Bradford MP Gerry Sutcliffe and Bradford City supporters are calling on more fans to show up for home games to help keep the club afloat.

Bradford City Supporters' Trust and the Bradford South MP have issued a rallying cry to fans to get themselves down to games to help increase the club's revenue.

As previously reported in the Telegraph & Argus, Bantams chairman Julian Rhodes has predicted a £1 million shortfall for the next financial year. Although Mr Rhodes has pledged to pick up the tab himself, he has warned that cuts may have to be made in the wage bill if more people do not start to come though the turnstiles.

The club is confident that a new business centre in the club's offices will help to raise money off the field - but on match days the picture continues to be gloomy.

Valley Parade has a capacity of 25,136 yet City's last home game against Colchester attracted only 6,891 supporters, of which the visitors brought only 99.

This season's average gate is 7,542, which is 1,297 down on last year. However, last season's average is 3,131 more than the 1995-96 season when City were last in the equivalent division. In their two seasons in the Premiership from 1999 to 2001 the club attracted an average of more than 18,000.

Bradford City Supporters' Trust chairman Phillip Marshall said: "The major income for any football club is having a regular reasonable income on match days upon which it can plan its budget. Julian Rhodes should not be expected to bail this club out time and time again. We are seventh in the league with no reason why we cannot climb back into the Championship and further."

Mr Marshall and the board of the Supporters' Trust are to meet later this month to discuss how the club can promote new initiatives to boost attendance.

At the moment the club is already offering free tickets to under-11s. To qualify, all children need to do is to bring in a copy of their birth certificate along with two passport-size pictures for a special card which when presented, at least one day before a match, at the ticket office will entitle them to one free ticket. In past seasons the club has given away tickets to junior football teams.

In the meantime the Bantams' next home game is the local derby against Hudders-field Town on Monday evening and Mr Marshall is calling on supporters to make it a full house. Currently a family ticket for one adult and one child costs £13 and £3 respectively for members or £15 and £5 for non-members, though membership is free.

Last year, the Telegraph & Argus ran the Save Our City campaign which helped to raise £250,000 to rescue the club. The club was in the hands of administrators and on the brink of going out of existence when the T&A started the appeal in May last year.

Mr Sutcliffe said: "City's supporters have rallied behind the club on numerous occasions. I appreciate there are a lot of home games and that a lot of people cannot afford the gate prices, but it is vital that we get the gate back up above 10,000 again."