PHIL Parkinson looked round the room at the pained expressions as the video was played out, re-wound and played again.
City had been “second best”, in the manager’s words, and it wouldn’t happen again.
He made sure those players did not leave the meeting room until they felt the same.
Their League Two campaign had nine games to run and the Bantams were drifting further and further behind in the promotion chase.
They were stuck in mid-table - 10 points from the final play-off spot. Wembley and the Capital One Cup miracle run seemed a lifetime ago.
The team had trailed in late the night before from a 4-1 defeat at fifth-placed Exeter.
Easy like Sunday morning? The next day was anything but as Parkinson, who had brought up his 100th appearance at the helm at St James Park, hauled them all back in a few hours later to sit through the DVD.
In the aftermath of the League Cup final defeat, the City boss had delivered a rallying call to give it everything for the rest of the season.
Now, with the promotion dream fading, he issued another reminder.
“We can’t let the season peter out because I don’t think our supporters or the players deserve that.”
Skipper Gary Jones admitted they should be apologising for the fans who had made the long trek to Devon and got nothing in return.
Parkinson told his squad it was time to “go in where it hurts”.
It is 10 years to the day since that sit-down that would shape a dramatic finale to an unforgettable campaign.
City were not right in the promotion mix as they are now. You could argue the pressure was almost off after winning just one of the six games since Wembley.
Few really expected the type of late charge needed to gate-crash the top seven.
But then even fewer would have expected Exeter to collapse as spectacularly as they did as well.
That win over City on March 16 would be their final one of the season. The Grecians managed just one more point from the last seven games.
In contrast, the Bantams would bag 18 from that point to snatch their play-off place with a game to spare.
It all started in front of Valley Parade’s lowest crowd of the season.
Just over 8,000 showed up for the Wycombe home game that immediately followed City’s Exeter setback. The public, it seemed, had voted with their feet.
With backs against the wall, it was time for big actions - and big calls.
Parkinson did just that by making six changes, including in goal where Matt Duke was axed in favour of Jon McLaughlin.
James Meredith returned from a bout of glandular fever that had kept him out for over two months.
Rory McArdle was also restored as City were able to name their strongest back four for only the second time that season. The only previous occasion had been in the dramatic third-round Capital One Cup win over Burton in September.
Kyel Reid was another significant addition - and Ricky Ravenhill, whose selection ahead of Nathan Doyle raised a few pre-match eyebrows. His call-up would prove fully justified.
City had not won at home since Boxing Day - and not scored a first-half goal for seven games.
That changed within seven minutes.
It could have been even quicker as Garry Thompson, again preferred to Nahki Wells up front, forced a corner with the game barely 18 seconds old.
James Hanson was denied the perfect start from it as Michael Harriman scrambled off the Wycombe line.
But the front-foot opening soon brought its reward for the desperate hosts.
Stephen Darby was fouled to the right of the penalty area and Hanson nodded down Reid’s free-kick for Thompson to ram home through a crowd of players.
Meredith and Reid combined for Thompson to stab wide with another chance but City were good value for the lead.
Ravenhill, as Parkinson had hoped, set the tone in midfield where he snapped into tackles.
“It becomes infectious when you've got someone playing like that with their heart on their sleeve,” said his manager.
Ravenhill’s night finished prematurely courtesy of a gashed shin - a war wound underlining his commitment to the cause.
He and City had done enough with only one moment of serious discomfort when Wycombe striker Matt McClure wastefully headed over from close range early in the second half.
But the gap had been cut to seven points and the hunt was on.
CITY: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Davies, Meredith, Hines (Atkinson 73), Ravenhill (Doyle 73), Jones, Reid, Thompson (Wells 86), Hanson.
WYCOMBE: Archer, Dunne, Harriman, Winfield, Doherty, Grant (Ainsworth 66), Wood, Lewis, Scowen, Morgan (Morias 78), McClure.
ATTENDANCE: 8,047
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