THE legendary Brian Noble has been reminiscing over some of his fondest Odsal memories, as he admitted that he hoped it wasn't over for the club's time in Bradford.

Bulls are set to play their last ever game there on Sunday after the club's decision to move to Dewsbury.

Noble, whose association as a player and then coach with Bradford Northern and Bulls stretches back to the 1970s, said: "I played in a schoolboy cup final there when I was 11, and it was like walking into the Amazon jungle, when that expanse of concrete just hit you.

"Funnily enough, I wasn't really a rugby league player, I was a footballer, so I didn't actually play league again until I was 13."

Remembering his playing days in the 1980s, he said: "Back then, you could hear every word from the fans, as the noise from the John Smith's stand was incredible. You used to have to walk right down from the changing rooms too.

"You didn't want to bother coming back up if you'd lost though, as there would be plenty of scuffles between the fans and the players. You didn't want to lose your footing either, or you'd end up falling down lots of stairs!"

He laughed about the havoc the weather could play with the ground, saying: "I think we played Leeds in a Challenge Cup replay once when it was really foggy.

"We could hardly see each other on the pitch but Odsal was famous for being like that in the fog. There were lots of games I played and coached in that shouldn't have even gone ahead."

Noble said he was inspired by the big crowds at Odsal. He was part of the backroom staff when nearly 25,000, a then Super League record, turned up to watch Bulls win an epic encounter over Leeds Rhinos in 1999.

That game finished 19-18 to the hosts after a last-gasp drop goal by Michael Withers and three weeks later they "flogged" St Helens 40-4 in a stunning play-off semi final performance which left over 16,000 fans gasping.

That is a thing of the past now, with Bulls planning to move to Dewsbury for the next two years with the intention of ultimately returning to a new stadium in Bradford.

Noble admitted: "It's sad to see what's happening at the club at the moment. I just hope it's not over for them in Bradford."