Just imagine if Nick Hornby was a Bradford City fan.

If the author of the ground-breaking Fever Pitch hailed from north Yorkshire rather than north London.

If the climax of the book was not a title-winning triumph at Anfield but a third relegation with its accompanying acrimony and mud-slinging at Chesterfield.

Bantams supporter Jason McKeown has given the Hornby format a Valley Parade twist with his own tale of life interwoven with an obsession with his football club.

McKeown’s book “Paying on the Gate” charts his development as an individual growing up in Skipton and a fan in the stands. The highs and the lows – no guesses which side of the fence captures most of the disappointment.

He admits to breaking the unwritten football code of changing your allegiance. An armchair Manchester United follower in his younger days, he eventually realised that listening alone in your room to another win on the radio cannot compare with the elation of being there and seeing it happen.

His epiphany came in 1997 when the morning papers he was meant to be delivering arrived late. While waiting at the shop, McKeown got talking with the other news boys about their plans for that day.

They were off to Valley Parade to see City and West Brom. He fancied tagging along and the rest, as they say, is history.

His relationship with Rachel, the American student who later became his wife, blossoms alongside his growing connection with the team from 15 miles down the road.

He describes how his attempts to involve her in his Bantams world nearly ended the afternoon that Darren Holloway was needlessly sent off against Nottingham Forest.

And the guilt of withdrawing over £500 from the joint savings to pay for their first season tickets.

It’s a fascinating look at life in the lower divisions; the real football world that any City fan can identify with.

If I have a slight quibble, the proof-reading could have been better and the narrative can jar in places. But it’s a refreshing antidote to the latte set of the Premier League and a reminder that following your local club can still be a joy because of that sense of belonging.

Well worth a read.