Sky Bet League One
Saturday 24th November 2018
Bradford City have always been a value for money club thanks largely to their 'Cheap Season Tickets' philosophy, which always results in sales 'en masse' compared to other clubs in whichever division they happen to be plying their trade in.
Nevertheless, matchday tickets are usually priced at a premium in comparison but with prices slashed to just £1 for the visit of struggling Oxford United, it was an offer which was simply too good to turn down - even though it meant running the gauntlet of travelling with Northern Rail who were doing their best to f*ck up as many plans as possible with their Saturday strikes at the time.
Going into the game it's fair to say it was a 'must win' contest for both teams. Bradford were rooted to the foot of the League One table having taken just a solitary point from their previous seven games, whilst Oxford weren't faring much better as they were hovering precariously above the relegation zone in 20th spot.
It's fair to say the two clubs have travelled in different directions since with Oxford (involved in the League One play-off final this evening) being just one win away from a return to the Championship for the first time in 21 years, whilst Bradford are languishing in League Two - despite being probably the second-biggest club for that level.
Valley Parade, for those who haven't been, is a classic ground steeped in history on the outskirts of the city centre and it's a good day out as there's plenty to enjoy nearby. Nevertheless, it's common for the Bantams' hierarchy to doctor their attendances to make them look good (they aren't the only club) and although this game was, officially, close to a sell-out based on tickets sold, the actual 'bums on seats' figure was far less with large swathes of the upper section of the Main Stand.
The 10,000 or so who did turn up; the 'official' attendance figure of 19,084 was bull sh*t, were treated to an entertaining game as the Bantams ripped apart their counterparts after an initially slow-start during which Oxford pressed, probed but couldn't make their pressure pay.
Two goals only a few minutes apart, just before the half-hour mark, altered things with David Ball and Jack Payne on target. Thereafter, Oxford looked a beaten side and it was never likely they'd be able to overhaul the deficit and give themselves a chance of getting back into the game. Instead, Bradford went on to put the ball in the net twice more, though both were disallowed for offside.
What was surprising in the aftermath was Oxford, who'd spent well the previous summer and had high expectations of making a mark in League One, opted to stick with boss Karl Robinson instead of doing what probably many fans wanted to do at the time and sack him.
In the next few hours it'll emerge whether it was a great decision by their board or, instead, whether they're still waiting for a return to the Championship...
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