Round-up; Bradford fight back

Geoff Brown
Saturday 04 May 1996 18:02 EDT
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As if to prove that not all end-of-season tension is the sole province of Manchester and Newcastle, there was fighting among spectators before, during and after the Second Division match at Boothferry Park between bottom club Hull City and play-offs bound Bradford City.

With Bradford supporters ensconced in the South Stand, usually the territory of Tigers' fans, the displaced home supporters ran the length of the pitch to start fighting with the visitors 10 minutes before kick-off.

Trouble flared again 11 minutes into the game when Bradford's Mark Stallard equalised Gavin Gordon's opener and visiting fans ran on to the pitch to celebrate. The match restarted after 11 minutes as Hull fans demonstrated against director Martin Fish and manager Terry Dolan.

Sporadic fighting continued during the second half as Bradford came from 2-1 down to win 3-2 and confirm their play-off place. Hull fans staged a sit-in after the match while others fought outside.

York failed to get the point required to avoid relegation when they lost 2-0 at home to Blackpool, who led Division Two a month ago but must now make do with a play-off berth along with Crewe and Notts County. York are level on points with Carlisle and to escape the drop must replay the match abandoned at Brighton last week.

There was a nail-biting finish to the Third Division, where a distinctly New World feeling prevailed in the battle for the final promotion place - the Quakers, the Shakers and the Pilgrims were all contenders - which was snatched by Bury.

Quaking in their boots, Darlington could only draw 3-3 at Scunthorpe. That gave the unshakeable Shakers, who beat Cardiff 3-0 at Gigg Lane, third place behind champions Preston and Gillingham. The play-offs will be between Plymouth, Darlington, Hereford and Colches- ter. In Scotland, Dunfermline, play-off losers last season, won the First Division championship.

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