The leaseholder (RFL) were only allowed to use the stadium for its primary use as a rugby league ground until 31/05/19.

They can do what they want with it now.

The Bulls have a rent arrangement up to 30th September 2019 as Chalmers wouldn’t accept a long term lease agreement that the RFL tried to force on him when he bought the club.

Cheers Booaza

Actually pleased with the way Chalmers has played this even if disappointed that Bradford RL team will be playing outside the City for 2 seasons.

Yeah it’s going to be a sad day on 1st September but I can’t see how the club can carry on as things are.

I think we won't know how bad or good a decision this is until 2 years time.

If we get some sort of improved stadium situation in the city of Bradford, then I can live with Dewsbury.

My guess is we may well limp back to an undeveloped BPA with a much smaller fan base. Hope I'm wrong.

Odsal wasn't viable though. Would have preferred BPA and joint partnership to develop that ground. Chalmers must be confident he can get some sort of stadium done.

It makes sense in the 'great scheme of things', I guess.

My big caveat is that there is little that is "definite". AC has gone into things and made plans but little seems to be certain. A company is looking for areas to build etc but nothing has, as yet, been identified and much seems still up in the air. His plan is for 2 years at Dewsbury then back in Bradford in a yet to identified place. He also mentions a possible further 2 year extension.

Superdome was going to be 2 years. The money was in place, the plans were finalised and it just needed to be built when we went to VP. Oh, yes, it needed final planning permission didn't it. I do worry that we seem to way behind the position we were in when we went to VP back then.

Just a thought, if we lock up and hand back the keys where will the shop, offices be based ?

Anyone read the article with Kear in today's T&A?
He mentions not being able to finalise playing contracts until they knew where we'd be playing next season (makes sense).
But then he also mentions the possibility of trimming the squad down and maybe not running a reserves side next season? Has he been misquoted here or what - we HAVE to run a reserves side next season don't we? I hope John hasn't forgotten that

We're not in the same ballpark as we were then. I'd bet my house on Chalmers having no plans whatsoever.

My take on the comment re no reserves. I think we are basically running a first team and also a reserve squad at the moment. If finances are tight we might get rid of the reserves squad but still be entering the reserves league with players playing that aren’t in first team, coming back from injury and the older/better juniors on a managed basis. Looking at our first team squad this year there are people in that that won’t be playing first team, hence I think they are effectively the reserve squad but under one big title

I can't see how the RFL can refuse the move.

If you take the fact they have the leasehold out of it as a conflict of interest. They have approved other clubs groundsharing outside of their postcode including approving Dewsbury for Wakefield to play at in Superleague. They've set the precedent.

I agree though I don't think this is a done deal yet.

What odds on us getting the leasehold and an interest free loan from the council for improvements before the 2 years is up?

Based on what?
So you think he's just outright lying to us in his statement last night then? Why? What's his endgame?
I really don't get the hatred and mistrust so many people have for the bloke.

I understand that it was a huge decision to make and it's going to annoy a lot of people because of the sentimentality around Odsal, but we finally have an owner who has been able to take emotion out of it and make a pragmatic decision. Good on him I say.

If he turns out to be a fraud shyster then I'll hold my hands up, but I still can't see where the benefit for him is from doing that.

The other interesting factor is gate prices. Whilst we maybe going to make a saving on expenses by not playing at Odsal how much of it will be cancelled out by reduced admission prices. Surely AC won't expect fans to travel to DEwsbury and pay the same high admission prices as we do at Odsal. Perhaps the prices will be dropped and that is going to explain reduced squad and reserve teams.

Expect a bumper crowd at Odsal Sept 1st.

I agree exactly, some people have had it in for Chalmers since day one. Let's just see how it plays out before criticising.

I believe our obligation to run the reserves runs out this year - those terms of re-entry into the RFL were for three seasons

Looking at how the club has been run since he took over I just don’t think he’s got the expertise to organise and deliver a new stadium for the club. That’s a massive undertaking. Do you want a reminder of the various balls ups that have occurred since 2018?

