# 'One of my favourites': Bantams boss eyes another special night at Hillsborough

**By:** Simon Parker  
**Published:** 2026-08-20T00:04:00Z  
**Source:** [Bradford Telegraph and Argus](https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/26477124.bradford-city-manager-enjoys-playing-games-hillsborough)

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Bradford City manager enjoys playing games at Hillsborough

                    
                        
    
                            

    
    
        
            
                    'One of my favourites': Bantams boss eyes another special night at Hillsborough
Graham Alexander will be aiming to enjoy Hillsborough again (Image: Thomas Gadd)
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                'One of my favourites': Bantams boss eyes another special night at Hillsborough
Graham Alexander will be aiming to enjoy Hillsborough again (Image: Thomas Gadd)

            

            
                'One of my favourites': Bantams boss eyes another special night at Hillsborough
Graham Alexander will be aiming to enjoy Hillsborough again (Image: Thomas Gadd)

                

            

    

        
    

         
            
                
                
  GRAHAM Alexander is hoping City will provide him with another happy Hillsborough memory tonight.

  The Bantams boss rates Sheffield Wednesday’s iconic home as one of his favourite football grounds.

  His team will be aiming to deliver another night to remember in their first away game of the season.

  It is City’s first league clash with Wednesday for 21 years and Alexander is just as excited for the challenge as the fans.

  “It was one of my favourite grounds to play at,” he said. “I think maybe because of my age, the history of the cup semi-finals, being there and all that.

  “Obviously, when Cov (Coventry) won the FA Cup in 1987, we played there twice, the quarter-final and the semi-final.

  “I always seemed to play reasonably well there and score or something like that. So, I always thought it was a brilliant stadium to play in.

  “The atmosphere is good and you can almost smell the history, a little bit like Valley Parade. You can still see the scars and the memories sort of swilling in the building.

  “There will be players in our squad that have played there before but probably not as many as I think can think of.

  “But I know what my team is built on. I know what mentally they're about and they'll be looking forward to it without a shadow of a doubt.

  “Can we go into this cauldron, into this atmosphere and be who we are? That's a real litmus test for us.”

  Over 31,000 tickets have been sold for Wednesday’s first home league outing since emerging from the financial horrors of last year that saw them deducted 18 points for going into administration.

  City have not played at Sheffield Wednesday since 2005 (Image: @swfc)

  After the ruinous end to the reign of former owner Dejphon Chansiri, Wednesday avoided any further sanctions and have kicked off the new campaign, like City, with back-to-back victories.

  Alexander is pleased to see such a famous club coming back from the brink.

  “You don't want to see any football club in trouble like that. If you're a football supporter, you've got these histories and these memories of the past and everything.

  “You don't want to see anyone struggle that way. On the pitch, we don't want anyone to be better than us.

  “I'm more focused on what our club is about and what we can produce and the health of our club, because it's important. Because, obviously, Bradford's had its difficulties in the last two decades on a similar scale, maybe, without knowing the detail of it.

  “I think there'll be people out there that are glad that we're on a good footing now as well, in a similar mould.

  “But yes, you want your football clubs to be healthy, because you know how many people invest in those football clubs, the supporters, the histories, the families, all that sort of thing.

  “The players and the staff, the work that goes into creating a football club and keeping one alive is massive. So, any club that's in trouble needs as much help as possible - but every club needs to be run correctly.”

  The Bantams boss can appreciate the uplift at Wednesday after all the recent turmoil.

  “When you're under the cosh like they've been for such a long time, anything you get given in a positive way, you're going to enjoy.

  “I remember the scenes with that countdown thing. I remember seeing it on the TV when there was zero points and a bit of a lift.

  “They’ve started the season reasonably well but I don’t expect easy challenges or teams coming into games at this stage on a low ebb anyway.

  “Everyone starts the season with optimism and positivity and belief in what they've got. I think if you haven't got that at the start, you're pretty much screwed.”