Bradford make winning start to pre-season with “progress” the key

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Daniel Wales assesses Bradford City’s start to pre-season.

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00:00Now for Bradford City, obviously promotion to League One.

00:03They are competing in a higher tier in a sort of situation where there are some big dogs

00:09obviously dropping down from the championship, the likes of Cardiff City.

00:13There's going to be teams in there who have rich Premier League experience,

00:16the likes of Bolton, Wigan as well, Reading.

00:19It's a very, very tough League One situation once again.

00:24Obviously, the goals for the window for Bradford City remain the same.

00:29They need to make sure they have a positive window and that they sort of make sure

00:33they are really going into the new season with a fresh start and fresh sort of ideas

00:38to ensure they remain in League One.

00:41I think that has to be the minimum goals at the moment.

00:43We obviously mentioned it before that they are certainly on the brink of building

00:46this sort of new era, this rejuvenated Bradford side that need to remain in the top flight.

00:53Now, sorry, in League One, sorry.

00:56But obviously, a lot of transfer situations going on for Bradford.

01:02What's the sort of latest?

01:03Because they need to make sure they get the right numbers, but they also keep that strong

01:09core that got them promoted and keep that momentum building throughout the side.

01:13Dan, our Yorkshire correspondent.

01:14Dan, what's your thoughts on where Bradford are at the moment?

01:17How they go about their business?

01:19How they make sure they are competitive and, you know, at the end of the day, it's a massive window

01:24because they need to make sure they have that quality to remain in a Division One higher up

01:30than they were competing in for the last couple of seasons.

01:33Well, Charles, for Bradford City, their pre-season is, of course, now underway as they continue

01:37their preparations for their return to League One football.

01:40They played their first match of pre-season against FC United of Manchester, running out

01:45as the victors in that game.

01:47Graeme Alexander said the club must continue to progress and feed off the excitement and

01:51energy that it gains in that promotion.

01:54Curtis Tilt spoke after the match as well and said that the team are starting to gel,

01:58including, of course, him being a new player as well as all the players who are already

02:02at the club as well under, of course, the stewardship of Graeme Alexander.

02:06So things certainly looking positive from Bradford City perspective so far.

02:09Of course, we already know just how busy of a summer they've had in terms of incomings

02:13already.

02:14Obviously, Curtis Tilt, just one of those several players to join the Bantams and come

02:19into Valley Parade ahead of the new League One season.

02:23But whether that's their business over that remains to be seen, although you could possibly

02:27argue that they've done enough business for perhaps two clubs so far.

02:31But clearly, it highlights ambition from Bradford City at this point because, of course,

02:36they don't just want to survive in League One.

02:38They want to press up the table.

02:41I'm not saying that perhaps they have to be a promotion contender straight away, but

02:44certainly they don't just want to be surviving at the bottom of the table and just about staying

02:48in the division come the end of next season.

02:50They want to be at least safe and secure and then build perhaps towards a promotion charge,

02:54whether it's this season or whether it's the next couple of seasons to come.

02:58Perhaps this season will just be about laying those foundations.

03:00But you could argue with the amount of signings they're making and some of the calibre and quality

03:04of the signings they're making.

03:06Well, perhaps they've got higher ambitions than just even mid-table safety and security

03:12this season.

03:13That, of course, remains to be seen.

03:14Obviously, Curtis Till mentioning how well the players are starting to gel with each other.

03:18But that's in a friendly game.

03:21That's in training sessions at the very start of the pre-season.

03:24So the real acid test will come when a first ball is kicked in mid-August in League One.

03:30So lots still to look forward to from a Bradford perspective, but nothing quite certain yet.

03:36But I think what is certain is that the club, as I mentioned just moments ago, does have

03:41ambition.

03:41They don't just want to be a club who's yo-yoing between the two leagues and always down there.

03:48They look at some of their Yorkshire rivals with the likes of the Sheffield clubs.

03:53They look at Leeds United and what they've done.

03:56And they'll think, well, yeah, we would like a piece of that pie as well.

03:58And so just being in League One and getting promoted as good as that was and as exciting

04:03and as, you know, the scenes that were created as good as they were for Bradford as a city

04:09and as a club, they'll want more.

04:10They'll want to experience that again if they get promoted to the championship.

04:15And then who knows what as a club.

04:16Obviously, it's a big step up each time.

04:19But, well, if they're able to continue on this trajectory, then, you know, we could be

04:24seeing lots more days like that at Valley Parade in the near future.

04:29Certainly, Graham Alexander, as I mentioned, he has spoken of wanting the club to continue

04:34its progression as a club.

04:36That's certainly encouraging for supporters of Bradford City.

04:40They'll want to hear that sort of a word from their manager.

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