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Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, England. They have been one of the success stories of the Super League, and are one of the biggest clubs in British Rugby League. The team jersey is white with red, amber and black 'V'. The club plays its home games at Grattan Stadium, which is located to the south of the city centre. The Bulls are coached by Steve McNamara who succeeded Brian Noble on 20th April 2006 when he moved to Wigan Warriors.
They are one of only two teams to have won the Super League four times, the other being St Helens
History
1863 - 1907: In the Beginning
The Bradford Rugby Club was formed in 1863. Park Avenue was established as their home ground in 1880. They achieved their first major success by winning the Yorkshire Cup in 1884.
In 1895, along with crosstown neighbours Manningham, Bradford were among 22 clubs to secede from the Rugby Football Union after a historic meeting at The George Hotel in Huddersfield, in response to a dispute over "broken time" payments to players. These 22 clubs formed the Northern Rugby Union. In 1903-4 Bradford finished level on points with Salford at the top of the league and then won the resulting play-off 5-0.
Mannington ran into financial difficulties and despite a summer archery contest that generated enough money to ensure their survival, their members were persuaded to change to Association football. They were invited to join the Football League in 1903, in an attempt to introduce the soccer to the rugby-dominated region, and the newly renamed Bradford City AFC were voted into full membership of the Second dvision without playing a game of soccer, having a team or being able to guarantee a ground.
There was also a demand for Association Football at Park Avenue, which played host to soccer matches as well as Northern Union games. The first game of Association Football played at Park Avenue is believed to have been between Blackburn Rovers and Blackburn Olympic and in 1895 a Bradford side beat a team from Moss Side, Manchester 4 -1 in front of 3,000 spectators.
In 1905-6 Bradford beat Salford 5-0 to win the Challenge Cup and were runners up in the Championship. The following season they win the Yorkshire Cup 8-5 against Hull Kingston Rovers.
With soccer already successful at Bradford City, a meeting was called of the club members on April 15th 1907 to decide the club's future. An initial vote appeared to favour continuing in the Northern Union, then opinion shifted towards rugby union but the Chairman, Mr Briggs, used his influence to swing the committee behind Association football. This act, sometimes referred to as "The Great Betrayal", led to Bradford becoming a soccer club, Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. and a new team Bradford Northern was created to take their place in the Northern Union.
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Bradford Northern
In 1933 Bradford Northern signed a ten year lease with Bradford council for a former quarry being used as a waste dump at Odsal Top. It was turned into the biggest stadium outside Wembley. Bradford Northern played their first match there on September 1st 1934.
Success came in the 1940s with a number of cup wins. They won the Yorkshire cup in 1940-1, 1942-3, 1944-5, 1945-6, 1948-9 and 1949-50 and the Challenge cup 1943-4, 1946-7 and 1948-9. There was no championship played between 1939-45 due to World War 2, yet they were unable to win either before the war or after despite being runners up in 1942-3 and 1947-8.
The 1947-8 final was notable as it was the first rugby league match to be attended by the reigning monarch, King George VI, who presented the trophy. Unfortunately for Bradford, they lost 8-3 to Wigan.
In 1951-2 Bradford were runners up in the league but beat New Zealand at Odsal in the first floodlit football match of any code in the North of England. In 1953, a crowd of 69,429 watched Bradford play Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup third round. This was Northern’s highest ever attendance. They also won the Yorkshire Cup final 7-2 against Hull.
After attracting a record low crowd of 324 against Barrow, Northern went out of business on 10th December 1963. In 1964, the Bradford Northern club reformed through the efforts of such people as Trevor Foster and Joe Phillips. They were accepted back into the Rugby League. They won their first cup after reformation in 1965-66 by beating Hunslet 17-8 in the final of the Yorkshire Cup.
In 1972-3 Bradford lost the Challenge Cup final against Featherstone 33-14. In 1973-4 Bradford won the Second Division Championship and were promoted back to the First Division. During this season Keith Mumby made his debut, becoming the Bradford's youngest player at only 16 years of age, scoring 12 goals and a try in a match against Doncaster. He went on to make a record 576 appearances for the club. In 1974-75 Bradford won the Regal Trophy 3-2 against Widnes.
