PHIL Parkinson wants City to serve up another “special” cup night – and give the fans the chance to create new memories at Chelsea.
Parkinson would love to deliver an FA Cup fourth-round glamour tie to potentially rank up there with the never-to-be forgotten Capital One clashes against the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa two years ago.
But first the Bantams must see off Championship strugglers Millwall at the second attempt at Valley Parade this evening.
The crowd is expected to be well into five figures on the back of City’s marketing campaign and Parkinson hopes that will set the scene for another remarkable knock-out occasion as they chase the golden ticket for Stamford Bridge.
He said: “I can’t remember being in a situation like this and it is unusual. There is so much talk about the draw.
“But it’s great because that’s what we wanted. It’s a good thing and has just added to the occasion.
“Tonight itself is going to be a great night of cup football at Valley Parade. We’ve had a lot of those and this is another one.
“Some of my best personal memories of being Bradford City manager are cup nights under the lights. There’s always a special atmosphere and I can’t wait to sample that again.”
City have not reached the last 32 for 15 years and have not won three FA Cup ties in the same season since 1976, when they reached the quarter-finals.
Parkinson added: “There is a special buzz about the FA Cup and the club hasn’t had much success over the years in this competition. It would be great for this group of players to take us into the fourth round.
“We’ve had some fantastic days out over the past few years and this could be another one.
“We said at the time of those (League Cup) games that they will be remembered for years and years.
“When I bump into Bradford fans wherever I am, they all want to talk about those nights. The ones who were fortunate to get tickets for Aston Villa away talk about that being one of the highlights of them supporting Bradford.
“Millwall have got the incentive of it being a London derby but for Bradford City to meet a Premier League club again would be tremendous.”
Millwall arrive at Valley Parade still in the Championship relegation zone after Saturday’s loss at bottom club Blackpool extended their woeful run to two wins from 21 games.
But Parkinson stressed: “The draw against Chelsea probably ups the importance of this game for them as much as us.
“They may need the money too but it’s not that – it’s the prestige of going to Stamford Bridge for a London club.
“Ian Holloway’s teams are always tough to play against. They are also open and give you a chance.
“I think the 3-3 scoreline down there suggests that and I don’t see a great deal of difference tonight. It’s going to be a very attack-minded game for both teams.
“We went down there and approached it in a positive way and we’ll do the same again. We want to put Millwall under as much pressure as we possibly can.
“We’ve got to do that to raise the atmosphere in the stadium because the more the crowd are behind us, the better chance we’ve got.”
City, who practised penalties after training yesterday, will be boosted by the return of Andrew Davies. But the game may come too soon for Billy Clarke after missing the last four games.
Experienced striker Jon Stead reached an FA Cup semi-final ten years ago with Blackburn, who were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium.
Stead said: “There’s obviously a lot surrounding the FA Cup and the passion but I look at every game the same.
“This has got that extra bit because of the incentive it could bring but I think the main thing is not looking too far towards that.
“You don’t want the regret on missing out on a great cup tie. But the business has to be done tonight first.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel