There were so many special tales around the Save Our City

campaign.

Claret and amber day, the celebrity auction, even the nutty fan who munched his way through a jar load of maggots.

And, of course, the rainy bank holiday weekend when nearly 10,000 people turned out at Valley Parade to watch City stars of yesteryear strut their stuff for a club they still love.

But the memory that will stick with me involved a former player who never kicked a ball that day.

Because of insurance issues, Dean Richards was barred from taking part by Tottenham. But he insisted on coming along anyway - and even changed his holiday plans to do it.

I had only got in touch with him three days before the game and he was packing to go away with the family. They were due to fly on the Saturday, 24 hours before the kick-off at Valley Parade.

In the same position, I would have given the call short shrift. But Richards was determined to do his bit for the club where he got his big break.

Half an hour later he rang back to say the travel agents had been contacted and the holiday put back until after the weekend.

Not being able to play did not bother him.

He turned up clutching a bin bag full of signed Spurs shirts for auction and watched the fun from the Bantams Bar in the Kop.

Who says footballers are only bothered about number one?

Richards may have moved on to Wolves, Southampton and finally White Hart Lane but he has never forgotten his Bradford roots. And in the club's greatest hour of need, he showed real support that day.

Not surprisingly he remains immensely popular among City fans who saw him blossom from a leggy young local talent into potentially one of the most assured centre halves in the English game.

Make no mistake, but for the injuries the original Deano could have been challenging the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and John Terry on the international stage.

I was covering Southampton when Richards was in the peak of his form. There were few cooler customers in the Premiership at that time - and that in the centre of a back four which was much busier than most. He was also a genuinely nice guy which makes this week's news that he has been forced to hang up his boots even sadder. At 30, an age when many defenders are approaching their best years, Richards now has to contemplate life without the game.

But after talking it over with his family there was no decision to make. Playing on could have risked his health in the future. There was the scare of a suspected brain tumour in November and he has suffered a long-term ear infection and dizzy spells for most of the season.

Richards had not played since May but I doubt that will make the current time feel any easier.

And City fans will mourn the end for one of their own, a real local lad made good.

Speaking before the Save Our City game, he still remembered his first visit to Valley Parade against Scunthorpe in the Freight Rover Trophy. Two decades on, he was back to watch several of his idols from that time going through gentler paces to keep City going.

I'm sure that won't be the last that we see of Richards. And next time back he deserves a hero's welcome.

He supported City through dark times. It would be good to think that the Bradford football public will return the favour.