Northampton v Bradford: Aiming to attract Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink's anger

He was a Chelsea striker at the time and the Bantams had done a fine job of neutering the Londoners’ attack at Valley Parade.

Hasselbaink had cut a forlorn figure throughout a game in August, 2000, that ended in a 2-0 victory for the Yorkshire club and the red mist descended when Gianluca Vialli substituted his star striker shortly before the hour-mark and the away dugout felt the full force.

Stuart McCall was in the City midfield that day so knows all about his Northampton counterpart ahead of today’s meeting. So, too, does Tony McMahon, who was a youngster at Middlesbrough when the former Leeds United man was leading the attack at the Riverside.

“I don’t know Jimmy as a manager but, as a player, he was the angriest man I have ever played with,” said Bradford’s longest-serving player. “If you didn’t cross the ball or pass to him or pass either side of him, he would either shout or give you this horrible stare.”

Bradford will be hoping to leave Northampton on the end of one of those famous 1,000-yard stares from their manager today,

City head to Sixfields unbeaten in four games on the road in the league this season and McMahon says there is a fantastic vibe surrounding the squad.

“That is down to the gaffer,” added the full-back. “There has been a lot of change here since the summer but he gets the best out of everyone, making this a fun place to come where everyone works hard.”