February's victory over Arsenal showed what can happen to the big guns when they visit Valley Parade. Richard Sutcliffe says City should not fear Manchester United tomorrow.

JUST A short couple of years ago, the prospect of the likes of Manchester United visiting Valley Parade for a league encounter looked very slim indeed.

In fact, such was the contrasting football fortunes of City and United that there seemed to be more chance of Kevin Gray being handed the freedom of Bradford or Geoffrey Richmond joining the board at Huddersfield Town.

However, when City won promotion to the Premiership last May, the dream of the likes of United, Arsenal and Chelsea coming to Bradford was, all of a sudden, reality.

And it is undoubtedly the visit of the Reds which is the pick of all City's games this season - as was illustrated by the fact tickets sold out within four hours of going on sale back in September.

United will arrive at Valley Parade after a busy month in which they will have played four midweek Champions League matches.

Unfortunately, United's recent victory over Fiorentina means that this week's trip to Valencia was not as important as it could have been.

And that means Ferguson's men will feel much more refreshed after several players were rested ahead of what is sure to be a testing title run-in.

However, this is a game that City should not approach with trepidation.

Of course, there is no doubting that United are the best side in the country. They have proved that over a number of years and will travel full of confidence to West Yorkshire.

But I am sure Arsenal did exactly the same in early February and we all know what happened to them.

City showed at Old Trafford that they will certainly not lie down and let United walk all over them. In fact, it was only four goals in the final 15 minutes which accounted for brave City. As a result, Ferguson's men know they will be in for the fight of their lives.

A quick glance through the United side reveals the likes of Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Yorke, Cole and Sheringham which would induce terror and fear in some sides.

However, City are made of sterner stuff than that. Backed by their impressive home form in recent months, they should approach the game full of confidence and I believe the capacity crowd will witness another hugely entertaining game.

I believe City will earn what could turn out to be a vital point and banish the memory of that awful showing at Coventry last weekend.

The historic day that City beat United

It's 64 years since Bradford City and Manchester United met at Valley Parade in league football.

However, they have played each other twice in league cup ties, and tomorrow's Premiership match recalls City's famous 2-1 victory in the first year of the league cup.

Unfortunately, the second round tie was played on a midweek afternoon - November 2, 1960 - because City had no floodlights at the time. But the 4,670 spectators who managed to get there saw a famous victory for the Bantams, then a Third Division club.

First Division United, who were still re-building two and a half years after the Munich air disaster, were one of the few leading clubs to play in the league cup in its first season.

Among their better known players was a young inside right called Johnny Giles who was later to play a huge part in taking Leeds United to the top of the football tree in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

After coping with early City pressure, United took the lead after 25 minutes when a move involving Shay Brennan, Mark Pearson and Alex Dawson led to Dennis Violett scoring.

However, City hit United with two goals in three minutes in the second half.

They equalised after 55 minutes when left winger Gerry Smith scored from Bobby Webb's pass and went in front two minutes later through Webb.

He pounced on a loose ball after goalkeeper Harry Gregg could only punch away Jimmy Duncan's shot after good work from David Jackson and John Reid.

City then held on for a famous victory, but their cup glory was short lived because a fortnight later they were knocked out in the third round, 1-0 at Shrewsbury.

It continued to be a miserable season which ended with relegation to the Fourth Division and the sacking six weeks before the end of the campaign of manager Peter Jackson.

Bradford City: Downie, Flockett, Barnes, P Jackson, Lawlor, Roberts, Webb, D Jackson, Duncan, Reid, Smith.

Manchester United: Gregg, Setters, Brennan, Bratt, Foulkes, Nicholson, Dawson, Giles, Viollett, Pearson, Scanlon.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.