By Jason McKeown
Perhaps the scale of the challenge dawned on Graham Alexander 30 seconds into his first game in charge, when Barrow’s Kian Spence set up Dom Trelford to put Bradford City 1-0 behind. Maybe it came a week later at Notts County, when the Bantams embarrassingly found themselves 4-0 behind before the half-time whistle had even sounded. Or what about that grim 10-day spell in March 2024, where City lost four straight games by an aggregate score of 13-1, and supporters gathered to protest at the running of the club? Or even another trip to Notts in December 2024, where this time the half-time score was a barely improved 0-3?
Whenever that harshest of reality checks came, Alexander did not buckle. He carried the hefty weight of a damaged football club, absorbed a few blows himself, and slowly plotted a course forward. He leaves Valley Parade with his players winning games as a matter of routine, with success almost looking like it comes easy.
But nothing about where Alexander started from was easy.
It’s in those toughest moments – and there were plenty of others, too – that the scale of Alexander’s achievements can truly be found. No one needs a history lesson, but let’s do it quickly anyway. Bradford City, post February 2018, was not a pretty sight. The sacking of Stuart McCall, with City a League One play-off position mainstay for 20 months, felt ill-judged at the time, but soon could be looked back on as beyond belief.
They fell and then fell some more. Simon Grayson, 14 unsuccessful games in charge. Michael Collins got half that amount. Then came David Hopkin, with 35 games at the helm that ended with City staring at the abyss of relegation to League Two. Gary Bowyer (48 games) couldn’t stop them falling down, or get them climbing back up the year after. Enter Stuart, again. 28 games in charge, in the midst of a global pandemic. Mark Trueman and Connor Sellers were up next, with 31 games at the helm. A bright new dawn of Derek Adams that ended in 37 games of greyness. Mark Hughes offered revitalisation and, at last, a promotion push. But the play-off defeat to Carlisle set him on course for losing his job. He got 82 games.
Unhappy, troubled times. False dawn after false dawn. Hopes risen and quickly dashed. Patience was running out fast. Alexander’s arrival wasn’t unpopular, but he would have encountered a weariness and hardening cynicism of a Bradford public, who had seen too many managers come and go to expect anything but the same pattern.
Was this the impossible job? It definitely must have felt that way during those low times. Such was the anger at those running at the club during the first six months of Alexander’s reign, he was largely able to get on with trying to put the pieces together rather than coming under the spotlight himself. Still, it wasn’t a stellar performance. As our own Adam Raj observed of Alexander in April 2024, “In other circumstances, he’d be on very fine ice.”
That was true, but it was also true that Alexander had shown some early signs he could scrub the stench of stagnation hanging over Bradford City. Even in that 4-0 half-time drubbing at Notts County, green shoots sprang when he switched to a back three and the Bantams dominated the second half, regaining some respectability by scoring twice. It was the springboard to a six-match winning run that propelled City into the top half. And though they slowed again soon after and had some shambolic moments like a 4-2 home loss to Crawley, a useful run in the EFL Trophy offered some salvation.
For the first time in the club’s history, they made it to the semi-final stage. A home tie against League One Wycombe didn’t exactly attract a stampede of interest, but those of us who did turn up delivered a stirring atmosphere and the players were desperately unlucky not to take City to Wembley, absolutely dominating their higher league opponents only to fall to a sucker punch. Still, it had been a nice distraction and they needed it. A small preview of the better days ahead.
It wasn’t long after that the desperate spell of four straight losses occurred. In different ways, each defeat was incredibly painful. I’ll especially always remember filing out of the Notts County 3-0 home defeat with the bleakness about City’s situation overpowering. “We are witnessing the slow extinction of Bradford City Football Club,” was my grim verdict. As for Alexander? “An increasing number of fans now want him sacked. I’ve got nothing, really, to offer in defence of Alexander. My only argument for keeping him, right now, is I don’t trust anyone employed by the club to successfully replace him.”
