...and the RFL are off to Manchester. Why wouldn't they want to off-load it now. There is no need for the plan b

The Head Lease, which the RFL now own, stipulates that until 31 May 2019 the place has to be used for playing first team rugby football.
After that the tenant (RFL) can use it for anything they want subject only to planning consent.
That lease runs out in October 2152.

The "old" Bulls underlease from the RFL was for 30 years from 2011 so ends (i.e. would have ended) at the end of 2041.
So far as I know, nobody knows the details of the present club's lease apart from insiders, so it may be as per the old underlease, or it might not, I can't say.
Bearing that in mind, under the old underlease, RFL could give Bulls notice at any time, if RFL wanted to redevelop the ground
But would have to provide us with an alternative stadium with due bells and whistles, a min 18K capacity, within 4 miles.

Random unconnected factoid: As the crow flies, VP is around 3 miles from Odsal.

I think that if the RFL were to even consider kicking the rugby club out of Odsal in order to sell the land to mammon the whole game would be up in arms. Considering the raison d'être behind them taking the lease in the first place was (as stated) to ensure that such a thing couldn't possibly happen. Much as I have said I don't rate the RFL all that highly, I don't believe they are quite down to the same level of mendacity as Boris and the brexiters.

Mind, I've always held to the view that "blessed is he who doth not expect" too, so maybe I should think again.

whole game would be up in arms.
No they wouldnt

Well...maybe not!

Odsal is an absolutely brilliant venue, the best in the North and unique, but sadly times have moved on a few decades and its many and amazing qualities don't compensate for the state it is in, nor is there any chance whatsoever of anyone spending the millions needed to upgrade it. We all know what facilities it needs to bring it anywhere near modern standards, and we all know it won't get them.

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