Bradford City never truly experienced Leeds, Huddersfield promotion hero - he snubbed their offer | OneFootball

Simon Grayson arrived at Bradford City with a strong track record of success, but he only stayed at the club for three months.

Bradford City are currently in their sixth consecutive season in League Two following their relegation from League One in 2019.

It has been a hugely disappointing period for Bradford, and they have only come close to promotion back to the third tier on one occasion during the past five years when they were beaten by Carlisle United in the play-off semi-finals under Mark Hughes in the 2022-23 season.

However, with Graham Alexander now at the helm, the Bantams' fortunes seem to have changed, and while promotion is still far from guaranteed, the West Yorkshire outfit will be hopeful that this season can finally be the year they escape League Two.

Since the departure of Phil Parkinson to Bolton Wanderers, Bradford have experienced plenty of managerial turnover, and Alexander is the 10th different man to occupy the dugout at Valley Parade since the summer of 2016.

Few of those managers will be remembered too fondly by Bantams supporters, but given the strong reputation he arrived with, Simon Grayson's brief spell in charge will perhaps go down as the most disappointing.

Simon Grayson appointment promised so much for Bradford City

Grayson took over as Bradford manager in February 2018 following the sacking of Stuart McCall, and he signed a short-term contract until the end of the 2018-19 season.

McCall had been dismissed after a run of five consecutive league defeats, but despite that, the Bantams were still sixth in the League One table when Grayson arrived, and considering his outstanding track record in the division, the club would have been optimistic that he could reignite their promotion push.

Grayson achieved his first promotion when he won the League One play-offs with Blackpool in the 2006-07 season, and he went one better in his next managerial post when he guided Leeds United back to the Championship as they finished in second place behind champions Norwich City in the 2009-10 campaign.

The 55-year-old was sacked by the Whites in February 2012 following a poor run of form that saw them drift away from the play-off places, but he did not have to wait long for a return to management, and he was announced as Huddersfield Town's new boss just 20 days after his exit from Elland Road.

Grayson was unable to meet the Terriers' target of a top two finish, but he still managed to lead them to promotion following an epic penalty shootout victory over Sheffield United in the play-off final at Wembley.

Unfortunately for Grayson, he struggled to build on that success in the Championship with Huddersfield, and he was dismissed in January 2013, but he would go on to secure a remarkable fourth career promotion from League One at Preston North End, with the Lilywhites beating Swindon Town 4-0 in the play-off final in the 2014-15 season.

Despite his disappointing 18-game stint at Sunderland earlier in the season, Bradford were hopeful that Grayson would be able to add to his stunning promotion tally after replacing McCall, but it did not work out that way.

Bradford City never got to see the best of Simon Grayson

Bradford picked up a crucial point in a 1-1 draw with play-off rivals Charlton Athletic in Grayson's first game in charge, but three consecutive defeats against Plymouth Argyle, Wigan Athletic and Doncaster Rovers followed, giving them a mountain to climb in their pursuit of a top six place.

Grayson finally secured his first win at the fifth attempt as his side beat Gillingham 1-0, but far from being the start of an upturn in form, the Bantams would only taste victory on two more occasions during the remainder of the campaign as they finished in 11th place.

For a club that had made the play-offs in the previous two seasons, it was hugely frustrating to miss out on the top six, but the Bradford board clearly still had faith that Grayson could be the man to lead them to promotion as he was offered a new contract.

However, Grayson turned down the opportunity to extend his stay at Valley Parade, stating that it had been an "extremely difficult decision", and he departed after just 14 games in charge, leaving supporters to wonder what might have been.

Instead, Michael Collins was appointed as Grayson's replacement in the summer of 2018, and it was a decision that certainly raised eyebrows given that he was just 32 years of age and had no previous managerial experience.

Collins was sacked in September 2018 after winning just two of his seven games in charge during his 77-day reign, but David Hopkin and Gary Bowyer were both unable to halt Bradford's slide, and they were relegated from League One after finishing bottom of the table.

Achieving promotion from League Two has proven to be elusive for a host of managers over the past five years, including Bowyer, McCall, Mark Trueman and Connor Sellars, Derek Adams and Hughes, but Alexander will be hoping to change that this season and get the Bantams back to somewhere near where supporters feel they belong.