Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City were formed in 1903 as a result of a series of meetings called by James Whyte, a sub-editor of the Bradford Observer, with Football Association representatives and officials at Manningham F.C., a rugby league side. Back in the Second Division, attendances dropped and City struggled for form, Paul Jewell took over, initially on a temporary basis, before he was given a permanent contract. He bought the club's first £1 million signings and guided the club to the Premier League — the first time they had been in the top flight for 77 years — with a second-place finish. The following season, Jewell continued to defy the critics, who labelled his team ''Dad's Army'', by avoiding relegation again on the last day with a 1–0 victory over Liverpool, with a goal from David Wetherall. However, Jewell left shortly afterwards. His assistant Chris Hutchings was promoted to the manager's position, and despite a series of new expensive signings, he was sacked by November 2000, with City second from bottom of the league. Jim Jefferies took over but could not save the club from relegation. At the end of the first season back in Division One, City were placed in administration with debts of nearly £13 million. Two years later, the club suffered a second spell in administration and a second relegation. Two top-half finishes followed, but the club were relegated for a third time in seven seasons in 2006–07 meaning the following season would be their first in the bottom tier for 26 seasons. Former player Stuart McCall was appointed the new manager, and although he said anything less than promotion would be a failure, he finally led the team to a 10th-place finish. McCall eventually left Bradford City on 8 February 2010 following a board meeting after a run of poor results. In September 2011, the club became linked with American amateur side SC United Bantams. In January 2013, City became the first club from the fourth tier of English football since Rochdale in 1962 to reach the League Cup final, and the first fourth tier club ever to reach a major Wembley Cup final. They defeated three Premier League sides en route to the final – Wigan Athletic 4–2 on penalties in the fourth round, Arsenal 3–2 on penalties in the quarter-finals and Aston Villa 4–3 on aggregate over the two legs of the semi-final. They met Premier League side Swansea City in the final at Wembley but lost 5–0. The run to the final is thought to have been worth at least £1.3 million to the club, with joint chairman Mark Lawn stating that the final itself could be worth an additional £1 million, taking the club's total earnings to £2.3 million during their cup campaign. On 18 May 2013, the club returned to Wembley where they defeated Northampton Town 3–0 in the League Two play-off final to secure a place in League One for 2013–14. On 24 January 2015, Bradford City caused an upset by beating Premiership leaders Chelsea 4–2 away in the FA Cup. The victory sent Bradford through to the fifth round for the first time in eighteen years. They beat Sunderland, another Premier League club, 2–0 at home in the next round on 15 February 2015. In the quarter-finals, the Bantams faced Reading at home, in a game that ended in a goalless draw. The replay was played on 16 March 2015 at the Madejski Stadium, where Reading won 3–0. The club was relegated to League Two at the end of the 2018–19 season. In December 2021, the club was approached by American investors known as WAGMI United (who use cryptocurrency and NFTs) about a possible buyout. The offer was rejected. On 24 February 2022, Mark Hughes was appointed manager of the club on a contract until the summer of 2024. He was sacked on 4 October 2023, with player Kevin McDonald becoming player-caretaker manager. Later that month, assistant manager Mark Trueman replaced McDonald as caretaker manager. On 6 November, Graham Alexander was signed as manager until the end of the 2026–27 season, with Chris Lucketti as assistant manager. Bradford City were promoted to League One on the last day of the 2024–25 EFL season after their victory over Fleetwood Town which secured the third-place promotion place. ==Colours and club crest==

Bradford City is the only professional football club in England to wear claret and amber. The club colours were inherited from Manningham FC, when the club converted to football upon Bradford City's foundation in 1903. However, whereas Manningham played in hoops, the new football club adopted claret and amber stripes. The club's away shirt has traditionally been white and to a lesser extent also blue, but there has been a profusion of other colours and designs particularly in more recent years. The away kit for the 2008–09 season was all white. A number of other clubs across the world wear claret and amber. They include Scottish club Motherwell, who originally wore blue and white until they wore claret and amber for the first time on 23 August 1913, against Celtic. It is erroneously believed that Motherwell chose the claret and amber colours because they were the racing colours of Lord Hamilton; it is more likely that Motherwell were influenced by Bradford City's English FA cup win in 1911. The club's crest combines a series of logos from over the years. In 1974, City adopted a contemporary style crest incorporating the club's initials, with a B-C logo. At the time, the new logo maintained the previous nickname of the Paraders. By December 1981, the club relaunched the Bantams as the official identity with a bantam on the new crest. The crest maintains the club colours and also includes the words The Bantams. ==Nickname==

