The Wembley of the North? (Odsal Stadium)

Member Name: doctordarke2389

Product:	Odsal Stadium
Date:	29/07/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Spacious

Disadvantages: Cold

Odsal Stadium, Bradford, is potentially bigger than Wembley. I believe that it had a record crowd of over 102,000 for a rugby league match against Halifax RLFC in the early 1950s. That may of course need correcting. The stadium has also been the venue for speedway and other sporting events.

Odsal has been the home of the Bradford Bulls rugby league team (formerly Bradford Northern) since 1934. Given that Bradford is settled in a natural valley, then Odsal is situated over a geographical lip at the top of Rooley Avenue, and is about 2.5 miles outside of Bradford city centre going up either Manchester Road or Wakefield Road.

The facilities at Odsal have been traditionally spartan, to say the least. Parking is limited, too. Most of the stadium is exposed to the elements, not least a biting Yorkshire breeze, and this has been the case since time immemorial. There have been plans afoot to resurrect the concept of the Odsal Sporting Village, with banqueting and conference facilities at least in recognition that the amenities badly need upgrading to compete with the likes of Leeds, St. Helens, and Wigan as major rugby league competitors and income-generators. What has been lacking in the past is the political and commercial will to do so. Watch this space? well, maybe ...

Summary: Needs an upgrade