Alexander Emphasizes Fan Belief as Core to Bradford City’s Progress

Bradford City manager Graham Alexander has stated that fostering renewed fan belief in the team stands as his most significant achievement during his initial year at the helm. His squad has recorded only one loss in seven home League Two matches this season. Alexander, aged 53, took over as Mark Hughes’ replacement at the League Two club on 6 November 2023. To date, Alexander has overseen 53 matches for the Bantams, achieving 26 victories, 13 draws, and 14 defeats. Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, he remarked, “I think the feeling inside Valley Parade is getting there. I still think we can improve it.” He further elaborated, “I said after the Doncaster game when we got beat that the response to defeats in the stadium this season is different when we lost last season.” He added, “I thought the response from the supporters was brilliant that day and that only comes from a place of belief and trust. They stayed with us.” Some supporters have drawn comparisons between Alexander, a professional who played more than 1,000 matches, and Phil Parkinson, the last manager to achieve promotion with Bradford. Alexander, who previously managed Fleetwood, Scunthorpe, Salford, and Motherwell, stated he would refrain from comparing himself to the current Wrexham manager but believed both shared an understanding of the club. He commented, “I think Phil probably got the club and I’ve tried my best to do that but I still think there’s improvement I can make.” Alexander emphasized, “I think you have to understand and have empathy with what the supporters here have been through going back 10, 20 years and even to the disaster in the 1980s.” He continued, “I just wanted the supporters to be with the team. The team should be the star of any football club.” He concluded, “I listen to the stadium for when they get excited and when they get down and try and get them to be up.” Parkinson guided the Bantams to promotion from League Two in 2013, which remains the club’s sole promotion since their ascent to the Premier League in 1999. After 14 matches, Alexander’s team currently occupies seventh place in the fourth tier, trailing the top three by four points. The club has remained at this level since 2019, and Alexander recognized that his tenure at Valley Parade would be evaluated by others based on his ability to return them to League One. Nevertheless, he maintained that, from his perspective, this would represent merely one component of overall success. He stated, “I know what I will get judged on, I’m not confused about that. It will be success on the pitch and getting to a different division.” He added, “This is going to sound corny but it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey as well.” Alexander reflected, “I made my debut in the Premier League at the age of 37 and there were all these reporters who wanted to speak to me as if the previous 17, 18 years of my career had been a grind. But I enjoyed my whole career.” He concluded, “I’ve been fortunate that I’ve had success at other clubs but that’s only part of it. “I know what I’ll ultimately get judged on but I know what I’ll take from the job as well.”