So then...anybody fancy going to Odsal on Sunday?

[Old Frightful]

If this Sunday's clash between Bradford and Sheffield really is going to be the last ever game of RL at the old place, are there any neutrals out there who are having a wander over just to say "I was there"?

My good self and RoyBoy are tempted, I'm just wondering if perhaps there might be a surprise on the horizon and Bradford return there in the not too distant. I admit to not having followed developments too closely to have any sort of idea whether or not this might happen and the "What's happening at Odsal" thread is rather too long to have a look.

Any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated.

 

[John Drake]

That's a great idea.

I'm going.

I'm not a neutral though.

Might be the last time I see my team play in my home city, never mind Odsal.

I may shed an actual tear at the end... 

[Oxford]

8 minutes ago, John Drake said:

That's a great idea.

I'm going.

I'm not a neutral though.

Might be the last time I see my team play in my home city, never mind Odsal.

I may shed an actual tear at the end... 

I know how you feel John, this is not good.

[fairfolly]

Now that is what I call a true R.L. supporter Frightful, unfortunately or fortunately whichever I am now in Spain until January so will not be there . It will be a sad day for me after watching my first game at Odsal in 1950. Ever since then I have been a supporter of Northern/Bulls and Odsal since then 69 years but more than that I have also been a true R.L. supporter.It is a shame what has happened to old Odsal but it has had its day.Some great memories,some great games of R.L.between all teams.But hopefully next season I will get over to Dewsbury to support the Bulls and the Dewsbury club.That is of course if the naysayers and know alls don,t get their way.

[RigbyLuger]

No interest at all. My own team is playing!

[corvusxiii]

Just come to me now that what must have been my first visit to odsal was in 1979 for the finish of the london-bradford road race won by Barry Hoban of wakey. I can remember hanging about when this young lad came up and asked for my autograph thinking I was one of the racers. Yes indeed,  wearing my Eddy Merckx cap I  had been mistaken for the great 'Canibal' himself. Odsal Top- Citadel of Heroes. I was 17.

[17 stone giant]

I read bits of the other thread about the state of Odsal and Bradford moving to Dewsbury.

What is the reason why the Bulls can't use Valley Parade?

[Old Frightful]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

That's a great idea.

I'm going.

I'm not a neutral though.

Might be the last time I see my team play in my home city, never mind Odsal.

I may shed an actual tear at the end... 

What's your thoughts John?, will this really be the end of RL at Odsal?

Or do you think there might be summat down the line that means not?

[Mr Plow]

50 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

I read bits of the other thread about the state of Odsal and Bradford moving to Dewsbury.

What is the reason why the Bulls can't use Valley Parade?

VP is too expensive. I’ve heard that they are looking at building a stadium on the Richard Dunn site, but we’ve all heard that before. What are the odds of the bulls returning to Odsal post 2020

[Oliver Clothesoff]

It’ll be sad to see the side I grew up watching Saints battle it out with as a lad in the early Super League years, they played some excellent stuff at times and had some superb players in their ranks. 

Its a shame it’s come to this and a massive Rugby League City is losing its team, the potential knock-on effects that could have is huge. 

[superten]

I will be going . I remember going to last ever game at Fartown

[Exiled Wiganer]

I suppose one question is whether VP is more expensive than Odsal... 

If only Bradford had set up a telecoms business. If only Kan Davey had a deadly rival twin business guru... 

[M j M]

I'd already booked tickets to London for the Leeds game but would otherwise be there.
Odsal was a great place in the first decade of Super League; I remember watching Bradford vs London there in 1997 (I think) with 15,000 other people. It was a different world and, even if we know the ground could no longer be sustained, its loss should be marked.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

34 minutes ago, superten said:

I will be going . I remember going to last ever game at Fartown

I Imagine future bulls fans will similarly be chanting Odsal, Odsal 

[John Rhino]

As a Leeds supporter I've had many an emotional day at Odsal.

To think Rugby may never be played there again is desperately sad. We never had a cross word with the Bradford fans, there was respect on both sides, so I do hope you get your team back there someday 

[Odsal Outlaw]

I’ll be there along with my Dad whose been watching Northern/Bulls for 55 years. First game of reformed Northern was also his first in 1964.

