Move to Odsal still an option for Bradford City, says Julian Rhodes

Housing both teams at the same home has been on the agenda before as a potential money-saving exercise.

Millionaire businessman Steve Parkin even floated an ambitious scheme last year to set up a joint sporting club at a brand new stadium.

But transferring the lease to the Rugby Football League has safeguarded the Bulls’ future at their traditional base – and played down the prospect of the Bulls one day sharing with City at Valley Parade. Rhodes, though, feels that the RFL’s involvement does not close the door on the Bantams going the other way as a last-ditch measure.

City’s joint-chairman said: “It would appear that it makes it unlikely that the Bulls will ever be coming down and joining us at Valley Parade.

“But on the face of it, this should not make any difference if we found ourselves in the position of needing to go to Odsal.

“It’s difficult for me to comment too much because I don’t know the details. Presumably it helps the Bulls in the short term, which is good news for them.”

City did seriously consider leaving their home of 108 years to move to Odsal at the end of last season as financial fears grew.

The switch was averted after Rhodes, his father David and co-chairman Mark Lawn set up a new company, BC Bantams Limited, to buy the Valley Parade offices from previous owners Prupim. The deal halved the £750,000 annual rent on the stadium – a figure the club had admitted they could not justify paying on League Two cashflow.

But a drop any further down the football pyramid would still leave them with no choice other than to move out.

Rhodes added: “The only time we would look into moving to Odsal would be in the event that we dropped out of the Football League.

“We are a viable club as long as we stay in the Football League. We did our deal with the shop and office building so that we’re okay to stay at Valley Parade.

“Obviously with the overheads of where we are, that would not be possible if we did ever go down.”