HISTORY man Terry Frost admits his latest book on Bradford City has been a labour of love.

The 70-year-old has compiled ‘Bradford City AFC Who’s Who - Part Two, Football League Players 1946 to 1980, giving Bantams fans a further trip down memory lane.

The book features profiles of 352 players who lined up for the Bantams in at least one league match for the club from 1946 until the end of the 1980/81 season.

This is the fifth book Mr Frost has produced on the club. They include ‘Bradford City: A Complete Record 1903-1988’ and ‘The 100 Greatest Players of Bradford City’, which he co-wrote with former Telegraph & Argus City reporter David Markham.

Frost says he will have a break before he starts working on the third and final part of the book, featuring profiles of players between 1980 and the present day.

Frost, of Dene Hill, Baildon, who is a retired construction manager, enjoyed his first trip to Valley Parade during the period of his new book, when he saw City beat Southport in the old Division Four in October 1961.

He identifies Ces Podd, now 66, as the greatest player the club had during the era of his second book.

The Bradford College of Art student made his professional debut for City in September 1970 for Bradford City. Over the next 14 years Podd made a club record total of 565 appearances for City in all competitions. Podd went on to manage his native Saint Kitts and Nevis between 1999 and 2002.

City did not win any honours during this post-Second World War period of the book but David Layne's tally of 36 goals during the 1961/62 season is still the most scored in one year by a City player.

Other players to feature in the book include Bruce Bannister, Ivor Powell and even Yorkshire Cricket legend Brian Close, who played for City as a part-time professional for nine games, scoring five goals as a striker in October 1952 until he sustained a serious knee injury two months later.

Frost said: “It's a labour of love. It has taken me 12 months to put it together.

"City have had some very good players over the era of the second book.

"The crowds were also very good over that time at Valley Parade. Everybody seems interested in this period for the club. We had some great players during this period, including Peter Jackson, Bobby Ham and Don Hutchins, who wrote the book's foreword. Ces Podd was the biggest player during this era. He was an ambassador on and off the field. He had a terrific character and was a great player.

"I relied on my hand-scribbled notes for each of the players. I still enjoy doing this.

"I was born in 1949, so this is my era. After watching my first home game against Southport in 1961, I never missed a home game until 1967.

"I'm taking a sabbatical before I do the third book, which will be 1980 to the present day. I need a break from it. The books have each been 12 months of hard slog.

"I have a biography of every player who has played for any club in the football league since around 1888. There are hundreds and thousands of players.

"It's a football fascination for me. Every snippet I can get about a player is like an exciting find for me."

Frost, who became City's historian in 1986, has also had his say on the club's state in 2019, conceding it looks like relegation to League Two is on the cards for them. But he insists manager Gary Bowyer needs to be given time, and the chance, to revive their fortunes.

He added: "I don't go to matches anymore. It's difficult for them to stay up now, I think they are doomed.

"It's important that we keep Gary Bowyer now. We have got to get some roots down. Somebody needs to get in there and do it.

"We need to give Gary Bowyer the opportunity and start again. We have been through bad times as a club before and got through them. There were bad times for City between 1946 and 1980 but we came through those too.

"I'm glad Julian Rhodes is there. He has been there before and is Bradford through and through.

"We need to be a community club again."