Away shirt fiasco
Shirt delivery delays and size fiasco x2
Toovey in out fiasco
Phoenix Hunapo fiasco
Not covering Easter loss of player loanees in 2017 leaving us doomed to relegation
Inviting Rimmer to the fans forum fiasco
Poor and miss-spelt press releases lasting for ages.
Feuds with SL and other championship clubs playing out in the press
Workington Town Streaming farce
CCJs
Ground decay since he took over.

That’s not to mention the chequered history he had before arriving at the club. This was all discussed during the rather obscure period when “he was invited” to take over in 2017. Nobody ever got to the bottom of why he was accepted and the David Thorne bid wasn’t. Remember even the administrators weren’t happy about that.

If you disregard all that then maybe this is just a play to get the RFL to take over the Odsal upkeep. It could be. I hope so and the RFL cave in because moving the club out of the city will be the end of it.

Looking at how the club has been run since he took over I just don’t think he’s got the expertise to organise and deliver a new stadium for the club. That’s a massive undertaking. Do you want a reminder of the various balls ups that have occurred since 2018?

Away shirt fiasco
Shirt delivery delays and size fiasco
Toovey in out fiasco
Phoenix Hunapo fiasco
Not covering Easter loss of player loanees in 2017 leaving us doomed to relegation
Inviting Rimmer to the fans forum fiasco
Poor and miss-spelt press releases lasting for ages.
Feuds with SL and other championship clubs playing out in the press
Workington Town Streaming farce
CCJs
Ground decay since he took over.

That’s not to mention the chequered history he had before arriving at the club. This was all discussed during the rather obscure period when “he was invited” to take over in 2017. Nobody ever got to the bottom of why he was accepted and the David Thorne bid wasn’t. Remember even the administrators weren’t happy about that.

If you disregard all that then maybe this is just a play to get the RFL to take over the Odsal upkeep. It could be. I hope so and the RFL cave in because moving the club out of the city will be the end of it.

Aren't we also still waiting for the fans consultation ? wonder which one he did that with then.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts. His plans to return to bradford appear particularly vague and he's already extending period away to up to 4 yrs.

The part I don't get is moving back in 2-4 years into a new 'boutique' stadium in Bradford apparently already in the discussion phase. If it's that simple to raise that private capital why are we not doing that whilst waiting out the 2-4 years at odsal? (Or why have we not already been doing that?) I refuse to believe the net profit for the club will be higher at Dewsbury, less rent/maintenance maybe, but balanced with half the paying crowd at least (no way we get more than 2k regulars travel to Dewsbury every two week imho) so I can't see how the disposable cash increases to allow ac to be so confident of ever moving back under our own finance, nevermind in 2-4 years. Unless something else is going on behind the scenes.

I agree something needs to change re odsal and it's noose like effect, and I hope I'm wrong, but moving out of the city for an undetermined time with no real plan for return will be the end of my club.

But I feel there is probably more twists left yet...

I believe at this moment in time the RL won't even sanction new contracts for our existing players never mind new ones.Storton and Milnes signed new contacts a couple of months ago and the RL won't put them through hence no announcement. This could make them both free agents.

If you're thinking that the move is just a big bluff then he'd best get a move on - it's already time for season tickets to be on sale. Mind, I wouldn't be shocked...

The use of the phrase "Boutique stadium" provoked a loud "WTF!" response from me. What utter cobblers.

No, that's the worry, I don't think it's a bluff. I think we'll be at Dewsbury next season, I'm hoping the something else is in regards to financing this new stadium within 2-4 years that doesn't rely on 5k fans turning up at Dewsbury every 2 weeks because that aint gonna happen. (Ironically with me not living in Bradford Dewsbury is a lot easier to get to for me personally, but it's still wrong.)

Makes you wonder if the Bulls will have a 2020 never mind where.