Memory Match: A Wet And Windy Win At Valley Parade Against Bradford City

On a wet Wednesday night in Bradford 45 years ago, the Imps did what few sides managed at Valley Parade that winter — they handled the conditions, the pressure, and the occasion to claim a fifth away win of the season.

It was a result that repaired damage from a 2-0 defeat at Hartlepool days earlier and kept City’s promotion push firmly on track. The rain came down relentlessly, the pitch was heavy, and the atmosphere was as bleak as the weather, yet Lincoln produced a performance that made a mockery of their below-par showing in the north east.

League Division Four table going into the game

Fourth Division football in October 1980 was rarely glamorous, and Valley Parade was no exception. The ground sat cold and windswept above the streets of Manningham, the pubs nearby offering warmth, noise, and little else to those who braved the midweek chill.

Inside, Lincoln’s thoughts were simple: win the points, keep second place, and move on.

Bradford, with Steve Smith in goal and long-serving Ces Podd and Garry Watson operating in defence, began on the front foot. Bobby Campbell, a powerful forward, forced a fine ninth-minute save from David Felgate, who reacted sharply to turn the striker’s effort away. It set the tone for the evening. Bradford had their moments, but The Imps, steady at the back through Trevor Peake and David Carr, looked composed and purposeful.

For the first twenty minutes, the home side tried to dictate play, but their momentum was checked by the sheer organisation of City’s defence. Peake won almost everything in the air, while Carr used timing and anticipation to break up attacks. With Mick Harford returning from suspension and quickly imposing himself, the Imps began to push forward. George Shipley and Phil Neill linked well on the flanks, providing width and urgency.

Bradford’s answer was to drop deeper and rely on the offside trap, yet it was City who carved out the clearer openings. On twenty minutes, Harford battled to the byline and pulled a ball across goal, only for Neill’s shot to deflect past the post.

Ten minutes later came the breakthrough. Harford was fouled near the left-hand corner flag, and from the resulting free-kick the ball was half-cleared to Phil Turner, deputising for the injured Trevor Thompson. Turner returned it quickly into space down the right. Peter Jackson mistimed his clearance, Harford pounced, and from eight yards drove his shot under Smith’s body. It was Harford’s tenth of the season, struck cleanly and decisively.

Before half-time, Bradford almost levelled. Campbell again rose highest, looping a header beyond Felgate, but Peake was perfectly positioned to nod clear from under the bar. Moments later, the Lincoln goalkeeper produced another strong save, this time from David McNiven, the one home forward who consistently threatened. City’s 1–0 lead at the interval was well earned.

The second half began with Bradford pushing hard. McNiven tested Felgate again with a close-range header, and Carr produced a superb tackle to deny Jackson when the centre-half strayed forward in search of an equaliser. But every spell of home pressure brought danger at the other end. Lincoln’s counter-attacks were quick and precise, with Neill, Hughes, and Shipley driving forward whenever the chance arose. Turner and Nolan Keeley fed clever passes down the lines, while Steve Thompson powered through the mud, relishing the challenge.

On the hour, Harford drew another low save from Smith, and ten minutes later Neill forced the Bradford keeper into action once more with a cross-shot from the right. A penalty appeal followed when Jackson appeared to trip Harford as he burst into the box, but the referee waved play on. The Imps kept their heads and continued to press. Bradford, increasingly stretched, relied on long balls forward and the energy of Staniforth and Hutchins to keep hope alive, yet they were second best across the park.

The decisive second goal came four minutes from time. Smith had just pushed out a powerful header from Thompson, conceding a corner. Shipley swung it in from the left, Harford met it strongly, and when the loose ball dropped in the crowded goalmouth, Neill reacted quickest. His crisp half-volley flashed past Smith before he could move. It was the perfect finish to a move that summed up Lincoln’s night — quick, determined, and clinical when it mattered.

Even a late twist could not spoil the win. With two minutes of stoppage time to play, Staniforth’s shot bounced awkwardly off Felgate’s shoulder, falling kindly for Campbell to drive in from close range. Bradford’s consolation arrived too late to change anything. Almost immediately, the referee blew for full-time, confirming a 2–1 victory for the Imps.

League Division Four table after close of play on 24 October 1980

It had been hard work, but it was a display of control and discipline. Felgate was outstanding, despite that late goal, while Peake marshalled the defence superbly. Harford led the line with power and purpose, and Neill’s late strike capped an excellent individual performance. The result drew comparisons with Lincoln’s famous 5–1 win at Valley Parade under Graham Taylor, though this was a different sort of triumph — one built on composure rather than domination.

For Bradford, who had narrowly missed promotion the previous season, it was another setback in a campaign that never quite settled. For City, it was proof of their growing maturity, a sign that they could handle adversity and conditions alike. On a foul night in West Yorkshire, The Imps did themselves and their small travelling support proud, showing once again why that 1980–81 side remained in the promotion race to the very end.

Next up? Northampton at home, and a result that perhaps overshadows this trip to Valley Parade.