BANTAMS NOSTALGIA: When playing Scunthorpe was a big deal

Eighteenth v 24th; no home wins in nine versus no wins anywhere in 13.

City’s Valley Parade meeting with already-relegated Scunthorpe this weekend is a tough sell for the neutral.

But it’s not long ago that a game against the Iron was one of the big fixtures on the calendar.

Five years ago, their clash at Glanford Park was even a TV pick for Sky. How times have changed.

That Sunday showdown in March 2017 pitted two League One heavyweights – Scunthorpe edging a thriller 3-2 as both sides went on to make the play-offs. We don’t need a reminder how that would end at Wembley for Stuart McCall’s men.

But Scunthorpe were rightly viewed as one of the toughest challenges. Points taken off them were hard-earned.

Phil Parkinson’s side had to battle for an away victory in November 2015 on their way to an eventual top-six finish.

Greg Leigh and Tony McMahon scored the goals in a 2-0 success in front of nearly 2,000 travelling fans.

But the real hero of that day for City was keeper Ben Williams with superb saves from Paddy Madden and Neal Bishop. Ironically, Madden is now spearheading Stockport’s charge to replace his old club in League Two next season.

City’s shut-out was their sixth on the bounce in a run of 20 points from eight games. Their next outing, against early leaders Coventry at Valley Parade, would be watched by two would-be German investors.

Edin Rahic was not amused with the loss at Scunthorpe the following season under McCall – even if there were thrills and spills aplenty for the armchair audience.

The televised tussle between fourth and fifth was an action-packed affair, although the defending at times left a lot to be desired.

On-loan defender Kevin Toner had been rushed in late after a training injury to Nathaniel Knight-Percival and scored on his debut.

Alex Jones then followed up to put City 2-1 ahead – only for Scunthorpe to cash in from set-pieces to regain the lead.

City then laid siege to the home goal with non-stop pressure throughout the closing stages. But they could not come up with an equaliser, hitting the bar and being denied by some desperate last-ditch defending.

“At one stage, their boy is getting up off the floor and the ball's hit him on his knee and gone over the bar,” sighed an exasperated McCall.

Three months earlier, a Boxing Day bonanza crowd of 21,874 had crammed into Valley Parade to watch the sides slug out a goalless affair – City’s biggest home audience of the season.

Tim Dieng shoots as City lay seige to Scunthorpe's goal in a TV thriller in 2017

Another Christmas clash two years on did not attract the same sort of crowd.

But there was still plenty of spice to Scunthorpe’s visit because of who was in the opposing dug-out.

Ten months after their City sacking, McCall and Kenny Black were back on the Valley Parade touchline but this time in Iron colours after their appointment earlier in the season.

It made for a strange day for McCall, opposing the Bantams on home soil for the first time since his Sheffield United playing days.

In December 2018, the stakes were very different from before. A promotion duel had now made way for a relegation six-pointer.

Jack Payne and an Eoin Doyle penalty would give City a two-goal advantage inside the first half hour that they would never relinquish.

The win meant the Bantams, under David Hopkin’s charge, would spend Christmas above the drop zone.

That holiday purple patch, which went on to include goal-laden wins over Rochdale and Accrington, would not last.

Both sides slipped out of League One together, McCall’s axe from Scunthorpe a month from the end at least sparing him any involvement in a final home game against City when Doyle netted again in a dead-rubber 3-2 victory.

City have not beaten Scunthorpe in League Two in five attempts since.

A mind-numbing goalless stalemate behind closed doors last year earned the visitors the point they needed to stay in the league.

The point they got from a 1-1 draw in November is one of only 25 they have managed in this nightmare campaign. Scunthorpe are still 12 adrift of second-bottom Oldham - relegation after 72 years as a league team has been inevitable for some while.

Saturday will provide a sobering warning of how football fortunes can soon change when mistakes are made on and off the field.

City will, at least, get another chance to try to rectify their situation in August. For Scunthorpe, it could be a long time before we see them at Valley Parade again.