The next home game saw supporter protests against Stefan Rupp and Ryan Sparks. But not for the last time, Alexander oversaw a City win when it really, really mattered. The 2-0 success over Tranmere, headlined by a wonder goal from rising youth product Bobby Pointon, hinted at a brighter future.
You could argue it was the turning point in Bradford City’s modern history.
It proved to be the first of six wins in seven that, improbably, almost earned City a play-off spot. But no matter, they finally had momentum. And they took that into the next season. Alexander had a true chance to reshape the squad during the summer. Though pessimism in the stands was hard to shake off, happier times really were coming.
On the eve of the first home game of the 2024/25 campaign, Alexander made what at the time felt like a rare public misstep, urging supporters to “leave their bag of bitterness at home”. It wasn’t a message that landed well, but it was a fair challenge and one that proved important. Alexander offered enough reasons to believe the tide was turning. It was time to park the lethargy and get behind it.
Whilst the first half of the 2024/25 season was far from perfect, City were crucially strong at home, where most supporters see them, and the negativity began to slowly drain away. At the turn of the year, it truly did take off.
An early January 3-1 success over Grimsby felt pivotal. City were reeling from the news that talisman Andy Cook was going to miss the rest of the season. But in his absence, City suddenly clicked. They were excellent that day, and set a standard they have rarely dipped below since. In that same month they blew apart a flying Walsall side, wrecking their confidence. Four months later, City would pip the Saddlers to automatic promotion.
Along the way to that glory was brilliant, Alexander-led City form. Dramatic wins at Bromley and Salford, thrilling demolitions of Cheltenham and Colchester. They even reached another EFL Trophy semi-final, agonisingly losing to moneybags Birmingham at a sold-out St. Andrews but winning lots of friends for the fearless way they played. In early April they beat Crewe 2-0 to top League Two. It was all coming together.
They did make hard work of it. The 5-4 Swindon loss. Blowing a 3-1 lead at Chesterfield. Blowing up completely at Doncaster, when Aden Baldwin saw the red mist. But as they limped, Walsall crawled. And it led to a final day prize of needing to beat Fleetwood at Valley Parade to seal promotion, on the 40th anniversary of the fire disaster.
What happened that day will never be forgotten. And as the celebrations exploded around Sarcevic 90+6, Alexander was at the centre of the scenes that went on for days. He’d succeeded where so many had failed. And the affection City fans felt for him knew no bounds. “The best day of my career,” was Alexander’s post-Fleetwood verdict. “The right man, at the right time, to transform the fortunes of this football club,” was mine.
If 2024/25 was wonderful, the year that followed was probably even more impressive. Alexander showed little sentimentality, raising the stakes by ditching his promotion-winning skipper (and supporters’ player of the season) Richie Smallwood and signing Max Power. The team that began life in League One had seven debutants and did not stutter. City flew out of the blocks and topped the table.
The return to League One was so exciting. Alexander got to add more great moments. Like beating Championship Blackburn and Stoke away in the cup, setting up an unforgettable trip to Premier League Newcastle, where 5,000 of us sang ourselves hoarse and Andy Cook scored a fairytale goal. In the league, there was the thrilling smashing up of local rivals Huddersfield. The amazing win at Cardiff. The barnstorming 2-2 with Barnsley.
Until January, City were credible automatic contenders. And though they began to slip, they never slid to mid-table mediocrity. Alexander oversaw a way to keep carving out victories, with home form once again excellent. And though, like the year before, they made hard work of the final straight, they sealed a play-off spot. The best Bradford City finish as a newly promoted club in their history.
Bolton were the play-off opponents. City had injuries to key players. They gave it a good go, and but for some fine margins could have edged it. The second leg home tie with Bolton was an incredible occasion, even if the result wasn’t what we wanted. It spoke volumes of the job Alexander had done that he and his team were clapped off by a sold-out Valley Parade. It had been a truly remarkable season, and the sour ending wasn’t going to spoil it.
