The tigress worked with his wife. I am sure she mentioned he wasn't in that good health.

He'll be getting on a bit now I suppose.

My late father came home one day in early 1972 (when I was 10) and told me he was becoming a Director of Bradford Northern. Oh yeah I thought, but a week or two later we were in the Director's Box at McLaren Field to watch a side containing a few legends (Barry Seabourne, David Redfearn, Eddie Tees etc) get turned over by Bramley 8-5. That was a major upset as Northern eventually finished second in the table and only just lost to St Helens in the Championship semi final.

I have plenty of memories from the 4 years the old feller was on the board but many more from after he'd quit. We did live next door to Carole and Garth Budge at Wyke in the seventies and I know Garth isn't in great health now. A nice bloke though and he also coached me at Dudley Hill for a time in the early 1980's.

I started going because my Grandparents and Auntie were season ticket holders. I think I got one free so my Dad started taking me 1990/91 season.

The first season I can really remember was 93 when we signed Paul Newlove. Used to stand at that time on the 3rd corner at Rooley Lane end of the ground. We stood with my Aunties friends which was great as they kept me warm with hot Bovril at half time!!!

Used to also go watch speedway on a Saturday night and would go down Sunday morning to help put the corners down for the afternoon Northern game. As an 8year old I loved it as I was the only kid and it meant I could walk pitchside. Don't think it would be allowed now with H&S laws.

Some long love affairs going on here, mines quite a lot shorter.

Lancashire born and raised, no Yorkshire blood in me but Bradford has always been my team, first match was the Grand final in 2002 when I was 13 (I think) when a Sean Long DG earned a win for Saints, then quite sporadic after that for a few years with games here and there, then the GF in 2005 was the next game I remember.

Since about 2008 I have been ever present, could be my bad luck we started to go down hill since then, best memory is the 22-20 win over wigan in 2010, missed some games here and there but ive always tried to make it.

Growing up in the East Midlands, rugby meant Union and more pertinently it meant it was too muddy to play football.
I never took any interest in either code until I met some friends through going camping who were Bulls fanatics. This was in 2004. One afternoon in 2005 we were visiting them and they asked if we'd like to tag along to a match (Fev away in the cup). After about 15 minutes I was hooked. I went to pretty much every game that season including Old Trafford.

Season ticket holder for a few seasons until life got in the way but I still get to as many games as I can despite the 160 mile round trip. I'm looking forward to seeing a few new venues this year as well as hopefully seeing us get back to winning ways

I must say that watching your first game somewhere like Post Office Road must be truly mind-blowing, as you stand so close to the play, you can almost feel the hits, the players look huge, and you can hear the impacts and get a far better impression of the speed and especially the sheer physicality of the game.

I converted to the Bulls when Bradford Park Avenue were kicked out of the football league. Switching to the enemy was totally out of the question, so with a couple of mates we switched to full-time Northern fans, though I had been to plenty of games at odsal before, but that season we started going to away games and I think it was mainly the breathtaking impression that the game made on me at close quarters at places like Fev or Thrum Hall that got me hooked.

Always enjoyed the game on the BBC as a kid, but coming from a Southern football family, I never got around to choosing a team. Usually, my innate sense of supporting underdogs meant cheering for whoever was playing Wigan.

Moved to Bradford for university in 1993 and went to see my first game (Wigan in the fog) that year. Got to quite a few games during that time, moved to France, and then back and got to more.

I'm long gone from the area now and get to the odd match. Love and admire the whole sport (I never played, but did play union), but it's always been my second love, behind football.

I'm often jealous of all of your histories with the club and your immersion from early ages. I wish I had that affinity (it's so much more admirable than football), but I suppose the flip side is that the last few years haven't cut me as deep as most of you.

Its always just been kinda what my family does, my great grandad went pre war, took my grandad. My grandad (who helped in a small way when the club reformed in the 60's and was in the world record Odsal crowd after walking in over a fence that had fallen down along with hundreds of others!) took my dad. My dad took me, apparently my first games were around 1986ish when I was 10, but I dont remember much of that other than spending the match days messing around on the grass banks (pretty sure I must have only got to go when the weather was good at that early age as I only remember sunny Odsal and dry grass from those early days!!)

I started going to actually watch the rugby (including rain/fog and snow) around 1990/1991, with 1992/1993 probably being my first full home season with the leeds and Halifax away games. Ironically it was when I went away to Uni in York in 94 that I realised what I missed and started going home and away with a season ticket from then on, travelling from Uni each week either home or away.

Now I dont live near Bradford and have a young family so getting to games is a lot harder, I still go with my dad and still get a season ticket each year (although not bought one yet this season) but generally lose money on it as I cant get to every home game. But my biggest regret of recent years is not getting to as many away games, I used to prefer the away trips, but now I have to pick and choose well in advance and last year only got to 2 away matches. Hoping to do more this year as there are some grounds I've not been to before.

Last season I took my two girls (7 and 9) to their first matches (at their request), they loved it, but not being in the area Im not sure how long they'll want to carry on going - but they did want to go to last weeks friendly game at Cas and are coming to the first home game of the season so we'll see, my family line of support from pre war might yet continue a little longer!

Exactly as you describe. I remember Stu Fielden having a great game and were behind the sticks for a lot of tries (we put 80+ past them IIRC). It was a great introduction to the Greatest Game

My dad started taking me when I was a young kid in the early 70s and been going ever since. I remember I was deemed too young to go to Wembley in 73, so my dad and brother went and I watched it on Grandstand. Keith Mumby and Dave Redfearn were always my heroes growing up in the 70s

I did exactly the same with my lad,started taking him when he was about 2, he obviously didn't know much what was going on but I felt the need to repeat what my dad did with me. My lad was born in 96, just as Bullmania took off so he had all the baby wear they sold in the shop, I can remember a baby grow he had " Born to be a Bull" on it,got that one wrong ha

Northern/Bulls has been the biggest love of my life (1st wife included)

1967 Australia v Northern lost 7 3, sat with a group of mates at the top of the banking at the far end of the ground and thought wow. Enjoyed the independence of going age 10 or 11, including a weekday CC match with Trinity at Headingley (Odsal was snow bound) where a friend and I went from the city centre on a special bus with no parents. Could that happen now, probably not! Followed them through thick & thin, hope the good times of SL can return for youngest son who was just too late for trophy wins and grandsons now on the scene. Apart from family biggest passion, shared my love of Northern/Bulls all over Europe & North America on travels!

You're right about the 10 & 11 year olds not travelling away unaccompanied. I went on the train to see Northern play York about that age, beans and chips in Woolworths before the game and back home at bedtime.

I was an " Avenue fan" through and through,but had been to a few games at Odsal around the reformation time,but once Avenue sold Kevin Hector to Derby in 1966,that was me GONE to Odsal and I never looked back.Earliest memories Lionel Williamson,Smales,Stockwell,George Ambrum,Berwyn Jones,Terry Price,Terry Clawson.Johnny Rae,Ken Roberts,Peter Goddard,The Fish and the VASTNESS of the Odsal Bowl walking in as a 12/13 year old and the noise of the crowd below as you walked round the top and rushing to the steps at the end of the game to give the Ref what for.
Great times.