128-591: Odsal Stadium (known as Bartercard Odsal Stadium for sponsorship reasons) in Bradford , West Yorkshire, England, is a multi-purpose stadium currently the home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team and Yorstox Stock Cars who host regular monthly meetings of BriSCA F1 Stock Cars and BriSCA F2 Stock Cars . It has also been used by the Bradford Dukes speedway team, hosting the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain . The football team Bradford City used Odsal as
256-520: A UNESCO World Heritage Site . Henry Ripley was a younger contemporary of Titus Salt. He was managing partner of Edward Ripley & Son Ltd, which owned the Bowling Dye Works. In 1880 the dye works employed over 1000 people and was said to be the biggest dye works in Europe. Like Salt he was a councillor, JP and Bradford MP who was deeply concerned to improve working class housing conditions. He built
384-534: A British motorcycle speedway team which operated primarily from the Odsal Stadium in Odsal , Bradford until their closure in 1997. The Bradford speedway team previously raced at Odsal Stadium under various other names Odsal Boomerangs, Odsal Tudors, Bradford Tudors, Bradford Panthers, Bradford Northern, Bradford Barons and finally Bradford Dukes. During 1939, Bradford Northern Rugby league club's Harry Hornby and
512-481: A Test match. This remains the largest-ever speedway crowd for Odsal Stadium. During the Second World War , the lower floor of the clubhouse was also used as an Air Raid Precautions centre, and one of the dressing rooms was the map room. On 20 December 1947, the largest ever attendance for an international test at Odsal was set when 42,685 saw England defeat New Zealand 25–9. The first floodlit rugby match in
640-426: A club house. The pits area and car park were in the corner at this end. It was considered a better stadium for speedway racing than Odsal at the time. With a crowd of two thousand people at Greenfield Stadium it produced an atmosphere whereas two thousand people at Odsal would hardly be noticeable. Finally on 15 August 1961, former promoter Johnnie Hoskins ceremonially opened the new track. Around 2,500 spectators saw
768-454: A crowd of 34,0000 at Odsal Stadium witnessed the Boomerangs lose to Belle Vue Aces . During the match promising Huddersfield born junior Albert 'Aussie' Rosenfeld, son of Albert Rosenfeld hit the fence and was taken to St Luke's Hospital, Bradford , with a suspected fractured skull. He died 10 days later, on 16 July 1946. This accident was followed a week later by a further crash which ended
896-573: A destination for immigrants. In the 1840s Bradford's population was significantly increased by migrants from Ireland, particularly rural County Mayo and County Sligo , and by 1851 about 10% of the population were born in Ireland, the largest proportion in Yorkshire . Around the middle decades of the 19th century the Irish were concentrated in eight densely settled areas situated near the town centre. One of these
1024-589: A domestic, non-final, Rugby League match, 69,429 at the third round Challenge Cup tie between Bradford Northern and Huddersfield in 1953. The stadium is owned by Bradford City Council, but due to financial problems the Rugby Football League purchased the leasehold in 2012. The Bulls left Odsal in 2019 because of ongoing financial concerns and rising administration costs in a single-use stadium, playing at Crown Flatt in Dewsbury for two seasons, however due to
1152-565: A former wrestler, added open-air wrestling to the bill, featuring himself and professional wrestler Jackie Pallo . Originally shale , the Odsal motorsport track was tarmacked over in 1977 by Stuart Bamforth, although shale was to return in 1985 to accommodate the Speedway World Final. The temporary relocation of Bradford City A.F.C. following the Bradford City stadium fire resulted in
1280-498: A match against Hull F.C. on 2 February 1935. Contemporary pictures show that as late as August 1935 the banking on the Rooley Avenue side was still being created. Under the instruction of Bradford Northern RFLC director Harry Hornby and local motorsport promoter Johnnie Hoskins, a sloping oval compacted dirt track was especially designed to surround the rugby pitch to allow professional speedway racing to take place at Odsal in 1945,
1408-573: A month prior to the World Final, Odsal also hosted the Overseas Final as part of the World Final qualifications. That meeting saw two riders finish at the top on 14 points, American Shawn Moran and English favourite, Halifax Dukes rider Kenny Carter . Moran would defeat Carter in the runoff for the Overseas title. In March 1986, Odsal opened its doors to British League action for the first time since
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#17328520754711536-819: A number of open meetings and when in August, the Birmingham Brummies withdrew from the National League as a result of internal speedway politics, Clarke and Mason took over their remaining fixtures riding as the Bradford (the Odsal name was dropped) Tudors. In 1960 the Provincial League was formed and Jesse Halliday of the Bradford Speedway and Sports Promotions applied to the Speedway Control Board for
1664-518: A pause of stock car racing at Odsal in 1986, however the sport returned the following year. Odsal, along with Belle Vue in Manchester , Coventry , Long Eaton and Northampton were at the time the main national BriSCA tracks. Promoter Steve Rees took over the management of the sport at the stadium in 1996, aiming to boost its status, however a year later in 1997, the RFL chose to cancel the venue's multi-use at
1792-478: A peak in 1868 when Bradford contributed a quarter of all the coal and iron produced in Yorkshire. The population of the township in 1841 was 34,560. In 1825 the wool-combers union called a strike that lasted five-months but workers were forced to return to work through hardship leading to the introduction of machine-combing. This Industrial Revolution led to rapid growth, with wool imported in vast quantities for
1920-504: A political party must hold more than 45 seats in order to take control of the council. A minority-led administration occurs when all parties hold less than 45 seats on the council. Following local elections on 5 May 2022, Labour had majority control over Bradford council with 56 seats; this was followed by Conservatives and the Green Party with 16 and 8 seats, respectively. The council was led by council leader Susan Hinchliffe, representing
2048-460: A popular greyhound racing venue. The opening meeting was scheduled for 17 July 1961, but due to heavy flooding, construction of the speedway track inside the greyhound track had been delayed. The contractors commenced work on 18 June, with 900 tons of earth removed and a base of 400 tons of clinker laid, with 240 tons of track dressing finishing the works. As the works overran, the Bradford riders were loaned to Middlesbrough and Newcastle. The stadium
