I don't care if Leeds gets a tram network, I just object with money being taken from Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield to pay for it - [url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/local/localbrad/9221663.Councils_plotting_to_set_up___1bn_regional_fund_for_transport/as is the fairly transparent plan[/url (light rail being the first thing mentioned in that article, and on the internal LCC intranet article I saw). Maybe I'm being paranoid, but plenty of evidence suggests I'm not.

Bradford might have already reached the point of no return but, if it hasn't, I wish the powers that be would open their eyes and realise that their dream of one power in a "city region" magically benefiting the rest of the "region" isn't having much of an effect.

This is the old 'trickle down effect' which has been pretty well debunked by history. Money given to the 'Leeds city region' will stay in Leeds; check out the latest 'development area' scam.

There was talk of Leeds extending the tramway into Bradford IIRC, which is all we need, something which makes it even easier to go and spend our cash in Leeds. The council are just dolts at times, they get duped by everything.

It wouldn't surprise me, we'll become to Leeds what Oldham is to Manchester. They've lost their branch line rail stations to be replaced by a Metrolink extension which will not only lengthens the journey into Manchester as it is, but also isolates them from the main rail network and anywhere else.

Premiership Football

I'm struggling to see anywhere in the article that even mentions Leeds. Transport has to be thought of strategically. Unless you are a government & think breaking up the rail network will benefit the country, obviously. Although if you were responsible for handing out money which had to show a positive outcome you would not be giving it to Bradford.

I take it that was meant to be one of your silly flippant remarks? If not, it is a ridiculous statement.

Really? Why?

Clearly because Carlisle is the largest city in the UK, and that city has no trams.

Look it up.



[uen.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Carlisle[/u

Trust me, there are nee trams theer like, eh?

Forgive me for teasing, and I will forgive your regurgitation of the marketing spiel from the "Leeds must have a tram because Leeds must have a tram" bunch.

As Leeds, sadly, is yet to secede from the rest of us I'm pretty sure they are still one of the five West Yorkshire authorities mentioned at the start of the story, your last sentence may well be right - but unless there is some investment in Bradford the the vicious downward circle will continue. I'm not one of those who blames Leeds for all Bradford's ills (plenty are self inflicted) but the blue-eyed boy status of Leeds with successive governments, and their agencies, certainly isn't helping.

PHEW!!!

shaping up very nicely indeed.

They even left space for the opposing team's name to go after the versus

Looks a fantastic venue.. something we can only dream about right now.

Looking forward to going their next season

Well, Park Avenue's new stadium has hit a road block [url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9347788.Stadium_dream_in_tatters_as_land_sold_off/?ref=ecLink[/url

Perhaps it might be worth the club looking to get them to come to Odsal?

Unsurprising that Avenue's plan didn't come off. When I saw the headline I thought it might refer to Odsal and the NHS land that would be part of any development.

Can you hit a road block when you're not actually moving?

I see from that story Blackburn has managed to lead a 8th(?) tier football club into over £300k of debt, on top of his personal financial issues - I don't think he is someone any club should look to get involved with in any project.

There is already an agreement in place for Park Avenue to ground share at Odsal with us (should they gain promotion to the conference).

Blackburn's plans to build a 20,000 seat stadium on the Phoenix Park site for the primary use of Bradford Park Avenue was naive and commercially a nonsense from its inception.
Can anyone confirm my age old recollection that there is a caveat on that land to be used only for sporting purposes set by the original owners English Electric Co.

I was intrigued, so I searched for "Phoenix Park" Bradford sport. Two of the top ten results were dogging reviews.

Dogging and BPA could be a good dual use for a stadium.

Did anyone actually take Bob Blackburn's plans seriously?

The Avenue fans I've spoken to have just smiled, with what I guess would have to be called a 'knowing look', when I've mentioned it in the past, so the answer is probably very few took it all that seriously.

I've often felt, in the long term, that some link with Avenue might be the way forward, particularly if Avenue should regain league status, but I can't see it with BB in charge there. Maybe if a change of leadership were to come about it could be feasible, because much as I don't know what plans are in train for Odsal (if any?) it's difficult to see how the Bulls are going to move forward alone as things are.

Don't talk daft daftdad......this is a new,new,new beginning and the reissue of the Fulham shirt that we did 5 years ago will have 'em dancing in the aisles'

Failing that, it might be that I wasn't far off the mark back in July Las year and we are now in a similar leaky boat to the one we were at the stoop, gp, the valley,the stoop and the valley......
Yours sincerely
Got no facts.....

Erm....

Gremlins at work methinks