History of Bradford City A.F.C.

Before they had even played their first game, City were elected to the Football League to replace Doncaster Rovers in Division Two, and took over the Valley Parade stadium, which has been their permanent home ground ever since.

During that time, they endured several periods of financial hardship, and in 1985, their ground suffered a disastrous fire in which 56 people died, on a day the club and their fans were supposed to be celebrating promotion.

Following Richmond's self-proclaimed "six weeks of madness" and the collapse of television channel ITV Digital, the club suffered its first spell in administration.

[15] The first- and third-round victories were secured with solitary goals from Dicky Bond,[16] but he missed the final four games of the run because of club suspension,[17] the first of which was a 1–0 defeat of Burnley in the fourth round in front of 39,146 fans, a crowd which remains Valley Parade's highest attendance.

It took place four days later on 26 April 1911 at Old Trafford, Manchester, when a single goal from Jimmy Speirs in the 15th minute gave Bradford a 1–0 victory.

The 3–2 defeat, played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, following two draws, brought an end to 11 consecutive clean sheets in the FA Cup[21]—a competition record.

[29] Having lost O'Rourke as manager in 1921, after he had struggled to cope with the death of his son two years earlier,[30] Bradford's results suffered back in Division Two.

It prompted chairman Stafford Heginbotham to hold a crisis meeting in the city's St George's Hall to raise new funds and safeguard the future of the club.

[45] Only the previous season, City had had three managers, when Grenville Hair, who had replaced Willie Watson, died just two months into his reign, after he collapsed at the end of a training session.

Once Ham, and fellow Bradford-born striker Bruce Bannister, who scored 60 goals during seven seasons with the club, both left, City were relegated back into the bottom division in 1971–72.

[53][54] A year later more than 40 goals from the trio of Dominican striker Joe Cooke, Terry Dolan and Don Hutchins helped City to another promotion when they finished in fourth position.

[57] After starting the 1981–82 season with a defeat and a draw, City went top of the table during a run of nine successive league victories, equalling a 30-year club record.

[57] Chairman Bob Martin turned to another England centre-back and appointed Trevor Cherry as McFarland's replacement from West Yorkshire rivals Leeds United.

[57] Cherry and assistant Terry Yorath continued to build on McFarland's start to the period which would later be called "Bantam Progressivism" by fanzine The City Gent.

[61] A Save Bradford City Fund was launched on 24 July,[61] and former chairman Stafford Heginbotham and former board member Jack Tordoff bought the club, forming a new company, and enabling the team to start the new league campaign.

Centre forward Bobby Campbell was sold to Derby County to balance the books and John Hawley brought in as his replacement.

[61][62] The good form continued the following season, and from October to mid-December 1984, City embarked on a 13-match unbeaten run, during which time Campbell became the club's all-time leading goalscorer, beating Frank O'Rourke's 70-year-old record.

[63] The success was overshadowed when fire ripped through Valley Parade's main stand 40 minutes into the final game of the season on 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City.

[65] After managing the side during the financial hardship and time away from their home ground, Cherry was dismissed only ten days after the return to Valley Parade.

[77] Despite a poor start,[75] the club secured promotion to the top division for the first time in 77 years with a 3–2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final game of the 1998–99 season.

[78] Jewell broke the club's transfer record to add a fourth seven-figure signing when he paid £1.4 million to Leeds United for David Wetherall.

[79] Jewell added other senior players including Neil Redfearn and Dean Saunders, prompting the media to call his team "Dad's Army".

[82] A run of nine home games without defeat and consecutive victories in April gave City hope of avoiding relegation on the final day of the season.

A final day 1–0 victory over Liverpool, with a goal from Wetherall, who had played every minute of the season,[83] and Wimbledon's defeat, meant City survived with a record low of 36 points.

[86] The club entered the Intertoto Cup, the first time they had competed in a European competition, in which they were defeated by FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in the semi-finals.

[91] Under new manager Jim Jefferies, the club were unable to avoid relegation, which was confirmed with a 2–1 defeat at Everton, when they missed two penalties,[92] before finishing the season with just 26 points.

During the summer, with debts of nearly £13 million—as a result of the collapse of ITV Digital and the fall-out from Richmond's self-proclaimed "six weeks of madness"—the club were forced into administration.

[98][99] The players were all released,[100] but Carbone waived much of the money owed to him,[101][102] to help the club survive under new owners Julian Rhodes and Gordon Gibb.

Following fan pressure and a poor run of results, Rhodes sacked Todd on 12 February 2007, with City just three points above the relegation zone.

[114] There, they defeated another top-flight team, Sunderland, to reach their first FA Cup quarter-final since 1976, in front of their biggest home crowd for 50 years.