Bradford City mark a year since dramatic double departure

As always, there will be fitting and loving tributes to the victims of the 1985 Valley Parade Fire Disaster, and thankfully, there will be a physical memorial service tomorrow for the first time since 2019.

There will also be the usual exodus of out-of-contract players, with some big names potentially on their way out.

But of course, just two days after the dispiriting 2-0 defeat to Morecambe to round off an underwhelming 2020/21 season, joint-bosses Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars were gone.

There is no risk of that this term, with Mark Hughes having galvanised the squad and the city after the tumultuous Derek Adams reign, with hopes high for what can be achieved with him potentially in charge for a full campaign.

City will want to keep Mark Hughes in charge for a long time.

Yet the fall of Trueman and Sellars was as swift as their rise.

Both only took interim charge in December 2020 after club hero Stuart McCall had overseen an awful first half of the campaign that had left the Bantams on the brink of the relegation zone.

It was a big risk to plump for them by newly-appointed chief executive Ryan Sparks, with both being promoted from within, having worked wonders with the youth team, but with no experience in a top job.

With names like Paul Hurst being touted to take over swiftly at Valley Parade, it was expected to be a short-term fix to have the young duo in charge.

But then they kept winning.

After an opening game draw with Crawley, Cambridge, Grimsby and Tranmere were all slain within the space of a week, as City celebrated a very Merry Christmas.

Covid and the weather derailed some of that progress in the New Year, with three games in a row called off.

Victories over Southend and Barrow, and a productive transfer window in which the likes of Andy Cook joined, kept the mood positive, and once City overcame more postponements, against Scunthorpe and Salford, they flourished again.

Five wins in a row arrived between February 16 and March 2 to give hope for a remarkable play-off push, and there was so much positivity that Trueman and Sellars were appointed on deals until the end of the 2021/22 season.

Frustrating defeats to Newport and Carlisle looked to have poured cold water over those promotion hopes, but 10 points from 12 against Colchester, Forest Green, Stevenage and Grimsby at least laid the platform to end the season on a high.

Everything soon came crashing down though.

City picked up one point from their final 21 available, and in truth, were lucky to get one.

Fans were calling out what they perceived to be tactical naivety, and what they felt was a knee-jerk reaction to the pair’s good runs in handing them new deals.

But even so, it came as a surprise when the pair were let go suddenly, days after the season’s end.

At the time, Sparks said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mark and Conor for their endeavour and commitment over the past six months.

“Both men were fearless in taking on a formidable task in December, and faced the challenge with everything they had.

“After saving us from potentially dropping out of the division, we wanted a strong finish to the season to give us momentum, heading into next.

“This has not transpired and one point from a possible 21, in the end, has ultimately seen us settle for mid-table - which is far away from where this club wants and needs to be.

“We feel, at this point, we need more experience to take us forward into the summer and next season which, for us, is a hugely significant one.

“We have a crucial few months in front of us, and it is important we are in the best possible position to be able to prepare for them.

“Their efforts and achievements will be remembered at this club for being unique, all while working within a unique set of circumstances.”

Rampant speculation followed in the weeks to come about who would be next in the hotseat, with the likes of Richie Wellens and even Phil Parkinson touted to take over.

In the end, fans seemed relatively happy with the Adams appointment after his promotion with Morecambe.

But look how that turned out.

It is a year to the day since that most dramatic end of season decisions took place on Trueman and Sellars. Thankfully there is no chance of a repeat 12 months on.