Well sad day today with the last game at Odsal.

It’s funny that it’s taken us leaving to be able to convince my new wife Gabriella to join me as my escort for the afternoon. Lovely girl - she’s from the Philippines- we found each other on a website. Legs up to her armpits - a medical condition she has which is pretty horrific really.

Anyway I’ve all sorts of memories from my time visiting the old girl but the less said about my ex wife the better. I remember drunkenly asking her to marry me in the touchdown bar after our record breaking win in the cup against Toulouse. I took her remaining hand in mine and told her that I would reluctantly marry her if it would get her mother off my back.

They weren’t all bad though I can remember her telling me she had secured employment as a welder in the shipyards of Gdańsk and would be returning to her native Poland that night taking her mother with her. It was during a challenge cup defeat to Wigan - Gareth Raynor had just knocked out Sam Tomkins in the process of scoring a try.

I can remember the bucket collections of course. I raised enough money to pay for their flights and still had enough left over for a bag of chips.

What are your best and worst memories of time spent at Odsal?

Is that her that only had one leg, Macc?

has to be the 2006 game we we beat you in a penultimate game where I stood with my cas mate and JD ran out of defense and saved a drop out, we later learn Salford had beat cas to bring on the first million pound game,

I do feel sad for you playing your last game at Odsal and for all the gripes I've had with you all on here I generally don't wish any ill will on the club and hope you all make a return to both Bradford in a new stadium and super league

god, so many ... 70s ... first as a nipper peering between the wooden slats of the old stand on the pop side seeing all the butt ends and carbage below and being elbowed in the head by Keith Mumby in the players lounge ... 80s ... missing the wigan CC game due to my first driving lesson and crashing my dads car (15666 there i think with a 15-6 loss), 31-30 against Wigan Hanley sent off at half time and the 'Heeeeeve' scrum push over try ... 90s ... pffft so many, wins against sts and wigan in 96 had odsal bouncing, i think the Wire game 52-20 with a Robbie Paul hatrick confirmed to me that something special was happening at Odsal in the summer era and well 1999 Mick Withers ... 00s ... THAT hand off, first game back at Odsal after 2 years against Wakey (flat game) but 20k and 3 20k+ games at odsal that year .... 2010s ... less said but 'our last game' against the Rhinos, so much emotion and this year (i already planned to be back in england in May but "life" took it away) missed Leeds but shouted with beer in hand to another memorable Odsal win.

special mention, 87 against Wakey i think, took the first of my mates to his first game ... a very unassuming entrance for him through the turnstiles but his face when he saw 'the bowl' ... blown away.

I will always remember this game for some reason! https://youtu.be/5OEhw3E1GJU

I will always remember this game for some reason! https://youtu.be/5OEhw3E1GJU

What's wrong with her? My missus is/was from Maasin in Leyte but she died 3 years ago from Mitral Stenosis.An Incredibly beautiful girl, treated me like a king.Anyway, Glad you enjoyed the game..

As a Rhinos fan I loved Odsal. Yes it was a bit run down but it had character and a great atmosphere. A very sad day indeed.

Whatever the future holds I hope it is for the better for you the fans.

one thing that does gaul me from away fans is ... 'odsal is sh*t, you cant see anything' ... you muppets must be from a different planet, id love to know where in the vast bowl they cant see the game and what stanchion they are stuck behind???

1..Billy Boston tearing down the left wing and then Terry Price flattening him, nearly threw him into the old wooden stand..

2.. Prop Bill Ramsey collecting a short kickoff from York, running ten yards then passing the ball inside to Franny Jarvis for him to score and win the match..all in -5 degrees and over a foot of snow..

3.. Frank Foster having knees in his kidneys by Terry Ramshaw. Match drawn, reply at Wakey..Ramshaw collecting the ball under his posts only to be met by a smash in the face by Frank Foster..Jaw and Nose went...those were the happy days to watch...

