This discussion is getting silly, it sounds like to me it's a case of if i can't have direct access to something i don't see why others should, when i pay the same tax...whilst we're at it why don't we look at the spend per head by the government and have a go at the southerners.

Please use your common sense, the access links, the land, the proximity to the university... all already discussed, at least 1 team who could go some way to filling it and the replacement of Richard Dunnes, which as loss making, your paying for now!

If you object to using the money for this what else would you use the money for?

The lump sum had several components. IIRC it went something broadly like this (don't hold me to the details):

Part of it was to pay for urgent capital/maintenance expenditure for which the council was responsible, and that was sunk into the ground up front. Remember the Council still owns the ground. That money never came to the club.

Part of the money was the net present value of the EXISTING council commitment up to 2019 - costs of running the ground. Thats where the contingent liability to repay - see my post - likely comes from. This was not new money at all, and the Council gets it back pro rata if we move out.

Part of the money was compensation for ending the EXISTING annual payment to the club (I think which arose following the 1986 Speedway WC where the club gave the rights to food and drink sales etc to the Council in exchange for an annual sum).

Not of this was new money. None. It was all existing council obligations dating back to 1986. All the settlement was was two single discounted payments and completion of necessary stadium work. Again: not new money as it was all expenditure the council was contractually committed to.

But I guess this just risks raking up the 2002 argument all over again, where each of the different camps simply refused to budge from their entrenched positions regardless of fact or logic

That funding was necessary because of the chronic mismanagement of Odsal by Bradford Council since the year dot. Odsal and the Bulls are potentially two of Bradford's greatest icons, yet the short-sightedness and incompetence of the Council has allowed the former and consequently the latter to reach a parlous state. If there is a solution that also provides community facilities, ones far more likely to be used with a professional sports club on site and drawing publicity, surely this is just the sort of thing rates are for?

Oh God, I've got the full gang on to me now

BTW, I'd fully support a 'Keighley Sporting Village' around Lawkholme Lane. But AFAIK it hasn't be proposed. Get Keighley RU to sell up at Utley, get the bowls and the cricket involved... also, it could help with community relations which I understand are and have been a bit of an issue for some time. The way Hood sold OSV was pensioners playing bowls next to teenagers doing kickiboxing, people coming in for one sport then trying another.

Well with the plods right next door it shouldn't cost much for the policing of the thousands who would be attending...

Isn`t that a bit near the edge of the district? Jeez, it would take me an age to get there.............no, I`m not paying my rates for that

Both which have relatively recently had large wads of cash spent on them IIRC.

Shipley pool definately had a refit not too long back.

I've used both Keighley & Shipley heavily while my daughter was growing up, both excellent facilites. I have no problem with my tax being spent on them, neither do I on OSV even though it's unlikely I will ever use it, obviously providing it is done efficiently etc.

You'd have to demolish a lot of housing to do that.

Do you mean the land between Royd Ings and Hard Ings?