, if we made Wembley, a stand that would almost certainly be full.

The biggest hope of all, however, is finishing third or fourth. Do that and we secure a second leg at home. With our record there, that matters enormously.

So while we have been flat away from home at times and made the occasional mistake, there is still an overwhelming confidence that we should carry.

This is Bradford City like you have rarely seen it before. A club quietly becoming a force to be reckoned with.

In that article before Wycombe, and in many before it, I have long said that when this club gets going it will take some stopping.

And we might just be there now.

What needs to happen next?

This one is a little simpler to answer. We have to secure the play-offs.

Given where teams are in the table, the fixtures ahead, and the relative form of those around us, it feels like 72 points will probably be enough.

So that means eight more points. Three wins from the nine games we have left.

But it is really about finishing as high as possible. Securing that second leg at home.

Because it is fair to say that both Lincoln and Cardiff are already up.

And if we do make the play-offs, it will be about having the confidence, belief and determination to return to a league we have long wanted to play in.

The truth is, there is nothing we want more than Championship football.

We came agonisingly close against Millwall. Many of us would love the chance to finally take that step up.

Naturally, expectations have been raised. That is to the club’s credit, but it also brings a different kind of pressure.

We now expect to win football matches, rather than simply hoping to.

We know how good this squad can be, which makes it all the more frustrating that we cannot quite replicate our home form away.

And having experienced promotion recently, we desperately want another.

But let me end with this.

Whatever happens, this season has been a success.

The question now is whether it becomes an unforgettable one, or one where we look back and think about what might have been.

The answer lies in going out there and recognising those two paths are in front of us.

Which one will we take?

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC