BRADFORD Bulls have insisted that last night's hammer blow from the Government to the £50 million bid to redevelop Odsal Stadium is “categorically not the end of the road”.

It was comfortably the biggest of the four regeneration schemes proposed for Bradford, and had created great excitement within the city and at Bulls in particular.

But the club had exercised caution, knowing the decision was out of their hands.

And it was confirmed at around 10:30pm last night that the Government had failed to award any of the four Bradford schemes “Levelling Up Fund” cash in the latest funding round.

Bids to re-open Bingley Pool, turn Keighley into a leading centre for advanced robotics and create new wellbeing hubs in some of Bradford’s most deprived areas were also snubbed.

But the decision on Odsal was arguably the most far-reaching, given the Bulls' status in rugby league as one the sport's legendary clubs.

In a club statement about them not being awarded any funding for the £50m project, Bulls said: “It goes without saying that we are disappointed with the decision, but not entirely surprised.

“It has certainly not diminished our resolve to provide the club, its supporters, and the city with the appropriate modern facility that they are deserving of.

“This is a setback but categorically not the end of the road.

“We await formal communication and an explanation from the City of Bradford Metropolitan Council about their proposed next steps in regenerating the South Bradford gateway, including the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre and the world famous Odsal Stadium.

“The only real failure is giving up and we are not about to do that.”