Bradford City have had a number of nicknames during their history. In their early years, they were referred to as the "Robins" or "Wasps", taking over the nickname of Manningham FC, as a result of Manningham's claret and amber hoops. ==Stadium==

Valley Parade was the site of a quarry on the hillside below Manningham, Bradford, owned by Midland Railway Company, in 1886, when Manningham RFC bought one-third of the land and leased the remainder, because they had been forced to find a new home. They spent £1,400 erecting a ground with a capacity of 20,000, club facilities and levelling the land. Until 1952, by which time Bradford City had bought the remaining two-thirds of the ground to own it outright, The club played its home games at Odsal Stadium, a rugby league ground in Bradford, Elland Road, Leeds, and Leeds Road, the former home of Huddersfield Town, until December 1986, while Valley Parade was redeveloped. A corner stand between the Kop and main stand was opened in December 2000, taking the capacity to 20,000 for the first time since 1970. The following summer, the main stand was also converted into a two-tier stand, taking the capacity to 24,840. Further projects were planned until the club went into administration in May 2002 so none have taken place. but these (club offices, shop and car park) were bought back by the club's joint chairmen in the summer of 2011. The club's annual rent and maintenance costs to Gibb's pension fund is £1.2m, and so as of February 2009, the club is considering a return to Odsal. The club and Bradford Bulls would share the new £50m complex, which would also feature cricket, cycling and athletics facilities. Valley Parade has had several other names under sponsorship naming deals. In July 2016 it became the Northern Commercials Stadium, and in July 2019 it became the Utilita Energy Stadium. This partnership came to an end in July 2022. The University of Bradford subsequently became title sponsor of Valley Parade. ==Supporters==

The club spearheaded an initiative in 2007 to slash the price of watching professional football for the 2007–08 season. As a result, season tickets to watch Bradford City were the cheapest in England at £138, the equivalent of £6 per match. When the offer finished, the club confirmed the amount of season tickets sold was 12,019. The scheme enabled the club to top the average league attendances for Football League Two during the 2007–08 season, attracting more than three times more than any other club. The club won the Perform Best Fan Marketing campaign category in The Football League Awards for the scheme and earned them an invitation to the Houses of Parliament. The club aimed to attract 20,000 fans for the 2008–09 by offering a free season ticket to anyone buying a season ticket as long as 9,000 adults sign up, but they fell 704 short of the target. For the 2015–16 season, the club announced its latest season ticket scheme aimed at continuing to make football affordable for fans. Season ticket prices were set at £149 for adults, senior citizens and students, while admission for under-11s was free when purchased with an adult ticket. An initial campaign target of 15,000 was set. On 6 July, the club announced a record-breaking 18,000 tickets had been sold following a successful campaign. The campaign was repeated for the 2016–17 season, where the club sold in excess of 17,000 tickets. Bradford City announced 'Own The Moment' 2022–23 season ticket sales of 14,190 in September 2022. The figure was a League Two record for the club. It surpassed the previous fourth-tier season-ticket sales record of 13,614 in 2019–20. On 4 March 2023, Bradford City set a new attendance record for Football League Two at a 2–0 victory against Colchester United, with an attendance of 20,383, including 345 away fans. The Bantams then broke this record again in a home fixture on 8 May 2023 against Leyton Orient, with 22,576 supporters in attendance, including 1,902 Leyton Orient fans. ==Rivalry==

Bradford City have participated in the Bradford derby with city rivals Bradford Park Avenue. The West Yorkshire derby is held between City and local rivals Leeds United and Huddersfield Town. A "friendly" rivalry also existed with now-defunct club Halifax Town. According to a survey conducted in August 2019, Bradford City fans also see Burnley, Barnsley and Oldham Athletic as rivals. ==European football==

Bradford City's only participation in European football to date came in the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup. ==Players==