You feared such feats would be difficult to repeat this time. But Alexander has again overseen a rebuild, and the early signs are immensely promising. They’ve won nine of their 11 league and cup games, picking up an astonishing seven clean sheets. That’s included fine wins at Sheffield Wednesday, Notts County and Luton – the latter success elevating the Bantams to the top of the table. Meanwhile they’re in the last 16 of the League Cup, with a memorable success over local rivals Burnley to add to the collection of great Alexander moments.
It’s always dangerous to make firm predictions in September, but nothing we’ve seen so far this season would suggest the Bantams can’t keep this up. Especially with their amazing track record of the previous two seasons. The squad is full of quality. The team are incredibly difficult to play against. Alexander’s approach no longer has any surprise factor for opponents, but stopping the team succeeding is still another matter. They’ve not suffered any play-off hangover. They’re well primed to be even more successful.
Until this moment anyway.
You can’t separate Bradford City’s success from Alexander, and so not having him at the helm invites some serious questions about the sustainability of this progress. And that leads us to the absolute biggest thing that Alexander has achieved over his 158 games in charge.
He’s completely overachieved.
Last season, City had a mid-table budget. They finished fourth. The budget is said to be similar this season, and so far they sit at the top of the tree. Even in League Two over 2024/25, the Bantams’ financial resources were significantly lower than a string of clubs who they finished above.
I don’t think there’s any manager in Bradford City’s history who has overachieved to this level for such a sustained period of time. The Bantams’ balance sheet relative to others suggests they should be nowhere near the top. But Alexander hasn’t just led them to the upper reaches of the division, he’s kept them up there against teams with far higher budgets.
It’s an against-the-odds achievement that will be truly tested now. Because finding a manager who can consistently over-perform his resources is a mighty big ask.
But perhaps budgets, league positions and points totals don’t fully capture Alexander’s greatest achievement.
Alexander hasn’t just won lots of games. He’s changed expectations.
For years, we Bradford City supporters lived through decline. Every promising moment came with a warning. Every rise was followed by another fall. The club became synonymous with frustration and wasted potential.
Alexander changed that. He restored belief. Then he normalised success.
That’s Graham Alexander’s real legacy. Not the promotion. Not the league position. Not even the memorable afternoons that will live forever.
He made Bradford City feel like Bradford City again.
Categories: Opinion
Geoffrey Richmond: The man who changed how Bradford City saw itself 
Metrics 
Dream tie vs big opportunity? 
Why Bradford City look set to stick with the same tyres 
Yes I’m full on that he is responsible for the miracle of turning our club around but the niceties should include the fact that he’s dumped us.
Paul Jewel!!
Those who down thumbed this are an an embarrassment. As is the author’s comment. Alexander did well but he’s minor in BCFC’S history. To ignore Trevor Cherry and Terry Yorath is insulting. They did more on and off the pitch than anyone. Terry Dolan’s nearly year is hugely more impressive. Parkinson’s League Cup Final and 6th round of the FA Cup too. Perhaps you’re all too young to be seriously considered
Could also be something to do with the character of the man, PJ made some choices that dulled his reputation.
Celebrating GA and his unbelievable win ratio is not a knock on other successful managers and for a club with only 10 promotions in its history, getting promoted is not a minor achievement.
promoted and staying in the Premier league on the lowest budget! No id rather get out of the basement and lose the play offs. Jewell’s achievement far and away exceeds Alexander. McCall at least got the final!
I love Paul Jewell (see article going live tomorrow) and he did amazing things, but promotion in 1998/99 was the result of significant spending.
I don’t for a second think Alexander’s achievements are greater, but in terms of relative spends the 2024/25 and 2025/26 and so far this year were undoubtedly overachievements. Hence my comment, “I don’t think there’s any manager in Bradford City’s history who has overachieved to this level for such a sustained period of time.”