2176-808: A runoff after both had finished the meeting on 13 points. Moran was later stripped of his silver medal by the FIM after he had tested positive to a drug test taken three months earlier at the Overseas Final in Coventry . Moran claimed that the drug he took was a pain killer prescribed by a doctor in Sweden, but the FIM stood firm. They also did not upgrade the standings and the official records show no second place rider. Young Australian rider Todd Wiltshire riding in his first World Final surprised many by finishing in third place with 12 points. From 1987, Bradford speedway then enjoyed its greatest period of success, winning eight trophies until
2304-486: A team called the Panthers to race at Odsal. The season was disastrous, with the Panthers finishing bottom of the 1960 Provincial Speedway League with only two points. The following season in 1961, the Panthers moved to Greenfield Stadium , partly due to issues over removing the corners of the rugby pitch at Odsal on race days. Speedway did not return to Odsal for a decade. The Panthers moved to Greenfield Stadium in 1961,
2432-443: A temperature of 27.5 °C (81.5 °F), with a total of 6 days rising to a maximum of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The absolute minimum temperature recorded was −13.9 °C (7.0 °F) during January 1940. The weather station's elevated suburban location means exceptionally low temperatures are unknown. Typically, 41.4 nights of the year will record an air frost. Odsal Boomerangs The Bradford Dukes were
2560-546: A temporary groundshare following the Valley Parade fire while their ground was rebuilt. Odsal Stadium has also historically hosted baseball , women's football , American football , basketball , kabbadi , show jumping , tennis , live music concerts, and international Rugby League matches over the years. The stadium's highest attendance was 102,569 in 1954 for the Warrington - Halifax Challenge Cup Final replay, and for
2688-545: A ten-year absence, when it was selected by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to host the 1985 Speedway World Championship . Bradford Council were quick to seize on the prestige of being associated with a World event and approved £1 million project to refurbish the Odsal Stadium. A 40,000 crowd attended at the final. In March 1986, Odsal opened its doors to top league speedway ( British League ) for
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#17328520754712816-527: A turf fund was put into place which raised a total of £900 to cover the work. A stand was erected at the cost of £2,000, which was paid for by the Rugby Football League . It held 1,500 on a mixture of benches and tip-up seats . The ground was officially opened by Sir Joseph Taylor, President of Huddersfield on 1 September 1934. His club went on to beat the hosts 31–16, Australian winger Ray Markham scoring four tries in front of an estimated 20,000. The clubhouse and dressing rooms were officially opened before
2944-550: Is a city in West Yorkshire , England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the 1974 reform , the city status has belonged to the larger City of Bradford metropolitan borough . It had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 census , making it the second-largest subdivision of the West Yorkshire Built-up Area after Leeds , which is approximately 9 miles (14 km) to
3072-505: Is mention of a fulling mill, a soke mill where all the manor corn was milled and a market. During the Wars of the Roses the inhabitants sided with House of Lancaster . Edward IV granted the right to hold two annual fairs and from this time the town began to prosper. In the reign of Henry VIII Bradford exceeded Leeds as a manufacturing centre. Bradford grew slowly over the next two-hundred years as
3200-615: Is mostly provided by financial and manufacturing industries. It is also a tourist destination, the first UNESCO City of Film and it has the National Science and Media Museum , a city park , the Alhambra theatre and Cartwright Hall . The city is the UK City of Culture for 2025 having won the designation on 31 May 2022. The name Bradford is derived from the Old English brad and ford
3328-605: Is no weal save commonweal". The original Bradford Coat of Arms had the Latin words Labor omnia vincit below it, meaning "Work conquers all". A new coat of arms was emblazoned in 1976, after local government reorganisation in 1974, with the English motto "Progress, Industry, Humanity". Bradford is represented by three MPs: for the constituencies of Bradford East ( Imran Hussain , Labour Party), Bradford South ( Judith Cummins , Labour), and Bradford West ( Naz Shah , Labour Party). Bradford
3456-479: Is owned by Meyer Bergman . In 2022, Bradford was named the UK City of Culture 2025, beating Southampton , Wrexham and Durham . The UK City of Culture bid, as of 2023, was expected to majorly stimulate the local economy and culture as well as attracting tourism to the city. By 2025, the UK City of Culture bid is expected to support potential economic growth of £389 million to the city of Bradford as well as to
3584-541: Is the Bradford Council -owned football ground Horsfall Stadium had on several occasions discussed relocating to Odsal, most recently in 2018, however they repeatedly decided against such a move, leaving Odsal as a single-rent, single-use stadium. Due to the club's ongoing precarious financial situation and increasing running costs at the stadium, including the £72,000 rent payable to the Rugby Football League,
3712-466: Is the first piece in the jigsaw puzzle towards how we’re going to balance the books at Odsal". He also revealed that the Bulls themselves were considering entering their own participants in motorcar racing at Odsal, “We’re going to have stock car racing and a bit of banger racing where Bradford Bulls themselves might enter a team into that", he added, stressing that he believed Bulls supporters were positive about
3840-752: The 2000 World Champion after winning the Speedway Grand Prix series that year. * Odsal hosted the third of 3 rounds in the Final. Several American Football games were played at Odsal in 1988 when the Leeds Cougars home ground, McLaren Field in Bramley was being reseeded. Against the Glasgow Lions, the Cougars won 15–12 after a last minute field-goal by Linebacker Glenn Stowe with just twenty seconds to go. In
3968-496: The British Wool Marketing Board opened its new headquarters in the city. Also in 2012 Bradford City Park opened, the park which cost £24.5 million to construct is a public space in the city centre which features numerous fountains and a mirror pool surrounded by benches and a walk way. In 2015 The Broadway opened, the shopping and leisure complex in the centre of Bradford cost £260 million to build and
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4096-463: The Elite League , 11 points clear at the top of the table. Despite becoming British champions for the first time the club closed after the 1997 season due to financial losses incurred by promoters Bobby and Allan Ham, which was soon followed by news of a potential redevelopment of Odsal. In 2013 businessman Tony Mole successfully applied for planning permission to again use Odsal for speedway, with
