Whilst the Bantams proved themselves to be perhaps the most forward thinking club off the field, by a series of initiatives to get supporters to pledge their allegiance through season tickets, it proved to be something of a disaster on the pitch with the anticipated immediate bounce back just didn't happen, and City spent the season languishing around the midtable mark in the division. There were signs of life late on in the season, and given how poor they'd been at times, a finish of 10th wasn't so bad, and it will give plenty of optimism for this season.

You'd have to say that had Stuart McCall been any other manager, or had he been at any other club, then his first stint as manager would have been long since over after what can only be described as a disastrous first season. But being the Bantams legend that McCall is, he was most definitely granted leeway from both supporters and directors, when form suggested that he had taken to management like a duck to a desert, and it's probably to their credit that they stuck with him.

But there was green shoots of recovery visible early this year. Nothing to make you go out and stick your mortgage on a City promotion, but enough to make you think that they could be players in a promotion push this time round. Not many people are granted a second change at a football club in this day and age, but McCall has proved to be the exception to this rule. However, it'd be wishful thinking to suggest that his popularity amongst Bantams supporters will stretch to a third chance. A poor start will see McCall out of his job.

Well you can't accuse McCall of standing still over the Summer. He's gone out and practically got himself a whole new spine to his side. New keeper, new defence, new central midfield, and a new goalscorer. We suspect he's kept faith with the club's ballboys tho.

The new signings reek of quality, especially in the central midfield department. Chris Brandon is getting on a bit now, and whilst he is a quality player, we did have initial worries about signing a 33 year old, but the other new midfield recruit Paul McClaren is a cut above, and could well be the signing of the season by any team in the division this time round.

At the back, McClaren has brought in experience. He's drafted in Graeme Lee who was a regular for Doncaster in League one last season and Paul Arnison who did a similar job at Carlisle. There'll be no Matt Clarke to gift us goals this time round unfortunately or David Weatherall tripping over his zimmer frame this time round.

Up front, he's got the talents from last season of Willy Topp who might be a little more adjusted to playing in England this time round, along with the experience of Peter Thorne. But McCall has gone out and signed up Mansfield's top scorer from last season Michael Boulding fighting off a host of other clubs in the process.

On paper, it seems like it can hardly fail. A whole host of new players, with good records, coupled with the momentum that having the biggest following of any side in the division should bring.

There remains question marks about McCall's ability as a manager. You can point to the quality of signings he has brought in, but he wasn't without quality at his disposal last season and he still fell a long way short of what would even have been considered to be an acceptable season by supporters of Bradford City.

If you're looking for other faults, then it could come up front. Peter Thorne is 35 now, which probably accounted for him missing around a third of City's game last season, and despite the goals he scored for Mansfield last season, there's question marks about Michael Boulding.

Excellent season it might have been for the former tennis professional, but that season seems to have been pretty much a one off during his career, and given that he's a couple of years the wrong side of thirty, he'd do well to replicate even half of last season's achievements.

5th - Play Offs

There are concerns over their signings. Like with Chesterfield, it would appear that all of their signings are well into their thirties which whilst will be good news for the Team Coach bingo sessions, it is likely to take its toll at some stage of the season, when pitches become heavy and City are asked to play a few games in a short space of time. But I think that Bradford's finances are probably better equipped to cope with signing players who are on season gambles to get them out of this division than the Spireites.

There's also concerns with the signing of Boulding, who put pen to paper on a deal on the same day that his brother Rory did. It doesn't take much to come to the conclusion that when touting himself around various clubs in the bottom two divisions, part of the deal was to take Rory on as well. Unless McCall saw something in the twenty one year old's eleven goalless appearances for the side who were relegated last season. Am sure concerns about nepotism are merely coincidental.

You could argue this as a sign of weakness by McCall. Surely there isn't so much cash floating around at Valley Parade that they can make signings just to keep other signings happy. What will happen when Boulding jnr isn't pulling his weight? Will McCall have it in him to give him a bollocking or would that upset big brother?

But for all the cracks in the Bantams armoury that we can see, there is plenty more for the Bradford fans to take heart from, and if there are any concerns that they'll face another season which mirrors last year, then they can forget them straight away. I'd imagine League Two came as a bit of a shock for them last season, and they weren't quite prepared for that.  They won't make that mistake twice. Will they?