Bradford City have missed out on a £15 million to £20 million bonanza after dropping out of the Premiership.

That's the bumper pay-out each top-flight club will receive from next season's TV gold rush.

Chairman Geoffrey Richmond calculated the lost windfall as the Bantams face up to a return to the Division One.

But the Bantams chief said the club's budget for next season would be almost double the 1999 promotion year.

Although Richmond has laid down a £5m wage limit for boss Jim Jefferies, the overall figure would approach £3m more.

He said: "In addition to the players wages, which could change with the increase in season-ticket sales, there are huge bonuses, appearance monies and the cost of our very expensive management team. When you include national insurance costs it is almost £8 million.

"The last year we were in Division One, our promotion team including football management had a total cost of £4m. The first season in Division One in 1996 the total was £2.3 million."

That figure rose to £5.5 million for the Great Escape campaign - and rocketed to £13.5 million last season with the arrival of big-earners like Benito Carbone, Stan Collymore and David Hopkin.

Richmond said: "In my 13 years as a football chairman, seven of them here, that is the very first time that more money has been spent than should have been.

"Over-ambition might be the charge but we got relegated and in hindsight we should have spent £5 million less because we easily could have done.

"But I didn't hear too many protests at the beginning of the year when Dan Petrescu was signed and then Beni, then David Hopkin and Stan Collymore and numerous others. And anybody that was here the night we played Chelsea went home not believing that they were watching a relegation side.

"We wanted to establish ourselves in the Premier League and possibly ran before we could walk."

As City prepare for a return to the First Division, Richmond urged fans to keep faith with the club's ambitions.

"Since I took over as chairman this club has progressed both on and off the field beyond the wildest dreams of the most optimistic fans. Dreams have been delivered that most never thought would be seen in their lifetime.

"The first actual setback that we have had in that time has been relegation this season. But we will return to the top flight and will establish ourselves.

"It may well be that like a number of other clubs there has to be a series of yo-yos but eventually that final establishment will be made."