Current squad Out on loan Player of the Year Captains The following is a list of the officially appointed captains of the Bradford City first-team. Former players In 2007 former Telegraph & Argus sports journalist David Markham released the book The Legends of Bradford City, initially written to mark the club's centenary in 2003. It featured biographies of 100 players and staff members from the history of the club. The players were: • Greg Abbott • Bruce Bannister • Sam Barkas • Bobby Bauld • Peter Beagrie • Charlie Bicknell • Robbie Blake • Dicky Bond • Irvine Boocock • Tommy Cairns • Bobby Campbell • Robert Campbell • Eddie Carr • Trevor Cherry • Joe Cooke • Ian Cooper • Terry Dolan • Peter Downsborough • Donald Duckett • Lee Duxbury • Roy Ellam • Mark Ellis • Dave Evans • Jock Ewart • Tommy Flockett • Oscar Fox • David Fretwell • Allan Gilliver • David Gray • John Hall • Tom Hallett • John Hallows • Bobby Ham • Joe Hargreaves • Derek Hawksworth • John Hendrie • George Hinsley • Don Hutchins • Gerry Ingram • David Jackson • Peter Jackson (born 1937) • Peter Jackson (born 1961) • Wayne Jacobs • Paul Jewell • Rod Johnson • Chris Kamara • Jimmy Lawlor • Jamie Lawrence • David Layne • Ken Leek • Peter Logan • Stuart McCall • Sean McCarthy • John McCole • Jimmy McDonald • Roy McFarland • Andy McGill • Jimmy McLaren • David McNiven • John Middleton • Brian Mitchell • Charlie Moore • George Mulholland • George Murphy • Graham Oates • Andy O'Brien • Gavin Oliver • Ian Ormondroyd • Frank O'Rourke • Peter O'Rourke • Harold Peel • Ces Podd • Ivor Powell • John Reid • Dean Richards • Arthur Rigby • George Robinson • Abe Rosenthal • Lee Sinnott • Geoff Smith • Jimmy Speirs • Derek Stokes • Charlie Storer • Bruce Stowell • Paul Tomlinson • Bob Torrance • Whelan Ward • Dickie Watmough • Billy Watson • Garry Watson • Bobby Webb • David Wetherall • Jock Whyte • George Williamson • Dean Windass ==Staff==

Current staff : Former managers • Robert Campbell (1903–1905) • Peter O'Rourke (1905–1921) • David Menzies (1921–1926) • Colin Veitch (1926–1928) • Jack Foster (Caretaker manager) (Jan–May 1928) • Peter O'Rourke (1928–1930) • Jack Peart (1930–1935) • Dick Ray (1935–1937) • Fred Westgarth (1938–1943) • Bob Sharp (1943–1946) • Jack Barker (1946–1947) • Jack Milburn (1947–1948) • David Steele (1948–1952) • Albert Harris (Feb–May 1952) (interim manager) • Ivor Powell (1952–1955) • Peter Jackson (1955–1961) • Bob Brocklebank (1961–1964) • Bill Harris (1965–1966) • Willie Watson (1966–1967) • Grenville Hair (1967–1968) • Jim McAnearney & Tom Hallett (Joint caretaker managers) (Mar–May 1968) • Jimmy Wheeler (1968–1971) • Ray Wilson (Player/caretaker manager) (Sep–November 1971) • Bryan Edwards (1971–1975) • Bobby Kennedy (1975–1978) • John Napier (Feb–October 1978) • George Mulhall (1978–1981) • Roy McFarland (1981–1982) • Trevor Cherry (1982–1987) • Terry Dolan (1987–1989) • Terry Yorath (1989–1990) • John Docherty (1990–1991) • Frank Stapleton (1991–1994) • Lennie Lawrence (1994–1995) • Chris Kamara (1995–1998) • Paul Jewell (1998–2000) • Chris Hutchings (June–Nov 2000) • Stuart McCall (Player/caretaker manager) (Nov 2000) • Jim Jefferies (2000–2001) • Steve Smith (Caretaker manager) (December 2001) • Nicky Law (2002–2003) • Peter Atherton, Wayne Jacobs, David Wetherall and Dean Windass (player/caretaker managers) (November 2003) • Bryan Robson (2003–2004) • Colin Todd (2004–2007) • David Wetherall (Player/caretaker manager) (Feb–May 2007) • Stuart McCall (2007–2010) • Wayne Jacobs (Caretaker manager) (February 2010) • Peter Taylor (February 2010 – February 2011) • Peter Jackson (March 2011 – August 2011) • Colin Cooper (Caretaker manager) (August 2011) • Phil Parkinson (August 2011 – June 2016) • Stuart McCall (June 2016 – February 2018) • Greg Abbott (Caretaker manager) (February 2018) • Simon Grayson (February 2018 – May 2018) • Michael Collins (June 2018 – September 2018) • David Hopkin (September 2018 – February 2019) • Martin Drury (Caretaker manager) (February 2019 – March 2019) • Gary Bowyer (March 2019 – February 2020) • Stuart McCall (February 2020 – December 2020) • Mark Trueman and Connor Sellars (caretaker managers; December 2020–February 2021) • Mark Trueman and Connor Sellars (February 2021 – May 2021) • Derek Adams (June 2021 - February 2022) • Mark Trueman (caretaker manager; February 2022) • Mark Hughes (February 2022 – October 2023) • Kevin McDonald (caretaker manager; October 2023) • Mark Trueman (caretaker manager; October 2023 – November 2023) • Graham Alexander (November 2023 to present) ==Honours and records==

