A day to feel proud to be a Bradford City fan as the Bantams go top of the league

05/04/2025 23:23

Written by Jason McKeown(images by John Dewhirst)

It suddenly feels very real. There, lying tantalisingly in front of our eyes, is the prize of promotion. It's not yet close enough to touch – please don't get ahead of yourself and try to. But it's close enough to lovingly gaze towards, to fantasise about holding, and to feel more confident is almost within Bradford City's grasp. By winning here they took a huge, huge step forward. And it means they don't need to take too many more steps to claim that big prize.

As Calum Kavanagh latched onto Mickey Demetriou's desperate and weak header, ran clear on goal and slotted calmly past Filip Marschall to seal victory in the 85th minute, scenes of euphoria broke out across the already exhilarated, rambunctious, 21,000+ Bradford City support. Kavanagh was mobbed by team-mates, while everywhere you looked in the stands there were hugs, high fives and cheering – so much cheering. When the celebrations finally faded, who could resist the temptation to whip out your phone, load up your football app of choice, and stare longingly at the live League Two table? Screenshot. Save. Send to everyone you know.

Because by winning here Bradford City have made it to the summit. They're top of the league. The cream of the crop. There are only five games left to play, and their chances of glory have significantly improved. Lots to do and twists and turns to play out, but this pivotal afternoon made it impossible to exit Valley Parade at full time in anything but a dreamlike state.

We can believe. No, I can't really believe that either.

What mattered most of all was City defiantly bounced back from a week of setbacks on the road. They quickly shut down any talk of bottling it and of messing everything up. And they did it from the fuel and vibes of a fanbase who roared their team over the line. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of a set of supporters who part-funded and part-arranged a pre-match Valley Parade Tifo display, the mood was set for everyone to shake off recent concerns and collectively help the team get back on track. This was a victory where everyone can rightly say they played a part.

It was also a victory that, being honest, was kind of a little bit fortunate. The big moments went the Bantams way. The fine margins went against Crewe. The visitors came and had a right go. They head back to Cheshire with tales of hard luck but also an acceptance that, when it mattered, they fluffed their lines.

The fact Crewe kept City so honest, and didn't buckle under the weight of another huge Valley Parade crowd, was highly commendable. But it also made the Bantams' ultimate victory taste that little bit sweeter. This was not a swashbuckling, all-conquering Bradford City display in the manner they smashed Colchester two weeks ago. But being made to work so hard to claim the win left a deep feeling of satisfaction.

It helped that any pre-match anxieties about the last two performances were quickly quelled by starting so brilliantly. City kicked off, and within 11 seconds had taken the lead through Bobby Pointon. This had just followed the unforgettable Tifo and flag display that ramped up the atmosphere and lifted hairs on the back of necks. We sat down and straight away stood up again to celebrate, the metaphorical roof blowing off the place.

Graham Alexander will have absolutely loved that goal. Ahead of this game, he had highlighted to his players their lack of purpose from kick offs of late, citing how they were passing the ball around passively without showing any front-foot intent. So this time the ball was worked back to Richie Smallwood, so he could launch it up towards City players who were charging and pressing in packs. George Lapslie flicked the ball towards Kavanagh, who nutmegged a defender, ran at goal and shot. His effort hit the post, but the striker hadn't held back to admire his handiwork. He latched onto the loose ball, sliding it into the path of Pointon to fire home.

And that was what Alexander craved really. As a group of players, they'd not delivered what he'd instructed at Accrington and especially Port Vale. Too hurried on the ball at Stanley and too slow on the ball at Vale Park was the verdict of the City boss. Here, they showed they're listening to him. Showed they understand what is asked of them. But then they always do the business at Valley Parade. After proving bad travellers, they revelled back in home comforts. Seemingly picking up exactly where they'd left off the last time they were on this pitch.  

But it was a different type of game to Colchester. Pointon's goal was important in setting the tone. City had something to hold onto, Crewe had something to chase. The old football theory that it can actually be harmful to score too early threatened to come true, with the visitors racking up lots of corners and territorial advantage. They played some really good stuff at times, cutting City open with clever passing. All that was missing at times was a lack of bite in their attack.

It wasn't always pretty, and the likes of Romoney Crichlow had some less assured moments, but City seemed comfortable allowing Crewe to push forward on them. That's because they're always so good on the turnovers, and always so quick to break. So a first half pattern emerged of Crewe attacking without much potency, and City breaking and looking more of an attacking threat when they did. Alex Pattison, Smallwood and Kavanagh all had reasonable sights at goal.

But there were two, hugely defining moments either side of the interval. First Crewe won a penalty when a low cross into the box bounced up and hit Aden Baldwin's arm. A long delay followed that must have affected spot kick taker Ryan Cooney, especially as he faced up to a torrent of boos from the Kop stand behind the goal he was taking it in front of. Sam Walker and goalkeeper coach Colin Doyle had also done their homework on Cooney – spotting, from his penalty conversation in other games, that he liked to do a stuttering run-up.