Relative to the spending at the time of others in the same two leagues, I beg to differ and hugely. Whilst spending,with or without resources, it was not significant in comparison.
Different period. Significantly more spent. Sorry but Alexander pales into insignificance compared to Jewell, Cherry and Dolan – when we had deep pockets and extremely short arms.
Again, we’re not talking about what was the bigger accomplishment, I’m making the point about overachievement for a sustained period. In 1998, Jewell was given a £5m transfer chest. It was a huge amount of money at the time and was a lot relative to clubs in the division at the time. Probably only Sunderland and Bolton would have had bigger budgets at the time (teams like Crystal Palace had financial problems).
That’s not to degrade Jewell’s accomplishments with that money. He did a magnificent job, delivered a magnificent team. It was the best season I’ve ever had supporting Bradford City without question.
The 1999/00 season was an overachievement for sure. City’s budget was probably the second lowest in the Premier League (ahead of Watford). The odds were against us, and Jewell did incredible things to keep us up.
Of course League Two promotion doesn’t compare, but that’s not the comparison I was making. You can say Alexander pales into insignificance if you like, I’ve no desire to change your mind. But relatively speaking, I think Alexander significantly overachieved with the resources he had.
totally agree with Ces the managers of yesteryear were better managers at a higher level than GA. Remember Cherry and Yorath actually got us promoted from the old division 3 and had the Fire to deal and manage through So a more balanced view of GA should be given along with the lucky deflected goal which gained us promotion out of the old Division 4. Come on.
I haven’t said that Alexander was a better manager than Cherry and Yorath. I said that Alexander overachieved for the resources he had.
City spent 3.5 million actually. Yorke went to Manchester for 19 million. Hartson cost 11 million. Sharpe coat 235k, Redfearn 205k. Context..
I’m sorry but you are wrong .
Regardless of Jewell’s “dulled reputation” he totally over achieved and beyond your casual Alexander comment. So too did especially Trevor and Terry.
Nobody doubts the sincerity but get facts and content correct for those who’ve been around (and suffered) for longer and more than you
Okay let’s leave it there because I have no desire for a heated debate. You’ve made your point. Let’s shake hands and move on.
This is your site
It’s controlled by you. It’s good, often really good and and I respect what you do. Fair play. I wouldn’t read it otherwise but I’m not obligated to agree with everything you say.
Generally, I wouldn’t bother responding but you’ve got it wrong and struck a nerve this time.
When you make a mistake, hold your hand up. Don’t say shake hands and move on end of! Deal with it. Then ask me to move on!
You’re entitled to your opinion on your own website of course. But if you’re going to make comments then expect reactions. Don’t dismiss them as a know all because you really don’t know enough especially about the past.
Yes I’ll move on. Even “shake hands” but may I also remind you to please be respectful of those who may know more than you, have vastly more experience of BCFC than you and always will have
We’re all entitled to disagree with you!
To be clear, this is a difference of opinion rather than a matter of fact. You have your view and I have mine, and that’s absolutely fine.
As you say, people are entitled to disagree with what I write. Equally, I’m entitled to express my opinion on the subject, even if not everyone agrees with it.
The fact I’ve published your comments shows I’m happy for differing views to be expressed and discussed. I’ve never suggested otherwise.
The reason I’ve said it’s time to move on is not because I want to prevent you from sharing your opinion. It’s because we’ve both had the opportunity to explain our positions and it’s clear we’re not going to persuade one another.
I respect that you see it differently, but I don’t think either of us is going to change the other’s mind, so I suggest we leave it there.
Jason
Thank you for that and indeed the timing of the response! I know you have young(ish?) children. I have total respect for what you do and why you do it. So apologies for any offence caused, if any…..but you know that I’m right!!!!!
