Match Previews

Match Preview | Wanderers v Bradford (Play-Off First Leg)

8th May 2026

Wanderers welcome Bradford City to the Toughsheet Community Stadium for a Sky Bet League One Play-Off semi-final first-leg on Saturday, 8pm kick-off.

Steven Schumacher’s men finished the regular campaign in fifth position on 75 points and now face Bradford over two legs for a place in the Final at Wembley on Sunday 24^th May.

Standing in their way are Graham Alexander’s Bantams, who concluded their first campaign back in the third-tier following promotion two points and a place ahead of Wanderers.

The two teams have already met three times during this term. The most recent clash ended in a 1-1 draw at Valley Parade in April.

Press Conferences:

Steven Schumacher:

“We’re all really excited, I know I am and I’m sure the players are. It’s a really good challenge for us, it’s a good test and it’s something that we’re looking forward to. We know we’re coming up against a team who we’ve had three good games against this season, so I’m sure it will be no different this weekend.

“There’s going to be over 25,000 here which is brilliant, the atmosphere will be excellent, the game will be tight I’m sure because that’s what the rest of the games against them have been like this season, and we have to make sure that we play well and perform as well as we can do to get the result that we want.

“It’s a two-legged tie and we have to be mindful, but what I’ll be saying to the players is to be positive and try and get on the front foot and take the game to Bradford where we can, get ourselves in front and go to Valley Parade in the tie and ready to have an opportunity to progress. I would have been saying exactly the same thing if we had been away first, make sure you’re in the game at half-time.

“We’ve worked really hard all season to be in this position and we wanted to be in with an opportunity to get to the Championship, whether that was going to be automatic or through the play-offs, that’s where we find ourselves so everybody should be excited about it. It’s going to be an intense couple of weeks and if we get our preparation right and if we perform as well as we can, the objective to get to the Championship is still there, so it’s a real incentive to go for.”

Bradford City Manager, Graham Alexander

"The pressure on the game and the result can be slightly different. But we’ve been in these games, having to win the last game of the season last year and the one before – and this season again.

“We’re still in the shake-up at the end of the season. That resilience as a football club is something I look on and I take pride from.

“We started great and everything was really smooth like a honeymoon. Then the reality of league football kicked in but we’re still here and overcoming those challenges.”