THE shockwaves from City’s announcement reverberated far wider than just Valley Parade and League Two.
When Mark Hughes was unveiled as successor to Derek Adams, it caught the whole of English football on the hop.
On Friday, Hughes will mark a year in the hot-seat - just five days short of Peter Taylor as the seventh longest-serving Bantams boss this century.
Hughes took over when City were 33 games into the season on 40 points; a distant 10 off the play-offs and 16 from the autos.
The current side sit a point off the top seven and seven from the third automatic spot with one or two games in hand on everyone above them bar Stevenage.
They remain handily placed to strike despite potholes in the road like the Barrow defeat on Saturday. Including cup ties, that brought up a half century of games with Hughes in charge.
So, let’s break down his year at the helm and find out what the fans think of the job Hughes has done.
LEAGUE RECORD LAST SEASON
Hughes won five and lost five of the 13 games he presided over at the end of last season.
Gareth Evans scored the first City goal of the Hughes era at home to Swindon - one of nine different players to hit the net before the end of last season.
But only three of those are currently still in the building and Luton loanee Dion Pereira is struggling to even make the bench these days.
Jamie Walker scored three at the end and Andy Cook a couple but otherwise the rest have all moved on - although Matty Foulds still has another year on his City contract at the end of his Harrogate loan.
Charles Vernam was Hughes’ top scorer in that time with four goals, which accounted for a quarter of City’s overall tally.
LEAGUE RECORD THIS SEASON
City have won 13 of their 30 games - a success rate of just over 43 per cent. They have lost eight times, four home and four on their travels.
The 48-point total is split equally between Valley Parade and on the road but the ratio remains higher away from BD8 - much to the continued frustration of over 14,000 season-ticket holders.
City travel as well as anyone with seven wins from 14 trips. Their points-per-game average of 1.71 is bettered only by leaders Leyton Orient and Northampton.
It’s at home, of course, where the frustrations lie.
The same number of points from two more games means the average drops to 1.5 - only Swindon among League Two’s top half are faring worse on their own patch right now.
The good news, going on those stats, is that City have played the fewest away games of anyone in the chasing pack - with nine still to come, including four of their next five outings.
HOME COMFORTS?
Hughes has not been able to solve the age-old home headache - well, it has been since Stuart McCall’s unbeaten team of 2017.
Crowds three, four or even five times the size of others in League Two don’t guarantee points on the pitch.
Hughes has been in charge of 23 league home games - the equivalent of a full campaign - and City have won just eight. Seven have ended in defeat, including four this season.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
Hughes’ biggest wins have both been by three-goal margins - 4-1 at Sutton last season and then 3-0 over Stevenage at Valley Parade in September.
He has beaten five teams twice - doing the double over Tranmere, Stevenage, Salford and Harrogate this season as well as winning both visits to Hartlepool.
The Welshman’s heaviest defeat was 4-0 at Burton in the Papa Johns Trophy. City have twice lost 3-0 in the league at Colchester last Easter and Leyton Orient.
Two sides have beaten Hughes’ Bantams twice - Barrow, who completed their league double on Saturday and Colchester.
ANDY COOK AND CO
Cook’s tally of 19 goals in all competitions represents 42.2 per cent of City’s total for this season.
Vadaine Oliver and the departed Tyreik Wright and Jake Young are the closest on a distant four each. Thirteen different players have got on the scoresheet - but no defenders are off the mark.
WHAT DO THE FANS THINK?
(A selection of views from Twitter and Facebook)
"He will get it right. He should be given as long as it takes. We need to stop the revolving door on the manager’s office" Steve Walker
“Bang average, took over a mid-table side in decline and we’re now play-off chasers at best. Still doesn’t know his best team or formation, 6.5/10” @BCAFCBH
“Steady away but going in the right direction” @BantamsVlogs
“Signs of improvement but so boring to watch” @Bantam_nuggsy
"Fantastic improvement let’s keep building and hopefully many years with MH" Charlie Hutch
“Slightly underwhelmed given he’s had greater backing than any manager for years” @MichaelBarracl5
“For the first year he’s done sound. We knew last season was a write-off and this season we’re up there and fighting” @tcbcafc
“His record is quite good, the football can be beyond poor at times and quality at others. Patience is the key” @leecrotty2
“Definitely stick with Mark and staff we have got. It will come good - best manager for a long time” Ray Stringer
“Good in parts. Should probably be doing better with the squad and resources at his disposal, 3/5” @barnabarian
“Moving in the right direction. It was always going to take more than a year to make significant changes” @markomenzy
"Steady progress. I don't think we have the calibre of player required to implement the style he wants" @_paul1978
“Flattered to deceive this season. Very underwhelming and poor to watch at home” @AJBeeca
“Hit and miss but improved from last season. We need a six-match unbeaten run to get moving” Wayne Lovatt
“Steadied a sinking ship and got us to the best, most stable position the club has been in years both on and off the pitch” @SthYorksBantams
“It is certainly too early to judge whether Hughes will be successful. Time will tell” @stansmith1970
"Unconvinced. Often feels like he's trying to play PL style with L2 rations" @BlackRetirement
“Good work in progress, just need more shots on target and less negativity going forward. Rome wasn’t built in a day” @SHANDY2770BCAFC
“Would like to see a bit more cutting edge/killer instinct during the run-in but on the whole very positive” @LSEwatch
“I’ve not been over-impressed but we can’t just keep calling for managers heads every season if it’s not going to plan” Cameron Chapman
"Started off superb and really gave the place a lift. Since then very poor at VP" @ArthurGuitar
“Better than what came before but that was a low bar, 6.5/10” @toddmustgo
“Flattered to deceive, surprising how often he’s out-thought by much less experienced League 2 managers” @AHBantam
“Better than Adams” Carl Clayton
“Decent, but people won’t agree because we aren’t top three” @harrisonbcafc
“We’re doing a lot better than what we have been for the last 3/4 years so no need for change” Callum Large New
"I think he's the best manager we have had since Stuart McCall but still not fully confident we can get promoted with the in and out performances" @tomfryer01
"Absolutely fantastic (if you only watch away games)" @KevNewy13
"Done good, very good, considering we had a load of rubbish players he inherited" @Riggernorthsea
"Bit underwhelmed to be fair - expected more agile tactics before and during games. Lewis was a great signing however" Iain Hardcastle
"Absolutely need to stick with him but we are nothing to get excited about at present" Richard Waterworth
"Can't believe we've had a manager last 12 month" Adam Hewitt
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