We need to get a manager that can work with in the structure of our budget. We are in a better position in losing our manager while top of the league. Hopefully, the current squad will look to impress. Especially, those who are not in the starting line up. We need a manager that can inspire and work with in mid table budget. We have a decent squad and there is scope for improving the players we have. Alexander at Preston, does not have that quality or a motivated squad. They are are on a terrible run atm. That will continue until at least January 27. We have a tight squad and each knows their role. Hopefully, we will appoint a manager with a good cv and the level of nouse to improve the squad and have the motivational attrbutes of Alexander.
The loss of GA is undoubtedly a blow but his successor inherits strong momentum and decent foundations. On the two previous occasions that the club has been in a similar situation, Cherry / Yorath and later McCall maintained the progress that had been initiated under McFarland and Parkinson respectively.
GA was undoubtedly the victim of his own success and under pressure of expectations to continue the upward movement. Arguably there is less pressure on his successor taking the reins and that could be beneficial in the circumstances.
I’d opt for Heckingbottom and McCall who both know the club and crucially also have more experience of managing in the championship. Much as though I wanted GA to remain I am gradually coming to the view that the change is for the best and in many respects the timing could not be better. My guess is that GA’s successor(s) will have a better record in the next eight months than GA who may yet rue his decision.
Relevant to highlight our budget as the playing budget is usually a good predictor of where teams finish, although there are notable major outliers, including ourselves last season.
But, I do wonder if there is a case to argue that certain teams outperform their budgets by acquiring players shrewdly, not overpaying them, having a collective system that covers for deficiencies and identifying people at that right age/developmental stage.
By developmental stage I mean a player who hasn’t yet reached their maximum potential, has a lot of room to grow and can be developed. For example, Aden Baldwin, who didn’t have the best season with Notts County when we got him but the club could identify how he would fit our system to a tee and that he had room to grow. Now, you could argue he’s potentially good enough for the championship and many of us are worried Alexander may try to pry him away to the wrong side of the Pennines; imagine us being worried about Baldwin being taken to the championship from us when we signed him or when he made that rash tackle at Barrow.
The club have also worked well in the free agents market, Max Power been a good example. Imagine, when we got promoted, if we were trying to get him as an under contract player when he’d just finished 4th in league 1 and played every game bar suspensions. At that point we’d have probably struggled.
I also believe our system and work rate also helps us cover for the lack in quality, we may not be as technically good as a Leicester, Oxford or Sheffield Wednesday but we will run ourselves into the ground and press high. Clearly Alexander and co focused on us having a system that would reduce the amount of good quality shots teams get against us and then if they do, we have a goalkeeper who had a good shot to save ratio in the SPL. Also, being one of the best pressing teams in the league means you don’t need the most technically gifted or best passing players in the league. As Jurgen Klopp said an effective high press is better than any playmaker in the world, or in other words, you don’t need an Iniesta or Xavi if you win the ball high up the pitch and can create a goal scoring chance with one clear pass.
So, regardless of our budget, we’ve got an effective way of identifying players and a system which reduces the amount of shots and good quality chances team get against us, while also, we press high and win the ball high, which helps us make chances.
I’m outlining all of the above to suggest we are a team that have been designed to play very effective football within our financial constraints. Now, we have to hope the powers that be recruit someone who can also see this and just add to our system, not try to change it too much. Which would give me faith Heckingbottom would be a shrewd option, he took Chris Wilder’s model, having never used a back 3, and just added to it and tweaked it, leading to a successful couple of seasons in the championship and a return to the premier league. If we do appoint him, I’d hope he’d come in and continue to build upon Alexander’s work, as he did with Wilder’s. To steelman the other side, yes he had money to play with, (although the club sold his best two players in the summer after they got promoted), he already had a good quality squad for the championship and both times in the premier league it didn’t work out but we’ve seen most newly promoted teams struggle in the premier league.
I’m open to other managers/coaches but he’s my top of the list at the moment.