Peter Fox joined Bradford as coach for the first time in 1977-78. Bradford won the Premiership final 17-8 against Widnes. They were also Championship runners-up.
In 1978-79 Bradford appeared in another Premiership final but this time lost 24-2 to Leeds. A year later Bradford won the Championship and Regal Trophy. Peter Fox won the award for Coach of the Year. They won the Championship again in 1980-81.
In 1981-82 Bradford lost the Yorkshire Cup final 18-7 against Castleford and lost again in 1982-83, this time 18-7 against Hull. Keith Mumby won the award for First Division Player of the Year while Brian Noble won the Young Player award.
In 1985 Ellery Hanley left Northern to join Wigan for a then record transfer deal, worth £80,000 and a player exchange involving Steve Donlan and Phil Ford.
In 1987-8 Bradford won the Yorkshire Cup final replay against Castleford 11-2 after drawing 12-12. In 1989-90 Bradford beat Featherstone 20-14 in the Yorkshire Cup final.
Bradford lost the Regal Trophy against Warrington 12-2 in 1990-91. In 1993-4, the last Championship before Super League, Bradford finished as runners up behind Wigan on points difference.
The Super League era
In April 1995, the Rugby League announced the formation of the European Super League. The Super League consisted of 10 clubs from the existing First Division (including Bradford Bulls) plus London Broncos from the Second Division, and new club Paris St Germain.
The club's name was changed from Bradford Northern to Bradford Bulls and a new logo was adopted (Old Bradford Northern logo to the right). Australian Brian Smith was appointed coach and later Chief Executive.
Bradford lost the 1996 Challenge Cup final 40-32 to St Helens. Robbie Paul won the Lance Todd Trophy and Super League Player of the Year. In September 1996, Brian Smith decided to return to Australia as coach of Parramatta Eels and assistant coach Matthew Elliot took over. Bradford Bulls finished the season as the best supported team in Super League with an average attendance in excess of 10,000.
Bradford won the 1997 Super League title with an record run of 20 successive victories from the start of the season. They were also Challenge Cup runners-up for a second season, losing 32-22 to St Helens. James Lowes was the Super League Player of the Season while Matthew Elliot was chosen as Super League Coach of the Season. Bradford were once again the best supported club, with an average of over 15,000.
1998 was a disappointing season for Bradford, finmishing fifth in Super League. They remained the best supported club, however, with an average attendance in excess of 13,000. Leon Pryce beat Keith Mumby's record in becoming the youngest player ever to appear for the club.
In 1999 Bradford signed New Zealand international Henry Paul from Wigan Warriors who linked up with brother Robbie Paul for the first time at professional club level. The club achieved record season ticket sales, and set a new scoring record as the Bulls thrashed Workington Town 92-0 in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup at Odsal. Bulls won a Minor Premiership in Super League IV; staying undefeated at Odsal. The final home game saw the Bulls smash the Super League attendance record with 24,020 fans watching the 19-18 defeat of Leeds Rhinos. A rugby league record 50,717 fans at Old Trafford saw the Bulls lose the Grand Final 8-6 to St Helens. Henry Paul won the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man of the match.
The millennium
The Bulls won the 2000 Challenge Cup with a 24-18 against local rivals Leeds Rhinos. Henry Paul wins the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match. The match took place at the Scottish Rugby Union's Murrayfield Stadium, the first time that the final had been held in Scotland.
In 2001, the Bulls took up residence at Valley Parade, the home of Bradford City AFC, to allow for the redevelopment of Odsal Stadium. They reached the Challenge Cup final held at Twickenham, but suffered a 13-6 defeat to St Helens. On 3rd May in a home match against Warrington, Henry Paul set a new World Record for consecutive goal kicks (35). The Bulls finished the regular season as Minor Premiers and on 13th October at Old Trafford, a new Super League Grand Final record attendance of 60,164 turned up and the Bulls crushed Wigan Warriors 37-6 to claim the title. Michael Withers scored a hat-trick of tries and was awared the Harry Sunderland Trophy as Man of the Match.
