The Coaching System

April 5 – Stockport County (A)

The long season had begun to take its toll. Fatigue crept into the squad, but with only a handful of games left, there was no room for complacency. Jake knew the importance of keeping his squad fresh, so he rotated heavily.

Okafor remained in goal, but the defense saw changes—Bianchi partnered Fletcher at center-back, while Richards and Hart covered the full-back roles.

In midfield, Lowe and Chapman were tasked with controlling the tempo, giving Ibáñez and Vélez a rare rest.

Up front, Mensah and Walsh occupied the wings, with Costa and Novak leading the attack.

Despite sitting mid-table, Stockport started aggressively, pressing high and forcing Bradford to play quicker than they wanted.

Jake stood on the touchline, arms crossed. He had expected this.

Stockport had nothing to lose.

But Bradford had Novak.

Just eight minutes in, Vélez, ever reliable even when coming off the bench, intercepted a careless pass in midfield. With a quick turn, he sent Mensah sprinting down the right flank.

The Ghanaian winger burned past his marker, lifting his head before delivering a sharp, low cross into the box.

Novak arrived on cue.

One touch. One powerful strike drilled into the bottom corner.

1-0 Bradford.

The away fans erupted in celebration, chanting Novak's name.

Jake allowed himself a small nod of approval.

Business as usual.

But Stockport weren't rolling over.

For most of the first half, Bradford controlled possession without much trouble, moving the ball well despite the changes in personnel.

But just before halftime, a mistake crept in.

Hart hesitated on a clearance, allowing Stockport's forward to press him. Fletcher stepped in to cover, but his positioning was off—suddenly, there was a gap in Bradford's backline.

Stockport's striker took full advantage, slipping in behind.

Okafor rushed out, trying to close the angle, but the finish was too precise—slotted low past his outstretched hand.

1-1.

Jake clenched his jaw as the home fans roared.

Too easy.

His players knew it too. As they walked toward the dressing room, no one spoke.

Halftime – Jake Sends a Message

Inside the dressing room, Jake paced in front of his squad.

"You want to cruise to the end of the season?" His voice was calm, but the frustration was clear.

"Because Stockport isn't letting you."

Novak wiped sweat from his face, Costa looked down at his boots, and the defenders sat with straight backs, knowing they had switched off.

Jake let the silence stretch before finally adding, "Fix it."

And in the second half, they did.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, Bradford shifted gears.

They pressed higher, moved the ball quicker, and pinned Stockport back in their own half.

Then, in the 60th minute, the moment arrived.

A poor clearance from a Stockport defender fell straight to Ibáñez, 30 yards from goal.

He didn't hesitate.

One touch to set himself.

Then—a rocket.

The ball exploded off his boot, swerving through the air before slamming into the top corner.

The stadium fell silent—except for the away fans, who erupted in sheer chaos.

2-1 Bradford.

Jake didn't even celebrate. Just a nod.

That's more like it.

Stockport refused to go down without a fight.

They pushed numbers forward, desperately looking for another equalizer.

But that only left them vulnerable.

And Bradford knew how to punish teams on the break.

In the 85th minute, Chapman won the ball in midfield and played a quick pass to Vélez.

Vélez, always aware, spotted Costa making a diagonal run behind the last defender.

A perfect through ball sent Costa one-on-one with the keeper.

The Brazilian didn't rush.

One look. One calm finish into the far post.

3-1. Game over.

Costa slid on his knees in front of the traveling fans, arms outstretched.

The final whistle blew moments later.

Another Win – The March Toward the Championship Continues

Bradford hadn't been perfect.

They had struggled at times.

But they had found a way.

And as Jake walked off the pitch, he knew one thing.

They were unstoppable

April 9 – Shrewsbury Town (H) – Back at Valley Parade, Jake made some changes, bringing in Silva, Vélez, and Novak to the starting lineup.

From the opening whistle, Bradford smothered Shrewsbury with relentless pressing.

The breakthrough came in the 12th minute.

Vélez surged through midfield, drawing defenders before slipping a disguised pass to Silva.

The Brazilian didn't hesitate. A quick cut inside. A curling shot from outside the box.

1-0.

Shrewsbury barely had time to recover before they conceded again.

24th minute – Free kick.

Silva stood over the ball, adjusting his stance before striking it with precision.

The ball curled over the wall and dipped perfectly into the top corner.

2-0.