4224-834: The Greenfield Stadium , better known for greyhound racing . After the Panthers folded in 1962, Motorcycle Speedway would not return to Bradford for another 10 years. Speedway returned to Odsal when promoters Les Whaley, Mike Parker and Bill Bridgett moved the British League Division Two side Nelson Admirals across the Pennines for the final eleven league meetings of the 1970 season and went on to adopt Bradford Northern as their name and red, black and amber as their colours. Northern would finish second in Division 2 in 1971, but from there results and attendances steadily declined and
4352-672: The Honour of Pontefract given to Ilbert de Lacy for service to the Conqueror, in whose family the manor remained until 1311. There is evidence of a castle in the time of the Lacys. The manor then passed to the Earl of Lincoln , John of Gaunt , The Crown and, ultimately, private ownership in 1620. By the Middle Ages , Bradford had become a small town centred on Kirkgate, Westgate and Ivegate. In 1316 there
4480-607: The North of England was held at Odsal in 1951. In September 1951, Council Engineer Ernest Wardley drew up a plan for a 92,000 capacity 'European' style stadium, at a cost of £250,000. Eventually £50,000 was spent on terracing the Rooley Avenue end in 1964, before the Wardley plan was officially dropped the following year. After a disastrous 1960 season, the Panthers (previously the Odsal Boomerangs) left Odsal and in 1961 moved across town to
4608-869: The Northampton Stormbringers, and a nail-biting 20–14 victory against the conference leaders the Birmingham Bulls . A complete copy of the Budweiser National Division matchday programme vs Birmingham, along with other programmes, has been archived online at the Leeds Cougars History website. YouTube features an archived video recording of the Leeds Cougars versus Birmingham Bulls American Football fixture at Odsal: In August 1939, despite an FA ban on women's football, an international women's match took place at Odsal featuring Preston Ladies versus an all-star Belgian women's team. The match
4736-560: The Pennines for the final eleven league meetings of the 1970 season. The Admirals adopted the Bradford Northern name and colours, though the move was met with opposition from the nearby Halifax Dukes . Northern would finish second in Division Two in 1971, but from there results and attendances steadily declined and the team folded in 1973. The following year, Bradford Barons were formed, but they were also short lived and only lasted
4864-476: The Sheffield Tigers defeat the Panthers 47-30 in a challenge match. The Panthers club colours of blue and yellow were not seen under the new floodlights until late in the season as the commissioning was delayed. Meetings had to begin in the early evening and as a result attendances suffered and promoter Jess Halliday left the club at the end of the 1961 season. In 1962, Mike Parker and Eddie Glennon took over
4992-665: The Territorial Force , based at Belle Vue Barracks in Manningham , and the 10th Battalion (another Kitchener battalion). The 1/6th Battalion first saw action in 1915 at the Battle of Aubers Ridge before moving north to the Yser Canal near Ypres . On the first day of the Somme they took heavy casualties while trying to support the 36th (Ulster) Division . The 10th Battalion was involved in
5120-509: The Windhill and Wrose ward, and chief executive Kersten England. Bradford is located at 53°45′00″N 01°50′00″W / 53.75000°N 1.83333°W / 53.75000; -1.83333 (53.7500, −1.8333) . Topographically, it is located in the eastern foothills of the South Pennines moorland region. Bradford is not built on any substantial body of water but is situated at
5248-663: The Yorkshire Dales , though as it passes through the city, it is often not recognised as such. The beck's course through the city centre is culverted and has been since the mid-19th century. On the 1852 Ordnance Survey map it is visible as far as Sun Bridge, at the end of Tyrrell Street, and then from beside Bradford Forster Square railway station on Kirkgate. On the 1906 Ordnance Survey, it disappears at Tumbling Hill Street, off Thornton Road, and appears north of Cape Street, off Valley Road, though there are culverts as far as Queens Road. The Bradford Canal , built in 1774, linking
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5376-623: The woollen trade gained in prominence. During the Civil War the town was garrisoned for the Parliamentarians and in 1642 was unsuccessfully attacked by Royalist forces from Leeds. Sir Thomas Fairfax took the command of the garrison and marched to meet the Duke of Newcastle but was defeated. The Parliamentarians retreated to Bradford and the Royalists set up headquarters at Bolling Hall from where
5504-453: The 1/6th Battalion West Yorks in April 1915. These Territorial Force units were to remain close to each other throughout the war, serving in the 49th (West Riding) Division . They were joined in 1917 by the 2/6th Battalion, West Yorks , and 2/2nd West Riding Brigade, RFA , serving in the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division . Bradford's Telegraph and Argus newspaper was involved in spearheading
5632-759: The 1950s after the Halifax Dukes were offered a new home track. The new 'Bradford Dukes' team would in later years include World Champions Gary Havelock and Mark Loram , multiple British and Long Track World Champions Simon Wigg and Kelvin Tatum , and dual Australian Champion Glenn Doyle . However, the club suffered the tragic loss of Kenny Carter who died in murder/suicide after shooting his wife and then himself at their home in May 1986. Odsal Stadium hosted its second World Final in 1990 . Swedish rider Per Jonsson won his only World Championship when he defeated Shawn Moran in
5760-506: The 1974 season, when they would be known as the Barons. The team achieved a second place finish during the 1971 British League Division Two season , which was their best to date, with Alan Knapkin recording a 10.17 season average. Alan Knapkin took over the team for the 1974 season but on 17 July 1974 it was announced that the promoting rights had been sold again, this time to Shipley newsagent and long time Bradford speedway fan Jim Streets. At
5888-540: The 20th century. A culture of innovation had been fundamental to Bradford's dominance, with new textile technologies being invented in the city, a prime example being the work of Samuel Lister . This innovation culture continues today throughout Bradford's economy, from automotive (Kahn Design) to electronics ( Pace Micro Technology ). Wm Morrison Supermarkets was founded by William Morrison in 1899, initially as an egg and butter merchant in Rawson Market, operating under
6016-441: The Barons had defeated Stoke and Mildenhall in a double header on 1 October it was announced that speedway would not take place at Odsal in 1976. However, Jim Streets did not give up without a fight and attempted unsuccessfully to introduce speedway at the former home of Bradford (Park Avenue) Football Club. Noise tests and team line up plans were made but eventually he was forced to withdraw. Speedway returned to Odsal in 1985 after
6144-456: The Battle of the Somme . Of the estimated 1,394 men from Bradford and District in the two battalions, 1,060 were either killed or injured during the ill-fated attack on the village of Serre-lès-Puisieux . Other Bradford Battalions of The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) involved in the Battle of the Somme were the 1st/6th Battalion (the former Bradford Rifle Volunteers ), part of
