Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield has revealed he is ‘excited’ to be facing Bradford City in the FA Cup this weekend.
The Chairboys travel up to Valley Parade in what will be the first meeting between the two sides in six seasons, and the first in the competition since 1997.
Additionally, it will be the first time in his relatively short managerial career that the 39-year-old will take on the former Premier League team – a battle he is very much relishing.
READ MORE: 'Collecting dust for several years' - Wycombe sports shop puts old items to good use
He said: “I’m looking forward to it.
“When you look at the size of the stadium, the goal that Paul Scholes scored there and how the big club is…I’m very excited to be going there.
Paul Scholes vs Bradford City, 2000. pic.twitter.com/eEG62GqRxP
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) April 18, 2020
“I remember watching Match of the Day during my childhood and seeing Bradford in the Premier League (1999-01).
📅 On this day in 2000...
— Dom Newton (@sportingdom) May 14, 2020
...Bradford City ensured Premier League survival, beating Liverpool on the last day of the 1999/2000 season.
Because of this result, Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League, opening the door for Leeds United.
You're welcome Leeds. pic.twitter.com/4w3WrHlIgL
“And as a player, it was always an enjoyable experience to play there as it’s a big place to go to.
GOAL: Wycombe 51' Morris
— Bantam Talk (@BantamTalk) August 25, 2018
Wycombe double their lead. Morris taps in a Bloomfield cross
0-2
Match Thead: https://t.co/HskGDcPw6J#bantams #bantamtalk #bradfordcity #bradford #efl #bcafc
“So little bits like that you take from your teenage years so for me, it was always exciting to go to Valley Parade for that.”
The club go into Saturday’s meeting in West Yorkshire with no wins in four, with Bloomfield hoping to right the wrongs of Wanderers’ poor form in the FA Cup in recent seasons.
READ MORE: 'We need to make a decision' - Wycombe injury update ahead of cup clash at Bradford
The Chairboys have been knocked at the first hurdle of the competition in three of the last four seasons, with the only exception being in the 2020/21 campaign.
🍻 #PintSizedPreview LIVE! w/ @JGsLongThrow @HarryWare07 @arranw_ @FlagRaised // 🟡 Oxford & Cambridge review ✍🏼 New contracts ❌ Ainsworth sacked by QPR 🐓 Bradford preview 🏆 FA Cup memories // Join us with a beer! 🍻 #Chairboys https://t.co/wvZNucv8jm
— The Wycombe Way (@theWycombeWay) November 2, 2023
This was when Wycombe were in the Championship and was therefore given an automatic bye into the third round.
They would eventually reach the fourth round, before being knocked out by Tottenham Hotspur.
Additionally, in each of the last two seasons, Wycombe have been eliminated from the world’s oldest football competition by lower-league opposition.
During the 2021/22 season, it was against Hartlepool United, and in 2022/23, it was at the hands of Walsall.
READ MORE: 'I feel like I’m at home' - Matt Bloomfield on his new Wycombe Wanderers contract
Both sides were in League Two at the time.
Bloomfield continued: “We want to win.
👏 There's a man named Martyn Lee
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) November 2, 2023
And he's only 5 foot 3
And when he plays, we all agree
That Martyn Lee is quality
One of the stars of our FA Cup run of 2000/01.
Let's start a new adventure this year! https://t.co/8b2fkIVTzr
“With the teams we have sent out in the EFL Trophy show that we want to win and go on a cup run, and that’s a single of our intent.
“We want to win every game we play and Saturday will be no different.
“We may have to rotate due to the fatigue but we want to win as the FA Cup is an incredible competition to be part of.
“When I was a player, I loved it, and this is my first experience as a manager.
“There’s something different when you’re playing in the cup but for me, it’s about us representing ourselves in the best way possible against a team that I have yet to come up against.
READ MORE: Luke Leahy on penalty record and moving into a new position at Wycombe
“We know that they are in a slight change at the moment with them looking to appoint a new manager at any point.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here