Odsal Stadium

Odsal Stadium
Full name Odsal Stadium
Location Rooley Lane, Odsal, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
Coordinates 53°45′54″N 1°45′25″W / 53.76500°N 1.75694°W / 53.76500; -1.75694Coordinates: 53°45′54″N 1°45′25″W / 53.76500°N 1.75694°W / 53.76500; -1.75694
Public transit National Rail Low Moor
Owner Bradford City Council
Operator Rugby Football League
Capacity 22,739
Record attendance All Time
102,569 (Warrington vs Halifax, 5 May 1954)
Super League
24,020 (Bradford Bulls vs Leeds, 3 September 1999)
Field size 67.79m x 111.74m
Surface Grass
Scoreboard Manual
Construction
Built 1897[1]
Opened 1933
Renovated 1964, 1985, 2001–02.
Tenants
Rugby League
Bradford Bulls (1934–present),
Football
Bradford City (1985–1986),
Speedway
Bradford Dukes (1945–1960, 1986–1997)

Odsal Stadium, is a sports stadium in Odsal, Bradford, West Yorkshire. The stadium is currently home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team as well as previously home to the speedway team Bradford Dukes, as well the football team Bradford City following the Valley Parade fire. Odsal has also been a venue for baseball, basketball, kabbadi, show jumping, tennis, live music and international Rugby League. It is also the largest rugby league stadium in England.

The stadium holds the British attendance records for a Rugby match, 102,569 in 1954 at the rugby league Warrington-Halifax Challenge Cup Final replay,[2][3] and for a domestic, non-final Rugby League match, 69,429 at the third round Challenge Cup tie between Bradford Northern and Huddersfield in 1953. The highest recorded attendance of the Super League era being 24,020 against neighbouring rivals Leeds on 3 September 1999.[4] While its capacity has reduced significantly, it remains the largest stadium in Super League [5] The stadium is owned by the Bradford City Council, but due to financial problems the Rugby Football League purchased the lease on it in 2012.

History

1933-1935: Construction and opening

Formed in 1907, the Bradford Northern club had played at a number of venues including the Greenfield Athletic Ground in Dudley Hill and Bowling Old Lane Cricket Club's ground in Birch Lane.[6] By the early 1920s, however, Birch Lane's limitations were clear and Northern began to seek another home. Precarious finances prevented the club being able to take up an offer to develop land off Rooley Lane or to upgrade and move back to Greenfield, but in 1933, Bradford City Council gave them the opportunity to transform land at Odsal Top into their home ground. On 20 June 1933 the club therefore signed a ten-year deal on the site, which was to become the biggest stadium in England outside Wembley.[7]

The site was a former quarry which was then being used as a landfill tip. Ernest Call M.B.E., the Director of Cleansing for Bradford City Council devised a system of controlled tipping that saw 140,000 cart loads of household waste deposited to form the characteristic banking at Odsal. The club were to be responsible for boundary fencing, dressing rooms and seated accommodation.

To be able to turf the pitch, and other areas, a turf fund was put into place which raised a total of £900 to cover the work. A stand was erected at the cost of £2,000, which was paid for by the Rugby Football League. It held 1,500 on a mixture of benches and tip-up seats.

The ground was officially opened by Sir Joseph Taylor, President of Huddersfield on 1 September 1934. His club went on to beat the hosts 31–16, Australian winger Ray Markham scoring four tries in front of an estimated 20,000.[8] The clubhouse and dressing rooms were officially opened before a match against Hull F.C. on 2 February 1935. Contemporary pictures show that as late as August 1935 the banking on the Rooley Avenue side was still being created.[7]

1940-1979: Speedway and Rugby League internationals

In 1945, speedway began in Bradford with the Odsal Boomerangs. In the post-Second World War years, speedway proved extremely popular with crowds of over 20,000 regularly attending meetings at Odsal, with the 1946 average for the first year of the National League after the war. The highest speedway attendance during this period came on 5 July 1947 when 47,050 fans saw England defeat Australia 65-43 in a Test match. This remains the largest-ever speedway crowd for Odsal Stadium.

During the Second World War, the lower floor of the clubhouse was also used as an Air Raid Precautions centre, and one of the dressing rooms was the map room.[9] On 20 December 1947, the largest ever attendance for an international test at Odsal was set when 42,685 saw England defeat New Zealand 25–9. The first floodlit rugby match in the North of England was held at Odsal in 1951. In September 1951, Council Engineer Ernest Wardley drew up a plan for a 92,000 capacity 'European' style stadium, at a cost of £250,000.[10] Eventually £50,000 was spent on terracing the Rooley Avenue end in 1964, before the Wardley plan was officially dropped the following year.[10]

After a disastrous 1960 season, the Panthers (previously the Odsal Boomerangs) left Odsal and in 1961 moved across town to the Greenfield Stadium, better known for greyhound racing. After the Panthers folded in 1962, Motorcycle Speedway would not return to Bradford for another 10 years.

