Chairman Geoffrey Richmond is urging as many Bradford City fans as possible to make the trip to London for this Saturday's vital clash with Queens Park Rangers.

The Bantams were dislodged from the automatic promotion places last night by Ipswich's 1-0 victory over Stockport which has left the Suffolk side three points clear in second place with three games remaining.

That result means that victory at Loftus Road is now paramount for City and Richmond said: "We need a big support down there.

"Everything is still to play for and we are looking to pick up all nine points from our last three games. The noise on Saturday against Huddersfield was unbelievable and played its part in us nearly earning some points. We could not have asked any more of our supporters."

City's current allocation 1,500 tickets is on sale at the Valley Parade ticket office until 5pm on Friday. Further tickets will be available both before and on the day of the game should this initial allocation sell out.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Huddersfield boss Peter Jackson and his assistant Terry Yorath were asked to sit in the main stand for the second half of last weekend's ill-tempered derby game.

Referee Mike Pierce made the suggestion as he left the field at half-time following the dismissal of Town right back Steve Jenkins after receiving a tirade of abuse from the pair.

However Jackson and Yorath both apologised just before the end of the half-time break and took their places in the dugout as normal.

City chairman Geoffrey Richmond said: "It must be the first case where the referee has sent off someone and then changed his mind." He then added: "Maybe he should have allowed Steve Jenkins to come back on the field as well."

However the Football League's director of communications, Peter Rowe, said the pair were not sent off by the referee.

He said: "I have spoken to the referee and he said he did speak to both Peter Jackson and Terry Yorath. As they walked up the tunnel at half-time, the referee told them he was not happy with some of the comments being made.

"He suggested that it might be best if they didn't re-appear in the dugout for the second half. A few minutes later, Peter Jackson knocked on the referee's door along with Terry Yorath, apologising for any problems that they felt might have happened.

"He listened to their apology and they assured him there would be no problems in the second half. And there weren't. It was not a sending off, just a verbal suggestion."

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