The crowd erupted. The fans knew—Bradford were in complete control.

Before halftime, Novak added a third. Vélez's corner delivery was met with a towering header from Barnes. The keeper saved it, but Novak pounced on the rebound.

3-0.

The second half was more of the same.

Ibáñez continued dictating the tempo, pulling the strings effortlessly.

In the 74th minute, Bianchi rose above everyone to meet a corner, powering a header past the keeper to make it four.

A 4-0 masterclass.

As Jake walked off the pitch, he caught a glimpse of the league table on the stadium's big screen.

Wrexham is already second and two teams have qualified for playoff..

The media had started whispering—had it not been for that one loss, Bradford would've gone Invincible.

But Jake didn't care about that.

They had another game to win.

April 14 – Portsmouth (A)

Portsmouth had a point to prove. They were still fighting for a playoff spot, and they needed a win more than ever.

For the first time in weeks, Bradford were put on the back foot.

Portsmouth pressed aggressively, forcing early mistakes.

But then, in the 22nd minute, Bradford's quality shone through.

A quick transition from defense to attack saw Silva playing a delicate through ball to Costa. The Brazilian timed his run perfectly, took one touch, and slotted it past the onrushing keeper.

1-0 Bradford.

Portsmouth, to their credit, fought back.

They equalized in the 50th minute from a corner, their striker rising above Min-jae to head it into the net.

For the first time in a long time, Jake's team looked under pressure.

The home crowd roared as Portsmouth pushed for a second.

But Bradford didn't crack.

With ten minutes left, Vélez picked up the ball deep in midfield.

A quick turn. A driving run. A perfectly timed pass into the feet of Richter.

The German forward took one touch and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.

2-1.

Jake exhaled, finally allowing himself to breathe as his team saw out the final minutes.

It wasn't dominant. It wasn't pretty.

But it was another win.

April 19 – Huddersfield Town (H) –

Huddersfield came to Valley Parade with one objective—defend.

They weren't interested in playing open football. From the first whistle, they dropped deep, forming two compact lines, cutting off passing lanes, and refusing to give Bradford any space.

Jake, anticipating this, had rotated his squad to keep legs fresh for the final stretch of the season.

Jack Simmons started in goal, giving Okafor a rest.

Bianchi partnered Fletcher at center-back, allowing Barnes and Min-jae a breather.

Chapman and Lowe controlled midfield, offering stability in place of Ibáñez and Vélez.

Walsh and Silva occupied the wings, with Costa leading the line up front.

Despite controlling possession, Bradford struggled to break through.

Huddersfield's shape was disciplined, their defenders throwing themselves in front of every shot.

First Half –

Bradford dominated the first 45 minutes.

Silva and Walsh stretched the defense, trying to drag players out of position, but Huddersfield refused to bite.

In the 22nd minute, Walsh cut inside and unleashed a powerful strike—blocked.

33rd minute—Costa dropped deep, turned, and sent a through ball toward Silva. The winger fired low toward the near post, but the Huddersfield keeper got down quickly.

Jake paced the touchline.

Huddersfield weren't playing to win.

They were playing to survive.

Just before halftime, Chapman nearly found the breakthrough with a curling shot from distance, but it whistled inches wide.

As the whistle blew for the break, the frustration inside Valley Parade was palpable.

Second Half –

Jake made adjustments.

He pushed Silva and Walsh higher, instructing them to stay wider to stretch the defense.

The second half mirrored the first—attack after attack, but no goal.

In the 57th minute, Walsh connected with a long cross from Rojas, directing a header on target—saved.

63rd minute—a golden chance.

Lowe intercepted a loose pass, drove forward, and slipped a ball into Costa inside the box. The striker turned and shot—blocked again.

Time was running out.

Jake glanced at the clock. Seventy minutes gone.

Then, in the 78th minute, finally, the moment arrived.

78th Minute –

Silva, frustrated all game, finally found a sliver of space on the right wing.

Huddersfield had dropped too deep. They were too focused on defending the center.

Silva took advantage.

A quick burst of pace—he was gone.

He surged down the flank, lifted his head, and fired a low, driven cross into the box.

Novak, who had just been subbed on for Costa, timed his run to perfection.

A simple tap-in.

1-0.

Valley Parade erupted.

Jake let out a deep breath on the touchline.

Huddersfield had no time to respond.

