Bradford City’s joyous promotion is a sign of a city on the up: Ian Briggs

That run included a victory over Bradford City, who themselves held onto the final promotion spot after a hugely dramatic home win against Fleetwood Town. The 1-0 victory, secured thanks to Antoni Sarcevic's 96th-minute winner, sealed three points and promotion to League One.

A pitch invasion following the late goal from a significant proportion of the 24,033 crowd, a record attendance for the Bantams at its Valley Parade home ground in the fourth tier of English football, caused a 15 minute stoppage and the promotion party to be delayed until the game could be completed.

And the party hasn’t stopped since. An open top bus parade culminated in tens of thousands of fans gathering in the city’s Centenary Square to hail the players and manager Graham Alexander on their achievement.

One could hardly blame them for their exuberance. The club has had more downs than ups over recent years, having spent the past six seasons in English professional football’s basement division.

And with promotion being sealed almost 40 years to the day since the Bradford City stadium fire, which killed 56 spectators, the outpouring of tears and emotion for many fans was both a celebration of the here and now and recognition of a tragic day that will never be forgotten.

I’m a proud Bradfordian, and owe the city much of who I am today. Born at Bradford Royal Infirmary, raised in Thackley (where my parents still live) and schooled across the district, I had the privilege of being a head chorister at Bradford Cathedral and was on schoolboy football forms at Bradford City from the age of ten until I went off to university at 18.

After my studies I returned and landed a job as a cub reporter at the Telegraph & Argus, before moving to The Yorkshire Post and then on into public relations.

The Bradford I knew as a journalist in the early 2000s was a place going through difficult times. The Bradford Riots – which gave the city global headlines it didn’t want - came only three weeks after I started my T&A training contract. As a fresh faced reporter assigned news interviews and stories to cover, one could sense first-hand the community division, mistrust and wounds needing time to heal.

Bradford City’s relegation from the Premier League in 2001, two subsequent spells in administration, and further drops down the league ladder cast further sporting black clouds across the district (albeit brightened up by a League Cup final appearance in 2013).

Fast forward to 2025 and things feel very different. The club has timed its promotion perfectly, with Bradford a third of the way through its year as UK City of Culture, and Bradford 2025 being hailed as a celebration of all the district has to offer, its culture and its people. It feels the city is embracing its time in the spotlight, showcasing its strength as a vibrant hub of creativity and commercial opportunity, fuelled by a dynamic population which is one of the youngest in the UK.

The city centre, for a long time derided compared to Leeds, is being regenerated with areas such as Norfolk Gardens close to City Hall now a green oasis, and investment for the ambitious Bradford City Village locked in place.

The size of the home gates Bradford City have achieved this season are remarkable. The average of more than 18,000 tops most teams across the English Football League and is higher than Bournemouth in the Premier League.

It is an indicator of how done right, a football club can be the heartbeat of its community, bringing together different cultures who set aside any differences to support their team.

In turn, having a professional football club higher up the league ladder is good for that city or town’s economy, reputation and investment opportunities.

The revival of Bradford City the club feels like an important part of the ongoing revival of Bradford city the place. Long may that continue.

Ian Briggs is a Director at Aberfield Communications