Tens of thousands of Bradford City fans are expected to “rock” the city centre tomorrow as they honour their promotion-winning Bantams heroes in a homecoming parade.

The club revealed there would be an open-top bus tour through the city to celebrate the team’s promotion to League One after the 3-0 Wembley thrashing of Northampton Town on Saturday, as well as its achievements reaching the Capital One Cup final in February.

Bradford Council leader David Green said plans for a parade had been put in place before last weekend’s League Two play-off final and it would be a chance for fans to celebrate a “glorious season”.

He said: “I’m confident Bradford city centre will be rocking. I think the fans have demonstrated their 110 per cent commitment to the club, not just this season but through the years.

“We’re expecting tens of thousands of people. There were tens of thousands at Wembley and we’re expecting similar numbers will want to be in the heart of the city to welcome them back home and share in the celebrations.”

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Dale Smith, who today hands over his mayoral chains to the new Lord Mayor, Councillor Khadim Hussain, missed Saturday’s final because it clashed with the annual Lord Mayor’s Parade and said he would also be forced to miss the parade.

“Of course I will no longer be Lord Mayor, but I am delighted the team are getting a parade,” he said.

“It’s well deserved and it will be very well supported. Unfortunately I will miss it because I will be at a concert in honour of Councillor Valerie Binney, which is raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

“But City managed to win without me and I’m sure they’ll have a fantastic celebration without me.

“I can’t express enough how much of a tonic this has been for the city and the district. I’m sure there will be tens of thousands of people there.”

Incoming Lord Mayor, Coun Hussain said he would be at the parade and it would mean his civic year would get off to a “winning start”.

He said: “I wouldn’t miss it. It’s a marvellous achievement for Bradford as a whole.

“Bradford City was a Premier League club in the past and I hope this is the beginning of them rising to the top again.

“It’s going to be a joyous and happy occasion for Bradford and I hope that next year we’ll be able to celebrate them moving up again!”

The parade will begin with Phil Parkinson's squad leaving Valley Parade on an open top bus at 6.30pm, which will make its way down Manningham Lane through the city centre to Centenary Square.

Once there, the Bantams boss and his victorious players will be introduced to supporters, who will have the chance to catch a glimpse of the League Two play-off trophy.

A club spokesman said: “As well as securing promotion to League One, the last nine months have also seen Parkinson’s men reach the club’s first major cup final since 1911 after victories over the likes of Watford, Wigan Athletic, Arsenal and Aston Villa took them to the Capital One Cup final.”