Parkinson confident City will challenge

The Bantams are about to embark on their sixth straight season in the basement, the club’s longest run since the Sixties when they spent eight years in Division Four.

In that time, City have finished in the top half of the table just twice with the last two seasons bringing an 18th place finish.

Parkinson is hoping to change that serial under-achievement and believes all four promotion places are up for grabs.

He said: “The division is wide open to me. There are the favourites such as Rotherham and Fleetwood, who have spent most of the money.

“But that is no guarantee of anything in this division. Look 
at Torquay last year; to achieve what they did by getting to the play-offs shows what can be 
done by hard work and organisation.”

Gillingham and City will both go into today’s game on a high after notable Capital One Cup successes in the first round against Bristol City and Notts County, respectively.

Parkinson added: “Our (1-0) win at Notts County was a really good performance and a very pleasing result. To go to extra-time this early in the season and also win the game was just what we needed.

“Winning any game is good but against a team who are expected to do well in League One, that was especially heartening.

“It lays down a good marker for the season, especially in terms of performance as we will have to reach those levels every week now.

“I am sure Gillingham will feel the same about their own result. We watched the game (at Ashton Gate) on Tuesday and they deserved to win. They will be up there this season, no doubt about that.”

After bringing in a host of new faces over the summer, Parkinson is ready for the big kick-off.

He added: “I am reasonably pleased with the work we have done in terms of building the squad up. We have worked well in pre-season and there is a lot of optimism around the place, which is good.

“Of course that can also bring problems but I am pleased to have my own team in place.”