Odsal Stadium saga draws to close as lease finally sold by Rugby Football League

Aaron Bower
Bradford Bulls, Odsal Stadium

Bradford Bulls have won the race to secure the Odsal lease.

The Rugby Football League have sold the lease of Odsal Stadium back to Bradford Bulls over a decade after purchasing it: for a fraction of what they are understood to have paid in 2012.

The game’s governing body purchased the stadium’s lease to help alleviate the Bulls‘ financial problems which arose in the early-2010s. They also wanted to ensure the venue would not be lost to the sport, and paid in excess of a million pounds of the sport’s money to facilitate a deal.

Late last year, it was announced the lease was going back on the market with expressions of interest welcomed through property consultancy Knight Frank.

There were multiple expressions of interest but the Bulls quickly emerged as the RFL’s preferred bidders. They are understood to have paid a sum nowhere near what the governing body did 13 years ago to re-secure the lease.

It means the control of the venue now falls back into the Bulls’ hands, and gives them more control and autonomy over Odsal.

Jonathan Hyland from Knight Frank said: “We have now completed this complex and important deal. Lawyers have worked forensically through the final details to ensure each party was happy and a satisfactory decision was reached.

“The RFL was keen to sell the lease and the Bulls were keen to gain more autonomy and control over their ground, so the deal suited both parties.

“When we first announced that the Odsal lease was up for sale last October, there was a good deal of interest, which wasn’t surprising, since this was an absolutely fantastic opportunity to acquire one of the most famous sporting stadia in Yorkshire. Odsal has a wonderful history and is one of the jewels in the crown of the city of Bradford.”

Rob Graham, the RFL’s director of finance, facilities and central services, added: “We are pleased to have concluded the sale of Odsal Stadium to the Bradford Bulls. The RFL’s primary goal in taking ownership in January 2012 was to avoid an historic venue for Rugby League being lost to the sport, and that has now been achieved.

“Ownership of the stadium was never envisaged as a permanent position, and we thank Jonathan Hyland and his team at Knight Frank for their professionalism in completing the sale of the lease.”

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