That stock car track looks even worse from the air. The stuff's everywhere - it looks terrible on the terracing and i didn't realise it was all over the car park behind the coral stand.

What an eyesore

Looking at the mess Salford are in at the moment, we'd be absolutely mad to go to Valley Parade. Nice stadium and we'd prob get enough points to get into SL. But long term, the rent could cripple us. Rather just stay at Odsal even if that means Championship rugby

The devil is in the detail of the contract wherever the club plays. I'd be quite happy to go to VP provided the contract is fair and watertight.

VP is 13 metres too short. The minimum pitch requirement is 88 metres length plus 6 metres each in-goal. Plus 3 metres between in goal and barriers. That equates to a total pitch length of 116m. VP is 103m. I suppose we could have a back-office conversation with the RFL to ask if they'd authorise our permanent home being significantly undersized, and we'd then know if was even an option.

The gap to the barriers is a safeguarding issue which I wouldn't really want to tinker with. When we play at footy grounds you see our lads hurtling into places they should never be near. That can't be right.

I don’t know if anybody heard it but Hirst was on podcast and says best case scenario council acquire it failing that if they are told they can change things bulls will buy it

Has it shrunk since we played there in 2001 and 2002? I didn't see any problems back then?



Not heard a podcast, do you have a link pls? How would the Bulls afford the leasehold? Did Hirst think that possible? Intrigued by that possibility.

Quote ="Bullseye"Has it shrunk since we played there in 2001 and 2002? I didn't see any problems back then? Not heard a podcast, do you have a link pls? How would the Bulls afford the leasehold? Did Hirst think that possible? Intrigued by that possibility.'" It was Hirst that said it https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YmTXE ... XIfOjJP1vA

Quote ="Bullseye"Has it shrunk since we played there in 2001 and 2002? I didn't see any problems back then? Not heard a podcast, do you have a link pls? How would the Bulls afford the leasehold? Did Hirst think that possible? Intrigued by that possibility.'" It was Hirst that said it https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YmTXE ... XIfOjJP1vA

I thought we were only given dispensation to play there as it was a temporary thing? I'm sure I can remember players hitting the hoardings.

See Mick Gledhills latest update? RFL asking for best written bids, by no later than Wednesday 31st January 2024. As it is hoped a sale will take place in February.
I

Yeah, I read it as the RFL saying

'oh cr4p, please someone buy it cos it's going to cost us a ton of money in IMG world and no-one's shown any interest at all! No honestly, it's getting a bit worrying, come quick! We'll sell it in Feb, honest we will...you'll miss out, you will....you will. You'll be sorry!!'

I'm glad its crippling the RFL. I f they have had said to Robin Hood in 2010 get lost about the secret loan none of this mess the last 13 years wouldn't have happened. Club would have gone belly up in 2010 but would have still held the lease
and been more attractive to buyers.

Absolutely spot on, though we must never lose sight of the fact we're the RFL's pets...

100%. Would love to know what the RFL were thinking at the time. Surely the potential return of Caisley wasn't putting the wind up them that much??

Anyway. Will be interesting to see if anyone puts a bid in.

I’ve said this before. The rfl were doing 1 of two things. They were either in complete panic mode to try and get some sort of asset to set against the stupid unsecured loan that they’d given us, totally focussed on the short term and trying to spin the damage onto the Bulls in the eyes of the RL fan base to save their own skins.
Or it was all a careful Machiavellian plan to step by step strip a member club of its stadium so that they could bring together the holy grail (for the rfl) - A national rugby league stadium that they controlled, central, with Red hall being moved there, along with the heritage museum, all on one site. For internationals, cup semifinals and a few plums thrown for the tenant club…
Derailed by a combination of austerity, financial crash and resistance from the fans.

That would be the one and only time that they've thought ahead then

Judging by the latest council plans to cut spending across the board we can forget about them spending a brass farthing on RL or Odsal.

Calderdale Council have mentioned disposal/sale of The Shay in recent meeting.
Might stop some of the sniping from Fax fans seen on social media.

Most councils in this country are on the verge of bankrupcy.

It's now become a choice between which vital service they have to shelve to ensure which other vital service remains. Sports stadia are probably quite far down the list in comparison to things like child safeguarding etc.

The RFL aren't going to palm this drain on resources off that easily. The only option is private investment and I doubt you'll see many people queuing up for that. Plus any self respecting business person will leave it until they can use people's desparation or foreclosure as leverage to get costs down.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... ium-lease/ So to Lease or not to Lease? Now that is a question for the Bulls. The Circle could be closer to completion!

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... ium-lease/ So to Lease or not to Lease? Now that is a question for the Bulls. The Circle could be closer to completion!

Interesting
The club clearly believe they can afford the lease, if we take it on would get money coming in from Stock Cars.
I heard at the game on Sunday the club are putting plans together for renovating Odsal on a smaller scale.

Very interesting this, it's a big old cost, will it be a drain on the finances? As that then affects your IMG finance grading. The upkeep alone of it as we all know there's alot that needs improving, replacing, updating. The club/board have obviously looked at all the financial side of it all (so you would hope). What are the options? How much income does the stock cars bring in, would that be an income stream that Bradford Bulls would benefit from? Could we buy it to then sell it ourselves and potentially build a new ground elsewhere. Could we purchase it, and sell some of the ground off and reduce the size of it and redevelop a smaller Odsal. I just can see them buying it and beinh able to keep it and run it as it is currently without it massively affecting the finances.

We are currently responsible for the upkeep of Odsal so in that respect if we purchase the lease nothing would change. If the lease is purchased for the rumoured 750k we will save 60k per year and gain 60k per year from Stock Cars.

When we had the lease prior to 2012 Peter Hood cited Odsal as a financial millstone. What's changed since then? Well, there's the income from stockcars coming in and no need to pay rental to the leaseholder as a plus but as a minus the SouthBank stand is now over 20 years old and likely to need maintenance or might even be nearing the end of its life. The main stand roof will also need looking after. Then there's the upkeep of floodlights and barriers. That's all just to stand still and not make any improvements. I hope the club have looked into those costs. Owning the lease might create some opportunities to sell it further down the line and move to a new site potentially but proximity of the stadium site to housing may reduce the number of things you could do with it. I'd be interested to see who else has bid.

I find Jason Hirsts comments in the T&A very interesting Beyond that, it’s hard to answer. If we do get the lease, two months down the line I could give you a more detailed response.

“It’s not because I’m hiding anything, it’s just all hypotheticals at the moment.
- this would back up that something is planned to start in the short/medium term- I’ve heard funding is in place for smaller scare redevelopment

I heard that the club looking at a £15 million Revamp of Odsal.