Today the Bulls are hosting Barrow Raiders and with two and a half thousand fans rattling around, I’d expect it to be quite eerie. Far from it. It’s a warm, sunny day and fans are out in a variety of replica shirts (none of which are the ye olde Bradford Northern shirt I take a shine to in the club shop). Perhaps fans are just happy to have a club (the Bulls having gone into administration 3 times since 2012 before being liquidated in 2017), or perhaps it’s just the weather. The team, although above halfway 9 games in, are well off the pace if they want promotion. Wakefield are 9 and 0 and looking good for a return to Superleague. Still, a far cry from the Bulls golden era, winning the World Club Championship 3 times between 2002-2006. How the mighty fall.
It’s also Armed Forces Day. I know this because I am challenged upon entry. ‘Why are you taking photos?’ What can I say? I like visiting stadiums (stadia). ‘You’ve been reported.’ Basically, while I was at the main entrance taking a photo, a steward asked if they could search my bag. ‘No’, I said. ‘I’m not going in yet.’ As it was, after a peruse around the outside of the stadium, I went in an entrance further round, but had evoked enough interest for people on walkie-talkies to be on the lookout for me. Far be it for me to suggest there’s something wrong with the British Army if they’re running scared of me, but if I was a terrorist I’m not sure I would target a second tier rugby league match. After a cursory bag search I was allowed in.
Entering from behind the goal, the whole stadium lies before you, below. Climb down the steps to the terracing below. How many could this possibly hold if you include all the grass banking above the terracing? A mini rugby post is placed on part of the banking for youngsters to have a go at kicking over it. I’d love a go, but I’m not sure the two blokes administering it would appreciate it. Besides, they’ve probably been warned about me...
Part of Odsal’s vastness is the fact of it possessing a speedway track around the pitch perimeter. As such, the terracing arches round behind this goal. It’s roped off, I suspect as much to encourage the crowd to shuffle closer together on the long side, as much as safety. Oh, and is it a speedway track if there’s no longer speedway? I should say ‘stock car’ track, as there’s ‘Yorstox’ events here, as at Owlerton, Sheffield. And thank goodness, as without it, Bulls couldn’t afford the rent and moved out to Dewsbury in 2021. What did I say about the mighty fallen.
There’s a large white building covering one corner. I have no idea what this is, but during the second half I realise one of its functions is to house the scoreboard. As the tries and kicks totted up, I thought it was strange there was no apparent way of communicating the score to the spectators, as I couldn’t keep up. (From my vantage point past the halfway line, I couldn’t see said scoreboard.) Surely folk weren’t expected to REMEMBER the score? This isn’t football, where you’re lucky to see a goal. Here, if you went to the toilet, or bought a burger, you were sure to miss some addition or other to the tally. Or you might miss one of the three mascots (Bull Man, Bull Boy and Bull Girl) cavorting with the crowd, taking the kids’ (and my) mind off the rugby for a minute.
I’d walked past the refreshment stands to find a pew at the far end of the terracing, at the back. Here, most folk sat down, basking in the sun. And despite the speedway track, the view was alright because of the height. The Bulls stampeded into an early lead, looked by far the better side, before allowing the Raiders to come back into it slightly as half-time came into view. Bradford were attacking the Corporate End (my name for it), a two tier tin structure built above the old terracing and arching around the track. It may not be made of tin, but it looks like it. Maybe made by the same scrap metal merchants who built something similar at Wakefield Trinity. Cheap as chips, but fairly busy today.
Half-time came and I climbed the hill to the toilets, which looked remarkably like overly large World War II Anderson Shelters. Another reason to love this stadium. Opposite, is the Main Stand, a large modern cantilever construction which holds 4,000. I walked around for the second half, but, in shade, it wasn’t the same. (I suppose it’s the opposite on rainy days, everyone clambering to be in here.) I wanted warmth, and after 10 minutes or so of the second half I ventured back out. Still, it’s nice to have the option.
In the meantime the Bulls were making the game interesting, a player being sent off for throwing a punch. What’s it coming to when you’re not allowed to punch someone in RUGBY? I thought that was the whole point of the game. Said player trudged off despondently and punched the wall of the tunnel as he went. (The tunnel is built INTO the hill the terracing is on, the perfect nuclear bunker. Well, with Russia invading Ukraine, one has to make plans.)
There is a short Barrow spurt before Bradford get to grips again and run out easy winners, 36-24. Not that you’ll see it on the scoreboard. The Bulls score a kick as the whistle blows and the 2 lads in charge of the scoreboard instantly pull the numbers down and replace them with ‘0 0’, ready for the ladies game afterwards against Leigh Leopards, who joined me on the terrace earlier for a couple of minutes. I like the sound of a double header, though I’ve had my fill for today.
Oh, and this wondrous stadium? Bradford Council have plans to turn it into the largest permanently covered stadium in England, holding 25,000. I can’t see it happening anytime soon though. The council has no money, Bulls have no money...
https://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/article/1660/bradford-council-unveil-odsal-plans#:~:text=The%20plans%20would%20lead%20to,such%20as%20the%20semi%2Dfinals
The Damage:
£23 ent
= £23
No comments:
Post a Comment