Both of these sides have played Premier League football, so it’s amazing to consider that they are no longer anywhere near that level of competition. They will not be there anytime soon either, as both clubs suffer from a lack of ambition and at times, poor ownership decisions.
For the home side, their Premier League appearance is a distant memory. Meanwhile, Blackpool doesn’t have to go too far back for their time in the sun when the likes of Jimmy Bullard and Nick Barmby were shooting them to unsuspected victories.
However, Blackpoool is that side that fell the furthest – last season they were in League Two, a division they were lucky to get out of. Meanwhile, Bradford’s footing is beginning to look a bit more solid.
They competed well in League One last season and many thought they were unlucky not to gain promotion into England’s second tier. They missed out at the hands of Millwall in a very competitive playoff and now have to entertain life as a team in League One once again.
Whether or not they will be there again next season depends on how well they perform against the likes of Blackpool. So, this is the first step on a mission back to the top for one side, while the other will be happy to not fall any further.
Bradford form
Bradford had a good season last year, but fell at the final hurdle in the playoffs against Millwall. That defeat will have hurt, as the Yorkshire side will feel as though they should have capitalised on the many chances they had in that tie.
They defeated Fleetwood impressively in the semi-final of the playoffs and entered Wembley full of confidence. Unfortunately that confidence did not transfer to a competent performance though. Many of their star performers let them down that day and will be keen to make up for it by helping their side achieve automatic promotion this season.
Blackpool form
Blackpool has been a club that has been freefalling in recent years. They went from the Premier League to the Championship, then from the Championship to League One, then from League One to League Two.
Thankfully for their long suffering supporters, they were able to halt that fall from grace last year, by winning the League Two playoffs. They defeated Exeter in the final and won promotion. In truth, it wasn’t the most impressive performance, but the win is far more important at that stage.
News
Blackpool’s ownership dispute has dominated the headlines regarding the club. Other than that, their pre-season form has been good, picking up wins against both Southport and Macclesfield. Last year’s playoff hero, Mark Cullen, was instrumental in those victories.
Stuart McCall decision to stay on as Bradford manager will give them an added boost ahead of the new season. After the playoff defeat, the club was left with an air of uncertainty, but his decision to stay should be good for the club’s 2017/18 chances.
Betting
This game is only going to go one way, as is these sides perspective seasons. Bradford are on the up, hoping for promotion and unless Blackpool can get some more new players through the door, they will be relegated.
We are making the obvious bet and backing an easy Bradford win here. They are priced at 11/20 with Ladbrokes and it’s a good bet as far as we are concerned.