Graham Alexander joked that it was “the Bradford way” after the Yorkshire side clinched automatic promotion in dramatic fashion with a last-gasp 1-0 win.
Antoni Sarcevic scored the winner against Fleetwood at Valley Parade in the sixth minute of added time, deflecting home George Lapslie’s shot.
Bradford had been facing the prospect of dropping into the play-offs after failing to win their previous four games but instead sealed third place ahead of Walsall.
Manager Alexander said: “It’s the Bradford way, I suppose – take everyone through every emotion you can possibly feel.
“What an amazing way to finish a really tough and brutal season. The way these players have approached everything, I have never seen them quit, not once.
“Even in the 96th minute in the last game of the season, they are still going, still fit and more than anything, still believing. They’ve been magnificent.
“It’s such a special year with the 40th anniversary of the Bradford City fire in 1985. It doesn’t become more poignant.
“We’ve had two different seasons. We’ve been the best team at home and one of the worst away.
“People were talking about our form going into this game. But this was at Valley Parade and we’d won 12 of the previous 14 here.
“For some reason, I’ve had to convince the team they are good players every two games – but hopefully now they’ll believe me.”
Jay Lynch tipped Calum Kavanagh’s header against the bar as Bradford pushed for a breakthrough.
Jack Shepherd hit the post but their persistence paid off, Sarcevic’s goal sparking two pitch invasions before the final whistle.
Fleetwood manager Pete Wild claimed he was confronted by home fans as were some of his players.
He said: “It was madness. I understand it, you are excited and you want to run on the pitch when you’ve scored but don’t get involved with the opposition players and the manager.
“Our players have been confronted, I’ve been confronted and it’s just disappointing because it didn’t need to happen.
“I get the nature of the goal but stay away from our players and staff. That was the bit that got to me.
“We couldn’t guarantee the player safety and ethically we had to play another minute’s football. It was farcical.
“We talked about making sure the ball was in a certain area to get off the pitch. That’s mad because, ultimately, we could have had another minute to try to get another goal.
“But you couldn’t guarantee safety and there was no way we were going back out there until someone could convince me that was the case.
“It was the cruellest of cruellest things at the end. It’s a deflection that goes in that gets them up and that’s probably their best attempt all game.
“Some of their crowd were saying we were out of order for playing the way we did. But at the end of the day they have had many opportunities to get over the line and they haven’t done.”
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