How Bradford City's wage bill compares to the rest of League Two as Graham Alexander eyes promotion | OneFootball

Bradford City have backed Graham Alexander with a big wage bill by League Two standards as they chase promotion.

Bradford City will hope to end their six-year stay in League Two by winning automatic promotion to the third tier in the coming weeks.

Given the size of the club, there is always an expectation that the Bantams should be in the mix for promotion, but that pressure has weighed heavily in recent years.

Yet, under Graham Alexander, it looks as though Bradford could finally take the first step on the road back to where the club feel they belong.

Bradford City’s wage bill is among the highest in League Two

Given the resources at the club, which are helped by the revenue from the highest average attendance in League Two, it’s no surprise that Bradford are estimated to be among the biggest spenders when it comes to wages, as they are believed to spend £93,012 a week on the squad, with works out as a yearly wage bill of over £4.8m.

Figures shared by Capology suggest only MK Dons (£104,212) and Carlisle (£97,750) spend more per week when it comes to salaries.

Again, these are estimates, but it would make sense, as Alexander’s squad does have several players who have great pedigree at this level, such as Richie Smallwood, Jamie Walker and Andy Cook.

Graham Alexander’s work at Bradford City deserves plenty of praise

With Bradford third on the estimated list for wages paid, some will say it’s only right that they are in the hunt for automatic promotion, as it’s where they should be.

But that’s a very simplistic view, and we know that money doesn’t guarantee success - and the failings of MK Dons and Carlisle are proof of that.

As mentioned, those two clubs are said to be the only two who have a bigger wage bill than Bradford, with MK Dons languishing in the bottom half and Carlisle looking nailed on to go down.

On the other hand, Walsall are seemingly the biggest overachievers, as they compete with the Bantams despite having an estimated weekly wage bill of £59,250, which is 18th in the table.

So, that shows it’s not just about paying money, you need a structure in place, with the Bantams knowing having suffered on that front regularly over the years.

Now, it seems they do have the right man in charge, and there will be optimism about the direction the club is heading.

In the short-term, the only goal is securing a top three finish in League Two, but moving forward Bradford will want to consolidate in League One, and then potentially try to kick on again.