JAMES Mason has underlined how important it is for fans to turn out in force on Saturday as the Bantams hope to create more FA Cup magic.

Victory at home to Plymouth would earn them a place in Monday's third-round draw and the possibility of a glamour tie as Premier League and Championship clubs enter the competition.

City hit the national headlines in the 2014-15 season when they reached the last eight after famous victories over Chelsea and Sunderland and Mason wants to see them experience another memorable adventure.

For the chance to draw a big gun, they must first overcome the Pilgrims, who won at Valley Parade in the league earlier this month.

Bantams chief operating officer Mason wants as big a crowd as possible for a game he rates as "arguably the most important of the season so far".

"I speak from the heart as a Bradford City fan – don't underestimate the part you can play," he said.

"If you are free, if you can afford it, if you are at a loose end, come down and back the Bantams because we really need your support to get through to the third round."

Tickets are just £10 for adults and £5 for concessions as Mason revealed the club are aiming to make it a family fun day with some extra attractions.

"We are asking fans to bring in flags to decorate the TL Dallas stand and bring some colour behind the goal," he said.

"We'll have flag bearers out on the pitch and there will be some special surprises on the concourse, with players not involved on the day signing autographs in the kop and main stand.

"Special guest Santa will be giving out signed Christmas cards to children and we're just trying to bring the magic of the cup back to Valley Parade."

The early rounds traditionally attract low gates, with City's first-round attendance of 4,747 well below league gates which have only once dipped below 19,000 this campaign.

Mason said: "It is difficult to get fans up for these lower rounds but we are doing everything we can.

"We have made it very attractive on the ticket price. Bear in mind in the last five or six seasons, we have only once had a crowd over 6,000 and that was against Chesham United.

"It would be great to get well over that and maybe get 7,000. Make no bones about it – if you don't think that you can play a part on Saturday, you can.

"The bigger the crowd we get, the louder we are going to be and the more chance there is to inspire the players to getting through to the third round."

The Bantams have already banked £18,000 for beating Chesterfield 2-0 in the first round and another win would earn them an additional £27,000.

That revenue would certainly come in handy but it is the potential windfall a big tie in the third round would generate that really excites.

Mason said: "It's what could await in the third round when the big boys enter.

"In the last few years, other than the 2014-15 season, we have had slim pickings as Bradford City fans in terms of the FA Cup.

"But we saw what that cup run did for the club and the legacy is still running today in terms of the big season-ticket numbers.

"That all stemmed from the groundswell of opinion that we were on to something as a club."

With City currently riding high in the play-off positions, Mason believes cup and league success can go hand in hand, citing the example of Millwall last season.

The Lions sprung upsets against Premier League opponents Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester on their way to last season's FA Cup quarter-finals – and then went on to promotion via the play-offs after beating the Bantams in the final.

Mason said: "There is no reason why we can't kick-start another FA Cup run. Look at Millwall last season.

"They had a wonderful cup run which probably gave them the energy and impetus to go on and eventually pip us at Wembley in the play-offs.

"They were getting used to big games home and away. I think that FA Cup run really did help them. Why can't that be the same for us this season?

"They didn't have a great start in the league but they beat several Premier League sides in the cup and I think that genuinely spurred the players and the fans on and brought about a togetherness which is exactly what we are after against Plymouth on Saturday.

"We appreciate that money is tight at this time of the year and Christmas is just around the corner. But we made the season tickets as cheap as possible and have made the FA Cup ones as cheap as possible. Other clubs are suggesting we should be charging more but we think the opposite.

"We want as many people to be in the ground as possible. We still value this competition and let's not beat around the bush, whoever gets through on Saturday could be at Old Trafford next or at the Emirates or the Etihad or Stamford Bridge – that is the brilliance of this competition.

"Don't sit at home and hope we get through and then tune in to Final Score on television and find we got beat. Come down and get involved and feel the excitement."