4:29pm Sunday 29th April 2007
By Simon Parker
City were today waking up to the prospect of life back in the basement division as David Wetherall pleaded: Let's hope this is as low as it gets.
Saturday's pathetic 3-0 defeat at Chesterfield condemned the Bantams to relegation with one game still to go.
Wetherall, his voice cracking with emotion, admitted the team had completely let down the 1,600 away fans who had made the trip to Saltergate dreaming of a late escape from the drop.
Eight years after preparing to lead City into the Premiership, the caretaker-boss was forced to discuss their prospects in League Two.
"We've hoped for a long time that as a football club we've hit the bottom and bounced," said Wetherall. "But it's not really worked out like that.
"You look at the financial problems the club have had. We hoped to break even 18 months ago, we didn't; we still lost money and we've still lost money this season.
"We know we're going to be seen as a big club down there but we also know that purse strings get tightened.
"We've got players still under contract but we haven't got many and what money is available for others I don't know but we'll have to plan as best we can for next season and keep our fingers crossed and hope that this is the bottom and that we do bounce.
"I hope already that we have a good year next season and everybody gets positive about the football and about this club again."
City, who left the bottom division in 1982, went out with a whimper against a side also relegated alongside them because of Cheltenham's comeback win at Rotherham.
Donovan Ricketts let the first goal slither through his hands after 15 minutes and the visitors never looked like staging a recovery.
Wetherall added: "It was a sloppy goal that should never have gone in and that seemed to knock a lot of stuffing out of us. We didn't perform as an attacking force, didn't create enough, didn't pass the ball enough and didn't regain possession quickly enough. We didn't play to the principles we're trying to get into the team and that led to us losing a game we were all so desperate to win.
"I expected so much more and have to be very careful with what I say but we simply weren't good enough and got exactly what we deserved, which was nothing."
The City fans remained defiantly singing at the final whistle and Wetherall acknowledged the role they have played since he took over.
"The support we received was outstanding again and they deserved better. They gave us great backing and I thought it was really going to lift us but it's not worked out like that.
"Relegation is not just about Saturday, although the performance was nowhere near good enough, but the season as a whole and now it's been confirmed there is no hiding place.
"I'm feeling a mix of emotions but the over-riding one is obviously sadness for the football club and everyone connected with it."
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk