FARSLEY boss Neil Parsley is delighted to be welcoming Bradford City for a pre-season friendly next Saturday.

The Bantams will be the first visitors to Throstle Nest this summer and the Bradford public are expected to turn out in their droves for the first chance to see Phil Parkinson’s new-look squad before he takes them north of the border.

Parsley said: “We have a decent pre-season list of games and we’re really pleased to have Bradford City coming to us.

“It means a lot to our club, and I think special thanks have to go to Phil and Steve Parkin for their part in it.

"Bradford City are a big draw and their supporters will pack our ground, and that will be a big boost for us.”

The Bantams were due to play the same friendly last season but pulled out at the 11th hour.

When they returned from a trip to Ireland, they were unhappy with the surface at Throstle Nest and switched to play another non-league side.

Parsley is expecting everything to be okay this time around, and added: “It was a shame last year but the pitch just wasn’t quite right, and Phil didn’t want to run the risk of his players picking up an injury a week or so from the start of the season.

“The weather is not helping the pitch at the minute. There has been a lot done to the playing surface during the close season and there are people looking after it every day but the intense sun this week scorched the new grass.

“That’s a pity really but there are people working on it and watering it regularly, and fingers crossed it will be ready for next week.

"The players are looking forward to it – they like the games more than the training, especially the big ones like this.”