Scholes volley and past Man United visits to Valley Parade

City’s clash tonight with United’s under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy hardly compares with those occasions during the two years in the top flight.

But it will jog memories for those lucky enough to have witnessed the Bantams rub shoulders with the finest in the land.

Not that City got any joy against United – they didn’t even score in four attempts and were soundly beaten by a 17-0 aggregate.

Valley Parade, though, was the stage for a goal which is still regarded as arguably the greatest volley in the history of the Premier League.

“It was a great ball and the next bit’s lucky,” was the modest assessment from the scorer Paul Scholes in a TV interview with Gary Neville years later.

Nobody who was there in March 2000 or has enjoyed it on countless video clips in the intervening two decades would agree that there was any fortune involved.

Of the 155 goals Scholes scored in 718 games for the United, few could top that finish at the Bradford End.

David Beckham’s corner picked out Scholes unmarked on the edge of the D – and the midfielder met it with a thundering right-foot blast that swerved beyond Matt Clarke in the City net.

It was a genuine wow moment for a stunned crowd and some applauded the sheer brilliance of football from another level.

Dwight Yorke had netted twice in three first-half minutes to put United two up and cruising before Scholes put the lid on it in devastating style.

Beckham would help himself to a fourth before the end but there was only one talking point – a goal will continue to be reviewed, repeated and raved about for many years to come.

The final score matched that of the first Premier League encounter between the teams at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

That day it looked as if Paul Jewell’s Bantams might nick an improbable draw against an all-conquering United who would romp to the title by a massive 18 points on the back of 28 victories.

With three-quarters of the game gone, City were still hanging in there goalless and dreaming of a real boost to their survival chances.

But United’s wealth of attacking riches was evident when Alex Ferguson brought both Andy Cole and Yorke off the bench for Scholes and Teddy Sheringham.

That underlined what the Bantams were up against – and proved a game-changer as United netted four times in the final quarter of an hour.

Paul Scholes scored one of the best goals of his United career at Valley Parade

Quinton Fortune broke City’s resistance on 75 minutes and Yorke and Cole swiftly followed the South African on to the scoresheet. Roy Keane’s late fourth just piled salt into the wound.

Fortune would help himself to another two on City’s next visit the following September – a midweek mauling when there was never any doubt of the gulf in class.

With Chris Hutchings now in charge for a brief spell, the Bantams were hit for six by the champions.

The deadlock lasted only 11 minutes before Cole put United in front and it soon became a procession.

Fortune made it two by the break – and then City were again breached four times in the second half.

Fortune grabbed another on the hour before Sheringham grabbed a double and Beckham also netted to complete a humbling night.

Sheringham was also on target the last time United visited Valley Parade four months later in January 2001.

To borrow a phrase from Peter Beagrie, City “needed snookers” by that stage to stay up and few gave the bottom side any hope against the leaders – who were 35 points better off.

But Valley Parade’s biggest crowd for 31 years saw their side match United for effort and endeavour for long spells.

Once again, they got within touching distance of claiming some reward only to end up empty-handed.

Dean Windass almost ended City’s United goal drought with an audacious long-range drive that Fabien Barthez tipped over the bar.

But as expected, most of the pressure came in the other box.

Peter Atherton cleared off the line from Ryan Giggs and Gary Walsh produced a superb save from Beckham’s thunderbolt.

But a Walsh error broke home hearts on 71 minutes as he missed a clearance completely which allowed Sheringham to walk the ball into the empty net.

With City deflated at conceding such a soft goal, United struck again four minutes later as Giggs raced through to score.

It was harsh on the hosts but United were not finished yet and sub Luke Chadwick claimed a late third after Beckham had played him clear.