GARY Bowyer today reminded those giving up on City: The only way is up.

The Bantams are back on the bottom of League One for the first time in over three months after last week’s choker at Oxford.

They are two points behind nearest rivals Rochdale and Wimbledon and six adrift of the last safety spot.

READ MORE: City boss says survival battle to go to wire

But Bowyer is still defiant about their survival chances as he prepares to face former club Blackpool this afternoon.

The City boss has drawn inspiration from a familiar song he heard on the drive in to training this week.

He said: “I put the car radio on and the station had Yazz and the Plastic Population singing ‘The Only Way is Up’. It just made me smile.

“That’s where we are. What are we going to do? Feel sorry for ourselves or sing along with the song?

“I like singing along with the song – and that’s all we can do.

“Now that’s the fact. We’re there at the bottom now so the only way is up.”

Twenty years ago, it was the celebration tune that followed every City goal at Valley Parade on their way to the Premiership.

But now Bowyer aims to use it as a soundtrack for trying to avoid slipping back into League Two after a six-year absence.

“That’s the outlook,” he added. “You can feel like that or beat yourself up and be defeated – but what’s the point in that?”

Bowyer’s winning start against Peterborough a fortnight ago ended a previous run of six without a victory.

After losing to leaders Luton and Oxford, City realistically need to win half of their remaining eight games to stand a chance of escaping the bottom four.

Bowyer can understand fans dismissing comments from players claiming they will stay up. But he genuinely believes the points difference can be clawed back.

“People know all the sound bites but we could be talking at 5pm and saying ‘it’s down to three’.

“That’s my point. It could be down to three with five, six, seven games to go, so of course you’ll have that belief.

“We’re not going to come out and say that’s it now because we don’t believe that.”

But City will be hoping for a change of luck with big calls after the controversy surrounding their late defeat last week. That followed Peterborough’s penalty decision which Bowyer is adamant should never have been awarded.

He said: “The one thing that makes me smile about it is people saying that it evens itself out throughout the season. So, I’m looking forward to that.

“(Refereeing) is a massive job, an impossible job and you wouldn’t get me doing it for love nor money.”