WHEN the conversation turns to who is City’s greatest of all time, a handful of candidates jump out.

How about Jimmy Speirs, who captained the club to their highest-ever league finish in the old First Division, fifth, and scored the winner in the 1911 FA Cup final to secure the only major trophy in their history?

Or maybe Ces Podd, the club’s record appearance holder, one of the first black men to establish himself in English football and former international player and manager with Saint Kitts and Nevis?

Or how about the larger than life Bobby Campbell, by far City's all-time leading goalscorer and a double promotion winner with the club?

All three are rightly in the annals as bona fide Bantams legends, but one name probably jumps out above all others, and we’re here to celebrate him after his 60th birthday yesterday.

Stuart McCall joined the club on June 10, 1980, his 16th birthday, and over the last 44 years, is probably the one individual who has helped bring more joy to City fans than any other.

And we are here to celebrate this diamond of a player, a manager, and a man, as we look back on his Bradford City life.

1982-85: Prodigy to star man

McCall was just too young to play a part in City’s promotion from Division Four in 1981-82, making his debut on the opening day of the following season under Roy McFarland.

But if the former England international and double title-winner with Derby was reluctant to over-expose the teenage McCall to the rigours of third tier football, Trevor Cherry certainly wasn’t.

City player-manager Trevor Cherry (top row, far left) knew he had a player on his hands in Stuart McCall (top row, third left).City player-manager Trevor Cherry (top row, far left) knew he had a player on his hands in Stuart McCall (top row, third left). (Image: T&A.)

Appointed as player-manager in December 1982, Cherry brought McCall into the starting line up for City’s game at Newport County the following month, after a run of four defeats in a row.

They drew that game 1-1 to stop the rot, and it would be several years before the Bantams played without him again.

That clash down in South Wales marked the first of 134 consecutive appearances for McCall in a City shirt, as he became a midfield lynchpin in the side that eventually stormed to the 1984-85 Third Division title.

1988: Path to stardom

McCall was an ever-present in that 1984-85 title-winning side, but that season was of course marred by the horrendous Valley Parade Fire Disaster, which occurred as fans celebrated promotion at home to Lincoln on May 11.

Like with the Liverpool players and staff a few years later following the Hillsborough tragedy, those connected with the Bantams at the time, like McCall, Campbell and Cherry became pillars of the city, attending funerals of the deceased and engagements to mark and memorialise the darkest day in the club’s history.

Stuart McCall and Bobby Campbell are two of Bradford City's greatest-ever players, and helped the city rebuild after the club's darkest hour.Stuart McCall and Bobby Campbell are two of Bradford City's greatest-ever players, and helped the city rebuild after the club's darkest hour. (Image: T&A.)

McCall was a beacon of hope for the suffering city, and his astounding leadership skills at such a young age meant he was made captain at the age of just 21 in 1986.

And in 1987-88, McCall was the key figure in a City side that came agonisingly close to reaching the top flight for the first time in 66 years.

Top of the table for much of the season, they missed out on automatic promotion by a point, then lost in the new-fangled play-offs to Middlesbrough.

The Bantams might not have been making it to the top flight, but McCall certainly was, as he joined giants Everton in the off-season for £850,000.

1998-2000: City’s dream realised

A decade later, having scored twice in an FA Cup final for Everton, played at three major tournaments for Scotland and featured in six title triumphs for Rangers, McCall went back to where it all began by rejoining City at the age of 34.

Stuart McCall celebrates promotion to the Premiership in 1999 at Molineux. Stuart McCall celebrates promotion to the Premiership in 1999 at Molineux. (Image: T&A.)

But anyone thinking the midfield man was returning for a gentle career swansong after already achieving so many great things was very much mistaken.

Having been promoted back to the second tier in 1996 under Chris Kamara, six years after relegation, the Bantams had nearly gone straight back down, before finishing in a solid but unspectacular 13th position in 1997-98.

But McCall’s arrival, along with the likes of Lee Mills and Gareth Whalley, had an enormous impact, as did the continued blossoming of young talents like Andy O’Brien, Darren Moore and Robbie Blake.

McCall featured in 43 of City’s 46 games in Division One in 1998-99 and was named their Player of the Year as they recovered from a slow start to go up on the final day with a 3-2 victory at Wolves.

The veteran recovered from falling off a car(!!) in the raucous promotion celebrations that followed to anchor the midfield in the Premier League, as City faced their top-flight campaign since 1921-22.

Against all the odds and all the predictions, the Bantams stayed up by beating Liverpool on the final day at Valley Parade, still widely-regarded as one of the Premier League’s greatest escapes, nearly 25 years later.

2016-17: Wembley dreaming

McCall’s short caretaker spell in City’s ugly 2000-01 season, their second and final Premier League campaign, is best left forgotten, while the Bantams never more than briefly threatened to get out of League Two when he took charge between 2007 and 2010.

A fourth spell in 2020 was possibly a case of heart ruling head on all sides, but there was genuine sorrow when he left Valley Parade that December for what was surely the final time, despite relegation to non-league being a realistic possibility.

Thankfully, that was comfortably avoided, and it meant memories of his superb previous spell were left relatively untainted.

Despite the fans’ love for McCall, it was a huge ask for him to follow Phil Parkinson’s reign when he took over in the summer of 2016.

The current Wrexham supremo had injected excitement back into the club, courtesy of League Two promotion and a League Cup final in 2013, as well as a giantkilling run to the last-eight of the FA Cup two years later.

Parkinson left after the club’s League One play-off semi-final defeat to Millwall at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, but there was no drop off under McCall the following season.

Remarkably, despite the third tier containing heavyweights like Sheffield United and Bolton, McCall led the Bantams to an unbeaten league season at Valley Parade and a fifth-place finish.

And in Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp’s first season as owners, McCall took the Bantams to Wembley after overcoming Fleetwood in the play-off semi-finals.

But Millwall proved to be his nemesis as well as Parkinson’s, as an historic day out at Wembley ended in a 1-0 defeat, City falling agonisingly short of a return to the second tier for the first time since 2004.

Stuart McCall on the touchline alongside Millwall boss Neil Harris during the 2017 League One play-off final.Stuart McCall on the touchline alongside Millwall boss Neil Harris during the 2017 League One play-off final. (Image: PA.)

McCall was in prime position to take City back to Wembley the following season, with the Bantams still sat in the top six when he was sacked in February 2018.

He had lost five games in a row before his dismissal, but the decision was derided by virtually the whole fanbase, and things have never been so good for the Bantams since.

Now 60, McCall is only ever likely to return to City in an ambassadorial capacity, but whether he does or not, what this one man has done for this one club will never be forgotten.