Few top-flight teams win away at Stamford Bridge, let alone after going two-goals down to Chelsea.
But The FA Cup is no ordinary competition and Bradford City were no ordinary team this season.
They have deservedly been crowned as winners of the Ronnie Radford FA Cup Giant-Killers Award.
Highlights: Chelsea 4-2 Bradford City
Already hot-favourites for the Premier League title and on their way to the League Cup Final, Jose Mourinho’s men welcomed the Bantams for an FA Cup fourth round tie.
It looked to be a routine January afternoon for the home side and another step towards a possible domestic treble.
Bradford had seen off Halifax, Dartford and Millwall in the first three rounds, but they were soon given a mountain to climb to stay in The Cup when Gary Cahill and Ramires had given Chelsea a 2-0 lead with 38 minutes gone.
Previous winners
CRAWLEY TOWN 2-1 Derby County (Third Round 2011)
SWINDON TOWN 2-1 Wigan Athletic (Third Round 2012)
Norwich City 0-1 LUTON TOWN (Fourth Round 2013)
Aston Villa 1-2 SHEFFIELD UNITED (Third Round 2014)
When Jon Stead pulled one back, firing into the top of Petr Cech’s net just before half time, it was merely a blip. Or was it?
Ex-Chelsea winger Filipe Morais levelled matters with 15 minutes remaining, and then the unthinkable.
Andy Halliday smashed in from the edge of the area to put Bradford in charge with eight minutes on the clock.
And, despite chances for Didier Drogba and Kurt Zouma, Mark Yeates skipped into the box to latch on to Stead’s pass and slot home to seal a truly memorable day for Phil Parkinson’s team and for The FA Cup.
After taking another Premier League scalp in the next round, beating Sunderland at Valley Parade, their run came to an end in a quarter-final replay against Reading.
Andy Halliday celebrates at Stamford Bridge
It’s not surprising, though, that Bradford City’s sheer disregard for reputation when they turned Chelsea over on their own patch earned over 85 per cent of the fans votes for the giant-killer prize.
Worcester City, for their first round win over 1987 Cup winners Coventry City, and Sheffield United after they despatched Premier League Queens Park Rangers 3-0 at Loftus Road, were the other contenders.
But the award, which was first presented in 2011 and is named after the former Hereford United midfielder who famously scored a 30-yard screamer in a 1972 replay against Newcastle United, is heading back to Yorkshire after the Blades won it last year.
