Last season the League Cup took Bradford City to a sold-out St James' Park but for Bobby Pointon to get his wish of a similarly high-profile adventure in 2026-27, they will have to see off an underdog first.

Football League new-boys Rochdale are at Valley Parade on Saturday, having come through a penalty shoot-out at Tranmere Rovers in a preliminary round forced by the number of English teams in Europe this season.

But with all due respect, Pointon is dreaming of bigger things, and preferably not at Newcastle United again.

"That's what that the cup is good for," said Pointon, whose side beat Championship Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City on their own turf to set up last year's glamour tie. "We had a few nicer away days.

"We had the Championship sides which were good to beat them and then we had the big one at Newcastle, a sell-out. I think it probably is the most a lot of us have played in front of. It was a good experience for us all.

"We all enjoyed it and we didn't show any respect. We went out there and pressed them, which we will do against anyone.

"Hopefully we can have another one this season.

"When we were seeing the teamsheet, we were all buzzing because you want to play the best players in those teams. You don't want them to put out the younger players and stuff like that because if you go to a sold-out St James' Park, you want to play in front of the top players.

BIG OCCASION: Bobby Pointon takes on Bruno Guimaraes, then of Newcastle United, in last season's League Cup (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

placeholder image — BIG OCCASION: Bobby Pointon takes on Bruno Guimaraes, then of Newcastle United, in last season's League Cup (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

"We did, thankfully.

"Obviously, we didn't get the result we wanted (losing 4-1), but we went out there and took the game to them. It's just getting to that opportunity and getting through this round, then you're into that next draw.

"Fingers crossed we get another one like that. Probably not Newcastle because we've already been there – we want to tick off another big ground. Fingers crossed we can get a nice Premier League team."

But if they take victory for granted against Rochdale, they will come unstuck. Pointon is hoping his fellow Bantams fans can turn their first competitive game of the campaign into an occasion.

RALLYING CRY: Bobby Pointon is hoping for a big crowd at Valley Parade (Image: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

"I've been hoping all week that all the City fans come down and buy the tickets because it's the first game of that season feeling, isn't it?" he says. “You want it to be full.

"They're obviously a division below us but we'll treat it like we did the Championship sides and Newcastle, there won't be no underestimating or anything like that. We'll treat every game the same."