6272-683: The Bradford Boomerangs. After finishing at the bottom of the National League in 1948 and 1949, the Boomerangs folded and were replaced in 1950 by the Odsal Tudors . Despite the name change, fortunes remained the same with the Tudors finishing on the bottom of the NL ladder in 1951. In 1959 the Tudors dropped the Odsal name and were renamed the Bradford Tudors. In 1960, the Bradford Tudors renamed themselves
6400-471: The Bradford Bulls made the decision to leave Odsal for a financially prudent ground share with Dewsbury to ensure the club's survival. On 1 September 2019, the club played what was believed to be their last game at Odsal, which had been the team's home ground for 85 years. Talks with the RFL were ongoing during their absence. Two years later in 2021, they agreed a return to the stadium as a co-tenant with stock car promoters YorStox (formerly StarTrax). In 2021,
6528-436: The Bradford Panthers. After a disastrous 1960 season, the Panthers left Odsal and in 1961 moved across town to the Greenfield Stadium , better known for greyhound racing . After the Panthers folded in 1962, Motorcycle Speedway would not return to Bradford for another 10 years. Speedway returned to Odsal when promoters Les Whaley, Mike Parker and Bill Bridgett moved the British League Division Two side Nelson Admirals across
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#17328520754716656-404: The Bradford Water Company and embarked on a huge engineering programme to bring supplies of soft water from Airedale, Wharfedale and Nidderdale . By 1882 water supply had radically improved. Meanwhile, urban expansion took place along the routes out of the city towards the Hortons and Bowling and the townships had become part of a continuous urban area by the late 19th century. A major employer
6784-440: The British Isles and Western Europe tour of the leading men's tennis players of the day: Donald Budge, Big Bill Tilden, H. Ellsworth Vines, and Lester Stoefen. A film capturing this event was created by local filmmaker, C. H. Wood which additionally features a rugby league cup semi final which took place at the time at Odsal, and is available to watch online at the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive. Bradford Bradford
6912-413: The City Sox and the Greenfield Giants who were based two miles away at the Greenfield Stadium, Bradford at Dudley Hill . Bradford's baseball history is noted in the book 'British Baseball and the West Ham Club' by Josh Chetwynd and Brian A. Belton, which was published in 2007. A readable excerpt is featured on Google Books which mentions Odsal and the Bradford clubs. In 1939, Odsal Stadium played host to
7040-464: The RFL stepped in and bought the lease to Odsal. Since being relegated to the Betfred Championship in 2014, their problems intensified. In early 2017 the Bulls were formally liquidated and a new phoenix club was formed by Andrew Chalmers, who announced plans to redevelop Odsal into a venue fit for Super League and international rugby league, however, like previous plans, they were shelved. Nearby football club Bradford Park Avenue whose current location
7168-439: The UK's fourth stock car event featuring V8 engine cars on Wednesday 26 May 1954 with a crowd of 38,000 spectators. As worded in the Telegraph & Argus newspaper, "The survival of the home of Bradford Northern was dependent on attracting other sports to share the stadium with rugby league ", a situation similar to 2021 when the Bradford Bulls (Northern later becoming known as the Bulls) relocated back to Odsal following
7296-486: The attack on Fricourt , where it suffered the highest casualty rate of any battalion on the Somme on 1 July and perhaps the highest battalion casualty list for a single day during the entire war. Nearly 60% of the battalion's casualties were deaths. The 1/2nd and 2/2nd West Riding Brigades , Royal Field Artillery (TF), had their headquarters at Valley Parade in Manningham, with batteries at Bradford, Halifax and Heckmondwike . The 1/2nd Brigade crossed to France with
7424-430: The broad ford which referred to a crossing of the Bradford Beck at Church Bank below the site of Bradford Cathedral , around which a settlement grew in Anglo-Saxon times. It was recorded as "Bradeford" in 1086. After an uprising in 1070, during William the Conqueror 's Harrying of the North , the manor of Bradford was laid waste, and is described as such in the Domesday Book of 1086. It then became part of
7552-428: The canal. In modern times, remnants of the canal can still be found, including by Canal Road where the route of the old canal can be seen by car. The underlying geology of the city is primarily carboniferous sandstones . These vary in quality from rough rock to fine, honey-coloured stone of building quality. Access to this material has had a pronounced effect on the architecture of the city. The city also lies within
7680-410: The career of the veteran rider Colin Watson . It resulted in the sports governing body, the Speedway Control Board, issuing an ultimatum that the Odsal track shape be changed or its licence would be withdrawn. This resulted in the square corners disappearing and a more typical oval shape emerging. The post war period was a boom time for speedway, and other sports, as fans flocked to stadiums throughout
7808-450: The city including the grand Italianate city hall . From the mid-20th century, deindustrialisation caused the city's textile sector and industrial base to decline and, since then, it has faced similar economic and social challenges to the rest of post-industrial Northern England , including poverty, unemployment and social unrest. It is the third-largest economy within the Yorkshire and the Humber region at around £10 billion, which
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#17328520754717936-445: The city to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal took its water from Bradford Beck and its tributaries. The supply of water from the polluted Bradford Beck was often inadequate to feed the locks and heavily polluted the canal over time. Due to the polluted state of the canal causing health problems, the council temporarily closed the canal in 1866. In 1922, the canal was permanently closed due to it not being economically viable to maintain
8064-471: The city, and a section of the Muslim community led a campaign against the book. In July 2001, ethnic tensions led to rioting , and a report described Bradford as fragmented and a city of segregated ethnic communities. The Yorkshire Building Society opened its new headquarters in the city in 1992. In 2006 Wm Morrison Supermarkets opened its new headquarters in the city, the firm employs more than 5,000 people in Bradford. In June 2009 Bradford became
8192-408: The city. When the three battalions were taken over by the British Army they were officially named the 16th (1st Bradford), 18th (2nd Bradford), and 20th (Reserve) Battalions, The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) . On the morning of 1 July 1916, the 16th and 18th Battalions left their trenches in Northern France to advance across no man's land. It was the first hour of the first day of
