Recalling how Bantams have reached the play-offs before

The gap from their current 12th place and the last play-off spot is a tantalising six points.

Saturday’s win at Colchester, the first for six games, has rekindled that hope of a grandstand finish. At least it’s kept things interesting.

In their five previous play-off campaigns, City have had more to do at this stage on two occasions – and both times ended up winning promotion.

Here’s a lookback at the run-ins from those other play-off tilts and what happened next.

1987-1988

John Hendrie takes on Middlesbrough's Brian Laws in the play-off semi-finals

Having led Division Two in the autumn, Terry Dolan’s team reached the final 10 games on the back of a 4-1 win over West Brom. They were fourth and six points off the automatic spots.

Four wins and four draws from their next eight outings would put the ultimate prize within reach – until they blew up in the final week.

Defeats to Aston Villa, who nicked second place from the Bantams behind champions Millwall, and Ipswich saw them miss out by a single point – and play-off heartbreak followed with an extra-time exit against Middlesbrough.

HIGH POINT: A 4-1 win over Leicester at Valley Parade put the Bantams second with two games to play.

LOW POINT: Goals from Greg Abbott and Stuart McCall could not save City from a last-day home loss to Ipswich.

OUTCOME: Beaten in play-off semi-finals by Middlesbrough.

1995-1996

Wembley goal-scorer Mark Stallard takes on the Notts County defence

Chris Kamara’s men were very much outsiders with 10 to go. Eighth in the Second Division, they were six points off the top six but had played two games more.

Having won 2-1 at Crewe, they then went down 5-2 to Miquel de Souza’s hat-trick at Wycombe three days later.

But they bounced straight back to put five past Swansea and claimed further wins over Burnley, Carlisle, Chesterfield, Brentford to set up an all-or-nothing trip to Hull on the last day.

Carl Shutt, Lee Duxbury and Mark Stallard netted on a dramatic afternoon at Boothferry Park as City stole into sixth spot.

A rollercoaster play-off semi-final would follow against Sam Allardyce’s Blackpool before Stallard and Des Hamilton wrote their names in club folklore with the goals against Notts County in the club’s first trip to Wembley.

HIGH POINT: City fans took over Hull’s Boothferry Park as a 3-2 win in the last game clinched sixth spot.

LOW POINT: The Bantams certainly did not look promotion material when shipping goals at Wycombe.

OUTCOME: Promotion with a 2-0 win over Notts County in the club’s first Wembley appearance.

2012-2013

Rory McArdle celebrates his equaliser at Torquay on Easter Monday

Phil Parkinson’s “history makers” claim the honours for the biggest surge up the rails in the closing stages.

After the amazing journey to the Capital One Cup final, hopes of finally getting back out of League Two were fading fast following a miserable Devon double-header at Plymouth and Exeter.

City were nine points off seventh, admittedly with two games in hand, but needed a big response – and got it with four wins in the next five against Wycombe, Torquay, Northampton and Bristol Rovers.

Another victory over Burton would seal a play-off spot with a game to spare and earn another crack at the Brewers over two legs.

Away success at the Pirelli saw the Bantams back at Wembley where they brushed aside Northampton with a powerhouse first-half display.

HIGH POINT: City came from behind to win 3-1 at Torquay on Easter Monday when all the results went their way.

LOW POINT: Phil Parkinson called his squad in for a Sunday meeting after they were beaten 4-1 at Exeter.

OUTCOME: Three goals in the first half hour secured promotion against a shell-shocked Northampton.

2015- 2016

James Hanson enjoys his hat-trick goal against Walsall with James Meredith

City were sat in League One’s final play-off place with a three-point cushion with 10 games left after a 2-1 win over Doncaster.

Parkinson’s side timed their run with a strong finish – reeling off seven Valley Parade victories on the bounce, which included a James Hanson hat-trick against Walssall.

But the wheels came off at home to Millwall in the play-off semi-final first leg as they conceded three by half-time. A draw in the return at the Den was not enough in what turned out to be the manager’s last game in charge.

HIGH POINT: James Hanson scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Walsall at Valley Parade.

LOW POINT: A 1-0 defeat at Coventry cost City any chance of catching the top two.

OUTCOME: City were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Millwall in the play-off semi-finals.

2016-2017

Mark Marshall does some push-ups after scoring in a 2-0 win at Bury (Image: Simon Davies)

Stuart McCall’s Bantams had been there or thereabouts in League One’s promotion mix from the start.

With 10 to go, fifth-placed City had a five-point cushion in the play-offs – and were the same distance from second after a 1-0 win over Peterborough.

An Easter defeat at Sheffield United condemned them to a play-off tilt where Rory McArdle scored the only goal in a cagey semi-final with Fleetwood.

It meant another clash with Millwall at Wembley where Steve Morison’s borderline finish late on burst City’s promotion bubble.

HIGH POINT: The claret and amber army were out in force for a 2-0 win in the sun at Bury.

LOW POINT: Edin Rahic was fuming after City went down 3-0 at Bramall Lane on Easter Monday.

OUTCOME: Millwall proved City’s nemesis once more with the only goal at Wembley.