Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has discussed his infamous victory over Chelsea with Bradford City as he prepares his Championship side to face the Blues in the FA Cup.
The former Bolton Wanderers man will face off against the Premier League giants in the FA Cup fifth round this weekend, looking to cause another upset in a similar ilk to the one he did with the Bantams back in 2015.
Parky Relives Bridge Comeback
Going into the game against Chelsea, Bradford were tipped to crumble at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s juggernauts, with the Portuguese manager himself saying it would be a “big disgrace” if his side were to be eliminated by their League One opponents.
However, Mourinho’s worst nightmare indeed played out, with the Blues capitulating under a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge, eventually losing 4-2, and handing them their only home defeat of the season in a campaign in which they won the Premier League and EFL Cup.
Speaking to the Wrexham Leader about that day, Parkinson said:
“We decided how we were going to play and even at two-nil down, we were playing well and we’d had a chance before that.
“Just before half-time we got a goal back, and then second-half we were an absolutely brilliant kicking into the 6,000 Bradford fans.
“We were able to score four past a Mourinho team who very rarely conceded at home, and I think that was the key.
Phil Parkinson of course masterminded a surprise FA Cup win over Chelsea 11 years ago – when he was manager of Bradford City.
Jose Mourinho had said in his pre-match presser that it would be a ‘disgrace’ if they lost to BCAFC.
Parky has done it before and he can do it again 👍 pic.twitter.com/0f5ENcruBs
— Craig Jones 🏴 (@craigyjones17) February 16, 2026
“Chelsea were league champions at the time and it was a day that everyone who was there will remember, but obviously Bradford fans in particular will never forget it.
“It was an extraordinary day. I don’t think you can describe it any other way.
“Some of the quality of the goals we scored on the day, hopefully they’ll get replayed leading into the weekend for those lads who had the highlights of their career in that game.”
Can Parky Create More Cup Magic?
There are very few managers in the game who have done more for the term of ‘cupset’ than Phil Parkinson. His efforts at Wrexham during their early rise under new ownership saw them force replays with Sheffield United and advance into the fourth round or further in three of their last four seasons.
At Bradford City, however, he was a completely different beast, leading a League Two side to the EFL Cup final with wins over Arsenal and Aston Villa, as well as this FA Cup run, which saw them reach the quarter-finals after taking out both Chelsea and Sunderland.
As much as Parkinson’s current employers may argue they have the ultimate FA Cup shock with their win over Arsenal, Bradford’s triumph may be able to top that, coming from 2-0 down to score four unanswered goals against Premier League stars like Petr Cech, Ramires and John Obi Mikel.
Now, the Wrexham boss sets out to beat the Blues once more, and while they may come up short this time, the Red Dragons could certainly keep Liam Rosenior’s side on their toes at the Racecourse Ground.
