The scars will remain for some time, but the healing process has finally begun.
Graham Alexander has downplayed historical references to City's Brunton Park nightmare as irrelevant.
But you tell it to a packed stand. Many occupied the same areas that had been shattered during the previous playoff visit.
And I'm sure it happened often before then.
Away Carlisle has long lost its sting, 40 years and 10 previously futile attempts to be exact.
The media room features a huge photo of the Cumbrian team celebrating their promotion at Wembley. In the center is current Bantams player Paul Huntington installing a smacker on the trophy as his team-mates prepare to join League One.
Just 17 months later, Carlisle are teetering on the edge of the abyss, potentially bidding farewell to the EFL for good.
Most of the people pictured have since moved on in a dizzying relocation effort, which has proven to be about as successful as the City's previous trips to Calendar's northernmost outpost. It has been proven.
The motley crew of new players, six of the nine January newcomers made their debuts yesterday, will be tasked with safely closing the seven-point deficit. That looks like the most powerful challenge.
Another new player, centre-half Paul Dummett, was absent after being involved in a car accident on his way to training. This sums up Carlisle's situation nicely.
There won't be much sympathy from the traveling bantams, who won at just 75p a pint last time.
There hasn't been a reward for a trip to the top of the M6 since that emotional, sun-drenched August afternoon in 1985, when City's first game after the fire saw Bobby Campbell score twice.
City have lost seven of their last eight games, scoring just two times in the process.
These supporters had endured the sight of a blue and white wall backing them up on the pitch after a torrid play-off. Well, this victory was personal.
Ever the professional, Alexander stressed the importance of another away win after waiting three months.
Two of them are against Mike Williamson, who must be questioning his decision to leave MK Dons at the start of the season.
City are outside of BD8 and are holding back by losing points when they should have won. However, this time there was no such resignation.
Only four starters remained for the playoff showdown, two from each team. That included Ben Barclay, who scored the killer goal in extra time minutes after the fateful substitution.
Richie Smallwood and Brad Halliday were survivors of the City, and he felt the captain's early crash was a clear payback.
The other person that day was literally there to support me.
Andy Cooke was the conspicuous cheerleader of the traveling army, eager to see the ghosts of previous failures thrown away, desperate to keep going before the knife fell on them.
The number 9 was nowhere to be seen on the team sheet – Carlisle's starting eleven had shirts labeled 39-44 indicating a scattergun selection policy.
Barkley was the only home player remaining in the lineup on the first day of the season.
Meanwhile, Alexander had the luxury of naming the winning team unchanged from their win at Grimsby two weeks ago. All four of City's shots were on the bench and they would have remained had it not been for Tommy Lee's late run-out against a battered Callum Kavanagh.
When Kavanagh took the lead with six minutes remaining, he crashed himself to the ground, drawing an understandable reaction from the fans.
It hasn't been long since Cook's abrupt exit from City's season, but Kavanagh has steadily stepped into the central role.
The team had to adapt to a different play without Cook's aerial biff at the forefront. But with intelligent players like Alex Pattison, Antoni Sarcevic and Bobby Poynton backing up his attacking runs, Kavanagh never lacked for service or support.
The nerves and almost desperation to score have disappeared from his games, and the striker looks like he's feeling comfortable with himself again. Rewards will take care of themselves.
Kavanagh should have had an assist early on, cleverly spinning around two defenders in the box and scoring to Pattison from six yards out.
But the midfielder inexplicably missed his near post while trying to position himself when any touch could have beaten keeper Gabe Brees.
Although the failure was a shock, Carlisle was now desperate for some hope and saw this as a sign that their luck might finally turn around.
City were on the back foot for a while, but the biggest scare was Sam Walker's failed punch to Carlisle's opening corner.
Will Patching fired a shot towards goal and the ball was saved in a packed box, with fellow newcomer Joe Hugill also nodding in. However, Ciaran Kelly, a member of the unmovable back three, was on the line and calmly evaded the danger.
City regained the lead just before the break and were in control from then on.
The decisive goal came in the 54th minute. This is a product of the press that has become a hallmark of their offense.
Its roots began when Sarcevic dived in and kicked the ball as he attempted to clear it. Carlisle fended off that immediate threat, but City continued to attack just outside the penalty area.
Smallwood fired a delicious shot into the path of Pattison, and his cross was deftly converted by Kavanagh for his second goal of the week and sixth goal of his career.
Robbie Keene's celebratory attempt may need a little polishing, with all limbs having their own thoughts. However, the quality of the goal itself was perfect.
Walker made a stretch block in stoppage time following a Hugill save to deny Kadeem Harris, but he was a sporadic threat.
City never really had any problems, as it was only their second clean sheet in 19 games since their previous success away at Tranmere in October.
It was their fourth win in five games since Christmas, and they temporarily moved into the playoffs. However, Port Vale's come-from-behind victory a few hours later moved them from eighth to third, although City remain just three points clear of the final automatic promotion spot with a game in hand.
The situation in front of Bantam remains tight, but a slight gap is starting to appear directly behind.
Even if they won against the lowest-ranked club, there wouldn't have been much of an uproar among those around them. But considering what had happened so far, this felt like a mental barrier had been lifted.
Indeed, the atmosphere in the Expeditionary Force, which then enthusiastically praised Cooke, reflected the lifting of a considerable burden.
