Irony of opponents who stand in Bradford City's way not lost on Mark Bower

MUCH HAS happened since Bradford City bid farewell to the second tier 13 years ago, ironically against Millwall – the club standing in the way of a possible return this weekend.

Administration and six years in the basement division proved the nadir, promotion under Phil Parkinson and some truly stunning Cup victories in recent seasons being the counter-balance to those earlier struggles.

Now, as City prepare to take on the Lions at Wembley, Mark Bower – on duty that May afternoon at The Den in 2004 – believes the time is right for his hometown club to claim a Championship return.

“We couldn’t have imagined then that the club would still not be back all these years on,” said the 37-year-old, now manager of National League North side Bradford Park Avenue.

“I had only known good times since joining as an apprentice. I was a young pro, watching all these great players win promotion and then stay in the Premier League.

“Getting to train with players of that ability taught me a lot. But, of course, nothing was sustainable and the club started to struggle financially. We hoped relegation (in 2004) might be the end of it but the opposite was true. It was the start.”

A little under two months after a penalty by Neil Harris, now in charge of Millwall, meant Bryan Robson’s Bradford signed off that miserable season with a 1-0 defeat, the club came close to disappearing altogether.

The administrators set a 10am deadline on July 1 for the Bantams to be either saved or liquidated. Julian Rhodes rode to the rescue in the nick of time, though it was another five months before City came out of administration for a second time in two years.

“That summer was awful,” recalls Bower, who would remain at Valley Parade until 2009. “No-one knew who the manager was or even if the club would fold. I was on holiday and getting faxes to sign all sorts of things relating to deferred wages.

“We were owed money and there was so much to sort out. It wasn’t a nice time. Thankfully, the club was saved but, even then, on the first day of pre-season there were just a few of us and Colin Todd. He did a brilliant job.”

City spent the next two years in mid-table of League One before, amid another cash crisis, falling into the basement division in 2007. It took another five years - and the appointment of Parkinson – before things began to turn around.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs since that day at Millwall, including the two Wembley trips in 2013,” added Bower. “I went to them both as a fan and they were great days out, even the Swansea defeat (in the League Cup final).

“I will be there again for the final this weekend against Millwall. I really hope the lads can do it. Millwall being the opposition is strange.

“I don’t remember too much about that game in 2004, other than their players goading us about being relegated. They were due to play in the FA Cup final the following week.

“A few were getting involved, saying things like, ‘We’re off to the Cup final and you’re going down’. Not nice stuff, really.

“Obviously, a lot has changed since then but I really hope City can get the job done. The club looks to be on a stable footing now, Stuart (McCall) being able to go out and sign Alex Jones and Charlie Wyke last January shows that.

“Getting the club back in the Championship would be brilliant, it has been a long time.”

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Yorkshire Post - Football

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