Odsal : Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:55 pm  

Sorry if this has been discussed numerous times before but i was on this forum the other day and read someone say "we all know Odsal is a huge drain on the clubs resources" and that McNamara could only still be in a job due to the tightness of money.

Please can people explain how Odsal is such a drain on resources?

Do they employ lots of people to come in each week and polish the concrete?

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:58 pm  

Its very old and very big!

[Bullseye]

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:00 pm  

It's like owning a big old house. It costs a lot more to maintain than a brand new house. A lot of the stadium is old and in constant need of maintenance, like the terracing and crush barriers. Newer stadiums aren't crumbling as much and so cost less to maintain. Then there's the stuff like the utilities some of which is 70+ years old. Apparently it cost £75k to sort out a blocked drain a year or too ago.

Anyway, between 1986 and 2003 the council picked up the tab for all this work. Now the club must pay for it but get to play at Odsal (which is still council owned) more or less for free. As a result the club is handicapped by having to pay a shedload more cash to keep the ground up to standard in comparison with every other club.

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:17 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

It's like owning a big old house. It costs a lot more to maintain than a brand new house. A lot of the stadium is old and in constant need of maintenance, like the terracing and crush barriers. Newer stadiums aren't crumbling as much and so cost less to maintain. Then there's the stuff like the utilities some of which is 70+ years old. Apparently it cost £75k to sort out a blocked drain a year or too ago.

Anyway, between 1986 and 2003 the council picked up the tab for all this work. Now the club must pay for it but get to play at Odsal (which is still council owned) more or less for free. As a result the club is handicapped by having to pay a shedload more cash to keep the ground up to standard in comparison with every other club.

35k fella and the ground is one of the Bulls biggest problems, what on earth did we rent it from the council :@

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:20 pm  

There's a lot of room around Odsal. Why don't they build a multi-purpose sports facility. It would be an ideal location.

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:21 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Anyway, between 1986 and 2003 the council picked up the tab for all this work. Now the club must pay for it but get to play at Odsal (which is still council owned) more or less for free. As a result the club is handicapped by having to pay a shedload more cash to keep the ground up to standard in comparison with every other club.

Before someone from Keighley points it out, it's only fair to note that we received a substantial sum as 'compensation' for changes in the Odsal arrangements.

One the other hand, compensation is what it was - not a 'handout'.

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:25 pm  

MDF wrote:

Before someone from Keighley points it out, it's only fair to note that we received a substantial sum as 'compensation' for changes in the Odsal arrangements.

One the other hand, compensation is what it was - not a 'handout'.

One man's compensation is a Keighley fan's handout

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:26 pm  

The people from Keighley never give us any thanks for taking this huge financial burden off of the council.

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:03 pm  

rugbyreddog wrote:

The people from Keighley never give us any thanks for taking this huge financial burden off of the council.

I suppose that's one way to look at it.

P.S Thanks

: Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:08 pm  

!RYAN! wrote:

35k fella and the ground is one of the Bulls biggest problems, what on earth did we rent it from the council :@

Er, cos someone got his costings wrong.

The name escapes me.

Glasses, tache...af's buddy

Seriously though, I think your club could do worse things than publish details on how much Odsal is costing them compared to how much they thought it was going to, if only to focus a few minds on why you're not chucking money around.