This was definitely not the advert City had in mind for their latest season-ticket push.
The club hope the £184 prices for next term will attract another 5,000 sales. Not with too many more afternoons like this one they won't.
Macclesfield inflicted Peter Taylor's first Valley Parade defeat and City could have no complaints from such a disjointed display.
The rot set in after a goal from Emile Sinclair, a striker rejected by the Bantams as a trainee.
Luke Oliver, thrown into an emergency forward role, levelled straight after the break but Taylor's cobbled-together team were undone again just after the hour.
City's resources had been stretched even further with the absence of James Hanson. None of the other injured players were back in time to play, leaving them effectively short of five regulars.
There was no obvious right midfielder in the line-up, so Steve O'Leary took up the role on his return to the side.
It was a real makeshift look; the bench even more so. James O'Brien was the most experienced of the substitutes, who included teenage left winger Ryan Harrison promoted from the reserves.
There was a low-key feel to the opening exchanges, City dealing carefully with some Rory Delap-style throw-ins propelled by Matthew Lowe into their box. By the end of the game, Lowe had thrown into play an energy-sapping 41 times from all areas of the pitch.
The home side had the first chance on 15 minutes after winning a corner - something they could not manage at Bournemouth.
Steve Williams powered Robbie Threlfall's kick goalwards but keeper Jonny Brain plunged low to his right to pull off a fine block.
Sinclair responded with a turn of pace on Macc's right, setting up Vinny Mukendi for a snap-shot on the turn that Matt Glennon pushed behind.
The game lacked quality and the atmosphere was just as flat. Even the TL Dallas Stand was not its usual bouncing self.
Ryan Kendall tried to up the tempo with a clever ball, finding Lee Bullock in the box. The midfielder delivered an inviting cross but nobody was in there to attack it.
City's best route to goal looked to be from corners and Williams failed to connect with another good Threlfall delivery.
At the other end, Oliver made an important block from Ben Wright but there was little incident to get excited about.
But that changed five minutes before half-time as Macclesfield pounced on a mistake from Zesh Rehman to break the deadlock.
The club skipper was closed down by Sinclair as he went to clear from the corner of the box. The ball rebounded off the Macc striker and fell kindly for him to stroke confidently past Glennon.
Rehman's blunder provoked an angry reaction from the stands and his next few touches were greeted with boos.
Gareth Evans attempted a positive response against his old club but did not connect with any power to trouble Brain. It had been a dire half.
The crowd were not impressed and rightly so - and made their feelings clear as the half-time whistle was blown to more derision.
Taylor's opinion was clear as City came out for the second half with two substitutes. Jonathan Bateson and Gavin Grant got the nod in place of O'Brien and Kendall, although there were plenty of contenders for the hook.
The changes meant a tactical reshuffle, with Oliver thrown up front as a targetman as he had been in the closing stages at Dean Court.
Grant took over at left wing and Bateson slotted in at right back, with Rehman shifting across to the middle of the back four - and the move paid off spectacularly within two minutes.
Evans drove in a low cross from the right wing, Grant missed it totally in front of goal but Oliver was lurking unmarked behind him. The big man had all the time in the world to bring the ball under control before lofting it over Brain from close range; an inspired switch from the manager!
The goal lifted the City fans out of the doldrums and there was a bit more of a buzz around the place as Adam Bolder drove high into the Kop from an angle.
Rehman, looking to make up for his earlier error, rose well to meet a Threlfall corner but his header drifted the wrong side of the post.
City were on the front foot, or so it seemed. But they were undone again in the 61st minute by another sloppy goal. Lowe crossed to the near post, where Wright was the quickest to react and flicked it past Glennon's left hand.
Evans fired wide but Macclesfield's tails were up and Mukendi nodded over as they hunted an improbable third goal.
The wind had been knocked out of City again and Bolder wasted a promising counter-attack with an overhit cross that sailed harmlessly behind.
With less than 20 minutes left, Taylor made his final switch - and handed 18-year-old Harrison his first taste of senior football.
Macclesfield still fancied their chances of another and Mukendi whisked the ball off Threlfall's head and drove in a decent cross which Williams managed to cut out.
But there was a glimmer of an equaliser with eight minutes to go. Oliver found Bolder, who wriggled free in the penalty area to line up a shot.
He appeared to be bundled over by Sean Hessey as he prepared to have a go but referee Russell Booth was unmoved by City's protests.
There had been no sustained pressure on the Macc goal, although there was a late hope when keeper Brain panicked in Oliver's presence and sliced his clearance straight into touch.
A half-hearted shout for handball was ignored before Oliver glanced another corner well off target.
There was time for one more corner in the four added minutes. The ball popped up invitingly to O'Leary but his well-struck volley fizzed over.
| BRADFORD CITY | MACCLESFIELD TOWN |
| 40 Matt Glennon | 1 Jon Brain |
| 3 Luke O'Brien | 4 Sean Hessey |
| 5 Zesh Rehman | 5 Nathaniel Brown |
| 8 Lee Bullock | 6 Paul Morgan |
| 9 Gareth Evans | 7 Lee Bell |
| 12 Steve Williams | 9 Emile Sinclair |
| 15 Ryan Kendall | 11 Ben Wright |
| 25 Steven O'Leary | 15 Paul Bolland |
| 28 Robbie Threlfall | 16 Shaun Brisley |
| 32 Luke Oliver | 19 Matthew Lowe |
| 33 Adam Bolder | 24 Vinny Mukendi |
| Substitutes: | Substitutes: |
| 13 Jon McLaughlin | 13 Jose Veiga |
| 16 Jonathan Bateson for 15 (46) | 2 Izak Reid for 15 (73) |
| 19 James O'Brien | 12 Kyle Wilson |
| 20 Leon Osborne | 14 John Rooney |
| 24 Louis Horne | 23 Matthew Tipton for 9 (86) |
| 31 Gavin Grant for 3 (46) | 25 Michael Thomas |
| 35 Ryan Harrison for 8 (71) | 28 Craig Linfield |
| MATCH OFFICIALS: | |
| Referee: | R J Booth |
| Assistant Referee: | D Ford |
| Assistant Referee: | R J Jones |
| Fourth Official: | P Bramley |
| GOALSCORERS: | |
| BRADFORD CITY | MACCLESFIELD TOWN |
| Oliver (47) | Sinclair (40) |
| Wright (61) | |
| DISCIPLINARY: | |
| BRADFORD CITY | MACCLESFIELD TOWN |
| Threlfall (88) | |