4.. Big (blind) Brian Butler flattening both Chisnall and Price against Warrington. After the match, walking up to the dressing rooms, this idiot lunged at Dave Chisnall and caught him on the side of the face. Chisnall looked at me and came for me, I was only 16, I nearly s**t myself and I was rescued by Stuart Gallagher telling Chisnall it wasn't me.. Ohh happy days.

Remember first game of SL v rhinos when I was about 8. Did all four seasons that day. I remember my dad saying his feet were like two fishcakes. I think that means they're cold

also fondly remember the Rhinos game before the first administration. The feeling inside the ground that day was desperate knowing that we could go under and against all the odds we beat them by 2.

Sad day today. But necessarily I think.

Onwards. Upwards. Hopefully.

Quote ="BradfordJets"I will always remember this game for some reason! https://youtu.be/5OEhw3E1GJU'" Me too! Fantastic night.

Quote ="BradfordJets"I will always remember this game for some reason! https://youtu.be/5OEhw3E1GJU'" Me too! Fantastic night.

first memories have always been Dave Barends tip toeing down the wing ... freezing my knuts off, leigh at home in the CC (i think and final score 6-0) 1500 there and my grandad saying 'thats it, enough for me' and left due to cold .... also the wigan game (on sky) at home where the fog just rolled in from over the top terrace and landed on the pitch. One big flask of bovril, 2 twix and 2 mars bars were always the order of the day prior to summer rugger

i will say ... best out and out MotM display .. has to go to Paul Medley V wakey ... 4 tries and he absolutely blasted their defense from the markers, i dont remember his tries but the demolition work he did on their defense was awe-inspiring.

I think one of my favourite games was Leeds at home were we won 12-4 if I recall correctly rikki sherriffe who got tons of stick scored two and we got a famous win against the odds.

Back to the 50's for me with a couple.

1. 1953/54 Challenge Cup final replay when I was part of a world record crowd for a rugby league match. Incredible crowd and experience.

2. 1957/58 as a Hull supporter being crowned champions following a loss by 1 point in the 56/57 final. Hull also won the '55/56 final but that was played at Maine Road.

Note. I was at the NRL premiership final in 1999 at the Sydney Olympic Stadium when the official Odsal attendance in '53/54 was exceeded and a new world record set.

22-20 comeback win against Wigan in 2010 with a Matt Orford inspired performance!

24k against Leeds in 1999 with the Withers drop goal and ‘that’ kick from McNamara to McAvoy.

Leeds this season in Challenge Cup.

2014 Challenge Cup win against Catalan! I was in a box for that and was a very good day!

Beating Leeds in 2010 with Whitehead and Sheriffe scoring.

Beating Leeds at home in 2012 with another 20k crowd.

Do you know her too?

Once game that stands out for me was the championship game against Castleford in the season before superleague.

The cas fans attached banners to the scaffolding that the old floodlights sat on. Protesting at the prospect of them merging with Wakefield.

My friend Kenneth stood in a massive pile of dog dirt walking across the bankfoot pitches.

The bus driver made him wipe it off before he'd let him on. He had it smeared all up the side of his orthopaedic shoe. It stank the bottom floor of the Yorkshire rider out.

No mate I just remember you mentioning her when you were having a hard time with Cherry Brandy and Macarons. Hope that's all behind you now pal.

Has to be 1st April 1984.
Bradford v Warrington

Billy Thompson’s last match at Odsal

As I recall from 19-0 down late on, Bradford claw back to 16-19, and go in again in stoppage time, but Billy having suffered dogs abuse throughout the game finds a way to disallow it.

What Billy had forgot was that moments later as he blew for full time, he had to negotiate the 100 m walk back up, the steps through the baying Bradford mob, back to the dressing rooms.

Police escort all the way back.

This seasons cup game against Leeds.

