BANTAMS SUPPORTERS TRUST

Our AGM is on Wednesday, 24th November, from 7pm, at Jacobs Well , near Bradford Interchange. This is your opportunity to make your voice be heard and contribute to making us stronger in terms of building the Trust membership and our finances, but we also want to influence the Club in securing it’s long term success and longevity, bringing in supporter-led initiatives along the way that improve the match day experience for all. You will get to hear about our achievements through our reports at the AGM. The existing Trust Board would like to see new Trust Board Members that have new ideas and proposals that will broaden our reach. Find out how you can play a role in the Trust here . If you would like to be a Board Member, please find a Board Member Nomination form for this year here . All Board Members are volunteers and we are a not for profit organisation. The deadline for submitting your nominations is Wednesday 18 th November 2025. There is space for a candidate’s statement on the form, and a proposer and seconder need to be members. For any enquiries about being a Board Member please contact us here . Members who receive our regular emails will be able to download our Draft Agenda and Papers for the evening nearer the time. For our AGM to be quorate, we need 20 Members in attendance. Only Members can vote. The AGM will start at 7pm, so please arrive in good time to order a drink at the bar. We will be in the snug area of the pub and greet members at the bar from 6.30pm. We understand that many of you will live across the country and further beyond, and therefore to encourage attendance we will have a hybrid meeting as in previous years, of members, in person, in the pub, or online video via Zoom. The Zoom meeting link will be provided nearer the time. We look forward to seeing you in due course.

Tiffin want to engage with supporters about the choice or lack of food and drink on the concourse Kiosk bars at Bradford City and have called a meeting for Thursday 29 th October at City Vaults for 6pm. Here is your opportunity to offer suggestions in person. To get an indication of interest in attending, please contact Helen Jeffery by emailing hello@bantamstrust.co.uk . You do not have to be a member of the Trust to attend. Anyone not able to attend but wanting to put forward any ideas, please Email us at hello@bantamstrust.co.uk . We can then collate any information to take to the meeting. We thank you for your support

On the 6 th October Bradford City announced Michael Duff as the new First Team Manager. Duff, 48, in his playing career as a defender and a former Northern Ireland International, became a firm favourite amongst supporters at Cheltenham Town, helping them get promoted twice, once during the 1997 season, and then in 1999 when he scored the goal that got them promoted into the Football League. He later contributed to the club’s promotion to the third tier through the play-offs in 2002. In 2004, he joined Burnley from Cheltenham for a reported £30,000, and in 2009 helped them win promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs, and since helped them win promotion back into the Premier League two other times, in 2014 and 2016 respectively. In Duff’s managerial career (2017-18) he worked within Burnley’s coaching structure. In 2018 he came back to Cheltenham, and in 2021 Led Cheltenham to the League Two title. In 2022 he joined Barnsley and in the following year he took them to the League One Play-Off Final. In that year, 2023, he had a spell as Head Coach of Swansea City and in 2024 joined Huddersfield Town. In 2025 he then managed Wycombe Wanderers. So far in his managerial career, Duff has taken charge of 376 games, winning 160 and drawing 96. Whilst he has had managerial successes he has faced difficulties at Clubs facing different expectations. Michael Duff’s Management Style is one where his approach is based strongly on unity, work ethic, adaptability, and collective responsibility. His teams have been associated with organised pressing and an ability to build play from the back. He has also shown a willingness to adjust his tactical approach according to the strengths of his players. Another important part of his philosophy is creating a strong connection between players, staff, and supporters. These qualities are very much in the mould of two of our best managers in the modern era, Phil Parkinson and Graham Alexander and therefore it is understandable the Club’s senior figures see that he can fit into their Club vision. We are aware that there will be a lot of expectation from within the Club and amongst supporters as there is a strong ambition of competing higher in the English football structure. We believe that a manager has to have the time and the resources to develop and bring about successes. The conditions are ripe for Duff to succeed with all the ambition and expectation to reach the Championship. It is a tough pressure, but one that Michael Duff will be relishing. The Trust gives Duff our backing and we hope that all supporters will give him time to get the players’ backing. We are only too aware that the pressure for success has created culture of a managerial merry-go-round where careers of managers at clubs are often cut short. We can only hope that Michael Duff’s success at Bradford City is the exception to this. The season’s campaign is still long and we are sure there will still be highs and lows. We are also confident that if the spirit is strong and determined throughout the team we are sure supporters will get behind him.