Bulls left with no place to call home

The Bradford Bulls could be forced to abandon their ambitious plans to redevelop Odsal because of a dispute over who should pay the costs of a public inquiry into the scheme.

Bradford had hoped to be moving into a completely rebuilt all-seater stadium in time for the start of next season. The decision to take the mixed retail and leisure development to an inquiry put paid to that timetable, but now it seems that the project might not even get that far – enabling Odsal to fully live up to its historic tag as the Wembley of the north.

None of the parties to the plan – the developers, Stirling Capital, Tesco or the Bradford City Council – wants to fund the inquiry and that could mean that the plans, which have been pursued in one form or another for the best part of the last 30 years, could be derailed once more. "It has elements of farce, but it has very serious implications for our club," said the Bulls' chief executive Abi Ekoku.

Already, the Bulls' plan to absorb Wakefield Rugby Union club is under threat, but their Rugby League activities could also be badly affected. The most pressing problem concerns where they will play next year. The initial deal to rent Valley Parade is only for a single year and relations between the Bulls and Bradford City have not been good.

The Bulls recently announced that they would go back to a patched-up Odsal if their plans there were still in abeyance; whether they would want to do so if the whole scheme was shelved is another question entirely.

Bradford City's well- publicised financial crisis could create a way out. "The administrators running the club don't have an opinion on whether they want us there, because they only expect to be in place for a few weeks," said Ekoku.

"But you would think that the new owners of Valley Parade would be keen to have the Bulls down there."

As the rugby team consistently draws bigger crowds than its football landlords, that would seem sensible, but there are those who suggest that the balance of power could shift even further.

"It's a nice thought that we might be able to buy Valley Parade from the administrators and rent it back to Bradford City," said Ekoku. "But that's all it is. We just don't have the capital to do that and the overheads of running the place would be enormous."

So the future of the Super League leaders remains uncertain, although they go to Warrington today almost certain to extend their lead at the top. Leeds drew level with them, thanks to a compelling 38-16 performance against Hull on Friday which confirmed them as genuine contenders for their first League title. But the Bulls, even without a permanent home to call their own, remain the brand leaders.