A few hours on from the excitment that came with the release of our fixtures for the upcoming 2017/18 season, we have dissected the 46 fixtures for your interest...
Curtain Raiser
By now it's been well documented that the Bantams face newly promoted Blackpool at the Northern Commercials Stadium on Saturday 5th August to begin the campaign. The Tangerines' Lancashire neighbours Blackburn Rovers visit West Yorkshire a fortnight later in the second of City's two home league games in the month of August. Between those two home games, the Bantams open their away fixture schedule with a long trip to Kent to take on Gillingham.
Christmas and New Year
A tradition in English football and one of the most exciting of the season for most football fans. A couple of days before Christmas, City make a trip to the Capital to take on AFC Wimbledon at the Cherry Red Records Stadium and then on Boxing Day welcome Peterborough United to the Northern Commercials Stadium. Just four days later, Stuart McCall's side are back on home turf playing host to Oxford United before a trip to the Fylde Coast on New Year's Day to take on a Fleetwood Town side looking for revenge after last season's play-off semi-finals.
Home Double-Headers
- Fleetwood Town (Tuesday 26th September) and Doncaster Rovers (Saturday 30th September).
- Oldham Athletic (Tuesday 17th October) and Charlton Athletic (Saturday 21st October).
- Peterborough United (Tuesday 26th December) and Oxford United (Saturday 30th December).
- Portsmouth (Saturday 3rd March) and Milton Keynes Dons (Saturday 10th March).
Away Double-Headers
- Peterborough United (Saturday 9th September) and Oxford United (Tuesday 12th September).
- Milton Keynes Dons (Saturday 7th October) and Bury (Saturday 14th October).
- Fleetwood Town (Monday 1st January) and Rotherham United (Saturday 6th January).
The run-in
The all important part of the season sees the Bantams face three local away trips from their final five fixtures of the regular league season. A trip to Blackpool on Saturday 7th April is followed by a home fixture against Shrewsbury Town the following weekend. The Saturday following, (21st April) City make the short hop over the Pennines to take on Rochdale at Spotland before rounding off the home campaign a week later against Southend United (28th April). The final day of the season sees the Bantams make a trip to Glanford Park on Saturday 5th May.