[John Drake]

2 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

What's your thoughts John?, will this really be the end of RL at Odsal?

Or do you think there might be summat down the line that means not?

If I posted my genuine thoughts on this I'd have to ban myself afterwards!

[The Blues Ox]

With things like this theres always a chance the could be the first of a few last ever games at Odsal. My memory is not what it was but Im sure Fax played at least a couple "last ever game" at Thrum Hall.

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, The Blues Ox said:

With things like this theres always a chance the could be the first of a few last ever games at Odsal. My memory is not what it was but Im sure Fax played at least a couple "last ever game" at Thrum Hall.

In the States, the Milwaukee Brewers (baseball) were building themselves a new stadium. It kept getting delayed. I think in the end they had three last ever games at the old one and even branded the final time as "The Annual Final Game at Old Miller Park".

[Bulliac]

I've been going to Odsal since I was around five or six years old (mid 1950s), so I've sort of got used to the place, warts and all. I'm sure many fans may remember we had an earlier, "final match, at Odsal, I think under Peter Hood's reign as chairman, so mentally I'm still in "you never know" territory, though the costs of running the club there do seem to be prohibitive.

For what it's worth, I do think it's possible get back to Bradford, though Odsal is very unlikely unless there is some commercial development to accompany a stadium on the site - a viable, cost efficient stadium elsewhere in the city seems the only real possibility though. Our chairman reckons a couple of years to plan and develop a stadium on an unspecified site somewhere in the city. I feel that is very tight and probably unlikely to be done in that timescale, and the RFL's silly idea of one year is even less plausible.There is no actual point in giving  us one year in Dewsbury, they may just have well said no and been done with it.

Do I think the fans will stick it out for three years away? I dunno. If the new ground is seen to be in progress and if we have a half decent team to watch then many will stick it out at Dewsbury and the majority, even if they don't all attend regularly, will still stay engaged. If the ground scheme doesn't get off the ground and nothing much seems to be going on then the club will be dead in a years time.

[John Drake]

20 minutes ago, Bulliac said:

I've been going to Odsal since I was around five or six years old (mid 1950s), so I've sort of got used to the place, warts and all. I'm sure many fans may remember we had an earlier, "final match, at Odsal, I think under Peter Hood's reign as chairman, so mentally I'm still in "you never know" territory, though the costs of running the club there do seem to be prohibitive.

For what it's worth, I do think it's possible get back to Bradford, though Odsal is very unlikely unless there is some commercial development to accompany a stadium on the site - a viable, cost efficient stadium elsewhere in the city seems the only real possibility though. Our chairman reckons a couple of years to plan and develop a stadium on an unspecified site somewhere in the city. I feel that is very tight and probably unlikely to be done in that timescale, and the RFL's silly idea of one year is even less plausible.There is no actual point in giving  us one year in Dewsbury, they may just have well said no and been done with it.

Do I think the fans will stick it out for three years away? I dunno. If the new ground is seen to be in progress and if we have a half decent team to watch then many will stick it out at Dewsbury and the majority, even if they don't all attend regularly, will still stay engaged. If the ground scheme doesn't get off the ground and nothing much seems to be going on then the club will be dead in a years time.

Agree with all of that.

[hindle xiii]

Nope.

I owe that club nothing, sod off.

[Leyther_Matt]

I don't even fancy going to Odsal when my own team are playing there.

I do have a decent records of "last games" though, seeing the final games at Hilton Park (RL and football, in fact), Knowsley Road and I think Wilderspool (it was hard to keep track of how many last games they had, but Mark Hilton's Testimonial a month or two before the HJ opened must be pretty close). I also went to probably 80% of Salford's home games in their final season at the Willows but missed the Catalans game!

[HarrogateKnights]

A healthy £23.00 to stand...….. no thanks I am off to watch York at Leigh

[Gooleboy]

I first visited Odsal in the 60s, and to be honest it is a ground I have never liked. I remember going as a neutral in 1973 for the Championship Final between Dewsbury and Leeds, that was probably the best atmosphere I have been in there, despite seeing my own team Featherstone in several CC Semi  Finals, Yorkshire Cup Finals and many tough clashes with Northern and Bulls. If Sunday is the last game, I hope it is a good one for all who attend.