8320-462: The closure of White City in 1985 a new home would be needed and the 30,000 capacity Odsal was chosen. A capacity crowd at the 1985 World Final saw a titanic fight between Denmark 's defending World Champion Erik Gundersen , his fellow countryman Hans Nielsen , and American rider Sam Ermolenko . The trio all finished the meeting on 13 points each which saw a three-way runoff for the top 3 placings with Gundersen winning from Nielsen and Ermolenko. Just
8448-414: The club being able to take up an offer to develop land off Rooley Lane or to upgrade and move back to Greenfield, but in 1933, Bradford City Council gave them the opportunity to transform land at Odsal Top into their home ground . On 20 June 1933 the club therefore signed a ten-year deal on the site, which was to become the biggest stadium in England outside Wembley . The site was a former quarry which
8576-428: The club's closure in 1997 when despite winning the Elite League , the club folded for the third time. Odsal Stadium hosted the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain . Danish rider Brian Andersen won the Grand Prix from America's reigning World Champion Billy Hamill , with Swede Jimmy Nilsen finishing third in the Final. Bradford Dukes rider Mark Loram finished 4th in the Final. Loram would later go on to be
8704-399: The country. Crowds of over 20,000 were regular at Odsal, the average in 1946 being 31,000, the high point was the 47,050 who saw England defeat Australia 65-43 on 5 July 1947, a figure that remains the highest crowd for a speedway meeting at Odsal. At the end of the 1948 season, Odsal finished bottom of the league and Johnnie Hoskins resigned, due to his speedway interests in Scotland. Hoskins
8832-399: The development of Bradford as a major exporter of woollen goods from their textile export houses predominately based in Little Germany and the civic life of Bradford. Charles Semon (1814–1877) was a textile merchant and philanthropist who developed a productive textile export house in the town, he became the first foreign and Jewish mayor of Bradford in 1864. Jacob Behrens (1806–1889) was
8960-415: The east. The borough had a population of 552,644, making it the 9th most populous district in England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire , the city grew in the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture , particularly wool . It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution , and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements, rapidly becoming the "wool capital of
9088-440: The end of the season the team once again finished in 7th position. In 1975 the New National League (formerly division 2) was formed but crowd levels continued to fall, especially following the introduction of stock cars and the resulting damage to the track. Even the return of Alan Knapkin to the team on 25 June didn't improve the situation as the team finished in 11th position. It was therefore of little surprise that shortly after
9216-423: The first foreign textile merchant to export woollen goods from the town, his company developed into an international multimillion-pound business. Behrens was a philanthropist, he also helped to establish the Bradford chamber of commerce in 1851. Jacob Moser (1839–1922) was a textile merchant who was a partner in the firm Edelstein, Moser and Co, which developed into a successful Bradford textile export house. Moser
9344-573: The first time in 23 years, the stadium hosting the national banger Stan Woods Memorial for pre 1975 cars, an event witnessed by 4000 fans. Since September 2021, the stadium has hosted both BriSCA F1 and BriSCA F2 stock car meetings, including the BriSCA F1 World Championships with drivers participating from across Europe, and currently hosts regular monthly stock car meetings and banger racing on its restored flattened shale track. Odsal hosts occasional and regular activities outside of
9472-501: The first time since the 1950s after the Halifax Dukes were offered a new home track. The new 'Bradford Dukes' team included Kenny Carter and two leading prospects Gary Havelock and Neil Evitts but the team finished 7th in the league during a season marred by the murder-suicide committed by leading rider Kenny Carter. The Dukes enjoyed their best season to date in 1991, when they finished runner-up behind Wolverhampton Wolves in
9600-439: The following year, before being permanently cancelled by Bradford Northern's directors as unprofitable, the event replaced by a series of miniature car races in 1959. Baseball became popular in the 1930s, played in stadiums throughout Northern England until the outbreak of Second World War, after which it faded. Gambling was permitted on the games, and pools magnate Sir John Moores from Littlewoods sponsored and provided kit to
9728-579: The industrial Model village of Ripley Ville on a site in Broomfields , East Bowling close to the dye works. Other major employers were Samuel Lister and his brother who were worsted spinners and manufacturers at Lister's Mill (Manningham Mills). Lister epitomised Victorian enterprise but it has been suggested that his capitalist attitude made trade unions necessary. Unprecedented growth created problems with over 200 factory chimneys continually churning out black, sulphurous smoke, Bradford gained
9856-522: The initial Bradford team known as the Odsal Boomerangs . In the post- Second World War years, speedway proved extremely popular with crowds of over 20,000 regularly attending meetings at Odsal, with the 1946 average for the first year of the National League after the war. The highest speedway attendance during this period came on 5 July 1947 when 47,050 fans saw England defeat Australia 65–43 in
9984-588: The junction of three valleys, one of them, that of the Bradford Beck which rises in moorland to the west, and is swelled by its tributaries, the Horton Beck, Westbrook, Bowling Beck and Eastbrook. At the site of the original ford, the beck turns north, and flows towards the River Aire at Shipley . Bradfordale (or Bradforddale) is a name given to this valley (see for example Firth 1997 ). It can be regarded as one of
10112-593: The largest crowd of the season saw a rare Bradford victory. It did not stop the Panthers folding soon after. In June 1970, halfway through the Division Two season, promoters Les Whaley, Mike Parker and Bill Bridgett moved the Nelson Admirals team across the Pennines to resurrect speedway to Bradford as the Bradford Northern speedway team. The team spent four years in the Division Two before changing name yet again for
10240-514: The league and won the Knockout Cup for the first major trophy in their history. Multi- British Champion Simon Wigg and Gary Havelock were instrumental during the season. The following season in 1992, Havelock became Speedway World Champion whilst a Bradford rider The 1992 season also saw a repeat of a second place finish in the league and a second Knockout Cup success. Kelvin Tatum (a double British champion) assisted Wigg an Havelock throughout
