ODSAL STADIUM (Bradford)

RUGBY FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP, BRADFORD BULLS 37-18 YORK CITY KNIGHTS, ATTENDANCE: c4,000

This blog is exclusively about football and football grounds but when you visit a ground as iconic as the Odsal Stadium, well sometimes you have to make an exception!

After 20 months away, Bradford Bulls made their return to the Odsal Stadium today. The reasons for leaving are well documented but to cut a long story short the club entered administration in 2012 and was eventually liquidated in 2017. In 2019 it was announced that the cost of rates, rent and maintenance were prohibitive and the Bulls departed for Dewsbury. 

Odsal has been in the Rugby Football League's hands since they bought it from the club in 2012 and a few weeks ago it was announced that an 18 month deal had been struck for the Bulls to return. The ground had been Bradford's home since 1934 and, with its vast banks of terracing you can almost feel yourself stepping back in time. It has the feel of ground from a different era and that, in my opinion, is no bad thing in these days of modern indentikit stadiums.

As a result of Covid-19 restrictions the capacity was limited to 4,000 supporters this afternoon, a far cry from May 1954 when a record crowd of 102,569 packed the ground to watch the Challenge Cup Final replay between Warrington and Halifax.

There is a football connection to the ground as Bradford City played their home games at the ground between September 1985 and December 1986. This was when Valley Parade was being re-built after the tragic fire in May 1985. The ground was also used for speedway, but the building of hospitality suites at the south end of stadium ended this association.

If you have never been to Odsal then, whatever your sporting persuasion, I would put it on your bucket list. It is simply a must visit ground!

Result!

Wear your mask when moving about!