A BRIEF HISTORY OF ODSAL STADIUM
Below is an edited version of the History of Odsal Stadium which appears on the official website of the Bradford Independent Supporters Association (BISA). Reproduced with permission.
Although Bradford Northern (now Bulls) as a rugby club have existed since 1907 they did not play at Odsal until 1934. Before this, the club had played at two other grounds; Greenfield Athletic Ground in Dudley Hill, and Birch Lane which was part of Bowling Old Lane Cricket ground.
On 20 June 1933 the club signed a 10 year deal with Bradford Council to move to Odsal, then a tipping site. The area was made fit for rugby with the laying of a pitch and the erection of a stand, the latter paid for with a loan of £2,000 from the Rugby Football League.
The old club house and dressing rooms, built at the top of the stadium, were a a unique feature of Odsal. They were officially opened before a match against Hull on 2nd February 1935 and their distance from the pitch meant players and officials alike had to make their way through the crowd before and after the game. Nowadays, the dressing rooms are hidden underneath the main section of terracing, so modern day players and referees do not have to endure that particular journey any longer.
Odsal has staged thousands of rugby matches over the years, but until 1996 when the introduction of the Super League saw the switch to a summer season, the weather often had a big - and not always positive - part to play. In the 1950s, geologists discovered that Odsal had been situated in a deep channel, gouged out during the 4th Ice Age 10,000 years ago, which probably explains why many people have commented that Odsal seems to have a climate all of it's own!
In December 1948 the 3rd Test between Great Britain and Australia was postponed for a month because the fog settled at ground level. Up at normal level at the top of the bowl people were basking in glorious sunshine, but where the match was to be played, 100 feet below, it was impossible to see well enough to be able to pass the ball from one person to another.
Odsal has a long and proud association with the sport of Rugby League, having hosted numerous internationals and finals, including the Challenge Cup Final Replay of 1954 which saw a then Rugby League World Record attendance of 102,569 cram into the Odsal bowl.
Odsal also holds a modern day attendance record. On 3rd September 1999, a Super League record crowd of 24,020 saw Bradford Bulls defeat Leeds Rhinos by 19 points to 18.
Although Odsal is best known as a Rugby League ground, it has also hosted many other sports, including speedway, stock car racing, basketball featuring the World famous Harlem Globetrotters, wrestling, show jumping and the Asian sport of Kabaddi.
There have been many attempts made to redevelop Odsal since its opening in 1934, with dreams of making it the 'Wembley of the North', but while some minor improvements have occasionally resulted, including the replacement of railway sleepers with concrete terracing, for example, none of these grand schemes have ever been fully completed.
Now, after reaching agreement with stadium owners Bradford Council, Bradford Bulls will end a two year ground-sharing arrangement with Bradford City FC at Valley Parade and return to their traditional home in 2003, looking at their own options to improve facilities over the short and longer terms. It is a move which has delighted the club's fans and supporters around the world.
The Stadium was renamed "Grattan Stadium" on 20th June 2006 following a major sponsorship deal between the Bradford Bulls and Otto(UK). The first game at the re-named stadium on 23rd June saw the Bulls defeat Huddersfield Giants 42-16.