10368-499: The local MP H Hepworth investigated the possibility of introducing speedway racing in Odsal, but the outbreak of World War II put an end to their plans. However, in 1945 Hornby joined together with Johnnie Hoskins , to reactive the plans and on 23 June 1945 before a crowd of over 20,000 the Lord Mayor, Alderman Cecil Barnett, officially opened the track. The first season was a series of open and challenge meetings before league racing
10496-477: The manufacture of worsted cloth in which Bradford specialised, and the town soon became known as the wool capital of the world. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Bradford Moor Barracks in 1844. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and a county borough in 1888, making it administratively independent of the West Riding County Council . It
10624-459: The meeting, as they believed Joe would have wished it. Fans left Odsal unaware that Joe, nicknamed the Ironman, had died. On the same night at Odsal's sister track The Shay , the Halifax Dukes , were riding at Norwich and Jock Sheard, born in the same Burnley street as Abbott, crashed in his second race and was killed. At the end of July 1950 the team changed its nickname to the Tudors. At the time it
10752-408: The name of Wm Morrison (Provisions) Limited . The grandest of the mills no longer used for textile production is Lister Mills , the chimney of which can be seen from most places in Bradford. It has become a beacon of regeneration after a £100 million conversion to apartment blocks by property developer Urban Splash . In 1989, copies of Salman Rushdie 's The Satanic Verses were burnt in
10880-430: The newly-launched North of England League, baseball providing rugby league and football clubs with off-season summer income. In the inaugural competition hosted in 1935, two years after Odsal Stadium opened, Bradford Northern RLFC entered a baseball team also called Bradford Northern who came second in the league to the champions Oldham Greyhounds with ten wins out of fourteen. Other nearby baseball clubs in Bradford included
11008-461: The news of the 1936 Abdication Crisis, after the Bishop of Bradford publicly expressed doubts about Edward VIII 's religious beliefs (see: Telegraph & Argus#1936 Abdication Crisis ). After the Second World War migrants came from Poland and Ukraine and since the 1950s from Bangladesh , India and particularly Pakistan . The textile industry has been in decline throughout the latter part of
11136-550: The north western parts of the Yorkshire Coalfield which is mostly composed of carboniferous coal measures . The coal measures stimulated early urban development, in the modern day, geological extraction of minerals is heavily reduced in terms of scale. As with the vast majority of the UK , Bradford experiences a maritime climate ( Köppen : Cfb ), with limited seasonal temperature ranges, and generally moderate rainfall throughout
11264-583: The old Main Stand side and 1,000 uncovered seats were bolted onto the terracing – it was planned to install 7,000 in the future. Meanwhile, a further £1 million was spent to conform with new safety standards – bringing the total spent on Odsal to £3.5 million. New boundary walls, turnstiles, exit gates, a bus layby in Rooley Avenue and access road were added. Odsal played host to Bradford City's Division Two home games until December 1986. Like most British stadia, Odsal had its capacity substantially reduced by
11392-588: The other Odsal fixture against the Fylde Falcons, the Cougars were narrowly defeated by 17 points to 8. Following the popularity of these two games, good turnouts reported at the natural bowl of Odsal, the Leeds Cougars made Odsal their home-base for the entire 1989 season. Victories included a 56 – 22 win against the Leicester Panthers, 26–12 against the Nottingham Hoods, a comfortable 63 – 30 win against
11520-462: The power that the industry needed. Local sandstone was an excellent resource for building the mills, and with a population of 182,000 by 1850, the town grew rapidly as workers were attracted by jobs in the textile mills . A desperate shortage of water in Bradford Dale was a serious limitation on industrial expansion and improvement in urban sanitary conditions. In 1854 Bradford Corporation bought
11648-478: The reins and tried to spark some life into what was by now clearly a desperate situation. The Panthers first meeting of the new season was a 44-52 loss to the Poole Pirates , it set the trend, a mere five of 24 meetings resulted in a Bradford victory. Fixed firmly to the bottom of the league the last meeting at Greenfield Stadium was a double header against Sheffield and Leicester on Tuesday 9 October 1962. Ironically
11776-462: The reputation of being the most polluted town in England. There were frequent outbreaks of cholera and typhoid, and only 30% of children born to textile workers reached the age of fifteen. This extreme level of infant and youth mortality contributed to a life expectancy for Bradford residents of just over eighteen years, which was one of the lowest in the country. Like many major cities Bradford has been
11904-475: The resultant 390 yards (360 m) oval circuit designed and built around the rugby pitch utilised for both Motorcycle speedway and stock cars racing. In 1948, a pioneering three feet in width concrete starting gate platform was also constructed at Odsal which was believed to have been the first of its kind used in United Kingdom speedway events. The original Bradford team competing at Odsal were known as
12032-672: The results of which are as follows: – Odsal Stadium has hosted professional stock cars events since the sport arrived in England . The sport originated in the early 1950s at the Buffalo Stadium in Paris France , cars based upon the design of early American NASCAR vehicles, the first British meeting taking place on Good Friday 16 April 1954 at New Cross in South East London . After two further meetings at New Cross, Odsal hosted
12160-519: The return of BriSCA stock car events. In the Seventies, stock car meetings happened on Saturdays, sometimes taking place 24 hours before a rugby league match on the following Sunday, which meant ground conversions had to be carried out expediently. Concerned about the survival of stock cars at Odsal, co-promoter Barry Gomersall introduced BriSCA Formula Two stock cars which were popular at Southern tracks. In June 1976, to further boost attendance, Gomersall,
12288-669: The return of motorsports, quoted as saying “The feedback we get from our Bradford supporter base is that a number of them are interested in watching motorsport. Rugby League has featured at Odsal Stadium since it opened on 1 September 1934 when Huddersfield beat Bradford Northern 31 points to 16, Northern later to be renamed the Bradford Bulls in 1996 at the beginning of Super League. Besides club rugby, Odsal has hosted various international fixtures including test matches, tour games and Rugby League World / European Cup fixtures, some of which involved Bradford teams facing international opposition,
12416-685: The return of professional stock car racing as a joint tenancy in a multi-use stadium, they were able to return to Odsal in 2021 initially on a provisional eighteen months lease. Formed in 1907, the Bradford Northern club had played at a number of venues including the Greenfield Athletic Ground in Dudley Hill and Bowling Old Lane Cricket Club's ground in Birch Lane . By the early 1920s, however, Birch Lane's limitations were clear and Northern began to seek another home. Precarious finances prevented
