Large Bradford backing 'only a positive thing'

Graham Alexander's Bradford City are second in League Two with nine matches to play

Bradford City boss Graham Alexander has said his players should 'relish' playing in front of a crowd in excess of 22,000 in Saturday's home game against promotion-chasing rivals Colchester.

The club have reduced ticket prices for the game to £5 and are hopeful of getting their largest ever attendance of 22,576 for a regular season match in the fourth tier.

The Bantams, who saw their club-record run of nine successive home wins ended by a surprise 1-0 defeat by Tranmere last week, are second in League Two.

"If it was someone else involved in these sort of games with this sort of crowds we'd be jealous," Alexander told BBC Radio Leeds.

"We'd be saying 'that would be great to compete in that type of game with that type of backing' so we'll only see it as a positive from our perspective.

"There's a great feeling inside Valley Parade and there's some really good things happening from the team and the fans have played a massive part all the way through and will continue to do that.

"Hopefully we get as many numbers in as possible and hopefully we do them justice by putting in the performance they want and getting the result we all want.

"I think there's a unity between the players and the support and we all want one thing and we're trying our hardest to achieve it.

"For me, going into it as a player I would be really relishing it."

With the top two tiers not playing this weekend because of the international break, Saturday's crowd in West Yorkshire is set to be the highest in the country for a domestic fixture.

Visitors Colchester, who have won their past five league games, are seventh in the table, eight points behind the Bantams.

'Connection' behind turnaround in home form

Only Championship leaders Leeds, with 15, and League One table-toppers Birmingham, with 16, have won more home games than Bradford in the EFL this season.

The Bantams' 14 victories means that, with four games at Valley Parade still to play, they have already won five more times in front of their own supporters than they did in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Alexander believes there has been a real change in the atmosphere in the stadium over the past 15 months, as witnessed during their loss to Tranmere.

"There's a connection, an emotion and a trust... The supporters aren't stupid and if they see the players continually putting everything in then they will back them," he added.

"They want to win as much as anyone else but we've all come to understand we're not perfect and we're not going to hit the great heights every time but as long as the effort and commitment is there then we will all support that.

"They know they can be a supportive force and certainly at Bradford with the numbers but having a bit of patience when it isn't perfect or we go through a tough time... That has been rewarding for me to witness that patience the supporters have for the players and the team to ride through rough periods.

"When Tranmere scored there was an instant backing to our team and that's stark contrast to 12, 13, 14 months ago and that's every credit to the efforts of the players but certainly to the supporters."

Alexander looks to end 40-year wait for title

The club marked the 40th anniversary of the last Bradford team to win a league title on Thursday night with a celebratory dinner for the 1984-85 Third Division champions.

Alexander, who is looking to lead City to just a second promotion since they went up to the Premier League in 1999, has said while that success might not be motivation for his players he aims for this season's squad to be remembered in years to come.

"I've always tried to understand how players think because I was one myself and talking about something 30, 40 or 50 years ago didn't resonate with me, whether it was positive or negative," the former Scotland international said.

"I just wanted to focus on me and my opponent. I don't talk to the players about my career, even if it is relevant to me, it isn't to them and they don't care.

"We're respectful and understand that this club has had successful players and teams in the past and we want to be part of that history but that's whatever club you play for.

"If in 30 or 40 years time people remember our team then that's a good position for us to be in."