Bradford Bulls chairman tackles the questions the fans want answered (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford Bulls chairman tackles the questions on Odsal the fans want answered

11:00am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Bulls By Sports Desk

The Bulls will continue to foot the maintenance and repair bills at Odsal as well as pay rent to the RFL, says Peter Hood

Question 1: What was the prime motivation behind the RFL’s purchase of Odsal and what do both parties stand to gain from the deal?

Bulls chairman Peter Hood:The RFL’s purchase of Odsal secures one of the sport’s most famous assets. This transaction ensures that the RFL board is protecting an asset of rugby league and the Bradford Bulls, safeguarding the best interests of the sport in one of its core markets.

The club has been vulnerable to predatory approaches from third parties, the result of which is likely to have been the loss of Odsal to the Bulls (the vast majority of fans have a great affection for Odsal and wish the club to remain there).

Q2: You have said previously that maintenance costs of the stadium were high. Was this injection of cash into the Bulls necessary to safeguard the club’s future in the short, medium or long term?

No, but the money is very welcome, coming as it did in the depths of a major recession. Maintenance costs – and the costs of complying with health and safety regulations and the Green Guide (Safety of Sports Grounds legislation) – are what you’d expect in a stadium of which some parts are quite old.

Q3: There has been talk that the club’s place in Super League was under threat due to its financial position. How real was that threat?

Not a threat – ‘paper talk’. As I said at the time, had this deal not taken place, it would have been business as usual. Yes, there’s a welcome financial side effect because we are in difficult financial times but the primary motivation is about securing Odsal, and putting it into the ownership of the Rugby Football League is the best way of doing that.

Q4: Who will now cover the costs of the stadium’s upkeep, maintenance and repairs?

Us. It’s business as usual on that score. The operation of the stadium, including what it’s called, will remain the same. It’s not going to have the initials RFL attached to it. It remains Odsal. Grattan named the stadium previously and if they came back, or anyone else came in that we could sell the stadium naming rights to, then that would continue. The stadium is still ours in that sense.

Q5: The RFL say they have no immediate plans to transform Odsal into a ‘Wembley of the north’ but can you see the potential for making Odsal rugby league’s national stadium and how may that benefit the city?

Yes, absolutely. Bradford is already benefiting – the governing body of a major sport has invested in the city.

More investment over time would further put the city on the map, positively, and maybe create jobs as well.

Q6: How will the RFL owning Odsal affect the club’s Super League licence?

The Super League licences are awarded on an entirely dispassionate and professional basis. We are a Grade B licence now and we cannot be a Grade A because we don’t have sufficient seats under cover to meet that criteria as we speak. I would expect that in three years time we would maintain the Grade B status if the criteria doesn’t change.

Q7: Finally, where does the purchase of Odsal by the RFL leave the Bradford club on a financial footing going forward?

Better off. We’ve got a capital sum coming into the club and what we are now doing is paying the RFL rent and in effect they have become the landlord. But we’re not about to rush out and invest it in players because we are up to the salary cap already.