CITY kick off their Valley Parade double-header tomorrow with David Hopkin declaring: “There’s no better place to play”.

The visit from Fleetwood is followed by a crunch clash against fellow relegation scrappers Plymouth.

And the Bantams boss insists his team must continue to build on a strong run of home form which has seen five wins out of six on their own soil.

Hopkin said: “It’s probably been a year since the club had decent form at home.

“Apart from the Southend game, and you’re going to get ones like that, we’ve been very good at Valley Parade.

“The fans have played a massive part in that. I keep saying it but when they get behind the team, there’s no better place to go and play football.

“We’ve made steady progress and the home games are key. We can’t have any panic stations.

“Our away form has picked up and we need to make sure we do our best in these two games.

“To take six points would be fantastic or if not then four. These next two are so important in trying to get away from where we are.”

A seven-point spread separates second-from-bottom Shrewsbury and Southend in 12th. City are one of three teams on 32 points and in the relegation zone on goal difference.

“We’re not far away from teams going up to mid-table,” added Hopkin. “That’s got to be our aim.

“We’ve got to realise where we were two or three months ago in the league. We’ve done fantastically well to get back into contention to catch the teams above us.

“You know what it’s like when you’re stuck in 16th or 17th place and you are only three or four points above the teams behind you. Every game becomes important.

“We just have to play positive football and not show any fear.”

There is added significance tomorrow on the back of the early release of the new £150 season-ticket deal for 2019-2020. The City boss hopes that will persuade the stayaways to return.

He said: “It’s a fantastic offer and I’m sure the fans will respond. It’s important for everyone that we look forward to hopefully seeing as many people there as we can.

“Maybe fans who have stayed away over the last 18 months or so will come back and support the club.

“It’s about transforming Bradford City back to how it’s always been. The only way you do that is with everyone engaging and pushing in the same direction.

“We all need to come together to make it the club it needs to be and should be.”