Lawn: It's ridiculous we have to move to Leeds (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Lawn: It's ridiculous we have to move to Leeds
9:00am Thursday 22nd April 2010 in
City will move into a new training base in Leeds – after drawing a blank finding suitable facilities around Bradford.
The Bantams have agreed a five-year lease to rent the University of Leeds playing fields at Weetwood from the start of next season.
The new training ground, which was used by Bulgaria for Euro 96, will also allow them to do everything under one roof – which has not been possible at Apperley Bridge.
But joint-chairman Mark Lawn admitted it was “ridiculous” that they could not relocate somewhere within the city.
It’s ridiculous for a city this size but if we want to do anything we’ve got to go to Leeds
Mark Lawn
He said: “I’m a Bradford lad and a Bradford businessman and I would rather be in Bradford helping out the local economy but what can we do?
“I’ve been talking to the council and they’ve said there is nowhere they can put us. I’m getting fed up with it.
“It’s ridiculous for a city this size but if we want to do anything we’ve got to go to Leeds.
“It’s taken us less than a month to find this facility. That tells you how quick things can be done.
“The University of Leeds have opened their arms welcoming us. They want a professional club to be there and can’t do enough.
“The rent is more than we have been paying but all the money will go towards equipment to keep improving the facilities.
“The training ground is the one thing we’ve been a little bit slack on over the years. If I’d been chairman when we were in the Premier League, I’d have got it done then.
“But this is another step forward and should move us on next season.”
Comments(57)
bantam blue
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9:25am Thu 22 Apr 10
pudsey.bantam
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9:55am Thu 22 Apr 10
bcfc1903
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10:02am Thu 22 Apr 10
clackett.lane
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10:06am Thu 22 Apr 10
Bradford never will go anywhere with the councils we have had over the years. I see the difference straight away if i go to Leeds. Despite the recession there is still a buzz and liveliness about the place. Drabford is just that and a third world place to boot.
balbrigganfc
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10:16am Thu 22 Apr 10
nowt fresh
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10:22am Thu 22 Apr 10
tyker
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10:32am Thu 22 Apr 10
WELL DONE NOT: THIS JUST SHOWS, HOWEVER, THAT THE COUNCIIL HAVE BERY SHORT MEMORIES: just a few years ago our club brought untold monies into the city for the benefit of the whole city.
all that this council is good for is demolition and leaving the city with scares which will take years to heal whilst embarking on more and more hairbrained ideas involving massive expenditures on consultants and artists yet thay are incapable of providing fit and it's football team.
A DISGRACE: A CLEAR OUT THOUGH IN MAY WILL PRODUCE JUST THE SAME INEPTITUDE.
Meat Pie
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10:36am Thu 22 Apr 10
Go look what they've done to the City Centre - no wonder the place is dying on it's ar5e.
The place needs some business people with business acumen and some common sense to help run the place otherwise the option is what we've got.
Extremely poor that the City's football team has to train in Leeds.
Have we no shame !!!!!
Waynus71
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10:41am Thu 22 Apr 10
l facilities on the Richard Dunnes site. Any facilities for improving training will simply be opened to the Bulls.
As our council is 'not fit for purpose', how do we get change? Is the Council still jointly run by the Tories and the Lib Dems, with just a seat or two of Labour? I urge that we make a difference in the forthcoming council elections!
bradfordmark
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10:43am Thu 22 Apr 10
bcfc1903
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11:06am Thu 22 Apr 10
Bcfc Boyz On Tour
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11:15am Thu 22 Apr 10
bcfc1903 wrote:In the words of meatloaf
I don't think anyone needs to except what's going on at the minute,it's a disgrace and needs sorting out once and for all.These Bradford Council jokers have got away with murder for way too long and need bringing to book.Bradford City fans and club have as much right to council funds and facilities as Bradford Bulls and this needs pointing out to them in no uncertain terms.Bradford Council are in the process of destroying our City centre and they must not be allowed to succeed.
You took the words right out of my mouth....
Bradford council are a disgrace..
they need to be booted out of the city asap. lets all protest out side town hall, get all the press tv and radio involed and we could save this city.......
Bantam-in-Greece
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11:24am Thu 22 Apr 10
That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.
city442
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12:08pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Bantam-in-Greece wrote:What a tool!!!
I think that Bradford should merge with Leeds and the whole package simply be called "Leeds". That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.
Yes, Bradford is going downhill fast! Yes, the council is an embarassment! Yes, the council are a disgrace! And yes, they are totally clueless (especially when it comes to sport in the city)!
But to suggest Leeds getting involved is utter crap that you are talking!!!
We just need decent personel at the top within the council rather than clueless jobsworths that have not got a decent business brain between them!
Why don't you test out your proposal by asking the Greeks if they would be OK with a Turkish government and renaming the country Turkey?
Yes, thought not!!!
Rambo
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12:24pm Thu 22 Apr 10
.
.
Maybe...?
rio8uk
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12:32pm Thu 22 Apr 10
balbrigganfc
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12:33pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Bantam-in-Greece wrote:That sounds like a great idea, if only we could sack our useless inept bottomless pit of incompetence council, and replace them with the councillors from of neighbourly foe.
I think that Bradford should merge with Leeds and the whole package simply be called "Leeds". That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.
rio8uk
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12:36pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Waynus71
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12:42pm Thu 22 Apr 10
bcfc1903 wrote:Doesn't Bradford already have a Lord Mayor called Councillor John Godward (Labour)?
This City doesn't need a Council it needs a Mayor with the power to get things moving,i'm a Labour voter but would vote for John Pennington in any elections for this position.The parties have had their chance and without doubt this conservative council(backed up by the liberals) is the worst Bradford has had over the years and they need removing before they do even more damage.
Isn't he one of those that are causing such animosities in our city? The Tories have ruined our City and as they say in their parliamentary elections campaign...... "now is the time for change"!!!! VOTE THEM OUT and that includes John Pennington (and the Labour Lord Mayor too)!
Waynus71
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12:48pm Thu 22 Apr 10
city442 wrote:Read his post again and you will see it was tongue-in-cheek. He is basically taking the p!ss out of our Council and you have hammered him for it.
Bantam-in-Greece wrote: I think that Bradford should merge with Leeds and the whole package simply be called "Leeds". That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.What a tool!!! Yes, Bradford is going downhill fast! Yes, the council is an embarassment! Yes, the council are a disgrace! And yes, they are totally clueless (especially when it comes to sport in the city)! But to suggest Leeds getting involved is utter crap that you are talking!!! We just need decent personel at the top within the council rather than clueless jobsworths that have not got a decent business brain between them! Why don't you test out your proposal by asking the Greeks if they would be OK with a Turkish government and renaming the country Turkey? Yes, thought not!!!
When you read it again, in the way it was intended, you will agree is isn't him that is the tool!!!!
shaun from richmond
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1:06pm Thu 22 Apr 10
BRADFORD = APATHY....Always has!!
If anyone cared they would sort out the MESS THAT IS BRADFORD!!
But apart from a bit of Asian Money....everyone has left!!
ONLY 20 postings on this subject..........tel
ls it all= APATHY!!
_Size3_
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1:07pm Thu 22 Apr 10
spionkop64
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1:20pm Thu 22 Apr 10
bcfc1903
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1:27pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Bantam-in-Greece wrote:No thanks,i'm a proud Bradfordian,the idea of being swallowed up by our bigger neighbour is laughable but no joke.As someone else said above,Bradford's lacking good leadership ,given that.. Bradford could still rise from the Council made rubble.
I think that Bradford should merge with Leeds and the whole package simply be called "Leeds". That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.
bcfc1903
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1:35pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Waynus71 wrote:I meant an elected Mayor by the people of Bradford,and yes John Pennington is a Tory but he's trying to save the Odeon building...he's got some great ideas for that building and the City centre including trying to bring about crossrail,something that should have been put in place years ago.
bcfc1903 wrote: This City doesn't need a Council it needs a Mayor with the power to get things moving,i'm a Labour voter but would vote for John Pennington in any elections for this position.The parties have had their chance and without doubt this conservative council(backed up by the liberals) is the worst Bradford has had over the years and they need removing before they do even more damage.Doesn't Bradford already have a Lord Mayor called Councillor John Godward (Labour)? Isn't he one of those that are causing such animosities in our city? The Tories have ruined our City and as they say in their parliamentary elections campaign...... "now is the time for change"!!!! VOTE THEM OUT and that includes John Pennington (and the Labour Lord Mayor too)!
Eccy George
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1:53pm Thu 22 Apr 10
tyker
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2:06pm Thu 22 Apr 10
What payback you are saying.
Bradford City football club did more for this city in two years of premiership that ever done before or since. Every day the city was mentioned on Sky sports AND OTHER SPORTS PROGRAMMES.
What has BCAFC ever had by way of support for the council: if CITY HAVE HAD A PENNY THE BULLS AND ODSAL have had millions over the years.
What a laughing stock the city of Bradford is: regeneration cannot provide decent sports facilities and now the club has to go to another City.
