As per Paul Walker post ... ".[i.. the whole purchase of Odsal was driven by Nigel Wood (for whatever reason). Apparently Rimmer didn't (doesn't?) feel the same way. And with Wood now consigned to history[/i.."

In regard to the above, Rimmer and Wood are one and the same. Wood is not consigned to history. He is omnipresent at Odsal and is often seen in the company of Bradford Council's most senior politicians such as the Council Leader and [iCP's[/i Kersten England (the Council Chief Executive).

Ferocious says in the post immediately above that there is no chance of anyone spending millions on upgrading Odsal. With respect you are wrong mate. There are plenty of people.

As for the Odsal head lease ..... watch this space !

After all we've been through, and seem to be going through again, us fans deserve a guarantee from the RFL, any new leaseholder, Bradford Council and whoever holds the licence to play rugby league in the name of the Bradford Bulls that Odsal stadium will in the future be used (amongst other things) for rugby league .... ideally into perpetuity.

I'm not. It has had plans for multi-million development since Adam was a lad. It never came off then, and now the economy is screwed the chances are nil.

Course, it's a very valuable site for other things, but nobody's going to waste millions on a better stadium for rugby. Hell, the RFL have the long lease, and even they don't want to move there.


Sorry, but a pointless comment.


Thing is, "we" seem to number around 3,000 at the moment and are literally insignificant. )f the inner Bradford area, this means that 99.95% of the population don't go. So can't be that bothered. That stat doesn't change much even if you add the 1k or so who watch for free on Proper Sport.

Only the illustrious histories of Odsal and the old Bulls remain. IMHO we "deserve" nothing from anyone. It's just a game and a team, and up to the owners and fans to make it into whatever. Nobody else. The council may have some vested interests, and I can understand they are in a difficult position (and have been for decades). But "deserve"? Don't think so.

Noting the different leases mentioned, on the original we would have had 30 years left...can anyone one see RL surviving THAT long with the way the game is being run? Even thinking ahead to May 2019 it would be difficult to predict the game being much, if any, better off!

I think the game will survive "forever", however long"forever" is.

Whether it be as a professional game, particularly full time professional, is maybe open to doubt though. Professional RL needs, and deserves, far more media attention than it gets but now the media seem to be spending far more time, and column inches, on women's sport, in particular women's football. Now, I'm not going to say that isn't right but where is that TV time, and those column inches coming from? Well, It won't be from any reduction in the coverage of men's football, now that is a fact.

It seems we are going a bit off topic but whilst we are, I feel there are a lot of parallels between RL and Darts, which for me suggests that there is a huge potential awaiting to be unlocked. However, in the current hands of the RFL board and SL Clubs it will not happen.

The optimist in me hopes that at some point the rights to the sport are bought by a Matchroom type, and the running of the game taken out of clubs hands. This would ultimately result in the closure of many historic clubs but the game would live on.

How many times have we said the sport can't survive without clubs like Bradford. I'd challenge that and say it can and it should. Thinking ANY club is bigger than the sport will result in failure, yet it very much seems that this kind of thinking is very much going to happen with the changes being voted on this week.

As much as I'd love Bulls to go up, if this vote passes and is detrimental to the whole future of the sport then you have to ask yourself... what is the f**king point?

The sport is dying a slow and painful death at the moment so its almost irrelevant what happens to Odsal.

I think if you look at the game from a Bulls/M62 prospect the above dire projections might be right.

But if you look at the NRL - top 8 separated by 2 points, the advances made by the Island nations - eg Tonga, and in the sunny south of France - then the wider future is perhaps brighter. Might just have to accept that the Bulls may never regain the top tier

I think I am fine with being a strong CH club.

Currently what I am not fine with is this protectionism from the SL clubs and their fans, some of whom almost went bust (Warrington - a week from liquidation) and some of whom were not even in the original SL (eg Hull, Hull KR, Huddersfield (two of which had terminal financial meltdowns)).

Our game was founded on anti-elitism but to me these SL clubs are saying 'We're ok now, sod you!'. So yes, if we never make it back that's cool. But EVERY team should be at risk of never making it back.

I can understand their thinking, only 4 teams have won the SL and one is in L1 and they are scared silly given the games shrinking but tht is the way it has to be.

Conversely, with a new stadium on the horizon and some real momentum building York should not be stymied, if it mean losing a Hull or a Hudds then that's good for the game.

Whilst we have Odsal we'll be stuck, and again I am fine with that because I love the place

Super League shouldn't have to 'lose' anyone for a strong team to be allowed in. Franchising/Licensing continually gets shot down as a disaster, largely because of us (which had nothing to do with the system at the time) but I still think it was the best way to improve the top division and encourage growth in the lower leagues without this crazy incentive to go for broke and overspend.

You earn your shot in the top division by satisfying certain criteria, you get a few years of guaranteed top flight rugby to prove your worth, and the whole league and sport benefits as a result. Catalans and - until recently - Widnes are current examples of just how well that system can work when implemented properly.

I fear for the game when 2021 rolls around, I really do. Broadcasting contracts will be renegotiated and there's every chance SL will shut up shop and the leagues below will be left to fend for themselves.

I'm in two minds about Odsal. Yes, I've been going for years and don't really care about its defects in so far as my own attendance is concerned, in fact it has some important advantages. For instance, Odsal has good deep terraces which allow you to see over people in front to all four corners (I'm very average height, btw), and with that all the touchlines and dead ball lines, from just about anywhere in the ground. Unlike say, Headingley, Belle View, Craven Park, Weldon Road or just about any ground in the Championship or Champ1 where, too often, in-goal play or anything too near some touchlines might as well not be happening.

Its biggest defect, as far as the club is concerned, is the cost of upkeep - even to simply keep it as it is, let alone basic additions like putting a cover over the long terrace, which many (including me) think would be a major requirement in gaining more support, seems way out of reach as things stand. I'm happy as it is but wouldn't be over bothered if we had to move to something more modern.

I used to love Odsal but she's had her day. We need a nice new ground. Nothing big and flash. Something like Leigh, Donny or Warrington.

Of course that's never going to happen...

At Odsal in 1954 I had one of my most cherished memories in over 70 years of watching rugby league.

A Challenge Cup Final replay watched by over 102,000, a world record RL attendance, until exceeded in 1999 at the newly built Sydney Olympic Stadium with a crowd of 108,000 for the NRL Premiership Final. I was there too.