The legacy of Bradford City’s phenomenal Capital One Cup campaign has seen a 51 per cent surge in people inquiring about volunteering in sport in Bradford, it has been revealed.

Bradford Volunteer Centre said it has been approached by more people wanting to give their time to act as coaches, referees, minibus drivers and match stewards – with 50 inquiries in January and February this year compared with 33 in the same period last year.

A Telegraph & Argus story about a football-themed event at the centre celebrating the Bantams’ achievements in the days before their Capital One Cup final defeat to Swansea at Wembley also prompted the Football Association to get in touch with the charity, offering to write to all teams in the district about volunteering opportunities.

Dave Forrest, director of the centre, said: “The Bradford City team were brilliant at Wembley and great ambassadors for the Bradford district.

“We want to build on this legacy so that many more local young people can enjoy top quality coaching from the hundreds of volunteers in local football clubs, both on the pitch and behind the scenes.

“With more than 3,000 volunteer roles available in Bradford, volunteering is a great way to learn new skills, have fun and make a real difference in supporting thousands of local people.”

The centre held a series of events during City’s cup run, including a Wii football tournament and talks by Bradford Council’s Volunteer in Sport co-ordinator about the range of volunteering opportunities available with Bradford’s amateur football clubs.

It also celebrated the team’s successes by creating a claret and amber window display and says its number of followers on social networking site Twitter had increased by 18 per cent.

The centre has, in total, received 1,878 volunteering inquiries in January and February this year compared with 1,635 in the same period last year, with the most popular areas involving children and health.

Richard Lewis, Sport England chairman, said: “Community sport needs its volunteers. “We know that the quality of volunteers, and the skills they bring, has a significant impact on participants and the likelihood of them continuing their sporting involvement in the future.”

To find a volunteer role visit volunteeringbradford.org or visit the centre’s base in Sunbridge Road.