I’ve been privileged to watch some of the greatest rugby league players of modern times, and see our club lift every trophy possible. This years cup game was a brief reminder of what could be possible if the club gets itself onto a sound financial footing, and was the first time my son got to experience a Leeds/bradford derby in a competitive game

There's so much to go at isn't there and rather than specific games, some highlights for me:

1. My first game in 1986 (v widnes I think) and wondering why the players didn't have helmets on (as per american football). We sat in the old red seats on the popular side.
2. Getting soaked to the skin at an Australia tour game either the same year or certainly pre 1990. I don't think I have ever been as wet.
3. Keith Mumby. The number of text book tackles I have seen right in front of my in the main stand is countless
4. Early to mid nineties - a few players that stick in my head: Watson, Simpson, Cordle, Heron
5. 1993/94 The nearly title year - the game against Workington (?) who were bottom, it was a banker, we lost 12-11 I think and ultimately cost us the league - a draw would have been enough as it goes too!
6. 1996 - SL arrives....oh my!
7. 1997 - being crowned champions v PSG. Also the WCC - didn't win any of the 3, but what contests!
8. 1999 - 24,048
9. 2003 - welcome home!
10. 2005 - was this the 71-10 game v Hull Les getting 5?
11. Some sad years since and lean pickings to what has game before but the Workington final win and the Leeds game this year.

On a last note, though there are some great memories, I'm not too sad, the club needs to move on before Odsal ultimately kills us.
Let's hope AC is a little more than hot air and we see the Bulls back in Bradford and back in SL before long and start a new memory bank!

Lot's of odsal microclimate memories...

My mum wrapping me up in every winter clothing possible for my first match.

The "novelty" of midweek matches in the winter rugby days - freezing cold, pitch black but being out late on a school night. Remember beating the touring kiwis and the crowd giving Paul Cullen some stick after being sent off in a Wednesday night game against wire.

The Wigan fog games - didn't go to the one that was abandoned but remember the farce of the super league game - Wigan fans at the Richard Dunn's end having to be told when they'd scored down the other end.

Then it absolutely siling it down (even by Odsal standards) vs Saints - me getting soaked, Glenn Morrison getting man of the match.

Maudling one...2005 St's at home, sat in the crown feeling like I was on the outside having lost my Dad the weekend before. Remember nothing of the game other than we got hammered and I really didn't care. For some reason my over riding memory.

So many over the 27 years I've lived in the area. I didn't realise how many until I started thinking about it. The tigress reminded me last night of a couple of stand out ones (I'll no doubt add some more as they come back to memory);

1. Taking tigercub as a new born baby (she's now 22) against Cas. The tigress breastfeeding her on the terraces.
2. My 50th birthday. I arranged 10 pizzas to be delivered from a local joint at half time. We sat on the terraces & stuffed ourselves.

3. Stood with Azim & Bullseye during (another) rainstorm. Azim being young couldn't keep his phone in his pocket. It literally filled with rain.
4. Playing an A team game for my home town team before the annual first team pre-season friendly. My mate broke his neck (he fully recovered). The game was abandoned, an ambulance drove onto the centre of the pitch to rescue him.
5. In hospitality with Bullseye, FA & other sponsors. Can't remember who you were playing (London or Cats?). You were losing a game you should have been winning. Last couple of minutes you made a potential match-winning break; Paul Sykes with an overlap passing straight into touch. Bullseye jumping up from his seat, shouting "FOR F* CKS SAKE!" & storming off to the bog.
6. On the pitch one moment still stands out for me. Bulls v Cas, you had Danny Peacock, we had Adrian Vowells. They were from the same town in Aus. Each time they hit each other you could hear the smack on the terraces, like thunder. Each time was legal & they just got up, tapped each other on the back & got on with it. Class.
7. Taking Ridlerbull as a young pup & watching him grow. Him & his Mum now love the game.
8. The huge shared baths in the old club house.
9. Assisting Mick Gledhill on commentary vs Cas. We woz robbed.

tbc