The Rugby Football League have bought Odsal Stadium and they will rent it back to Bradford Bulls.

This purchase adds to the list of other stadiums the RFL own ie CougarPark,Spotland and a number of amateur clubs grounds

I guess it's too late for them to buy Tattersfield!?!

Hmm...

I will be doing this when i win the lottery.
The ground will be a replica of the original Tattersfield minus the rust and the rotting wood. I will have a dog in a kennel outside a caravan, a lorry back and does anyone remember the guest appearance of a camal behind the sticks?

Those were the days.

Keighley originally owned their own ground and a substantial amount of land around it, but as with many clubs had to sell to stay afloat. The Co-op bought it and Keighley leased part of it back (the bit with the ground on it).

The lease came up for renewal a couple of years ago and the RFL helped with negotiations. The upshot being that the RFL took on the lease and Keighley had an underlease off them. As far as I am aware there was no cost to the RFL.

The difference with Bradford is that they sold an existing long lease to the RFL for a "seven figure sum".

I haven't seen anywhere where it says how much Bradford have been paid by the RFL.
What if the RFL have paid for example 1 million to the Bulls but they are paying back 200,000 a year in rent?
That way everyone is a winner. The Bulls have a short term cash injection and the RFL has a long term income stream. The only people i can think of who would be against this are those with an axe to grind with the Bulls.

It must be a risk for the RFL though.

I can't believe they had, for example, £1M lying around so will have almost certainly had to borrow it. To meet those repayments they are now expecting a club, who we have to presume are running short to consider this arrangement in the first place, to meet the payments. If it all goes to plan everyone's a winner, except maybe Bradford who will spend more in the long term.

I think all of the hype about Bradford being on the brink of financial meltdown is a myth created by fans of other clubs. I you read through the twelve thousand pages on the Bulls forum relating to this matter, taking note of the more sensible posters with a previous record of being close to the mark it would appear to be more about securing the future of Odsal as their home ground, as vultures were circling . They are now guaranteed their home and will not have to move to Valley parade which would have killed them off.

I've not read anything elsewhere so not sure what myths or legends are out there. Just not sure why a long term lease by the RFL is any more secure than a long term lease by the Bulls unless there was a lack of confidence in the longevity of one of the parties

Whatever the reasons i have to say they're not half getting revved off the clock in Wakey and Cas. I think they must be having heart attacks at the keyboard.

Firstly, I posted to correct a misconception regards the ownership of Keighley's ground, not to gripe about the Bulls.

If the deal is fair and good for RL and if others are treated in the same way, then I can't see an issue.

Secondly, the "seven figure sum" was originally quoted in the national press (the Sun I believe) so make of that what you will.

No offence intended. I was referring in the main to the griping from the Wakefield area.
If it's in 'the Scum' then it must be wrong, we don't mention them on this forum for obvious reasons, ie they tell lies.

Wakefield Forum up to twenty pages on this topic already.

Bradford council owned Odsal Stadium and the Bulls a paid rent to the council.
Like all the councils at the moment Bradford will be strapped for cash and the RFL will have purchased Odsal at a very competitive price.i hope they manage there land and property department a lot better than they run the Rugby League.
i wonder if they may be planning to put a bid in to buy the Keepmoat?

I suspect the KM would cost a bit more than Odsal, but i like the idea of John Ryan paying rent to the RFL!

Odsal will be a brilliant purchase for the RFL, It's pretty central, easy to get to and if used correctly it will pay for itself in no time.

And its an old run down former quarry

According to form the KMOAT is worth a lot less than when built. A bit like the Dome. Council desperate to get them off their books. Predators just waiting to pounce. Hope Im wrong.

We are talking about the R F L here, it will all end in tears