BRADFORD City fans were disappointed after seeing their hopes of a Wembley play-off final shattered by a dramatic defeat.
The Bantams fell to a 3-1 defeat at Carlisle United in the League Two play-off semi-final second leg today (Saturday, May 20) after extra-time.
The Bantams’ faithful cheered their side on throughout the tense contest with a host of chants.
The interaction between the two club’s sets of fans was good-natured throughout the match, until a number of the Carlisle supporters went onto the pitch at the final whistle, some of them directing taunts towards the City fans, who stayed in the stands and were protected by a line of stewards and police officers.
The Bantams fans, all 1,948 of them out of a total crowd of 15,401, were in full voice throughout the match.
Chants from the travelling support including ‘Mark Hughes’ claret and amber army’ and ‘City we love you’, ‘C’mon City’ and ‘Everywhere we go’ were ringing around Brunton Park.
Fans travelling back from Cumbria on one of two coaches run by the club’s Shipley Bantams supporters’ group were left to rue missing out on a chance for promotion at the play-off final, where Carlisle will face Stockport County at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, May 28.
Steve Benson, of Baildon, said: “I’m very disappointed as when the chips were down we did not show up.
“We have had a much better season than last season. We go again.
“It’s disappointing being in this league for another season, when this club (City) should be in League One or the Championship, but we have to earn the right to be there.
“On that showing today, I don’t think we would have beaten Stockport at Wembley in the final anyway.”
Janice Worsley, of Baildon, said: “It’s disappointing, obviously.
“It was so close, yet so far away really.
“We can’t take anything away from Carlisle, they are a good team.
“We should have come out and gone for a goal straight away today.
“It’s just a shame. We start again in July.”
Ben Ackroyd, of Queensbury, said: “I’m gutted. We were not good enough. We didn’t deserve to win. It’s heart-breaking.
“We need to regroup and get a few fresh faces in. You need fast, strong players in League Two.
“We never do anything the easy way.
“We’re too big for this league.”
Michael Fox, of Holme Wood, said: “I’m just disappointed. We should have taken the game to them.
“There are going to be some big changes. Next season is up in the air. There is a lot of work to be done next season.”
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