To say I am angry is an understatement!!
Craig
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2:25pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Waynus71 wrote:I'm sorry Waynus but i have to take you to task on this one mate; it seems your frustration and the irresponsible words of our City Chairman in relation to the OSV project have got you in a muddle.
Bradford Council can't afford to relocate City in a similar way to Leeds. After all, they are planning on investing £15m of council tax payers money on swimming/recreationa l facilities on the Richard Dunnes site. Any facilities for improving training will simply be opened to the Bulls. As our council is 'not fit for purpose', how do we get change? Is the Council still jointly run by the Tories and the Lib Dems, with just a seat or two of Labour? I urge that we make a difference in the forthcoming council elections!
Any new recreational/trainin
g facilities would not be open exclusively to the Bulls at the OSV and if you actually did a bit of research you would find that the Bulls have little need of them anyway given that they very recently opened a state of the art, highly sought after traIning facility at Tong School - paid for by the club itself i might add.
How ironic that the same people slating the Council for their involvement in the OSV project are now calling on them to invest public funds in buying City a new training ground!
Before anyone gets on the high horse, i am not a Bulls fan coming on here to stir up trouble; i am a fan and season ticket holder at both clubs and have been supporting both since 1981.
However, i knew that i would find at least one comment on this forum relating to OSV and the Council's involvement in it. That is a completely separate issue that very few posters on this forum are actually well researched enough to comment on (although that doesn't stop them of course).
It is hard not to see the irony in the recriminations many are now venting at the Council in this thread and to try to use a completely irrelevant argument to further your own case only serves to enhance the view that it's narrow mindedness in this City that is costing it its future as much as those who govern us.
basil fawlty
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2:31pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Shame on Bradford Council for neglecting football in the city. Do they not realise that football is the nation's No.1 sport?
This whole situation has only arisen because for the last 15 years or more the Council's has continued its obsession with rugby (Northern/Bulls) and have poured millions of pounds of ratepayer's money into rugby whilst almost totally neglecting the city's football facilities, and in particular Bradford City FC.
Jonbantam
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2:48pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Eccy George wrote:We have sold 2000 with the target being 5000 and 17 days left and Mark Lawn is said to be disappointed. Well even cheap tickets can`t put bums on seats when for 80% of the season the entertainment has been so poor, Reality check Mr Lawn people will only throw money at something for so long without getting fed up! Lets hope Taylor signs and things do improve, a new dawn................
Surely the council in power at the time the deal was signed with "Wastefield" are responsible for the current hole in Forster Square not the shower of **** that are currently in power? But lets forget politics and get back to football, anyone any idea how the season ticket sales are going?? Also not much being said about the charity game on Sunday 9th May, I thought it would be allover the T&A and local media! Very low key at the moment?!
....Again! CTID
eebygum
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3:45pm Thu 22 Apr 10
eebygum
eebygum
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3:57pm Thu 22 Apr 10
eebygum
BCFC1234
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5:28pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Mark Lawn,on his ego trip has already made a fool of himself getting all his facts wrong over Odsal. He wants to use rate payers money to buy Valley Parade back, now he wants training facilities. What next? perhaps sort the pitch out,pay the players wages perhaps.
Bradford Council own many pitches with changing rooms and showers attached.I'm sure they would loan one of them out to Mark Lawn, maybe Bowling Park. The pitch cant be any worse than Valley Parade, if City want to upgrade it let them pay for it themselves. City want to do everything on the cheap, stop burying your heads in the sand and blaming the council.
Bantam-in-Greece
says...
6:11pm Thu 22 Apr 10
city442 wrote:Ha ha ha!! and city442 calls me a tool!!!!
Bantam-in-Greece wrote:What a tool!!!
I think that Bradford should merge with Leeds and the whole package simply be called "Leeds". That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.
Yes, Bradford is going downhill fast! Yes, the council is an embarassment! Yes, the council are a disgrace! And yes, they are totally clueless (especially when it comes to sport in the city)!
But to suggest Leeds getting involved is utter crap that you are talking!!!
We just need decent personel at the top within the council rather than clueless jobsworths that have not got a decent business brain between them!
Why don't you test out your proposal by asking the Greeks if they would be OK with a Turkish government and renaming the country Turkey?
Yes, thought not!!!
Do you really want me to explain oh wise one??
Farsley XI
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7:36pm Thu 22 Apr 10
webess
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7:43pm Thu 22 Apr 10
webess
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7:46pm Thu 22 Apr 10
.
