CITY are ready to reap the rewards of the England feelgood factor.

Gareth Southgate’s heroes could write their names into football folklore tomorrow by beating Italy to win Euro 2020.

But whatever happens at Wembley, the big result from the tournament has been how much the country has fallen in love with the game again after being locked out for the last year.

The Bantams have appreciated that as much as anybody as very healthy season-ticket sales indicate the rising level of anticipation with Derek Adams’ side.

Chief executive Ryan Sparks believes there are several ingredients for the surge in interest – England’s Euro glory being the biggest.

He said: “It’s a combined situation of England doing so well at the Euros, the announcement about July 19 which is the first proper step back towards normality and the fact people appeared to be pleased with the way we are building for next season.

“England’s success – and it has been a success win or lose tomorrow – has certainly lifted spirits.

“We can only speak for our country but we’ve needed spirits lifting for some time. Coming out of the pandemic, it has been a gift for a lot of people.”

Like his manager, Sparks has admired the way that Southgate has rallied the nation with his strong leadership – and believes there are lessons to be learned.

“Gareth Southgate has had the world of social media telling him what to do and how to do his job.

“It’s an arena where people can tell you how to do your job better than you can yourself.

“He’s had all that and he’s taken stick off pundits and ex-players and he’s stuck to his beliefs. He’s had the rewards for that.

“He’s focused on winning not the noise. He just takes it because he’s a manager who knows how to deliver success.

“They asked him the other night whether he could enjoy these moments and he said, ‘no, you cannot’.

“I can kind of understand where he is coming from. You can’t get too up or too down about professional sport because it has a funny way of coming back and smacking you in the mouth.”

As the Valley Parade season-ticket deadline approaches, Sparks has been hugely encouraged by the response. He is already dreaming of a 20,000 gate for the opening home league game against Oldham next month.

He said: “I have to be honest. Morecambe helped our season-ticket campaign from a marketing perspective (by winning promotion under Adams at Wembley) and England have helped as well.

“It’s been a mixture of a lot of things that have given us a lift as a football club.

“The longer people have seen our national team do well and in front of fans, it can only be good.

“It brings a feelgood factor for football at all levels and it’s very important, obviously, in the fourth tier.”

The drive behind England’s current success resonates at City, where Sparks can see a similar structure being put in place after too many years of hurt.

“I said when I was appointed in November that the club needed an identity that people could relate to and the culture at the club had gone.

“The appointment of Derek Adams and the staff behind the scenes and, of course, the playing squad is all about that.

“If you compare it directly to the England team, Gareth Southgate has nailed the culture.

“He’s given people hope and players that they can relate to and everyone wants to fight the battle with him.

“That’s exactly what we are trying to create here. There’s a lot to learn from it.

“It’s basic principles but it’s not very easy to put together. It requires work and time and a plan – and we do have that.

“I watch the England games and it makes the hairs rise on the back of my neck.

“Everybody who works in professional sport can relate to what they are going through and you want to achieve what they are so badly. It drives you on every day.

“Our ambition is to become a proper football club that people can be proud of.

“We’ve had great times and we’ve achieved great things. But we cannot keep harping on about them and saying, ‘that’s us’.

“It was years ago now. It’s past and we have to create more.

“You can’t recreate the past, you’ve got to make more and that will come.

“For me, the culture of the organisation is the start and finish of your chances. Ours is far better than it was 12 months ago.”