Speedway returned to Odsal when promoters Les Whaley, Mike Parker and Bill Bridgett moved the British League Division Two side Nelson Admirals across the Pennines for the final eleven league meetings of the 1970 season and went on to adopt Bradford Northern as their name and red, black and amber as their colours. Northern would finish second in Division 2 in 1971, but from there results and attendances steadily declined and the team folded after 1973.

The second test of the 1978 Ashes series was played at Odsal, with Great Britain defeating Australia before a crowd of 26,761. The Lions team that day featured what was called a "Dad's Army" front row with Jim Mills, Tony Fisher and Brian Lockwood all being over the age of 30.

1980-1990s: Bradford City and the return of Speedway

The ground's clubhouse had to be refurbished when it was condemned in the mid-1980s. The social facilities were also upgraded at the same time.

Speedway returned to Odsal in 1985 after a ten-year absence when it was selected by the FIM to host the 1985 World Final.

Following the Valley Parade fire disaster of 1985, Bradford City played a handful of games at Leeds Road and Elland Road whilst the future of Valley Parade was decided. On 23 September 1985, a Football League delegation visited Odsal to view the stadium to pass it fit to host City's home games. Segregation fences were erected on the old Main Stand side and 1,000 uncovered seats were bolted onto the terracing – it was planned to install 7,000 in the future. Meanwhile, a further £1 million was spent to conform with new safety standards – bringing the total spent on Odsal to £3.5 million. New boundary walls, turnstiles, exit gates, a bus layby in Rooley Avenue and access road were added. Odsal played host to Bradford City's Division Two home games until December 1986. Odsal Stadium also held a modern-day attendance record for almost six years.

Like most British stadia, Odsal had its capacity substantially reduced by the safety measures introduced in the 1990s following the Hillsborough disaster and the findings of the Taylor Report.

2000-present: Redevelopments

At the dawn of the Super League era in 1996, Bradford Bulls wanted to attract new sponsors but had poor and outdated hospitality suites. In 2000 they announced plans to build hospitality suites at the South End of the stadium which would mean building on the track around the pitch, effectively ending Speedways association with Bradford. Construction started in 2001 and was completed in 2002 with Bradford Bulls playing two seasons at Valley Parade.

After London won the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games in 2008, plans were put in place for an Olympic Legacy Park at Odsal, which would mean redeveloping the stadium and the Richard Dunn Leisure Centre opposite. Although these plans never came to fruition and a Legacy Park was built in Sheffield instead.

In 2012, the Bulls got into financial difficulties and the RFL stepped in and bought the lease to Odsal. In early 2017 the Bulls were liquidated and a new club was formed by Andrew Chalmers who wants to redevelop Odsal into a venue fit for Super League and international rugby league.

In 2018 it was revealed Bradford Park Avenue were in discussions about moving to Odsal.

Usage

Speedway

The rugby pitch at Odsal Stadium is surrounded by a 390 yards (360 m) speedway track which was used mostly for Motorcycle speedway, though the stadium also hosted stock car racing.

After finishing at the bottom of the National League in 1948 and 1949, the Boomerangs folded and were replaced in 1950 by the Odsal Tudors. Despite the name change, fortunes remained the same with the Tudors finishing on the bottom of the NL ladder in 1951. In 1959 the Tudors dropped the Odsal name and were renamed the Bradford Tudors. The most famous of the Tudors riders was English star Nigel Boocock who rode for the team from 1955-1957.

In 1960, the Bradford Tudors renamed themselves the Bradford Panthers. After a disastrous 1960 season, the Panthers left Odsal and in 1961 moved across town to the Greenfield Stadium, better known for greyhound racing. After the Panthers folded in 1962, Motorcycle Speedway would not return to Bradford for another 10 years.

The sound of speedway bikes was heard once again at Odsal when promoters Les Whaley, Mike Parker and Bill Bridgett moved the British League Division Two side Nelson Admirals across the Pennines for the final eleven league meetings of the 1970 season. The Admirals became Bradford Northern like their rugby league landlords and even adopted their red, black and amber colours, though the move was met with opposition from the nearby Halifax Dukes. Northern would finish second in Div.II in 1971, but from there results and attendances steadily declined and again, a Bradford speedway team folded after 1973.

Speedway wasn't lost to Bradford, or Odsal though as from the Bradford Barons were formed, but they were also short lived and only lasted the years 1974 and 1975. Speedway would once again not return to Bradford for another 10 years.

