Date: Thursday, 25 September 2025
Fixture: Bradford City vs Slovan Bratislava
Venue: Valley Parade
Valley Parade, Pre-Match Atmosphere
The night had weight.
Valley Parade glowed like something carved from history—spotlights gleaming against the sheen of the pitch, fans wrapped in claret and amber chanting in waves that rose and fell like breath.
Scarves waved above heads. Children on shoulders. Pockets of Bratislava supporters in one corner of the stand, flanked by stewards, singing in high rhythm. But the noise? Bradford. Pure. Thunderous.
The UEFA anthem began—not piped in, but sung by the moment. Flags rippled in sync, smoke from flares hanging faint in the floodlights.
Down on the pitch, Jake stood still as the anthem swelled. Hands clasped behind his back. Chin raised. His players lined beside him, the only motion the shifting of shoulders and bouncing knees.
Commentator – Jonathan Pearce (BBC Sport):