12544-714: The safety measures introduced in the 1990s following the Hillsborough disaster and the findings of the Taylor Report . At the dawn of the Super League era in 1996, Bradford Bulls wanted to attract new sponsors but had poor and outdated hospitality suites. In 2000 they announced plans to build hospitality suites at the South End of the stadium which would mean building on the track around the pitch, effectively ending speedway's association with Bradford. Construction started in 2001 and
12672-522: The same time. Speedway returned to Odsal in 1985 after a ten-year absence when it was selected by the FIM to host the 1985 World Final . Following the Valley Parade fire disaster of 1985, Bradford City played a handful of games at Leeds Road and Elland Road whilst Valley Parade was being rebuilt. On 23 September 1985, a Football League delegation visited Odsal to view the stadium to pass it fit to host City's home games. Segregation fences were erected on
12800-517: The season. In 1993 Bradford lost Wigg to Coventry but brought in Jimmy Nilsen and achieved a third consecutive Knockout Cup title win. Two years later during the merged Premier League, the Dukes won another Knockout Cup and finished league runner-up for the third time. Going into the 1997 season the Dukes signed Mark Loram to support number 1 rider Joe Screen and Gary Havelock. The team finally won
12928-524: The shale motorsport racing track was restored for the return of regular professional BriSCA F1 and BriSCA F2 stock car meetings, which resulted in the reintroduction of removable pitch corners and a narrowing of the rugby pitch. Despite the resultant changes to the pitch rendering it beneath minimum standards for professional rugby league, the sport's governing body allowed the Bulls to return to their former home. The Bulls’ acting chief executive, Mark Sawyer, told Rugby League Live: “Staging motorsport events
13056-658: The sporting realm, which include live music events and festivals. In 2022, the Bradford Dance Festival featured the DJ and rapper Tom Zanetti . Other events which take place at Odsal include talks, lectures, business conferences, monthly fundraising car boot sales, religious and community events, and annual bonfire / monster truck events, the function suites available for hire. In 2023, Bradford Bulls hosted their first ever Iftar event. Speedway first took place at Odsal Stadium on 23 June 1945. Prior to that, in 1936, two years after
13184-736: The start of Super League , a decision which meant the abandonment of both stock cars and speedway at Odsal, the speedway pits area becoming an executive box block, until the shale track's eventual return in 2021 when Steve Rees successfully renegotiated the return of regular motorsports with the RFL and Bradford Council . Steve Rees's Lytham St Annes -based Startrax handed over the reins of management to Buxton -based promotions company Yorstox run by Derbyshire -based businessmen Russell Andrew and Graeme Robson who also manage stock car racing facilities at Owlerton Stadium in Sheffield . Motorsports successfully returned to Odsal Stadium on 22 May 2021 for
13312-632: The surrounding local areas, creating over 7,000 jobs, attracting a significant amount of tourists to the city and providing thousands of performance opportunities for local artists. The city played an important part in the early history of the Labour Party . A mural on the back of the Bradford Playhouse (visible from Leeds Road) commemorates the centenary of the founding of the Independent Labour Party in 1893, and quotes its motto "There
13440-450: The team folded after 1973. The second test of the 1978 Ashes series was played at Odsal, with Great Britain defeating Australia before a crowd of 26,761. The Lions team that day featured what was called a "Dad's Army" front row with Jim Mills , Tony Fisher and Brian Lockwood all being over the age of 30. The ground's clubhouse had to be refurbished when it was condemned in the mid-1980s. The social facilities were also upgraded at
13568-500: The town was besieged leading to its surrender. The Civil War caused a decline in industry but after the accession of William III and Mary II in 1689 prosperity began to return. The launch of manufacturing in the early 18th century marked the start of the town's development while new canal and turnpike road links encouraged trade. In 1801, Bradford was a rural market town of 6,393 people, where wool spinning and cloth weaving were carried out in local cottages and farms. Bradford
13696-403: The venue opened, the first foundations of motorsport were laid in Bradford when the Bradford and District Motor Club ran a mountain grass track event using the embankment at the north end of the stadium, the turf reported to have been badly cut up afterwards. The director of the rugby league Club, Harry Hornby collaborated with local event promoter Johnnie Hoskins to bring speedway to the venue,
13824-473: The winner and runner up. Thirty tonnes of river sand was spread across the pitch to give the horses a softer landing when jumping the fences. Ted Williams was the winner of the Airedale Stakes showjumping competition. An expected 20,000 spectators on the second and final day never materialised, just 6,000 people attending, which resulted in the event making a loss of £1,700. Despite this, showjumping returned
13952-417: The world"; this in turn gave rise to the nicknames "Woolopolis" and "Wool City". Lying in the eastern foothills of the Pennines , the area's access to supplies of coal, iron ore and soft water facilitated the growth of a manufacturing base, which, as textile manufacture grew, led to an explosion in population and was a stimulus to civic investment. There is a large amount of listed Victorian architecture in
14080-595: The world's first UNESCO City of Film and became part of the Creative Cities Network since then. The city has a long history of producing both films and the technology that produces moving film which includes the invention of the Cieroscope, which took place in Manningham in 1896. In 2010 Provident Financial opened its new headquarters in the city. The company has been based in the city since 1880. In 2012
14208-525: The year. Records have been collected since 1908 from the Met Office's weather station at Lister Park, a short distance north of the city centre. This constitutes one of the nation's longest unbroken records of daily data. The full record can be found on the council's website. The absolute maximum temperature recorded was 37.9 °C (100.2 °F) in July 2022 . In an 'average' year, the warmest day should attain
14336-605: The years 1974 and 1975. Speedway would once again not return to Bradford for another 10 years. Speedway returned to Odsal in 1985 when it was selected by the FIM to host the 1985 World Final , the first time the Final in England would not be held at Wembley Stadium . In the three years after the 1981 World Final at Wembley, international speedway's home in Great Britain had been the White City Stadium in London. However, with
