BRADFORD City fans have queued from the early hours to be the first in line for FA Cup tickets.

By 8am - two hours before the ticket office opened - hundreds of fans were gathered, snaking their way in a claret amber line out of the stadium.

Cup fever was supported, in the chilly temperatures, by an array of City shirts, coats, gloves and scarves.

And many of the good-natured fans spoke passionately about how City's Cup run, taking in victories over mighty Chelsea and Premiership Sunderland, was a poignant tribute to the 56 fans who lost their lives in the Valley Parade Fire Disaster 30 years ago.

First in the queue was John Bailey, 55, of Clayton, who turned up at 1am to find the gates locked.

He smiled: "I went back to the pub, and came back at 3am. It was still locked, so I sat on the steps outside and waited."

Mr Bailey, who goes to all home games and some away matches, said: "Every City ticket is important, but these especially so. It feels great to be first in the queue. I'll celebrate by going back to the pub for a full breakfast. I've had no sleep. I was tired but I'm coming round now the tickets are nearly in my grasp."

Mr Bailey said the Cup run had been brilliant, but he felt the Reading tie would be a harder game.

"They won't be coming here thinking we're a pushover. We're a scalp now. But I think we'll beat them and I think we will get to the final," he said.

City take on Reading in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, March 7.

Last night the club issued a statement following complaints from fans who could not get tickets.

It said it remained hopeful that all season ticket holders would able to get tickets for the match despite a day of “unprecedented sales”.

The club has all but sold out of tickets that were made available in all parts of the grounds, apart from some areas of the north-west corner - which were being kept back until consultation with the TV companies, some areas of the TL Dallas Stand and parts of the ground previously unused, such as A block of the main stand.

Staff will today tally up all the tickets that will be available and they will be ring-fenced purely for season-ticket holders who find themselves without a ticket.

A spokesman said: "We are confident that we will fulfil demand for all season-ticket holders, even if that means foregoing some of the banqueting obligations and restricting tickets for players and sponsors."