COLIN Todd has called time on a football career spanning over half a century as player, coach and manager.

The former Bantams boss will still go to the occasional game – and was back at Valley Parade for the season-opening win over Blackpool.

But his days now are centred on family and long-suffering wife Jen, rather than the obsession with the game that has dominated his life.

"I always said to myself that I'd know in my own mind when it was time to call it a day," said Todd, whose last managerial spell in Denmark ended with the sack at Esbjerg in December.

"I came back after five good years over there and just felt I'd had enough.

"I've been in football all my time but I'm just enjoying what I'm doing. Do I miss it? Not one iota."

Family footballing connections have not been severed totally. Son Andy is a coach at Blackpool and dad scouts the odd game for him.

But Todd now enjoys other interests that had been pushed to one side by football's all-consuming influence.

He said: "It's about how you keep your mind focused. I do a lot of walking and we've just been up to a cottage in Bamburgh with the eight-year-old grandson.

"We look after him at our Andy's and I'm spending a lot more time with my wife. I think this has hit her more than me.

"She wasn't over all the time when I was in Denmark.

"She would come over for about a month. But then I wouldn't see her until I came back December time and then she might not come back out again until April just before we finished.

"So I think she finds it more difficult with me being around all the time than I do. I try not to get under her feet but she's still finding it strange.

"In football, you're stuck at it all the time.

"I can look back and say I thoroughly enjoyed it but the time's gone now.

"I'm 69 now – probably a young 69 – but sometimes you have to close the door."

He sat alongside Julian Rhodes for Blackpool's visit last month. A decade after City's former chairman reluctantly ended Todd's three-year stint in charge of the club, the pair remain in regular contact.

Todd, who was sacked three months before City dropped into the bottom tier in 2007, said: "I liked Julian as a chairman. I think he understood me and we had a great rapport. You need people like that in control.

"It was just unfortunate that there was a bit of noise from the minority at that time. He didn't want to make a change but I think his hand was forced because of that and there were no hard feelings.

"I look back to my first season at Bradford. Considering when I took over from Bryan (Robson) we had no money and no players, we did extremely well.

"We didn't have a big squad in depth but we surprised a lot of people. We had a great spirit and togetherness.

"It was just a shame we couldn't make people really sit up by making the play-offs because a lot had tipped us for relegation.

"These so-called pundits wrote us off from the start – but it showed what you can do with a little bit of organisation. It just caught up with us towards the end.

"But I enjoyed my time at Bradford. I thought people were fair and honest and could see they had a manager who cared for the club and was trying to do something to help them.

"I think it's brilliant now because they've got a real fan-base. They've had a taste of (success) and are just waiting for it to happen again.

"They missed out in the play-off final and expectations are pretty high, maybe even from the chairman and the board but certainly with the supporters. But it's a lovely club and I do wish them well."

Todd does not share the same optimism about the game itself. Without wanting to sound like a bitter old pro, he admits football's allure is fading.

"I get a little bit disillusioned about the standard," he said.

"I went to Hull because Dean Windass invited me as a guest. I watched them play Bolton and it was poor.

"Then you see the international games on the TV and we're going nowhere with that England team – but we've got nobody better.

"Dele Alli is a great talent but otherwise we're a very average team.

"People talk about the Premier League being the best in the world. I totally disagree.

"I still watch football but I'm not going to make a habit of every Saturday saying I'm going here or there. It's not the same."