Bradford City have been drawn at home to non-league Marine in the FA Cup first round. The League One leaders will host the National League North side at Valley Parade on the weekend of November 7 and 8.

City boss Michael Duff said he wanted a home tie and acknowledged his side would be a big draw for the remaining non-league clubs. "Bradford away is a big draw with the size of the stadium, the amount of fans we get and where we are in the league," Duff told reporters. He added that the magic of the cup lies in its unpredictability. "That’s the beauty of the FA Cup and the way it flips on its head. There’s always an underdog."

Duff's cup experience

The manager has experience of a giant-killing run, having taken Cheltenham Town to the last 32 in 2021 where they faced Manchester City. "The irony is that Cheltenham is a rugby area and after 80 minutes, which is a rugby match, we were winning 1-0." he recalled of the 3-1 defeat. Duff also shared a memorable post-match chat with Pep Guardiola. "It was a good experience and I had a 15-minute chat with him afterwards. You can’t buy those little moments."

League context

The cup draw comes as Bradford City sit top of League One with 20 points from 10 games, one point clear of Stockport County. Their recent form is strong, unbeaten in five with three wins and two draws. They head into the tie off the back of a 2-0 win over Stevenage last weekend, with goals from Antoni Sarcevic and Will Swan. The immediate focus, however, is on Saturday's league trip to Burton Albion, who sit 10th. The last meeting between the sides in March ended in a 2-1 defeat for City. Fans can see the full upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures page.

Marine are currently 16th in the National League North. The FA Cup first round sees clubs from Leagues One and Two enter the competition, with Bradford City the highest-ranked Football League side in this year's draw. Other notable ties include Sheffield Wednesday facing Oldham Athletic and Peterborough United drawn against Reading. The club's next match is away at Burton Albion on October 20.

More detail at Daily Mirror Football