Did anyone know about St.Helens being known as simply "The Saints" next year.

Last night was the first I'd heard about it.

I'd forgotten about that, but yeah that's the first I'd heard too. Interesting news.

I was just wondering if that is still the case if the council pull their backing for OSV.

Of course the council may also agree to void that part of the agreement of we move from one council site to another.

I must say, looking out of the Coral Stand last night and seeing Odsal from an angle that I haven't seen before... it's a bloody awesome stadium.

They are "Saints RL" now, are they not?"

If they are, I wasn't aware of it. I thought they were still St. Helens RLFC and hadn't seen anything about a change of name. Perhaps something that just slipped under the radar a bit.

I fully agree - I found it quite an inspiring view from that angle and elevation!

Regarding the Stadium agreement, Peter Hood mentioned a figure of something like £150 million to be cut from the Concil budget of £450 million (if I remember the figures right, but I think that was what he said). With a third of the budget to be slashed you'd have to assume that projects like the OSV would be likely to be culled. Much as we all love the Bulls on here, the general population of Bradford are hardly going to be pleased to see schools not getting built and libraries closed just so the Bulls can get a new stadium.

Surely that would mean that the original agreement about the Bulls having to play at Odsal would effectively be null and void?

Not at all.

Stand-alone agreement that did not require the council to deliver anything further once they had made the settlement.

Unless the money for the development is already ring fenced - didn't I read somewhere that it's some of the money they made from selling LBA?

I imagine "The Saints" thing is to do with the switch to Widnes for a year while the new ground is being built and the physical move away from St. Helens?

I'm sure Hood mentioned that the council were looking to make a £150m cut out of a £450m budget.

That would suggest massive cuts and I'd frankly be amazed if the OSV still went ahead while that was going on.

It seemed to be suggested (although I can't remember the wording, so apologies if I picked this up wrong) that St. Helens as a town doesn't have the best image and is considered a kind of "suburb" (I forget the exact word used) to the big city of Liverpool, and the club kind of wanted to rebrand and disassociate a little from that image.

Its apparently because they want to distance themselves in the public mind from "St Helens", which is now generally perceived as being a suburb of Scouseland with a declining industrial base, its major employer owned by the Japs and not really being an attractive place in the eyes of sponsors, and its got a Warrington postcode. And the stadium is on the edge of the town, so visitors will not even have to go near the town proper.

Seriously. I jest not. And they make a very good point.

And, other than the postcode, does it remind you of anywhere we know? How long before we become Bulls RL? This was all alluded to yesterday.

(Edit: Sorry Kev, did not realise you had posted in amongst)

On the same day that I stop supporting. Losing "Northern" was painful, but negotiable for me. Losing "Bradford" isn't.

Dropping the "Bradford" would do more harm than good IMO.

Ditto

I honestly don't think they would barring a huge fallout with the council. They said last night that they would always consider proposals, as a business always should. Just because they talk about it every few months though, doesn't mean it will happen.

I'd be amazed and very very disappointed if it did.

St. Helens RLFC T/A Saints, perhaps?
Aren't we still Bradford Northern (1964) Ltd at the top of the chain? I'm sure the debit for my lottery numbers is taken by that name.

Bradford Bulls Holdings Ltd. Name change 20/8/1998

And dropping "Bradford" would probably be a big mistake IMO, cos in Saints' case they are all called Saints anyway. Only Bonehead still calls them "Sintellins". In our case we are still generally "Bradford". That said, if the price for a shiny new stadium/megabucks in the bank was a name change, I'd pay that price. But then, I hail from the midland shires so I would, wouldn't I?

Maybe if we called ourself the West Riding Bulls or summat we could go grab a bigger Service Area...?

I'm not sure that was for public consumption just yet, but if I remember rightly that saving was over the next 4 years, which lessens the blow and the Council has stated previously the monies for the OSV has been ring fenced, but we all know Bureaucratic goalposts a very fluid!

How have Saints fans taken it? Would v unwise for us, lose much more than we'd gain.

[url=http://viewtopic.php?f=18&t=463238=#800000Clicky[/url

50/50 I'd say from the link

The club would seriously have to think whether the fans would share the vision and whether it would work. Not sure about this

The poll is slightly against on that threads - even after my "for" vote!

Hasn't it happened in the NRL where Canterbury Bulldogs changed to Bulldogs... then back to Canterbury Bulldogs again? Or even Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs again?

I'm not sure I like the St Helens name change too much, I'd say St Helens is synonymous with rugby league... Saints could refer to Southampton FC or Northampton RU!

I hope Bradford would never change to 'Bulls RL'.

Not seen it mentioned on here yet, but Hood was a big fan of Sykes however he was 'clearly not a stand off'. And that he is doing a temporary job at 6 for us, or words to that effect.

After a statement like that by the chairman, would it be fair to assume that we have got someone line up for 6 next year?