CITY’S televised clash with Blackburn tomorrow will be a real family affair for Simon Grayson.

The Bantams boss has a particularly close connection with Rovers – where his son plays for the under-23s.

Joe Grayson, who is a regular in the development squad which currently top their league, signed a first pro deal last summer.

But Dad won’t be pumping him for insider information ahead of the Ewood Park showdown.

He said: “I could be picking his brains – but I won’t put him in that sort of position because it’s not going to be fair.

“I know enough about their players and the team. I watch all the (under) 23s games when he plays and since I was off, as it was the club local to me, I went there quite a lot.

“Joe has been there since he was eight or nine. He’s just celebrated his 19th birthday and trains in and around the first team.”

Grayson believes there could be mixed emotions for his son in the crowd.

“He’ll be at the game and obviously undecided with his commitment,” he added.

“If we score, does he jump up and down? Or if his employers score, does he jump up and down and upset his Dad? Let’s wait and see.”

Grayson has some sympathy for the position the teenager, who plays either midfield or centre half, will find himself in.

“It’s the first time he’s had to do this as a professional.

“He was an apprentice last year when I was at Preston and we played them. But I suppose this is a little bit different.

“It would be more difficult if he was in the opposition team and I was managing against him.

“He might actually play for me, you never know. But we’ve always said, if I can help it, I wouldn’t want him to be playing underneath me because of the extra pressure it brings.

“He’s on his own venture as a professional.

“He’s at the bottom end of the ladder as such and he’s got to keep working hard towards fulfilling his ambition of being a professional.

“He keeps telling me that he’s going to be a better player than me. Well he’s about 600 games to go before he gets to that level!”

Grayson spent three years as a player at Blackburn – but found his opportunities ultimately blocked by a clause in his contract.

“I left Aston Villa to go there in 1999 and the first year was good,” he recalled.

“But then Graeme Souness came in and brought in different players. That happens in football.

“I still had two years left and wanted to go and play elsewhere and went out on loan.

“But I didn’t realise until I left, because it wasn’t common knowledge, that if I’d played one more game, they would have to have paid £250,000 to Aston Villa.

“That was the reason why I didn’t play. But I like Blackburn Rovers.

“It’s a great football club and I enjoyed my time there. But ultimately, I’ll be trying to win the game tomorrow as I have done every time I’ve gone back since.”