There’s certainly some talent in the squad, particularly in Philips, Morgan and Humps that wasn’t really gelling with GA’s tactics. I’m also not sure we are getting the best out of Jackson (and perhaps Powell). While GA’s football has been hugely effective I do not believe this squad can only function in that one manner.
I’d love to see what we look like with someone alongside Jake and perhaps 2 number 10s
After Mansfield last won promotion Nigel Clough went out of his way to praise the efforts of David Sharp in being instrumental in that success. Sharp had left months earlier but his work had not been forgotten. I sense our current Football Director’s role in our success cannot be overstated when praising the ‘miracle’ achieved’ by Graham Alexander. Things seemed to improve almost from the moment Sharp arrived here – and certainly the quality of the permanent signings has improved. Alexander did a great job and it is good that it is being recognised – but he’s gone, a month into a new season and after recently signing an improved long-term contract. We recognise the special circumstances of his departure and wish him well but he’s now history. We move on and support the new man who has the problem of having a hard act to follow. If he succeeds, some of his success might be put down to his predecessor. If the team slightly falls off it, he will be blamed even though he has inherited a team to play in a previous system with allegiance to a previous manager and he cannot sign any new players until half the season has gone. Meanwhile, we will keep a weather eye on East Lancs to see if another ‘miracle’ is taking place or if ‘miracles’ don’t happen twice.
rather a lucky general than a good one?
GA rode his luck to just get us promoted with 12 points in the last 11 games and the narrowest of margins in the final game
GA rode his luck again to gain a pay rise and promotion while we are top of the league-does anyone think we would have finished top if he had stayed?
I see no reason why we can’t get a new manager just as good or even better
we just need some luck!
The sudden loss of GA & CL has without doubt left a huge hole in our football club, a hole the size of which any new manager will find incredibly difficult to fill, as any early slip ups or a couple of bad results early on will draw immediate comparison. Whoever eventually fills those shoes needs to have a sure & confident belief in themselves, as well as pretty broad shoulders. If not, it could be a very short appointment.
I’m not a young man, & can remember standing in the Midland Road shed on a snowy February night watching George Mullhall’s Bradford City beating a very poor Scunthorpe United & thinking the man was a genius, nieve but happy times.
We’ve had a fair few managers since George, excellent, good, bad, & awful. I would say Graham fits into the first category of Bradford managers I can remember. Along with perhaps McFarland, Cherry, Yorath, Dolan, Kamara, Jewel, Parkinson. I honestly can’t say who Id consider the best City manager, all did a brilliant job all during very differing times & situations. But having to manage a football club whilst playing your Home games at Leeds Road, Odsal, Elland Road, & still holding your own in Division 2(Championship), was a hell of an achievement by any standards on top of attending so many funerals of those that had died in the fire. So sometimes, although results are very important, there are times when other things are just as important.
Whoever our new manager is, whether he’s a household name or not, or whether he’s a foreign manager or not, let’s do what Bradford people do best. Give the guy our patient support, & let him know he’s at a very, very special football club.
Up the Bantams!
Well said! Whilst not yet irrelevant Alexander sits in your context. Thank you from for those who understand and for those who might wear a sweat shirt but actually never ever get it
All those managers are part of our folk lore. All had success. Success is relative and depends on many factors and variables. In absolute terms taking us into the Prem was an outstanding achievement by Jewell. My own favourite manager, not on your list, was Bob Brocklebank, who worked with very few resources and seemed to do everything. Colin Kaye, a trained physiotherapist who also worked for YCCC, ran on with the sponge and took some running sessions but mostly Bob stood there in overcoat and trilby, barking out instructions. I often wonder what he would make of our army of backroom staff, medics, analysts, fitness trainers etc, plus a management team of 3, a Football Director and Recruitment director.
For me the manner of his departure has ruined his City legacy. It’s spoilt the whole tenure. It reminds me of when a certain player feigned injury only to join our rivals and play no problem. Sadly there is no loyalty in Football.