“WHERE you play we follow”; five words that say it all.

The banner that accompanies the Bulls home and away spells out what they mean to the fans.

It’s a motto that the club, and chairman Andrew Chalmers more than most, will be hoping is adopted by the entire fanbase when they kick off next year in pastures new.

Office staff were transporting kitchen equipment to Dewsbury in the rain on Friday. Relocation to the Tetley’s Stadium is imminent.

Odsal is fast becoming a ghost town of empty rooms and that vast arena. But what a send-off it has been given this season.

The records will suggest that the Bulls made a solid return to Championship rugby after promotion.

Above-par in finishing in sixth spot, even if the one-point gap to the play-offs remains an itch that the team will want to scratch.

York’s magnificent over-achievement in reaching the top five diminishes the Bulls’ efforts but, as John Kear has been keen to point out, being the 20th best team in the domestic game represents a major advance from the days of running up cricket scores against West Wales and Hemel.

The ifs and buts of 2019 will linger.

If only the woodwork had been more forgiving in the drop-goal duel with the Knights at Bootham Crescent.

But for the mentally-sapping Challenge Cup run, would the Bulls have stayed fresher and not dropped costly league points in mid-campaign?

Yet, nobody would have swapped that cup journey for anything.

And how appropriate that the book of memories of Odsal’s finest stories should include one more from its final year as Leeds Rhinos were vanquished on that magnificent afternoon in May.

Over 10,000 fans basked in the glory of finally putting one over the old rival once more.

Millions more shared their elation on live television as the wider world were given a reminder of the potential stature of this particular fallen giant.

Of course, the sheer physical and emotional demands of reaching a first quarter-final since Super League days had a negative impact on the bread-and-butter of the Championship.

But only a curmudgeon would argue that such an iconic “I was there” game was not worth the cost.

The big disappointment was that the Bulls were unable to follow it up against a superbly-drilled Halifax team the following round. How the semi-finals at the University of Bolton Stadium would have bounced to the travelling Bradford army.

That was one of a number of nail-biting finishes throughout the season – for entertainment value at least, a welcome contrast from the regular blow-outs in the third tier.

The tone was set on the opening day when Dane Chisholm’s drop goal edged out Featherstone. Within a couple of months, though, the maverick Australian had joined Rovers after being deemed surplus to requirements.

Chisholm would have his revenge in May by masterminding a 42-4 Featherstone win, the Bulls’ heaviest Championship defeat.

But John Kear had made the call to give youth its head with play-making duties.

Jordan Lilley clearly relished the responsibility and his permanent capture from Leeds gives the club an on-field leader for years to come. And his golden-point winner against Fev that earned the crack at his former team was undoubtedly the moment of the season.

Rowan Milnes fulfilled his promise as another guaranteed fit in the long-term plans before a broken leg cruelly brought his breakthrough year to a premature end.

His emergence softened the blow of Joe Keyes’ lengthy absence. But when his back was finally sorted, the Ireland international quickly made up for lost time.

His return gave the side balance and coincided with a run of big wins, thrashing Widnes without conceding and then becoming only the second team to beat Toulouse in France.

While the Bulls eventually came up just short, Keyes proved he was on top of his game with the injury demons behind him.

Elliot Minchella, another proud Bradford lad, grew in the role as deputy to skipper Steve Crossley and proved the man for all positions when early-season injuries bit deep into Kear’s tactical options.

And, of course, there was Ethan Ryan who followed up his League One-leading exploits with another 20 tries.

His expected switch to Hull KR will hurt because of his close links with the club that have made his name.

Ryan’s CV was typically peppered with gymnastic finishes – the contortionist on the wing scoring from seemingly impossible angles.

And who will forget the cheeky backheel at Rochdale on Sunday? Even an admiring Kear admitted it was something he had never previously witnessed.

Ryan, “one of our own” as the fans always sing, will be missed.