Proud Bradford City manager Graham Alexander on promoted Bantams completing a 15-month League Two journey 'borne in adversity'

The most dramatic of afternoons saw City, who had looked destined for the play-offs, with Walsall winning at Crewe Alexandra, get over the line in the sixth minute of stoppage-time against Fleetwood, thanks to Antoni Sarcevic’s strike.

It was the cue for pandemonium to ensue. A pitch invasion followed and after supporters were eventually cleared, a second incursion onto the playing surface arrived from delirious fans among a record fourth-tier crowd at Valley Parade.

Play eventually restarted before referee Martin Coy called time on proceedings.

After a testing end to the season and some tough moments against Doncaster, Chesterfield and Swindon, City had their moment.

For Alexander, it was especially sweet, given where City were back in March 2024, when they were 17th in the division in 2023-24 following a wretched run of form, culminating in a grim derby loss at Harrogate Town.

Alexander said: "The idea of this team was borne in adversity, that month we had in March 2024. It’s still there, it’s so real in my mind.

"I’ve used it every day to drive myself, drive the staff, drive my players to never go back to that moment again.

"We’ve had times and individual games – what we’ve been through in the last three away games has really tested our character and personality.

"But I know what a good team we are at home. We’re the best in the division and there’s only Birmingham and Leeds in the whole of the EFL that have had better home records than us.”

On the symbolism of promotion on an afternoon when supporters paid their respects to those who perished in the Valley Parade fire disaster in May 1985, Alexander added: "Everyone has been telling me for a week that it was fate. It was the memorial game and if we’re going to do it, we’ll do it at Valley Parade in front of 24,000.

"I wanted to believe it and I’ve seen the number 56 an unreal number of times in the past month.

"But I didn’t want to just tempt fate – I knew we had a lot of work to do.

"I just wanted to put the players and staff in the best place mentally against a team who came determined to frustrate and make it a difficult game.

"But it’s what the players have learned in the last 12 months. That’s a game a year ago we would have chased and left ourselves open and conceded.

"Sam Walker made an unbelievable save in the first half but we deserved to win the game. We were the better team and had the better chances but left them late for that.”