When Cooney did indeed slow down his run, Walker fooled the Crewe wing back into thinking he had been caught out and was going to dive to his left, when in fact he dived to his right. Walker produced a brilliant save to keep out Cooney's attempt. The resultant roar of the crowd was as loud as both goals.

What a crucial moment this could prove to be in City's season, and what a deserving individual to have it happen to. Walker is just such a no fuss, get on with the job keeper. We know he had a few wobbles earlier in the season, but since Christmas he has been consistently excellent and produced vital stops along the way. This penalty save was his most memorable one of the lot, and could prove to be amongst the most vivid memories when we look back on this season.

The other defining moment was after the break, when the always dangerous Jack Lankester turned in the box and hit a shot that bounced off the same post Kavanagh had struck in the first minute. Lewis Billington got their first to seemingly tap the ball into the empty net, but for reasons unknown Omar Bogle slid it over the line to make sure. Erm, problem Omar: you're in an offside position. Goal disallowed due to stupidity.

At this point, Alexander had changed things up, evidently not entirely happy with the first half performance. Crichlow did not return for the second half, neither did a slightly-better-but-still-not-brilliant Lapslie, with Jack Shepherd and Brandon Khela introduced.

Khela's inclusion to play wide right forward – ahead of a still benched and surely miffed Jamie Walker – was curious. Not brilliant for the team's overall shape, with Khela not providing the link-up option with Brad Halliday to the level that was needed. So City's attacks were slightly unbalanced for a time, with most of their joy coming from going on the left side and the double act of Tayo Adarmola and Pointon. What Khela did offer was an extra body back when City didn't have the ball, and it helped City slowly wrestle the remaining fight out of Crewe to assume a greater level of assurance.

When Walker finally came on for Pattison – who was feeling cramp – and Khela moved back, the balance of the team was better. A 1-0 lead late on could never be described as comfortable, but the final 30 minutes was City's best period of the match.

Indeed, after Bogle's disallowed goal on 55 minutes and up until the 97th minute, Crewe failed to muster a single shot on goal. City had control, and sealed it through Kavanagh after Walker's high through ball had sent him away. It meant there was no nervy ending as we ticked off the final minutes with crucial breathing space.

It was a proper shift with heroes everywhere. Credit those who played poorly midweek and bounced back (Adaramola, Baldwin and Halliday). Well done to Pointon, Neill Byrne and Shepherd, who came back into the action and fared well. Especially credit to Smallwood, who put in a leader's display. I'm not sure I've seen him look as passionate to win as he did today. The Bantams have played better for sure, but crucially this was a major improvement on the last two away games – and that's what Alexander will care most about.

So City are top of the league. Such instances are rare – extremely rare. 17 years ago, September 2008, was the last time the Bantams headed up a division, when Stuart McCall's City beat Exeter City 4-1 at Valley Parade in League Two. The time before that was September 1997 when Chris Kamara's charges made a strong start to their Division One (now Championship) campaign. Before that there was November 1992, and before that early in the 1987/88 second tier campaign. In each of these seasons, City did not get promoted.

But a common link to all of these summit appearances was that they came during the fledgling knockings of a season, before league tables had any real meaning. The last time City topped the league after Christmas? The 1984/85 season, where the Bantams went onto win the Third Division title. With all the poignancy of what happened at the end of that campaign on 11 May 1985, it would be deeply emotional and fitting for City to repeat that feat this season, in the year we mark the 40th anniversary of the Valley Parade fire disaster.

That is the opportunity in front of them right now. It's touching, it's meaningful, it's exciting, but it's close. There's still lots of football to play and the margins are incredibly tight. No one should be ordering champagne or booking open top buses. Still, they're in a fantastic position.

For now, we can and should focus on simply enjoying this moment. Because as the chanting of "We’re gonna win the league" echoed around Valley Parade, and grins and giddiness levels spread across the stadium, you want to try and savour every drop of this special feeling, appreciate every second of the long-overdue return of the good times. As the sunshine beamed down on Bradford, Valley Parade looked an utterly glorious sight as a flood of claret and amber colours lit up the day, from the Tifo cards that were held up and the flags that were waved.

For too long, supporting Bradford City had been grey, gloomy and dispiriting. An uncomfortable distance between fans and the club, especially those at the top, that has generated ire and much frustration. But truces have been formed, grudges set aside and a feeling of togetherness has taken over. Pointon and Kavanagh scored the goals, but we fans provided the assists with our noise, with our colour and with our enthusiasm.

As fans it's felt like we've been stuck in the doldrums, down on our luck, and too often matchdays have felt like a chore. But right now, you can only feel proud to be a Bradford City supporter. Proud to be part of a fanbase that has got its mojo back. And proud to follow a club that has finally rediscovered its soul.