14464-448: Was Arthur Forrest , a local rider who was the product of the Monday night training school, finished third in the 1956 world final. With the decreasing attendances it was not a surprise that at the end of the 1956 season that it was announced that league racing would not be staged at Odsal in 1957. In 1957 former riders Oliver Hart , Ron Clarke and Ron Mason took over as promoters and staged
14592-472: Was Titus Salt who in 1833 took over the running of his father's woollen business specialising in fabrics combining alpaca , mohair , cotton and silk. By 1850 he had five mills. However, because of the polluted environment and squalid conditions for his workers Salt left Bradford and transferred his business to Salts Mill in Saltaire in 1850, where in 1853 he began to build the workers' village which has become
14720-685: Was a philanthropist, he founded the Bradford Charity Organisation Society and the City Guild of Help. In 1910 Moser became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Bradford. To support the textile mills , a large manufacturing base grew up in the town providing textile machinery, and this led to diversification with different industries thriving side by side. The Jowett Motor Company founded in the early 20th century by Benjamin and William Jowett and Arthur V Lamb, manufactured cars and vans in Bradford for 50 years. The Scott Motorcycle Company
14848-725: Was a well known producer of motorcycles and light engines for industry. Founded by Alfred Angas Scott in 1908 as the Scott Engineering Company in Bradford, Scott motorcycles were produced until 1978. The city played an important part in the early history of the Labour Party. A mural on the back of the Bradford Playhouse in Little Germany commemorates the centenary of the founding of the Independent Labour Party in Bradford in 1893. The Bradford Pals were three First World War Pals battalions of Kitchener's Army raised in
14976-401: Was attended by the Lord Mayor and local football dignitaries including the directors of Bradford City and Bradford Park Avenue. David Steele, manager of Bradford Park Avenue was the referee and two Avenue players, Bob Danskin and Chick Farr were linesmen. Equestrian events took place at Odsal Stadium in 1957 and again in 1958.The top prize of £1,000 was available to the winner, plus trophies for
15104-572: Was completed in 2002 with Bradford Bulls playing two seasons at Valley Parade . After London won the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games in 2008, plans were put in place for an Olympic Legacy Park at Odsal, which would mean redeveloping the stadium and the Richard Dunn Leisure Centre opposite; these plans never came to fruition and a Legacy Park was built in Sheffield instead. In 2012, the Bulls got into severe financial difficulties and
15232-438: Was honoured with city status on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, with Kingston upon Hull and Nottingham . The three had been the largest county boroughs outside the London area without city status. The borough's boundaries were extended to absorb Clayton in 1930, and parts of Rawdon, Shipley, Wharfedale and Yeadon urban districts in 1937. Bradford had ample supplies of locally mined coal to provide
15360-488: Was introduced in 1946, with the new team called the Odsal Boomerangs (because of the sport's Australian roots). The Boomerangs competed in the six strong National League (the highest league). All tracks, with the exception of Odsal, had staged speedway in the pre-war years. Odsal featured on 2 April 1946 in the first post war league meeting, when they won 45-39 at Wimbledon. The first season was marred when on 6 July 1946,
15488-810: Was part of the Yorkshire and the Humber European constituency, which elected six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation , until the UK exit from the European Union on 31 January 2020. In the final European Parliament election , in 2019, 29.9% of voters in Bradford chose the Brexit Party , with 28.8% voting Labour and 14.1% voting Liberal Democrat. The Conservatives only polled 6.7% and UKIP 3.7%. The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council has 90 councillors (2023). As of 2023,
15616-532: Was quite small but had held a crowd of 20,000 at one time. The main stand on the School Street side opposite the starting gate had no seating and was covered terracing only. The back straight on the Cutler Heights side had another area of covered terracing. At one end was a huge tote board with no terracing and at the other end the concourse was built up slightly overlooking the dog track with betting windows and
15744-482: Was replaced on the board of directors by Bruce Booth, Hornby’s nephew, and Eric Langton , the former Belle Vue rider who finished runner up in the first world championship in 1936. On 1 July 1950 in the league match against the West Ham Hammers , 48-year-old veteran rider Joe Abbott fell in his second race and was hit by a following rider and was instantly killed. The riders and promoters decided to carry on with
15872-470: Was said that the name change was due to the riders hating the Boomerang nickname, or maybe they believed that a change of name would herald a change of fortune following the events of 1 July. Sheet music exists for a song - Boom Boom Boomerangs - written especially for the speedway team. The Tudors of 1951 repeated the feat of the Boomerangs of 1948 and finished bottom of the National League . One bright spot
16000-524: Was the Bedford Street area of Broomfields , which in 1861 contained 1,162 persons of Irish birth—19% of all Irish born persons in the Borough. During the 1820s and 1830s, there was immigration from Germany . Many were Jewish merchants and they became active in the life of the town. The Jewish community mostly living in the Manningham area of the town, numbered about 100 families but was influential in
16128-450: Was then being used as a landfill tip. Ernest Call M.B.E., the Director of Cleansing for Bradford City Council devised a system of controlled tipping that saw 140,000 cart loads of household waste deposited to form the characteristic banking at Odsal. The club were to be responsible for boundary fencing, dressing rooms and seated accommodation. To be able to turf the pitch , and other areas,
16256-401: Was thus not much bigger than nearby Keighley (5,745) and was significantly smaller than Halifax (8,866) and Huddersfield (7,268). This small town acted as a hub for three nearby townships – Manningham , Bowling and Great and Little Horton , which were separated from the town by countryside. Blast furnaces were established in about 1788 by Hird, Dawson Hardy at Low Moor and iron
16384-508: Was worked by the Bowling Iron Company until about 1900. Yorkshire iron was used for shackles, hooks and piston rods for locomotives, colliery cages and other mining appliances where toughness was required. The Low Moor Company also made pig iron and the company employed 1,500 men in 1929. when the municipal borough of Bradford was created in 1847 there were 46 coal mines within its boundaries. Coal output continued to expand, reaching
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