Your Labour mates have wrecked the whole country. Think Labour are good at local politics - look at Doncaster!
mrshower
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8:04pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Guiseley Gents
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8:14pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Re Doncaster it is the Mayor Peter Davies who has been widely criticised. He ia a member of the far right English Democrats. His son by the way is the Tory MP for Shipley Philip Davies!!!!
One thing not mentioned in the story is that Leeds University have desperate financial problems. They needed to do a deal. Whether Mr Lawn had to go with a 5 year deal is debateable!!!!Apperl
ey Bridge / BFD Univ. should now be brought upto the right level.
bcfc1903
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8:19pm Thu 22 Apr 10
On the point of BCFC training facilities,no one asked for a freebe,BCFC were prepared to pay as they are doing at Leeds University,i believe Marley in Keighley had been muted as a possible training facility in the Bradford District,you'll have to ask our useless council why nothing came of that or other muted training sites in the Bradford Met..
city442
says...
10:00pm Thu 22 Apr 10
Bantam-in-Greece wrote:Yes please Spearos!!!! And yes, you are a tool!!!!
city442 wrote:Ha ha ha!! and city442 calls me a tool!!!! Do you really want me to explain oh wise one??Bantam-in-Greece wrote: I think that Bradford should merge with Leeds and the whole package simply be called "Leeds". That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.What a tool!!! Yes, Bradford is going downhill fast! Yes, the council is an embarassment! Yes, the council are a disgrace! And yes, they are totally clueless (especially when it comes to sport in the city)! But to suggest Leeds getting involved is utter crap that you are talking!!! We just need decent personel at the top within the council rather than clueless jobsworths that have not got a decent business brain between them! Why don't you test out your proposal by asking the Greeks if they would be OK with a Turkish government and renaming the country Turkey? Yes, thought not!!!
Waynus71
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2:37am Fri 23 Apr 10
As for, "How ironic that the same people slating the Council for their involvement in the OSV project are now calling on them to invest public funds in buying City a new training ground", where were the calls for a 'new training ground'?? What posters have been saying, in general, is that we have been forced to go to Leeds in order to LEASE facilities from a neighbouring council. Our council could actually be making some money from a lease instead of having us invest in Leeds' economy, or don't you understand that?
Finally, I have already done my research and can confirm the following. The original plans for the OSV was to build a stadium for Bradford Bulls, a community sports facility with a 25-metre pool, and a 120-bed hotel, plus 80,000sq ft of sports retail and extra parking. The 48-acre site would also include a multi-functional indoor sports hall with facilities for dancing, gymnastics and netball and a gymnasium. In addition, there will be top of the range on-site training facilities, incorporating a number of full sized pitches and as Hood said in 2008, "It is hoped that the venture will include outdoor and indoor training pitches and to create a home for our many academy teams to train. We also want to create outside and indoor 3G pitches and to put something back into the community".
jkelly
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6:47am Fri 23 Apr 10
Craig
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9:38am Fri 23 Apr 10
That must have been some session of research you put in, not managing to reply until 2.37am.
My point was not that the Bulls would not necessarily use any training facilities that were opened as part of an OSV, it was that your contention that they would simply be open to the Bulls is clearly incorrect and smacked of a persecution complex, which too many fans on both sides of the Bulls/City debate seem to have.
I genuinely am a fan of both clubs and i keep reiterating the point because a number of people have the habit of flying off the handle when they think someone is trying to stir up trouble. For me though, Mr Lawn is continuously shooting himself in the foot with the whining and moaning in the local press about anything and everything.
He also muddied his ticket with the Council and the Bulls with his ill judged and quite frankly stupid remarks about a potential ground share at VP, which as much as a complete lack of respect also belied his own knowledge on what is actually going on with the OSV.
I also believe that there probably were facilities within the Bradford boundaries but in my opinion what Lawn is trying to do is to leverage his position with the Council by playing the woe is me card "the Council's against us, we can't even get decent training facilities in the Bradford District boo hoo hoo". The implied suggestion of course being that the Council don't help Bradford City.
Now i am not entirely disagreeing with that standpoint because i thought the way the club was treated in the fall out from the Premier League was shoddy to say the least and i can certainly see a modicum of truth in the argument that Bradford City have, at times in the past, been treated as second class citizens by the Council although i think some of the stuff that is bandied around in regard to figures and alleged 'leg-ups' the Bulls are supposed to have had border on hysterical.
My major problem with Lawn is that going around constantly complaining about all and sundry at the Council is not going to strengthen his hand in changing that perception and when the comments he makes force the Council into a corner and elicit the kind of comments they made in response to his rant about ground sharing, in my opinion he damages the clubs cause not helps it.
