MARK Stallard has some pre-match advice for City before they step into the Den cauldron: Check the programme carefully.

Twenty years on from that famous play-off night in Blackpool, the striker who scored the decisive goal would love to see history repeat itself.

City are up against it at Millwall; just as they were at Bloomfield Road in 1996. Stallard can see the similarities of the occasion – and that's why he'd suggest the players have a flick through the programme first.

Nobody will forget how Blackpool shot themselves in the foot with a presumptuous page spelling out travel plans for Wembley. It was a trip they did not make as City gloriously turned the tables, reversing a 2-0 home loss to win 3-0 on the way to promotion.

Stallard said: "Every football match is changed on the minute details – somebody switching off or missing a tackle, a moment of inspiration – it's the little things.

"Anything like that can make a difference and the programme certainly worked as a motivating factor for us that night.

"Reading all this about booking coaches for Wembley, it was as if they were as good as there. You could see it got all the lads going.

"I'm sure people will be monitoring what is coming out from the Millwall end this week. The similarities to now are unbelievable. Bradford are two down from the home leg after being the team in form going into the play-offs.

"You could see the disappointment over what happened at Valley Parade. We could have been talking about 20 years ago.

"It must have felt worse after getting their noses in front and then conceding like that, especially when the defence has been so tight all season. But look at what we did back in the day. That shows it can be done."

Having netted the decisive third goal in the Blackpool second leg, Stallard etched his place deeper in club folklore with the second in their first visit to Wembley.

Given City's recent cup exploits against the likes of Chelsea, he believes the current crop can make a name for themselves by producing the same comeback heroics.

He said: "There's no getting away from it. Bradford have given themselves a mountain to climb. But they have the experience of this sort of one-off event when there's a lot of focus on it.

"They shouldn't have a problem handling that. They have trained since the first leg knowing exactly what is needed.

"Yes, they are going there to chase the game but they have to be solid. The first goal is huge. If Millwall score, that three-goal deficit will seem almost insurmountable. But at two down, you always feel that if get the first then it is very much game on.

"Phil Parkinson will be telling them not to go ridiculous and risk conceding in the first 20 minutes. Do that and it's virtually game over. Play without fear, be adventurous, but also with the element that you aren't going to get too cavalier."