Bradford one win away from promotion success

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales and Charles Hague-Jones discuss Bradford City’s final game of the season.

Transcript

00:00Now, looking at Bradford City's form across League Two,

00:06obviously, three teams are going to be promoted.

00:08Port Vale and Doncaster have been confirmed that the title race

00:12will go down to the final day.

00:13An incredible situation there.

00:15But also going down to the final day, Bradford and Walsall in contention

00:20to be that third man to go up.

00:23Now, obviously, if you look at the form guide,

00:25Bradford have really, really struggled.

00:27But then so, Walsall, I mean, both sides have really, really tailed off

00:30as far back as February, really.

00:33Bradford have been really relying on that form, you know,

00:36before Christmas and, you know, the start of the year.

00:39But then after sort of, you know, early March,

00:42they've really, really tailed off.

00:43They're in some great runs throughout the season,

00:46especially the very, very start of 2025.

00:49But for Bradford, this goes down to the final day.

00:51It's a situation where, you know,

00:54it's not often that you want to actually avoid the playoffs

00:56when you're in the top few of the table.

00:59But this is the situation they're now in.

01:01They're on the brink of automatic promotion.

01:04Back to League One, we're going to have a word with Dan.

01:08The Bradford experts sort of mention this situation

01:12going into the final day.

01:13They obviously need to match or better Walsall's result

01:16to ensure promotion.

01:18Dan, just give us a rundown.

01:19What's going on?

01:20What's the situation?

01:21What's the feeling like for Bradford in terms of this?

01:24And, you know, the ultimate goal promotion.

01:26It's a massive final day for Bradford City.

01:32Well, Charles, it certainly is a huge day for Bradford City

01:35as they look to finally confirm their promotion

01:37back to League One after a few years away

01:40from England's third tier.

01:42They've had chances, but not taken them.

01:44They, of course, got themselves into this promotion picture

01:47over the space of a few weeks, sort of after the turn of the year,

01:51a few months, you could even argue,

01:52where they just kept on winning and picking up results.

01:55And at one stage, we're even top of the League Two table.

01:58But then a little bit of illness, a little bit of injury

02:00has unfortunately impacted them a lot.

02:03And they've had a few not-so-good results.

02:06Been on the end of some thrilling games,

02:08but coming out the wrong side of them, unfortunately.

02:10But they are still in pole position to go up automatically

02:14and avoid the playoffs.

02:15Playoffs is their worst-case scenario now,

02:17but they are still in pole position, as I say.

02:20They are on 75 points, with Walsall in fourth on 74 points.

02:25Port Vale and Doncaster, they're already up.

02:27Of course, Doncaster beating Bradford earlier on,

02:30just on Saturday gone, actually, which confirmed their promotion.

02:34So Bradford, on the last day,

02:36as they take on Fleetwood Town at home at Valley Parades,

02:39they just need to match Walsall's result

02:41because, of course, a win would mean that they can't be caught.

02:46If Walsall were to draw, Bradford just need to draw.

02:48And if Walsall were to be beaten, Bradford could also afford to be beaten as well.

02:52They just need to match their result

02:53because, of course, they have that one-point advantage.

02:56Of course, they'd rather win Bradford

02:58and make things easier for themselves.

02:59And they do have, of course, a fantastic record at Valley Parade.

03:03Some of their support they've had in recent weeks there

03:05with the home attendances and some of the displays

03:08the fans have put out in the pre-match build-up.

03:11It's been, nothing short of phenomenal

03:12and has really spurred them on to some really important victories.

03:15And they're going to need that again this weekend

03:17as they take on Fleetwood.

03:18A side who are just middling about

03:20in sort of the middle of the League 2 table.

03:23Not really a threat to anything.

03:25Of course, they're the teams where you think,

03:27are they on the beach by this point?

03:29Or, in fact, are they playing with a newfound freedom?

03:32Because, of course, they can't go up

03:33and they can't go down either.

03:34So, they're just going to finish in sort of the middle of the pack.

03:37So, it's a hard one to judge.

03:39Bradford certainly have the quality

03:39and they certainly have the experience of winning a lot this season,

03:43especially at home, to get themselves over the line.

03:45But whether they do that, that's another matter.

03:48Of course, one eye will be kept on Walls.

03:50So, I'm sure by many of the supporters in Valley Parade

03:53to see how they're doing.

03:54Because, of course, if Bradford were to draw

03:55and Walsall were to win,

03:57it would be Walsall who took advantage.

03:59You know, around the halfway stage of the season,

04:01they were sat just above mid-table,

04:05not really going anywhere.

04:06But, Graham Alexander inspired them to

04:08just a fantastic winning run

04:11and has got them into this position.

04:13As I say, yes, they've had some frailties

04:16over the last couple of weeks,

04:17but they're still very much in them

04:19with a shot of going up automatically

04:20and get themselves back into League One

04:22where a club of perhaps their stature,

04:25of course, you can't say any club deserves to be anywhere.

04:28But certainly their fans have shown

04:30that they perhaps could be

04:32and should be higher up in the football pyramid

04:34given what they could bring to a higher tier.

04:37But that, of course, depends on what goes on on the pitch.

04:40So, it's all up to Bradford now.

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