League • Second Division / First Division (level 2) • Champions: 1907–08 • Runners-up: 1998–99 winning goalscorer Jimmy Speirs • Third Division North / Third Division / Second Division (level 3) • Champions: 1928–29, 1984–85 • Play-off winners: 1996 • Fourth Division / League Two (level 4) • Runners-up: 1981–82 • Promoted: 1968–69, 1976–77, 2024–25 • Play-off winners: 2013 Cup • FA Cup • Winners: 1910–11 • Football League Cup • Runners-up: 2012–13 • Third Division North Challenge Cup • Winners: 1938–39 • West Riding County FA Challenge Cup • Winners: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909 Records • Record league victory: 11–1 v Rotherham United, Third Division (North), 25 August 1928 • Record FA Cup victory: 11–3 v Walker Celtic, first round replay, 1 December 1937 • Record League Cup victory: 7–2 v Darlington, Second Round Second Leg, 25 September 2000 • Record league defeat: 0–8 v Manchester City, Second Division, 7 May 1927 / 1–9 v Colchester United, Fourth Division, 30 December 1961 • Record FA Cup defeat: 1–6 v Newcastle United, third round, 7 March 1963 / 0–5 v Burnley, fifth round replay, 3 February 1960 / 0–5 v Tottenham Hotspur, third round, 7 January 1970 • Record home attendance: 39,146 v Burnley, FA Cup fourth round, 11 March 1911 • Record gate receipts: £300,000 v Arsenal, Football League Cup quarter-final, 11 December 2012 • Longest unbeaten run : 21 1968 to 1969 • Longest run of wins: 10 1983 to 1984 • Most appearances : 574 Ces Podd • Most league appearances: 502 – Ces Podd • Most goals scored : 143 – Bobby Campbell • Most league goals: 121 – Bobby Campbell • Most goals in a season: 36 – David Layne, 1961–62 • Most goals scored in a match: 7 – Albert Whitehurst v Tranmere Rovers, Third Division (North), 6 March 1929 • Highest transfer fee paid: £2.5 million – David Hopkin, from Leeds United, July 2000 • Highest transfer fee received: £2 million – Des Hamilton, to Newcastle United, March 1997 / Andy O'Brien, to Newcastle United, March 2001 • Most team league goals in a season: 128 – Third Division (North), 1928–29 • Most points (three points for a win): 94 – Third Division, 1984–85 • Most points (two points for a win): 63 – Third Division (North), 1928–29 All records from Bradford City F.C. official website. ==Sponsors==

Kit and main sponsors Tables of kit suppliers and shirt sponsors appear below: Stadium • 1995–1999 The Pulse • 2005–2007 Bradford & Bingley • 2007 Intersonic • 2007–2016 Coral Windows • 2016–2019 Northern Commercials • 2019–2022 Utilita Energy • 2022–present University of Bradford ==See also==