ON this weekend two years ago, Bradford City entertained Colchester United in a fourth-tier fixture and Luton Town visited Brighton in their first-ever appointment in the Premier League.

Such is football life in England that the clubs face each other at the same level at Valley Parade on Saturday and for one-time Hatters player Graham Alexander, it is indicative of how far City have travelled in a short space of time.

The Bantams chief, who is lining up a move for Stockport midfielder Nick Powell, said: “I think that’s why England is the best country for the pyramid system. There are lots of other good top divisions, but I don’t think anywhere can rival what we have in the EFL and the Premier League.

“I was talking to Chris (Lucketti) the other day when Wrexham were playing their first Championship game. We managed against them (for MK Dons) in their first league game (back in EFL) and it seemed like yesterday.

Graham Alexander, manager of Bradford City (Picture: George Wood/Getty Images)

placeholder image — Graham Alexander, manager of Bradford City (Picture: George Wood/Getty Images)

“Luton have gone through the leagues and dropped down. It’s such a fast-moving world, but it’s brilliant. It’s so exciting to see this and I think it gives hope to everybody.”

While City and Luton remain unbeaten in League One, it is fair to say that the Bedfordshire outfit – still in receipt of parachute payments – are armed with considerably more in terms of resources.

Alexander continued: “It’s obviously to facilitate the move between the Championship and Premier League, not necessarily into League One. If a team does drop two divisions in two years, they are still receiving those payments and it’s a little bit of disparity in the playing field.

“But there’s always been that in every division. You can go back 40 years and there are teams with haves and teams with have-nots.

“That’s how football is. But what I like about it is you can be one of the have-nots and still compete and win games.”