HALIFAX PANTHERS will relocate to arch-rivals Bradford Bulls for their next five home Championship matches.
The ongoing installation of a new £800,000 hybrid pitch at The Shay means the Calderdale club’s usual base is out of action until their match against Widnes Vikings on Sunday, September 7.
Bradford’s Bartercard Odsal, seven miles away, will stage the games against Oldham on Sunday, June 29, Toulouse Olympique on Saturday, July 12, York Knights on Sunday, July 27, Sheffield Eagles on Sunday, August 10 and Hunslet on Sunday, August 17.
In the middle of that run, Halifax also have an away game at Bradford on Friday, August 1.
Panthers officials looked into taking the five games to Halifax community club Siddal, but that plan was rejected by the RFL.
They also sounded out Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium, but were turned down.
Ironically, Huddersfield Giants are set to move from the John Smith’s to The Shay on a temporary basis once they get planning permission for a new stadium of their own.
Giants owner-chairman Ken Davy is in the process of trying to buy The Shay and has provided interest-free loans to the Panthers and fellow tenants, football club FC Halifax Town, to cover their share of the cost of the new pitch, some of which is being funded by the Football Foundation.
The old surface at the 104-year-old, 10,400-capacity ground was prone to waterlogging and would have struggled to support use by three teams.
Maintenance work on it this time last year led to the Panthers switching one match to Wakefield Trinity.
Panthers chief executive Damian Clayton admitted playing at Bradford “won’t sit well with everyone”, but insisted: “This isn’t about rivalry. It’s about what’s best for Halifax Panthers right now.
“Odsal is the closest Championship ground to The Shay. It allows us to fulfil our commercial obligations, honour sponsor agreements, and give our fans a consistent, single venue instead of moving from one ground to another.
“That might not sound like a big deal, but logistically and financially, it’s huge. Playing one game at Keighley or Dewsbury, the next in Batley, then somewhere else. It was a recipe for confusion, cost, and chaos.
“During our displacement to Wakefield last year when we played Whitehaven, we learned some tough lessons – and this time, we’ve used those lessons to help avoid any unnecessary financial strains.
“Make no mistake – this was a tough call. But I’m confident it is the right one.
“We’ll return to The Shay on September 7 to face Widnes, and we’ll do so with a brand new, high-quality pitch that will serve the club – and its ambitions – for years to come.
“Until then, Odsal becomes our temporary home. And we need our fans, our sponsors, and our partners to rally with us.
“This is short-term pain, yes – but it’s a long-term gain, the kind of step we have to take to build a better future.”