Just as a final aside, i think facilities could have been found for City within Bradford it just takes a little imagination and work and given that the Bulls were able to build such state of the art facilities for themselves at the Tong site, despite running such a tight financial gauntlet, it does make me wonder why City couldn't do the same.
Waynus71
says...
9:40am Fri 23 Apr 10
jkelly wrote:Very amusing, BUT nobody is asking for a newly built training complex to be built. All City have asked Bradford Council for, was an existing facility to be leased to us in a similar way to what we have now agreed with Leeds. If this needs small investment to bring it up to date, so then be it. They would get their money back with the rental charges they make to the club.
There was a site where they could have built a training facility. Broadway.
Instead of building on the Westfield site, why don't the players practice on the City Centre Park, LOL.
city for ever
says...
10:23am Fri 23 Apr 10
The only thing i like about Bradford is the football team.
It will never get any better because of the people that live here,who are not interested in nice areas or quality shops etc.They just want cheap tat shops and car wheel shops,that is the real reason no big companys will invest here.This city is slowly dieing and the council know it,so dont expect much change to happen soon
eebygum
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11:04am Fri 23 Apr 10
Bantam-in-Greece
says...
3:47pm Fri 23 Apr 10
city442 wrote:At least have the courtesy and intelligence to spell the name right - tool.
Bantam-in-Greece wrote:Yes please Spearos!!!! And yes, you are a tool!!!!
city442 wrote:Ha ha ha!! and city442 calls me a tool!!!! Do you really want me to explain oh wise one??Bantam-in-Greece wrote: I think that Bradford should merge with Leeds and the whole package simply be called "Leeds". That way our disgrace of a city would then be run by Leeds council who would, without doubt, make our piece of "Leeds" truly respectable, pleasant on the eye and have decent, well planned, good shops etc.What a tool!!! Yes, Bradford is going downhill fast! Yes, the council is an embarassment! Yes, the council are a disgrace! And yes, they are totally clueless (especially when it comes to sport in the city)! But to suggest Leeds getting involved is utter crap that you are talking!!! We just need decent personel at the top within the council rather than clueless jobsworths that have not got a decent business brain between them! Why don't you test out your proposal by asking the Greeks if they would be OK with a Turkish government and renaming the country Turkey? Yes, thought not!!!
Spears are for throwing, dimwit.
eebygum
says...
8:40pm Fri 23 Apr 10
The argument is not between Bradford City v Bulls but the people verses the establishment.
eebygum
White Heather
says...
10:21pm Fri 23 Apr 10
Farsley XI wrote:Leeds Council bought Elland Road in the 80's and sold it back to Leeds United some years before their financial meltdown. The ground is now owned by a Manchester based business, which is almost as bad as Bradford City having to come to Leeds to train.
Just a thought on the subject of Councils, didn’t Leeds City Council buy Ellend Road? They keep buying it when Leeds are in trouble financially and selling it back at the same price as purchased, I may be wrong but someone on here will put me right.
I am from Leeds and a Leeds supporter, but worked in Bradford some years back, and I am shocked at what has happened in the City Centre. Despite my Leeds connections, it is rediculous that City are having to come over here to train. If it were the other way around and Leeds were going to Bradford, I would be well annoyed. However, I will enjoy watching your lads train at lunchtimes, since I work at a site adjoining the Leeds Uni playing fields.
Incidentally, Leeds United themselves once trained here whilst waiting for Thorp Arch to be completed, and it was Denmark, not Bulgaria, who trained here during the 1996 European Championships.
Good luck to Bradford City next season.
Up with the partridge
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10:31am Sun 25 Apr 10
webess
says...
11:31am Sun 25 Apr 10
Up with the partridge wrote:Not surprisingly that predictable "joke" has already been posted.
Why not use Bradford city centre? I thought they were about to grass it all over given the failure of the new shopping centre to emerge.
.
ravacity
says...
3:56pm Sun 25 Apr 10
Stan Dandyliver
says...
1:03am Mon 26 Apr 10
The team's sh*te, the council's sh*te, and the entire city centre is sh*te.
Just hand it all over to the Muslims. Why prolong the pain?
Stan Dandyliver
says...
1:04am Mon 26 Apr 10
The team's sh*te, the council's sh*te, and the entire city centre is sh*te.
Just hand it all over to the Muslims. Why prolong the pain?
Marco Polio
says...
11:33am Mon 26 Apr 10
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bcfc1903 says...
9:16am Thu 22 Apr 10
BRADFORD COUNCIL>>NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE......