CITY face an immediate test of their promotion credentials after being handed a tough opening-day trip to Swindon Town.

Phil Parkinson’s men will head to the County Ground on Saturday, August 8 to face a Swindon outfit who reached the League One play-off final last term, losing 4-0 to Preston at Wembley.

The Robins completed a league double over the Bantams last season and are unbeaten against them in the last seven meetings dating back to 2005, when Steve Claridge came off the bench to score twice in a 3-2 win for City at the County Ground.

After the long trek to Wiltshire, the Bantams travel to York City in the Capital One Cup before hosting newly-promoted Shrewsbury Town at Valley Parade on August 15.

Gillingham are the visitors for another midweek game on Tuesday, August 18 before City head to Barnsley for a Yorkshire derby at Oakwell on Saturday, August 22.

Should City progress past York in the Capital One Cup, they will face a second-round tie in the week commencing August 24 before Port Vale visit Valley Parade on August 29 in a hectic opening month.

Other notable dates include the home clash with rivals Sheffield United on Saturday, September 19 before a short trip to Rochdale on Saturday, October 3.

Blackpool and Wigan – relegated from the Championship – come to Bradford on October 10 and 24 respectively either side of a midweek visit from newly-promoted Bury on Tuesday, October 20.

On Boxing Day, City are at home to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s newly-promoted Burton Albion, a side the Bantams have not faced since clinching a dramatic 3-1 play-off semi-final win in May 2013 at the Pirelli Stadium. The festive fixture could see former City keeper Jon McLaughlin, now with Albion,  make his first return to Valley Parade.

There is a Yorkshire derby at Bramall Lane against the Blades on December 28 before another away game at Gillingham on January 2.

Other notable fixtures include the short journey to Oldham on Saturday, September 5, the away match at Millwall on Saturday, October 31 and the trip to Blackpool on Saturday, February 27.

City end their campaign with a visit to Southend on April 30 before a final-day home game against Chesterfield on Sunday, May 8.

AUGUST

Sat 8 Swindon Town A

Sat 15 SHREWSBURY TOWN H

Tue 18 GILLINGHAM H

Sat 22 Barnsley A

Sat 29 PORT VALE H

SEPTEMBER

Sat 5 Oldham Athletic A

Sat 12 Fleetwood Town A

Sat 19 SHEFFIELD UNITED H

Sat 26 PETERBOROUGH UNITED H

Tue 29 Colchester United A

OCTOBER

Sat 3 Rochdale A

Sat 10 BLACKPOOL H 

Sat 17 Doncaster Rovers A

Tue 20 BURY H

Sat 24 WIGAN ATHLETIC H

Sat 31 Millwall A

NOVEMBER 

Sat 14 CREWE ALEXANDRA H 

Sat 21 Scunthorpe United A

Tue 24 COVENTRY CITY H

Sat 28 Walsall A

DECEMBER

Sat 12 SOUTHEND UNITED H

Sat 19 Chesterfield A

Sat 26 BURTON ALBION H

Mon 28 Sheffield United A

JANUARY

Sat 2 Gillingham A

Sat 9 BARNSLEY H 

Sat 16 OLDHAM ATHLETIC H

Sat 23 Port Vale A

Sat 30 FLEETWOOD TOWN H

FEBRUARY

Sat 6 Burton Albion A

Sat 13 Peterborough United A

Sat 20 ROCHDALE H 

Sat 27 Blackpool A

MARCH

Tue 1 COLCHESTER UNITED H

Sat 5 Bury A

Sat 12 DONCASTER ROVERS H

Sat 19 Wigan Athletic A

Sat 26 MILLWALL H

Mon 28 Crewe Alexandra A

APRIL

Sat 2 SCUNTHORPE UNITED H

Sat 9 SWINDON TOWN H

Sat 16 Shrewsbury Town A

Tue 19 Coventry City A

Sat 23 WALSALL H 

Sat 30 Southend United A

MAY

Sun 8 CHESTERFIELD H