What Bradford City manager Graham Alexander say on the League Two club’s playing budget in 2024-25
Manager Graham Alexander of Bradford City’s comments on the playing budget for the League Two team in 2024–2025
Although season ticket sales and other factors may have an influence, Bradford City manager Graham Alexander is optimistic that the League Two team will have a “competitive” budget to compete for some long-overdue success in the 2024–25 campaign.
After CEO Ryan Sparks expressed concerns about this year’s playing budget, City’s owner, Stefan Rupp, announced late last month that he would provide additional funding to allow the team to have ‘a closer fight with teams at the top end of the table next season.’ As a result, City will play in the fourth tier for the sixth time.
Alexander, the new director of football operations David Sharpe, the head of recruitment Stephen Gent, and the head of academy Mark Litherland recently met to discuss the future of players whose contracts expire in June. The club has already begun recruiting for the upcoming season.
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Alexander, whose midtable team plays Walsall on Saturday, commented on the budget for the upcoming season, saying, “It’s difficult to have a set figure at this stage because obviously our season-ticket sales go into that.” We have no idea where that will end up.
“Many of our players are under contract for the next campaign. Are they all going to be present? We’re not sure.
“We have no idea what player sales, swaps, or personnel leaving will bring in.
Although it’s a fluid number, we think it will be competitive in the division for the upcoming season.
“We know roughly how much the other teams will have. I’ve been informed of it.
There have been guarantees that the budget will enable us to contend with the top clubs in this division, or whatever that division may be called.
“Having money is important, but so is using it sensibly. We’ll be a competitive squad at the right end of the table if we accomplish that.
“There’s a lot of hard work that has to go into that as well.”
