Bradford City Football Club looks set to be saved from closure by its local daily paper, writes Dominic Ponsford.
The Newsquest-owned Telegraph & Argus has raised £235,000 in just six weeks with the Save Our City appeal, putting it well on the way towards its target of £250,000.
More than £90,000 of the money was raised at a pro-celebrity match, organised by the T&A, featuring former City players, TV personalities, pop stars and an MP.
Thousands of pounds was also raised through a ‘Claret & Amber Day’ (City’s colours) on which local businesses, schools and other organisations donned club colours and paid for the privilege.
Hundreds of donations are said to have poured into the T&A offices, including one from Bradford-born artist David Hockney.
Editor Perry Austin-Clarke said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the response from our readers. They have shown just how much it means to this district to keep its professional football club alive and have been enormously generous in their fundraising efforts.
“To be so close to our £250,000 target in just six weeks is little short of amazing.”
The club was put into administration at the end of February after it was hit financially by the collapse of ITV Digital and faces the prospect of closing without a large cash injection.
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