Bradford held firm, recycling possession and keeping the visitors pinned in their own half until the final whistle blew.

The Final Whistle –

Huddersfield had frustrated them.

They had pushed them to the limit.

But Bradford found a way.

Another game. Another win.

The unstoppable march toward the Championship continued.

April 26 – Cambridge United (A) – Ending the Month in Style

The final game of April was more than just another win.

It was a statement.

With the league title already secured, Jake made several rotations to keep his key players fresh.

Jack Simmons started in goal, giving Okafor a well-earned rest.

Bianchi and Fletcher formed the center-back pairing, while Lewis Hart slotted in at left-back.

Daniel Lowe returned to the starting lineup, offering experience in midfield alongside Chapman.

Walsh and Rasmussen were given rare starts in attack, with Costa leading the line.

Even with these changes, Bradford didn't slow down.

From the first whistle, it was one-way traffic.

First Half – Total Control

It took just 11 minutes for Bradford to break the deadlock.

Chapman intercepted a weak clearance and fed Walsh down the right. The young winger cut inside, drew a defender, and slipped a pass to Mensah, who had drifted centrally.

One touch. A low, driven shot.

The ball zipped past the keeper into the bottom corner.

1-0 Bradford.

Cambridge barely had time to regroup before Bradford struck again.

20th minute – Rasmussen's brilliance.

Ibáñez, dictating the game from deep, picked out Rasmussen with a long diagonal switch. The Danish winger controlled it effortlessly, played a quick one-two with Vélez, then curled a stunning shot into the top corner.

2-0 Bradford.

Jake smirked on the touchline.

His rotated squad was playing like title winners.

Cambridge struggled to create anything. Every attempted attack was shut down by Bianchi and Fletcher, while Lowe broke up play in midfield.

Before halftime, Bradford made it three.

38th minute – Barnes from a set-piece.

Chapman's in-swinging corner found Barnes towering at the back post. The captain outjumped his marker and powered a header past the helpless goalkeeper.

3-0 Bradford.

Jake barely reacted.

The job wasn't done yet.

Second Half – Finishing the Job

Cambridge tried to step up their aggression, but it only left them vulnerable.

Bradford's midfield, led by Ibáñez and Vélez, toyed with the opposition, controlling possession and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

70th minute – Vélez's rocket.

After another failed Cambridge clearance, the ball fell to Vélez 25 yards out.

Jake saw it before it even happened.

The Colombian took one touch to set himself—then unleashed an absolute thunderbolt.

The ball rocketed into the top corner.

The Cambridge keeper barely moved.

4-0 Bradford.

By now, it was cruise control.

Jake made his final substitutions, bringing on Ibáñez and Silva for a standing ovation.

But there was still one more goal to come.

90+1st minute – Silva to Costa.

Silva, fresh off the bench, sprinted down the left, leaving his marker behind.

He looked up. Costa had peeled away from his defender.

A perfect cross.

Costa met it with a clinical first-time finish.

5-0 Bradford.

The Final Whistle – A Record-Breaking Seasonthe final whistle blewA Season for the History Books

117 points.

EFL Cup champions.

European football secured.

The traveling Bradford fans refused to leave the stadium. They chanted, sang, and celebrated deep into the night.

Jake stood on the touchline, arms crossed, watching as his players took in the moment. Mensah had his arms around Silva, both grinning from ear to ear. Vélez was leading chants with the away supporters. Barnes, the captain, lifted his fists in the air, basking in the glory.

This wasn't just another win.

It was a declaration.

Bradford wasn't just a promoted club. They weren't just a cup-winning underdog.

They were a force.

Media & Fan Reactions – The League One Takeover

The headlines were instant.

"Bradford City's Record-Breaking Season – A Legacy Begins" – BBC Sport

"117 Points. A Cup. A European Spot. Jake Wilson's Revolution is Here." – The Athletic

"From League One to European Nights – What's Next for Bradford?" – Sky Sports

And in the fan cafés, the celebrations continued.

"We've actually done it. This isn't a dream. 117 POINTS. WE ARE A JOKE OF A TEAM."

"Next season? Championship title. Straight to the Prem. BOOK IT."

"Jake Wilson is HIM. This is the greatest season in our history."

Jake wasn't one to dwell on success for too long.

But as he looked around the pitch, at his players, at the fans…

He allowed himself one moment.

A slow breath. A small smile.

They had built something special.

And this?

This was just the beginning.