Bradford Bulls chairman Chris Caisley says he fears for the future of sport in the city if councillors kick plans to build a giant football stand into touch.

Mr Caisley was speaking after it was revealed Council officials were against the Valley Parade development following complaints from residents next to the ground who say the new all-seater stand would overshadow their homes in Rock Terrace.

Planning officials have recommended members for the Bradford area planning sub-committee turn down the plans at a meeting this Thursday.

But Mr Caisley said he backed Bradford City's bid, led by its chairman Geoffrey Richmond to improve its facilities.

He said: "If the Council don't grasp the nettle now I fear for the future of sport in Bradford. If they mess up on this one the message it will give to the outside world is that we don't have any ambition to take anything forward.

"Now is the time for people who make the decisions to decide whether to back professional sport in the city or not. Bradford City needs a stadium of the size that will enable them to compete at the highest level. I hope councillors will do whatever is reasonably necessary to ensure that Valley Parade and Bradford City are able to do that."

He said if the club got into the play-offs and then into the Premier League next season it wouldn't be allowed to play if the stand, which is the all-standing Kop, wasn't converted.

If granted planning permission the club would have to demolish the Kop and build the all-seater stand by August 1999 as part of Government recommendations.

Mr Richmond held an emergency meeting with residents of Rock Terrace last week where he offered to underwrite the value of the homes should prices fall from today's market value in the next five years. The residents dismissed the offer.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.