Speedway returned to Odsal in 1985 after a ten-year absence when it was selected by the FIM to host the 1985 World Final, the first time the Final in England would not be held at Wembley Stadium. In the three years after the 1981 World Final at Wembley, international speedway's home in Great Britain had been the White City Stadium in London. However, with the closure of White City in 1985 a new home would be needed and the 30,000 capacity Odsal was chosen. A capacity crowd at the 1985 World Final saw a titanic fight between Denmark's defending World Champion Erik Gundersen, his fellow countryman Hans Nielsen, and American rider Sam Ermolenko. The trio all finished the meeting on 13 points each which saw a three-way runoff for the top 3 placings with Gundersen winning from Nielsen and Ermolenko. Just a month prior to the World Final, Odsal also hosted the Overseas Final as part of the World Final qualifications. That meeting saw two riders finish at the top on 14 points, American Shawn Moran and English favourite, Halifax Dukes rider Kenny Carter. Moran would defeat Carter in the runoff for the Overseas title.

In March 1986, Odsal opened its doors to British League action for the first time since the 1950s after the Halifax Dukes were offered a new home track. The new 'Bradford Dukes' team would in later years include World Champions Gary Havelock and Mark Loram, multiple British and Long Track World Champions Simon Wigg and Kelvin Tatum, and dual Australian Champion Glenn Doyle. However, the club suffered the tragic loss of Kenny Carter who died in murder/suicide after shooting his wife and then himself at their home in May 1986.

Odsal Stadium hosted its second World Final in 1990. Swedish rider Per Jonsson won his only World Championship when he defeated Shawn Moran in a runoff after both had finished the meeting on 13 points. Moran was later stripped of his silver medal by the FIM after he had tested positive to a drug test taken three months earlier at the Overseas Final in Coventry. Moran claimed that the drug he took was a pain killer prescribed by a doctor in Sweden, but the FIM stood firm. They also did not upgrade the standings and the official records show no second place rider. Young Australian rider Todd Wiltshire riding in his first World Final surprised many by finishing in third place with 12 points.

From 1987, Bradford speedway then enjoyed its greatest period of success, winning eight trophies until the club's closure in 1997 when despite winning the Elite League, the club folded for the third time.

Odsal Stadium hosted the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain. Danish rider Brian Andersen won the Grand Prix from America's reigning World Champion Billy Hamill, with Swede Jimmy Nilsen finishing third in the Final. Bradford Dukes rider Mark Loram finished 4th in the Final. Loram would later go on to be the 2000 World Champion after winning the Speedway Grand Prix series that year.

Speedway World Finals

Individual World Championship
World Pairs Championship
World Team Cup

* Odsal hosted the third of 3 rounds in the Final.

Speedway Grand Prix

Layout

Rooley Avenue End

Capacity- 7,290 (standing)
The Rooley Avenue End is situated at the Northern end of the stadium. It is open terracing and is where the big screen is erected for televised games. The stand has turnstiles that back onto Rooley Avenue.

East Stand

Capacity- 4,890 (seating)
The East Stand is the only part of the ground that is covered and has seating. The stand runs parallel to the pith and has BULLS spelt out on the seats. The stand houses hone supporters and most season ticket holders as well as the press and some executive seats. There is also bars and toilets at the top of the stand.

South Bank

Capacity- 620 (seating)
The South Bank is the stadiums hospitaily stand which sits at the Southern end of the ground. It has two levels each containing a banquiting suite and seats looking out onto the pitch. Speedway ended its association with Odsal after the hospitality building was built on turns 3 and 4.

West Stand

Capacity- 9,309 (standing)
The West Stand is uncovered terracing and houses the players changing rooms and tunnel as well as TV gantry at the top of the stand. The supporters bar is located in the north-west corner of the stand and also houses a manual scoreboard and clock. At the top of the stand, on ground level with Rooley Avenue is the car park and club shop and ticket office. There are a few hospitality boxes at the top of the stand bit these are not used after the construction of the South Bank.

The pitch

The pitch at Odsal has a distinctive concave contour, with the corners of the pitch behind the try-line noticeably sloping up towards the stands. This was due to the stadium being used to host speedway events and so the corners of the pitch were removable to allow full use of the track. With the end of speedway at Odsal, the upturned corners are no longer as pronounced as they once were.

Future

As there has been little investment in the stadium, apart from the South Bank being built in 2002, most of the stadium is run down. In the run up to the 2012 London Olympics, Bradford City Council applied for an Olympic Legacy Park to be built at Odsal and the site of Richards Dunn Sport Centre. Bradford's bid was turned down in favour of Sheffield, which means it is highly unlikely and improvements will be made to Odsal in the near future. However when Andrew Chalmers bought the club in 2017, he expressed an interest in redeveloping the stadium for it to be fit for Super League and future international test matches.

