The Richard Micallef Column

Wednesday 26 June, 2002

The Bulls vs City

Where to start on the Odsal fiasco?

Well, even the biggest Bulls fan cannot argue with the fact that it seems pointless building another 25,000 seater stadium in the city when there is one available to house rugby and football. But we want luxuries; our own home grounds. I suppose we deserve them. I can understand helping our neighbours out after they helped us in 1985, but all they have shown is animosity.

To me, one main reason for the failure of the Odsal plan is simply that rugby league in a minority sport outside of Yorkshire and Lancashire, and from here, a load of other reasons emerge, such as lack or money. TV figures, and interest in general. Sorry Bulls fans, but that's the way it is. Yes, there's the London Broncos, but come on, how many people watch them? 4000 or so, in a city of 8 million.

That "World Champion" tag doesn't wash at all I'm afraid. How many nations actually play RL? They beat an Aussie team in a one off, yet when there's an international the Brits get creamed.

Therefore, a £60 million fancy stadium and facilities that will hold about 15 games a year is not great value. Especially when national sponsorship isn't there. Valley Parade has the potential to hold International matches as well as corporate facilities, a factor the Bulls are jealous of. We have large sponsors.

I'd bet my right arm viewing figures aren't any higher than that of poor quality digital TV channels. A Bulls fan complained in the T&A that Ken Morrison has not backed them. Morrison's is a huge national company. They have bigger fish to fry.

They've been at our house for 2 years now. I wouldn't go a mate's house, throw up on the carpet and urinate on the curtains. Yet it seems that's the attitude of their fans. Many have done nothing but whinge. I use the comments from their Independent Supporters Association chairman to prove this -"The Bulls have also had lots of juniors running about the pitch and pre-match entertainment in the past. But at Valley Parade they seem not to want the pitch spoiled.

Rugby can be played on a cabbage patch. Football actually needs a nice bit of grass. Also, if you are so bothered about entertaining your kids, take them to a circus. Was this the only reason the Bulls drew large crowds at Odsal? "But Mr Grundy (the ISA chairman) said there had been difficulty because rugby league spectators were used to being able to stand up and move around at matches."

Was that the highlight of going to Odsal? They might not know it, but we have an all seater stadium due to the disasters of 1985 and 1989. Don't blame us because we had to make our stadium safe (possibly the safest in the country now?). "But if the Bulls are going to stay at Valley Parade it will have to be made more like the Bradford Bulls' home. We wouldn't want to continue as the cuckoos in the nest. We would want signs to say we were there and a real presence."

Who's ground is Valley Parade? Who are the guests, who are paying an extremely low fee to stay? If the Bulls were going to pay serious rent, maybe they could argue. We're helping them out with the best current alternative in the city. They need us a lot more than we need them.

The Bulls fans blame Valley Parade for the dropping of their attendances. Maybe they were just part time fans, and maybe THEY should try and get them back before demanding a huge new stadium.

It also annoys me how they expect everything to be done for them. I do believe the council have some obligation to put some money in. But from what I've seen, the Bulls are relying too much on others. Do they have serious capital to put forward? It is not just one stand they want, it's a whole new stadium. Why can't they just improve Odsal, to a 15,000 capacity, with the potential to be upgraded in the future?

First of all, they moan about VP, yet it is probably the biggest and best ground in Super League. Now they are demanding what they want if they have to stay. When the fire happened I was 2. But I can safely say when we had to play at different grounds, I bet we were grateful for what we got.

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