I've been going to both VP and Odsal for years. Had my car damaged once at VP in that time. I've had my car vandalised the same amount of times at my own house.

VP is easier for me to get to than Odsal, and I like the fact that VP is covered for when it lashes it down, and the sound carries when the crowd make a noise. Anyone who was there at VP when City lost to Accrington would know what I mean. However, I like Odsal when it's a nice day, it's a smashing place to be.

I was involved in the BISA campaign to get Bulls back to Odsal, mainly because I believed that was it's psiritual home, not because I didn't like VP. People go on about over handed stewards, but they were doing their job (i.e. inforcing the fact that you are not allowed to stand in an all seater stadium). Has anyone tried standing on a yellow section at Odsal? That is a no-no. One thing that got me was the amount of people who would not watch Bulls at VP simply because it was not on tehir doorstep at Odsal. These people would have no qualms at watching Bulls in Wigan, Hull, London etc, but would not go to VP, because they would have to get a bus. Using the area is an excuse.

I believe that due to the history involved at Odsal and VP for Bulls and City respectively, the best option for the clubs to share a stadium would be to have a purpose built one. It hasn't effected clubs such as Wigan RLFC and Wigan Athletic, or Hull FC and Hull City. Apart from Warriors, it has boosted the other teams.

Are you getting a bit mixed up here or is it me?
The bnp have never had an MP elected, ever, at all. They won't be either. The labour party could put a small pile of bricks up for the seat in Bradford South and it would get more votes than the bnp. Surely nobody wants nazis in parliament!!!

The bnp councillor in the area was elected by a small margin in a particularly low turn-out.

Anyway, all that is off topic. Most MPs just try make the right noises at election time to keep their seats.

Personally from what you've said, I've never darken your landlord's door again never mind attempt to engage him in conversation.

Are you saying that you'd consider voting BNP *if* he did support the OSV ??

Where have i said id consider voting bnp?
I said the landlord of our clubhouse is the chairman of bradford branch of bnp, he doesnt force his views on you, if you didnt know he was bnp you would never guess it.
One of our assistant coaches is black british and he has no qualms about being in there, bnp is no longer hardline, some of the peopel who back them can be but if bnp councillor had hardline views then they wouldnt be allowed to say owt.
Halifax/queensbury/thornhill/dewsbury all have bnp councillors in the local areas.
I do not vote anyone cos they all speak absolute rubbish and dont believe any of them, but alot of people in wibsey area did vote for them.

no longer hardline?
“I am well aware that the orthodox opinion is that six million Jews were gassed and cremated or turned into lampshades. Orthodox opinion also once held that the earth is flat…I have reached the conclusion that the ‘extermination’ tale is a mixture of Allied wartime propaganda, extremely profitable lie, and latter day witch-hysteria.” Nick Griffin, BNP leader.
That's their [ileader[/i How hardline do you want them?!?!

The good news is that it might not matter for Bradford for much longer...
rlhttp://www.searchlightmagazine.com/index.php?link

My apologies to the moderators for the political link but I think it's appropriate given the direction of the debate.

what the has all this got to do with OSV? or infact whats it got to do with the Bulls? where's this going?

I know, I'm sorry but if you don't respond to statements about the bnp being ok you may as well agree with them. It's like not voting and then complaining when they get seats on the council.

The OSV might happen and might not. I have mixed feelings about the club becoming involved.
Previously they distanced themselves from the project. The council were supposed to be behind it and be pushing for a modern sports facility for the whole area which would include a stadium for the Bulls. It was a local government project and they should have made sure it progressed.
Sadly it got delayed and delayed and delayed so much so that the club were quoted in the press as saying they thought it'd never happen.
Now they're actively pushing for it they maybe think that this is the last desperate push before giving up altogether.

Becuase of the huge costs invlolved with Odsal and the fact that they're only ever going to get bigger and bigger, we have no choice but to push for the OSV.
If we stay we'll have to go into debt to replace the concrete because of H&S regulations. If we leave and go to VP we will gradually die off because the fans do not like VP.

The only thing we can do as supporters is write to our councillors and tell them we will not vote for them again unless they see we get our stadium.

Sod the niceties and the pros and cons. This is vital to the future of our club. If you want the Bulls to die then don't write to your councillor. If you want us to continue then find your councillor rlhererl and write and tell them.

You can email them, no stamp needed and no trip to the post box. They will ignore your email and send you back a crap standard reply, but if we send enough they will realise they can't go on ignoring them.

Perhaps countering the points rather than 'taking umbrage' would be a tad more productive for the poor lambs.

I think the fact that thousands of people have been going to watch sport there for over 100 years without the incessant whining seen when the Bulls fans had to go there for a couple of years is countenance enough.

You know as well as I that the clock is ticking on Odsal Stadium's financial viability and is in the 11th hour. We know that the council will never commit money to the OSV other than a pay off to get rid of their £1m losses per year on the Richard Dunn abortion. You will remember that under our lease/purchase council agreement we must play at Odsal for a fixed number of future years othewise there needs to some serious payback. So all looks Black But:-
I think Hood has performed well over two difficult financial years and will need to perform even better over the next two.He's proving himself a good negotiator
If the Bulls have to go to VP then we will follow them. If they have to go ANYWHERE we will follow them & bo**ocks to the namby pambies who say "Its too far", "Can't park outside the door"

I'd love to stay at Odsal and even without a roof. On a nice summer day it's fantastic place and one of the best sporting grounds (certainly for character) around.

But we have to face facts. The OSV would be great but is it really that realistic? There have been plans a foot since I started supporting Bradford in 1991. The council don't have any money as they have a mound of earth to support in the City centre. Unless a benefactor comes along with a large lump of cash I can't see the Bulls doing anything other than leave Odsal. Whether it be to Valley Parade or a brand new site.

I never missed a game at VP and of course I would go. I spoke to a lot of people about their preferences though and a lot of them made it clear that if it became permanent they would not continue going to home games.

I'd love to be able to say that the Bulls could count on a good sized core support at VP but it won't happen.

Moving back to the topic, I believe there is some political will for OSV to happen. However, there are a number of very serious obstacles to overcome;

1. Horsfall Playing Fields - Must be sold against strong public will to do so
2. Funding Gaps - Still very real, though closing all the time thanks to the College's input and sporting grants
3. Build Costs - Are rocketing thanks to the current construction boom in the UK which is set to continue with 2012 Olympics etc. so fixing a budget is proving difficlult
4. Bradford City, Keighley Cougars, Bradford Park Avenue - It's tricky politically for the council to support one professional club over others - Hence the comments in my original post, the Council's Executive must at least appear to be looking at options for supporting both or all, even if they aren't seriously considering a groundhare. Mark Lawn is actively trying to buy back VP from the Gibb family who aren't playing ball, and is less interested in a groundshare than either the Bulls or the Council in truth.
5. Bradford Council - Seem to be the only public authority capable of turning silk purses into sows ears - They really haven't got a clue how to pull this thing off, and to his credit our Chairman is the real driving force behind the whole thing, and he's proving himself to be a rather skillfull negotiator behind the scenes - Hat's off the Hood if it does happen he'll be the only reason it does!

You miss the point.

City fans didn't have an issue with car parking, bouncy castles, stewarding ( officious - yes ) and the "local residents". You'll notice that I refer to them politely unlike many comments from Bulls fans at the time.

City fans have an affinity to their ground through history and events. The "local residents" opened up their doors to hundreds of City fans and looked after them after the fire as well as driving many fans to hospital but they were universally derided by Bulls fans.

Why would City fans need to counter "the points" - when most of the points were utter cr*p ?