Exclusive: Don Goodman makes "sad situation" claim involving Bradford City and Walsall | OneFootball

Don Goodman has backed Bradford City to secure promotion.

Don Goodman has admitted that Bradford City are in "pole position" heading into the final day as they know a win against Fleetwood Town secures them promotion.

The Bantams’ stunning start to 2025 had them well-placed for a top-three spot, but a difficult March and April has left it all riding on the final game of the season. They've taken just nine points from their last ten matches - a run of form more befitting a relegation scrap than a promotion push.

Luckily, Walsall appear to have fallen apart, going 13 games without a win, while Notts County’s inconsistency has left them constantly one step short.

This has meant that, with the 46th match-day approaching, Bradford hold third place from the Saddlers by a point, while the Magpies are a further three back from the Bantams.

On the final day, Graham Alexander's side host mid-table Fleetwood, Walsall travel to Crewe Alexandra, and Notts welcome already-promoted Doncaster Rovers. Saturday promises to be a thrilling finale, as three teams look to fill one spot.

Don Goodman backs Bradford City for automatic promotion

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, former Bantam Don Goodman admitted he is disappointed that two of his former clubs are having to battle each other for the final automatic promotion spot.

"It is a sad situation for me that one of the two clubs I won my silverware at in my career - Bradford City, my first ever club, and Walsall, who I won the play-offs with - one of them is going to miss out," Goodman told FLW. "That is really disappointing for me.

"You have to say Bradford City are in pole position - a home game against a Fleetwood team who, although they won their last game against Newport County, Newport are in the worst form of all in that league. It is hard to mark that up. You’d expect Bradford, with a home record that is far and away the best in League Two, to get the three points.

"As for Walsall, 13 games without a win is a really sad end to the season. They will hope they can put that behind them and get three points against Crewe Alexandra - you never know from their perspective.

"But my gut feeling is that Bradford City will get the job done."

Bradford and Walsall will be frustrated that they find themselves in this position

Wind the clocks back to the 4th of March and both Bradford and Walsall would have looked at the League Two table with glee. The Saddlers had a ten-point advantage over fourth place, while the Bantams shared a similar cushion with eight.

Since then, both teams have fallen apart. While Mat Sadler's side have been on a downward slide since losing Nathan Lowe in January, it's harder to pinpoint exactly why Bradford have struggled so badly.

Neither team will want to head into the play-offs in their current form, so victories on Saturday are absolutely crucial. For both Bradford and Walsall, the task is simple: win - and let the rest take care of itself.