Sponsorship

YearSponsorName
2006-2010GrattanGrattan Stadium, Odsal
2013-2017Provident FinancialProvident Stadium

Rugby League Test matches

List of rugby league test matches played at Odsal Stadium.[11]

Test No.DateResultAttendanceNotes
129 January 1938 Wales def.  England 7–68,6371938 European Rugby League Championship
123 December 1939 Wales def.  England 16–315,257
218 October 1941 England drew with  Wales 9–94,339
320 December 1947United Kingdom England def.  New Zealand 25–942,6851947 England vs New Zealand series
429 January 1949 Great Britain def.  Australia 23–936,2941948–49 Ashes series
56 October 1951 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 21–1537,4751951 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
67 December 1951 New Zealand def.  Wales 15–38,568
713 December 1952 Australia def.  Great Britain 27–730,5091952 Ashes series
87 October 1953Other Nationalities def.  Wales 30–514,6461953–54 European Rugby League Championship
97 November 1953 England def.  France 7–510,659
1012 November 1955 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 27–1224,4431955 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
1111 April 1956 Great Britain def.  France 18–1010,453
121 December 1956 Australia def.  Great Britain 22–923,6341956 Ashes series
1324 September 1960 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 23–820,5771960 Rugby League World Cup
148 October 1960 Great Britain def.  Australia 10–332,773
1521 October 1961 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 23–1019,9801961 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
1623 October 1965 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 15–915,8491965 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
172 March 1968 Great Britain def.  France 19–814,196
181 November 1970 France def.  Australia 17–156,6541970 Rugby League World Cup
192 March 1972 Great Britain def.  France 45–107,313
2025 November 1975 England def.  New Zealand 27–125,5071975 Rugby League World Cup
215 November 1978 Great Britain def.  Australia 18–1426,7611978 Ashes series
222 November 1980 New Zealand def.  Great Britain 12–810,9461980 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
232 November 2003 England def.  Russia 102–01,3762003 European Nations Cup

Rugby League Tour matches

Odsal Stadium also saw Bradford Northern and the county side Yorkshire play host to international touring teams from Australia and New Zealand from 1937–1994.

gameDateResultAttendanceNotes
16 October 1937 Australia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 8–47,5701937–38 Kangaroo Tour
227 October 1937 Australia def. Bradford Northern 19–65,748
310 November 1948 Australia def. Bradford Northern 21–713,2871948–49 Kangaroo Tour
48 October 1952 Australia def. Bradford Northern 20–629,2871952–53 Kangaroo Tour
524 October 1956 Australia def. Bradford Northern 23–112,7431956–57 Kangaroo Tour
64 November 1959 Australia def. Bradford Northern 29–84,1261959–60 Kangaroo Tour
72 December 1967 Australia def. Bradford Northern 7–314,1731967–68 Kangaroo Tour
819 November 1972 Australia def. Bradford Northern 29–162,8201972 Australian Rugby League World Cup tour
928 October 1973 Australia def. Bradford Northern 50–145,6671973 Kangaroo Tour
108 October 1978 Australia def. Bradford Northern 21–1115,7551978 Kangaroo Tour
1114 October 1980 Bradford Northern def. New Zealand 15–104,5531980 New Zealand Kiwis tour
127 November 1982 Australia def. Bradford Northern 13–610,5061982 Kangaroo Tour
1318 November 1986 Australia def. Bradford Northern 38–010,6631986 Kangaroo Tour
1411 October 1989 New Zealand def. Bradford Northern 26–81989 New Zealand Kiwis tour
155 October 1993 Bradford Northern def. New Zealand 17–101993 New Zealand Kiwis tour
1613 November 1994 Australia def. Bradford Northern 40–09,0801994 Kangaroo Tour

Attendance records

Odsal record

Super League record

Test match record

World Cup record

  • 32,773 – Great Britain vs. Australia, 8 October 1960

Speedway Record

See also

References

  1. "Elland Road – Information". wafll.com. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
  2. Delaney 1991, p. 48.
  3. Gate, Robert (1994). There were a lot more than that: Odsal 1954. R.E. Gate. ISBN 9780951119044.
  4. "The Provident Stadium". 2016.
  5. Laybourn, Ian (27 January 2012). ""Stobart Super League 2012 club-by-club guide"". Daily Telegraph. London.
  6. Delaney 1991, pp. 44–45.
  7. 1 2 Delaney 1991, p. 45.
  8. Delaney 1991, p. 45-46.
  9. Delaney 1991, pp. 46.
  10. 1 2 "Odsal". bantamspast. The Bradford City Football Club Museum. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  11. Odsal Stadium @ Rugby League Project
  12. "Previous Winners". Rugby-League.com. Retrieved 14 February 2017.

Bibliography

  • Delaney, Trevor (1991). The Grounds Of Rugby League. Keighley: Trevor R. Delaney. ISBN 0-9509-9822-2.
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