Thousands gather to celebrate Bradford City League One promotion
Thousands gather to celebrate Bantams' promotion
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Adam Laver & Charles Heslett
BBC News, Yorkshire
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Captain Richie Smallwood lifted the promotion shield in front of the fans
Bradford City fans have partied in style as Bantams players travelled through the streets in an open-top bus to celebrate their promotion to League One.
City scored a last-gasp winner on Saturday to end their six-year stay in League Two.
Fans gathered in Bradford's City Park and Centenary Square on Tuesday evening to sing "we are going up", while letting off amber flares.
Match winner Antoni Sarcevic told the crowd that while he had been in promoted teams five times before, Bradford City's promotion "topped every single one by a mile".
Bradford City players soaked in the atmosphere on Tuesday evening
Fans gathered in the centre of Bradford from about 18:00 BST to hear from the players they had been cheering on all season.
Among them, soaking up the atmosphere, were family season ticket holders mum Julie Swords, 23-year-old daughter Jess and 21-year-old son Kieran.
Ms Swords, 50, said: "I can remember us getting to the Premiership. I don't think it was on this level when we got promoted."
The trio said they had been watching Bradford City home and away together for the past five seasons - and even admitted to a tear or two when the Bantams clinched promotion in the last minute on Saturday.
Julie Swords celebrated promotion with her daughter Jess and her son Kieran
As it happened: Bradford City fans flock to promotion parade
Meanwhile, Shawnee Raper, 66, who was with his grandson Joel, said: "With a minute to go, I didn't think I'd see this day.
"I can't stop watching the goal. It's lucky I'm not weeping, I've been crying all weekend."
Joel said the best thing about the win on Saturday was "everyone going on the pitch" after the full-time whistle.
Shawnee Raper and grandson Joel could not believe their eyes when Bradford clinched promotion on Saturday
While the fans waited, they were kept entertained by a choir of their fellow supporters - the Bantam of the Opera - who got the crowd singing '"City's going up" to the tune of Give It Up by KC and The Sunshine Band.
They also sang All You Need Is Love and Take Me Home, Country Roads in a bid to make sure spirits remained high as possible.
The Bantam of the Opera choir got fans bouncing before the players arrived
In their open-top bus, Bradford City's players made their way to the city centre from the University of Bradford Stadium.
After their 1.5 mile (2.5 km) journey, the bus was greeted at Centenary Square with a roar of emotion from the club's loyal fanbase.
The players and manager Graham Alexander all spoke from on top of the bus, before more flares were let off and singing and dancing took place and fans began to drift away.
David Sharpe, head of football operations at Bradford City, told the BBC he was "delighted" for everyone associated with the football club, adding that promotion had been "a long time coming".
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
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