Dalai Lama blesses Bradford football team

Phil Parkinson’s side have stunned English football by knocking out three Premier League teams en route to Wembley and becoming the first side from the fourth tier in over 50 years to reach the final.

After first being made aware of the club at a conference last year, the Tibetan spiritual leader has sent a letter of support to the cup giant-killers ahead of the final on Feb 24.

Last summer fans’ group Friends of Bradford City presented the 14th Dalai Lama, Tensin Gyatso, with a personalised claret and amber City shirt and made him their honorary president.

Since then, City have moved up the League Two table, reached the last eight of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and beaten Wigan, Arsenal and Aston VIlla to reach the League Cup final.

The Dalai Lama received his shirt at the Yorkshire International Business Forum in Leeds.