THE sense of excitement is clear in Phil Parkinson’s voice.

Beneath the ultra-professional facade, the memories come flooding back as we discuss his return to Valley Parade.

“It’s one of those days that you want to be involved in football for,” he told the T&A. “I cannot wait to sample the big-match atmosphere.

“It’s a cracking game between two top-six teams going head to head in front of a near full house.

“I know we’ll have another big away following. The Bolton fans have been great all season, home and away, and have travelled in great numbers to places like Bristol Rovers on a Wednesday night.

“I’m really looking forward to taking a team back to Valley Parade for the first time and my family are just as excited.”

Parkinson and Valley Parade; for almost five years the names were intertwined. This will be different as he occupies the away dug-out with the coaching staff that followed him en masse to Bolton last summer.

He knows the crowd reaction will be mixed. Some will want to show their appreciation for the manager who steered City to some of the greatest highs in club history; others have not forgiven what they saw almost as an act of betrayal in his sudden exit.

“Whatever reception I get personally, it won’t taint my memories of all the great times myself and my family enjoyed at Bradford over five years.

“But I’d like to think the Bradford fans will know that for five years I gave everything I had in terms of work ethic and honesty to do well for the club.

“Like me, they’ve had some fantastic days to look back on for many years to come.

“Life goes on but it doesn’t mean that the great affection my family and myself have got for Bradford will change.”

For Parkinson, those memorable moments with City still resonate even if his focus on his return now is firmly in the opposition camp.

“There are so many great games that I could highlight.,” he said.

“I remember walking out against Arsenal when the stadium was full. What an atmosphere that night!

“But we had many more occasions like that. It’s a great arena to play football.

“I go back to my first Bradford home game when we drew with Bristol Rovers.

“The response the fans gave the players that day was amazing and I remember saying to the squad ‘look, how can anyone not enjoy playing here?’”

A legacy of Parkinson’s reign is a current home record that stretches two weeks off a year since the last league defeat against Colchester.

City won the final seven at Valley Parade in Parkinson’s reign last season and Stuart McCall’s present side are yet to be beaten in 16 attempts.

Parkinson added: “A lot of that has been down to the supporters and the backing they give the team.

“Obviously I’ve not been there this year but I’m sure it will be exactly the same.

“It’s a terrific record and I don’t think there are many teams in all four divisions who can match that.”

Football logic would suggest that if anyone is going to end that record, it’s likely to be Parkinson. Going back to old haunts is nothing new but he admits it will be a weird experience.

“Yeah, it will. It’s always strange when you leave a club.

“You’re here one day and then suddenly gone the next.

“As I said before, when I left I was happy for Edin (Rahic) to go ahead with a press statement.

“I probably never really got a chance to explain things fully. I just left it at that out of respect to him.

“I feel that when new owners come in, and I’ve experienced it before at Charlton, ultimately they want to do it their way.

“For me, it gave Edin the opportunity to put his own mark on the club and get the structure in place how he wants to run things.

“He’s brought in a terrific manager in Stuart McCall.

“As much as people might look back and say there was a little bit of disruption at the time, I do feel it was the right thing for Edin and Stefan (Rupp).”

There was nothing between the sides in a featureless stalemate at the Macron Stadium in September.

The main talking point was the lack of acknowledgement from Parkinson when he was applauded by the 4,000 strong away following.

That left a sour taste with many City fans but Parkinson insists he did not intend to snub them.

He admitted: “I certainly wouldn’t have done that. I just didn’t realise at the time.

“Honestly, I walked out there and didn’t know they were cheering me.

“It was only afterwards when a few people said that Bradford fans had given me that reception.

“At Bolton, you walk out the tunnel and you’re straight in the technical area. You don’t look around.”