SUER League club Bradford Bulls have been awarded a grant of almost £100,000 to research and commemorate its players and staff involved in the First World War.

The Heritage Lottery Fund revealed today it has awarded the Bradford Bulls Foundation £97,800 for a project called "Birch Lane Heroes."

The name refers to the ground the club's predecessor, the Bradford Northern Rugby League Football Club, played at at the time of the WW1.

Trustees have described the grant as "great news" for the club, and it will lead to a new learning zone being created at the Bull's ground Odsal Stadium.

The project will involve research into anyone involved in the club between 1914 and 1918. Once the trustees have a list of names they will try and trace their descendants and see if they were involved in the war.

Once the research is complete, information plaques will be installed around the stadium and the information made available in a new "interactive learning zone."

Records at the club show that 76 men played for the club between 1914 to 1916 and in 1917 an additional 82 new names were added to the list. However, no records exist of non playing members of the club, and the trust hopes that in addition to players some of these individuals can also be identified.

Players' records are very basic, and little or no research has ever been undertaken previously to fully identify those involved in the war.

The team used to play at Birch Lane in West Bowling, a site next to Bowling Old Lane Cricket Club now occupied by Bowling Park First School.

Bulls Foundation chairman, Ian Greenwood, said, the grant was "great news" for the foundation and the club's history.

He added: “We are delighted to have received the support of the Heritage lottery Fund for this valuable piece of work. It will enable local people, young and old, to fully explore for the first time the contribution made by the Bradford Northern players and staff to the first world war effort."

Fiona Spiers, head of the HLF - Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “The impact of the First World War was far-reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond.

"As we rapidly approach the centenary of the First World War it is important to remember the huge impact that the conflict had on every aspect of day to day life.

"This project will enable the community to learn about and commemorate the contributions and sacrifices made by the Bradford Northern RLFC.”