Bradford City 0-1 Bolton Wanderers playoff second leg (0-2 aggregate) 

Written by Lee Pasquariello

The final whistle of tonight’s game at Valley Parade did not bring any anger. For me, it was partly numbness, but extreme pride. Walking out of the ground tonight I didn’t hear any furious rants, and inside the ground I saw fans who stood their ground at full time clapping the team off. Yes, we lost 1-0 again, 2-0 on aggregate, which means that our promotion hopes are over for this season.

But it’s important to get one thing straight, this has been an absolutely unbelievable season.

For tonight’s game, I was in B Block of the Kop, which is now home to the club’s “atmosphere section”. I’m based at the top of K Block these days, but moved for a change of scenery. I chose B Block because it’s where I used to sit in my earlier years of coming to Valley Parade. I have experienced some of my best times as a City fan down there, the roars, the limbs and the bond with all the other people sat around you.

Being back down there tonight reminded me exactly why we do it. Even when our goal was disallowed, when Bolton scored, and the full time whistle confirmed our exit, that section did what it does best. It stayed loud, clapped the players off and showed the spirit and how proud of this football club we are as fans. We were unsuccessful this time but being down in B block again was a special moment for me.

Tonight had many moments of “what could’ve been” though. When Max Power had a powerful shot at goal that was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Bolton keeper Jack Bonham, the roof almost came off the stadium. And when Kayden Jackson found the net for City the joy from everyone was cut short by the linesman’s flag.

Instead of a dramatic finish, disaster struck. Immediately after our goal was disallowed, Xavier Simons’ goal sealed the win for Bolton. Both legs were tight affairs but football is defined by fine margins, Tonight, those margins went against us.

Whilst it is devastating to not make Wembley, perspective is key. Following our promotion back to this level, very few people realistically expected us to be in with a shot at promotion this season, myself included.

Yet Graham Alexander has built a squad that has achieved a fantastic 4th placed finish, with 77 points. We also won 22 games along the way, which is also the same number as the other finalist, Stockport County. To be able to sustain that consistency and momentum immediately after being a newly promoted team is actually a brilliant achievement, not a failure.

The ending is a tough one to take, but it is not the end of the world.

Unlike previous playoff defeats, Carlisle and Millwall for example, this doesn’t feel like the end of an era. It feels like the opposite, it’s the start of one. This team is resilient, and the connection between the fans, the players and management out on the pitch and the club in general is the strongest I’ve seen for a very long time.

We aren’t a club that needs to rip everything up and start again, as has been the case before. We are a stable side that now knows what it takes to compete at the top of League One. Yes, we need to sort things out over the summer. Our away form needs addressing, and strengthening the squad is expected to happen when the transfer window opens, but the foundations are already there.

The disappointment will linger for a bit, but the work for next season starts now. We all reset, we strengthen, and back at it again next season.

To Graham Alexander and all the players, thank you for an unbelievable season.