“Scenes of pure chaos” as Bradford clinched promotion

Local TV Sport

Daniel Wales and Charles Hague-Jones reflected on Bradford City’s dramatic promotion.

Transcript

00:00Bradford City will be a League One club next season.

00:05Obviously, joining Port Vale and Doncaster.

00:08But on the final day, it was absolute drama in League Two.

00:12Probably the story of the EFL final day.

00:15I mean, an unbelievable twist of events as Walsall were on their tail

00:20and they had to win as well and they did.

00:23And then obviously you look and you see Bradford City had a chance to win.

00:29And they had to go and beat Fleetwood Town at home.

00:34They left it late, but they did it in dramatic fashion.

00:37Now, obviously an incredible event.

00:40Dan, just give us a little bit of a rundown on what's sort of gone on this season

00:44for Bradford, why it was left so late.

00:46And just talk about the incredible fashion that they have managed to gain promotion

00:51and join League One next season.

00:54And then also just looking ahead to the future.

00:57I mean, what does it mean for them as a club?

00:59How do they need to go about their business to ensure a successful League One campaign?

01:03Obviously, an incredibly tough division as well.

01:06The step-up is rather large now as well to make sure they are stabilised in League One

01:14and can hopefully push for the Championship in seasons to come.

01:17But Dan, give us a lowdown on Bradford City,

01:20that incredible final day result and what it means for them in the future.

01:24Well, Charles, you could just look and tell by the celebrations that unfolded

01:30following the full-time whistle at Valley Parades on Saturday afternoon.

01:34It was scenes of pure chaos, joy, bedlam, whatever you want to call it.

01:38But it just highlighted exactly how much it meant to the supporters of Bradford City.

01:43The fact that after a good few seasons away from England's third tier,

01:47they were back thanks to a 96th-minute winner from Anthony Sarcevic.

01:51Wow, they left it so late in that game.

01:55It was unbelievable.

01:57The game hadn't really gone how they wanted it to.

01:59It had become nervy.

02:00It had become scrappy.

02:02They just couldn't really get a foothold and play the football that they had been wanting to play

02:05and they have been playing for a large part of the last few months,

02:09which has gotten so many good results.

02:11It was certainly becoming very nervous towards the end

02:14and it didn't look like it would come.

02:16They even squandered a couple of golden opportunities in Stockwich time itself,

02:19but that winner, it came in the 96th minute.

02:23And obviously then we had an impromptu pitch invasion,

02:25perhaps scenes you don't want to see at that stage

02:27because, of course, the full-time whistle hadn't been blown yet

02:30and everything had to be cleared off.

02:32The players had to go off the pitch and wait until everything was safe to resume again.

02:37But after that, then it just became pure joy.

02:40It erupted and, well, it just showed exactly what Bradford City as a club

02:45are all about.

02:47Of course, now they'll go into League One, back into England's third tier.

02:52Things will not be as straightforward for them

02:55because, of course, it is a step up.

02:57Naturally, things will be harder, more difficult.

02:59But under Graham Alexander, they've got a manager there

03:01who certainly has inspired lots of confidence in this team

03:05because, you know, for large parts at the start of the season,

03:08they were sort of, you know, middling around mid-table,

03:11not really going anywhere.

03:12But then all of a sudden, he managed to click them into gear

03:15and they just shot up the table.

03:17They were top at one stage.

03:18Yes, they dropped back a little bit towards the end,

03:20but ultimately they did secure a promotion ahead of Walsall

03:24who dropped into the playoffs.

03:26Of course, Walsall, heartbreak for them

03:28after what had been a brilliant start to the season for them.

03:30So many points clear and then just went on that losing run

03:33where they just kept on losing and losing and losing and losing

03:35until that stage where, ultimately, it was Doncaster, Port Vale and Bradford

03:39who snuck into the automatic promotion places ahead of them.

03:44So, so much pride, so much joy for Bradford City in that game

03:51at the end of it as well after what had been, as I mentioned,

03:54a game where it hadn't all gone their way

03:56and it looked as if things weren't going to go their way

04:00and it was going to be the playoffs after being sat in the automatic promotion places

04:03for a good number of weeks and, as I say, being top for a little bit as well.

04:06So, it would have been harsh on them. It ultimately was harsh on Walsall.

04:11But now, the summer is here for Bradford.

04:13They have to build. They have to get ready for the League One Challenge

04:17because, of course, they don't want to be scrapping around relegation

04:20after what has been such a monumentous season this time round.

04:23They don't want to then go straight into a relegation scrap

04:25and make things difficult for themselves.

04:27No, they need to instead get things right off the pitch.

04:30Then they can, therefore, get things right on it.

04:33That's what the summer is all about for Bradford.

04:35Whether they do that or not, that's a different story.

04:38But for now, though, they will just certainly be enjoying the moment

04:41following their promotion back to League One.

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