Now we must pull together, not apart

13/04/2025 11:34

By Jake Verity

When Brad Halliday's shot hit the back of the net, it felt like this really was the moment we'd waited so long for. To go 4-3 up with ten men, away from home, after being on the back foot for most of the second-half against Swindon, felt different. With ten minutes left, a point at minimum felt possible.

But without getting too carried away, it felt like more than that. It felt the kind of thing successful teams do. The kind of thing where teams who end up there at the end of the season manage to find a way.

So to leave the County Ground with nothing was, of course, an empty feeling. Possibly the toughest defeat since being at Brunton Park two years ago.

But that feeling quickly abated.

Because unlike that Carlisle game—we know there are still plenty more chances for this side.

If we miss out on the title, we are still well in contention for automatic promotion, with destiny in our own hands. If we miss out on the automatics, we should still be in the race for the play-offs. A lottery, and nobody’s first choice, but still an opportunity to get out of this league.

The issue, of course, is an obvious one: how do you solve a problem like missing your captain for what we expect will be the biggest games of the season?

Over the last 24 hours, there's been a lot of debate about Richie Smallwood's red card in the 14th minute of yesterday's game. Like many fans, I have no doubt that if he'd stayed on the pitch, we'd still be top of League Two, and I fully believe we'd have put more than four past Swindon, perhaps even kept a clean sheet. It hurts. For sure.

But while it hurts, it doesn't help to dwell on it. It's happened. Onto the next game.

I say this because the mentality of this football club, and its fanbase, has been very different in 2025 compared to the previous seven years.There's been confidence without arrogance. Passion and pride, rather than pity and pain. A sense of responsiveness, not despondency.

But there's also been a real determination to win, and to put things right. In Alexander's post-match interview following the Crewe game, he talked about the players being overawed by the Colchester match going into the game at Port Vale. That we needed to respond with confidence and clarity after such a defeat in a vital match. Which we did.

And that's what we need to channel again. Ultimately, the reason we have such a strong home record and find ourselves in this position is down to a complete shift in mindset, one we've rarely seen from City sides in the past.

A grit and determination to get results. To find a way when we haven't been at our best. I'm thinking of the Salford game here, a great example of the attitude of never giving up, we've missed from Bradford City teams.

So how does all this relate to the red card?

For me, it's simple. Over the last few weeks, our city and club have been galvanised. A year on from when the very fabric of our existence was fraying, supporter discontent was at an all-time high, and performances on the pitch were pitiful, the turnaround has been stark.

Combined gates of 45,000 over two home matches. Scarf parades, tifo displays, goals galore—it's been a great time to be a Bradford City fan. Whether it's a bouncing North Parade or a bustling Manningham Lane, the City feels reinvigorated by our football club.

So let's not lose all that, and be too reactive after a bad result.

As Bradfordians, we are realists. We've rarely ever been allowed to be optimists, bar two miracle cup runs and a brief stint in the Premier League. We've had to accept our place in the football pyramid over the last seven or eight years.

And because of that realism, we understand the enormity of yesterday's result, and Smallwood's possible suspension. I think most fans would agree he has been our player of the season. Even if not as eye-catching as Bobby Pointon, Alex Pattison, or more recently Calum Kavanagh, he's been the most consistent presence in the squad.

He's rarely—if ever—missed games for us, and he's been vital. Breaking up opposition play, kickstarting attacks, and acting as a leader in every sense driving the team forwards.

As a captain, he's been a Marmite figure. He hasn't carried the same gravitas or adoration as someone like Gary Jones, but I think this season, more than in any of the three he's now played for us, he's earned a degree of understanding from supporters. That we are lucky to have him, and lucky to have him leading us in this division.

I've always been a fan. I wrote a piece at the start of this season that I tried to keep as balanced as possible, and I still believe many of those points hold up. One section in particular feels especially relevant after yesterday:

"I think it's fair to say fans are starting to warm to Smallwood after his performances this season. But for some, it's still not quite enough.

“It was a real shame watching him get booed before taking his penalty against Bromley. That's something you never want to see at Valley Parade—not as a fan, a teammate, or the player it's happening to.

“At full-time, it was smiles all around, and it felt like most fans agreed he was excellent.

“I hope we can put that moment behind us. Give him some support at Blundell Park. Maybe even resurrect his chant we last sang during Mark Hughes' tenure.

“If he wants to be lauded by the fans, he'll have to earn it. But there's no doubt he's started this season in such a way that if he continues, you will be hearing his name on the terraces."

Smallwood’s expected absence will undoubtedly be a huge blow to our promotion prospects. But don't forget that Alexander has a way of innovating and finding success when it seems unlikely. Remember how Andy Cook's injury was supposed to end our season in January?

Which is why now is the time for calm heads. A time to take a step back and appreciate the fantastic position we're still in before hopefully taking more steps forward. But also a time to channel that frustration into drive, to get this side out of this division.

This isn't about shouting louder or ignoring a really tough afternoon. It's also not about absolving responsibility for what was, frankly, a ridiculous tackle in a game we looked all but certain to win. It was deeply frustrating, and I'm sure nobody feels that more than our captain. It's a lesson learned, and something we must not repeat in the final matches.

It's about using the spirit of togetherness we've built these past few weeks to put yesterday behind us and move firmly on.

Because the games are coming thick and fast now, and we have to be up for every single one.

Four cup finals—starting and ending at Valley Parade.

As supporters, we only ever ask for one thing: effort. And that was in abundance at Swindon. Quality is a different question, and I think it's fair to say that nearly 90 minutes with ten men created a real fatigue. At the start of the second half, when they scored their third, there was every chance we could've crumbled. But we didn't. We fought back. And that's more than can be said for sides in previous seasons. It's a glimmer of hope from a tough day, going into the final run.

So we must be ready like never before. United both on and off the pitch, bound by that spirit of togetherness and our shared responsibility to take this football club back where it belongs. Over the past few weeks, we've done our bit as fans, especially at home, and the players have responded. We have to keep that connection strong. Let them know we're with them, every step of the way.

That means if and when players make mistakes, and there's every chance there might be another one in these high stakes games – we do our best to help them bounce back.

I say all this, because Richie Smallwood will be back in a Bradford City shirt before this season ends.

The hope is there's still every chance—every possibility—that he's lifting a trophy above his head while wearing it. And that we're there to celebrate alongside him.