Chairman Geoffrey Richmond has moved decisively to keep manager Paul Jewell and assistant Chris Hutchings at Bradford City by offering them new three year contracts.

The improved deals are their reward for guiding City to the verge of Premiership football.

Richmond said: "We will be tearing up the present contracts and they will be given new three year deals dating from the summer whether we gain promotion or not."

City will go up automatically if they win their last two matches against Oxford at home on Saturday and Wolves away irrespective of other results.

But they can clinch promotion this weekend if they beat Oxford while main rivals Ipswich lose at Birmingham on Sunday.

Richmond said: "The board are delighted with the progress that has been made since their appointment.

"Everything that has happened this season justifies the faith we had in Paul and Chris.

"We have had a wonderful season and Paul has demonstrated the qualities that led me to believe he was the right man for the job."

Richmond also paid tribute to the team spirit the management duo have generated which has been a huge factor in City's success.

He said: "Team spirit is something that journalists talk about, but in our case it is real and there is a huge difference between a happy camp and one that is unhappy.

"The manager and his assistant set the tone and they have the trust of the players. One of Paul's strengths is man management and this is crucially important.

"Paul's fundamental belief is that players should enjoy coming in to work and he makes their training sessions varied and enjoyable."

Jewell was appointed caretaker manager when Chris Kamara was sacked in January 1998.

After winning his initial game at Stockport, Jewell saw City make an indifferent finish to the campaign.

But Richmond was impressed with the qualities he saw in Jewell and Hutchings and appointed them as the new management team in May on two-year contracts.

The City board backed Jewell by sanctioning a £3.5m team re-building programme.

Their financial terms were improved in October and again in January.

City's reserves lost 1-0 to Wrexham in the Pontin's League Division Two.

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