NOSTALGIA: Bradford City's Wembley 1996 triumph remembered

It may not have been the type of polished line to rival “they think it’s all over” but Keith Coates totally summed up the mood when Mark Stallard’s close-range volley hit the net before he disappeared under a mass of celebrating bodies by the corner flag – “2-0, ahhh brilliant!”

The first visit to Wembley in the club’s history was assured of the dream ending and the man on the mic was overcome with the excitement as much as anyone in the travelling claret and amber army.

An estimated 32,000 joined the exodus from West Yorkshire to north-west London – dwarfing those following opponents Notts County in the play-off final.

It is 26 years to the day since that historic trip to the national stadium so any excuse to have another wallow.

Here are the views of some of the leading cast from that unforgettable occasion on May 26, 1996:

Manager CHRIS KAMARA:

“It was one of the rare occasions that I just knew we couldn’t lose. I’d never experienced that feeling before.

“But everything was right, we were the better team and were better prepared – and we had far more supporters. Anybody who called themselves fans were there and wanted to be there.

“I wanted Notts County to be on the pitch already before us so they could hear the roar when we walked out. It was such a loud noise.

“We were all suited and booted – all they had on was a yellow carnation. Every little thing was in our favour.”

Winger ANDY KIWOMYA:

“Most of us knew people who had been involved in the fire and it was that spirit within the city that got us thinking that we had a great chance.

“We wanted to turn round some of the terrible things that had happened and give the people of Bradford something they could celebrate.

“They played ‘Rocking all over the world’ and I can remember dancing like a mad man. It still takes me back every time I hear it on the radio.

“Then ‘We are the Champions’ came on and that was exactly how we felt.”

Defender WAYNE JACOBS:

"Chris Wilder was playing for Notts County; he was injured at that time but was still in the travelling squad.

“He told me after the game that they looked across the pitch at us coming out and knew they were beat.

“He said the number of fans we had at Wembley in comparison to them as well as the way the team looked made us seem like a bigger and more professional outfit.

“Of course, we had to go out and earn the win, we did so and it was a fabulous experience.

“The local lad, young Des (Hamilton) scored first and then Stix (Ian Ormondroyd) came on and played his part in Mark Stallard’s goal. It was a dream come true to win at Wembley."

Goal-scorer DES HAMILTON:

“Being a Bradford lad, you’re sharing the situation with all your friends and family who have been with you from the start.

“Sometimes as a player you struggle to relate to certain things with people outside the game. But that special day at Wembley, it could have been one of my mates scoring the goal.

“I was the one lucky enough to make it, but we were all in it together.

“My memory of that goal is completely different to watching it back on the video.

“In my mind, I’ve just done a little stumble and I’m still upright when I’ve struck the ball true.

“Seeing it back, I’m literally on all fours at one point! But there was nothing going to stop me from getting off a strike – it was meant to happen.”

Goal-scorer MARK STALLARD:

“Going down to Wembley for a League One play-off final with 30,000 Bradford fans behind you was phenomenal. That was something I will never forget.”

Chairman GEOFFREY RICHMOND:

“We knew we were going to win for two reasons.

“When I offered to book a hotel for whoever was the victor, the winner picking up the bill for the pre-booked celebration party, Notts County chairman Derek Pavis refused. That said it all.

“He also told me his players were trying to ‘blackmail him’ into huge bonuses if they gained promotion.

“I told him, ‘don’t pay them under any circumstances’, even though we had agreed to do so ourselves. All's fair in love and war.”

THE FANS:

James Myers: “I was born in ‘87, this was an unreal experience.

“As well as the goals I remember the Wallace Arnold coaches looking like they were going to fall apart, the smell of white spirit on the knock-off City scarf my dad bought me and singing ‘Simply the Best’ after the game!”

Paul Jackson: “(It’s) silly but I remember our lads coming out on to the pitch before the game in their suits. They looked the business.

“County players looked nowhere near as smart. I knew then we would win.”

Gavin Coonan: "I was ball boy. Great experience to be able to go on the pitch and even walk up the Wembley steps before anyone got into the ground.

"Could tell in the tunnel before the game we were gonna win. Eddie Youds got the team going, County were silent."

Rob Dunn: "Having driven us all the way down to Cornwall for a holiday a couple of days before, mum and dad then drove us the 250+ miles across to Wembley for the game. Fewer City scarves spotted on the M4 than M1 that day ..."

Mike Barraclough: "We lived in Cumbria at the time. Drove all the way to Bradford to catch the coach and the coach came from Silverdale just three miles from where we lived!"

Adam Ellis: "Brilliant day, Wembley Way was a sea of claret and amber."

THE MATCH:

City got off to the perfect start with a goal after only eight minutes – and what a moment for local lad Hamilton.

Richard Huxford’s long ball was headed into his path by Carl Shutt but the teenage midfielder still had it all to do outside the Notts County box.

Three defenders barred his way to goal but despite stumbling as he weaved through, Hamilton found the power to fire past keeper Darren Ward and in off the crossbar.

Victory – and promotion – was assured with 15 minutes left.

Ian Ormondroyd had come on for the injured Hamilton and immediately made his lofty presence felt when he flicked on Huxford’s long ball.

It was the first touch for Ormondroyd, playing in his fourth play-off final after three with Leicester, and a hugely-influential one.

Stallard knew exactly where to be from their days at Derby together and pounced on the back-header to volley home from close range. The party could begin.

CITY: Gould, Huxford, Mohan, Youds, Jacobs, Hamilton (Ormondroyd 71), Mitchell, Duxbury, Kiwomya (Wright 77), Shutt, Stallard.

NOTTS COUNTY: Ward, Derry, Murphy, Strodder, Baraclough, Finnan, Richardson, Rogers, Agana, Martindale, Battersby (Jones 82).