Driving round your home city in an open-top bus after finishing 17th in the league may not be every football club's reason to celebrate, writes T&A soccer reporter Richard Sutcliffe.

But anyone who doubted whether Bradford City merited such a salute after ensuring their Premiership survival should have been in Centenary Square shortly after 6.30pm last night.

That was the time the City squad edged down Market Street and towards a sea of claret and amber as supporters craned for a look at their heroes.

Around 2,500 fans had made their way to the centre of Bradford to salute City's amazing escape from relegation against all the odds.

Sunday's goal-scoring hero David Wetherall could not believe the reception he and his team-mates were receiving.

He said: "I have never seen anything like this before. I had joined Leeds during the season when they won the league title.

"The manager Howard Wilkinson was good enough to let me finish my university education and I missed the open-topped bus parade for the title because I was sitting my finals in Sheffield at the time. But this is something I will never forget. Our fans are amazing."

The players, club officials and their families met at Valley Parade around 5pm and enjoyed a free bar in the Banqueting Suite -a rare event in itself!

Around 200 fans had gathered at the gates to send off the players as they left the ground to give the players a taste of what lay ahead.

Then as the bus edged down Manningham Lane, supporters in cars tooted their horns and waved back at the players who were enjoying their second civic reception in 12 months.

Several camera crews were on board and interviewing players as the bus travelled down Manor Row and then Market Street.

Certain players have developed a reputation among their team-mates as being darlings of the media.

Dean Windass is someone who skipper Stuart McCall described three months ago as "the only man I know who rings the newspapers and asks 'Do you want to speak today?' He is in the media room before the Press most weeks."

As Windass spoke to local radio, boss Paul Jewell shouted: "Oh what a surprise! Deano with a microphone! Can you go ten minutes without doing an interview?"

All interviews were abandoned, however, as the bus approached Centenary Square and the noise levels rose.

It must have been a major achievement for City fans to make any noise at all because everyone I spoke to on Sunday night had shouted themselves hoarse during the victory over Liverpool.

But shout they did.

And it was yet another memorable reception for Paul Jewell and his brave Bradford City battlers and a fitting way to salute the players' effort over the past nine months.

Maybe the Bantams can make it a hat-trick of civic receptions next year after another successful season.

However next time, let's hope they can parade a trophy in front of their loyal army of fans.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.