The Bulls were crowned World Club Champions on 1st February 2002 after defeating Australian Premiers Newcastle Knights 41-26 in front of a crowd of 21,113 at Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium. James Lowes was named as Man of the Match and Paul Deacon kicked eight goals from nine attempts plus one drop goal for a total of 17 points in the match, an individual scoring record for this competition.
The first match played following their return to Odsal was against Yorkshire rivals Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on Sunday 9th March 2003 and attracted an attendance of 20,283. Bradford Bulls won the game 22-10.
Bradford Bulls had their most successful season in the history of the club, winning all three titles. They travelled to Cardiff to beat the Leeds Rhinos at the Millennium Stadium 22-20, then went on to lift the League Leaders Shield for finishing top of the Super League after 28 rounds, before defeating Leeds Rhinos again, for the fifth time in the season, in the Qualifying Semi Final play-off to reach the Tetley's Rugby Super League Grand Final. The Bulls claimed the Super League title with victory over Wigan Warriors.
Bradford Bulls regained the World Club Challenge in 2004 by beating the NRL champions Penrith Panthers 22–4 at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield. They also beat Leeds Rhinos in the play-offs to reach the Grand Final, only to meet their arch-rivals two weeks later at Old Trafford in front of a record grand final crowd of 67,000. This time Bradford were beaten by Leeds 15–6. 2004 was also a superb year for the ‘The Volcano’ Lesley Vainikolo as he smashed the Super League try scoring record with a total of 37 tries from 26 appearances. This achievement started in the first round of the regular Super League season as he crossed the try line on five separate occasions against Wigan Warriors to equal the record for the total number of tries in a Super League game.
After a difficult start to the 2005 season, they managed to win the Super League title from third place by beating Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford.
The Bulls started the 2006 season by beating West Tigers 30-10 in the World Club Challenge Match at the Galpharm Stadium. This was their third such win in four years. Coach Brian Noble left Bradford to coach relegation threatened Wigan Warriors on 20th April 2006, Steve McNamara took over as head coach. Stuart Fielden followed Noble in moving to Wigan for a record fee of £450,000.
2006
Squad
As of 11th February, 2006:| Number | Player | Position | Previous Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Withers | Full Back | Balmain Tigers | |
| 2 | Marcus Bai | Winger | Leeds Rhinos | |
| 3 | Ben Harris | Centre | Canterbury Bulldogs | |
| 4 | Shontayne Hape | Centre | New Zealand Warriors | |
| 5 | Lesley Vainikolo | Winger | Canberra Raiders | |
| 6 | Iestyn Harris | Stand Off | Cardiff RU | |
| 7 | Paul Deacon | Scrum Half | Oldham | |
| 8 | Joe Vagana | Prop | New Zealand Warriors | |
| 9 | Ian Henderson | Hooker | Parramatta | |
| 10 | Brad Myers | Second Rower | Brisbane Broncos | |
| 11 | Chris Mckenna | Second Rower | Leeds Rhinos | |
| 12 | Paul Johnson | Second Rower | Wigan Warriors | |
| 13 | Terry Newton | Hooker | Wigan Warriors | |
| 14 | Andy Lynch | Prop | Castleford Tigers | |
| 15 | Stanley Gene | Stand Off | Huddersfield Giants | |
| 16 | Jamie Langley | Loose Forward | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 17 | Karl Pryce | Winger | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 19 | Brett Ferres | Second Rower | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 20 | Matt Cook | Centre | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 22 | Nicky Saxton | Full Back | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 24 | Tony Tonks | Prop | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 25 | Matty Brooks | Stand Off | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 26 | Matt James | Prop | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 28 | Craig Kopczak | Prop | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 30 | Sam Burgess | Loose Foward | Bradford Bulls Academy | |
| 31 | Marcus St Halaire | Full Back | Huddersfield Giants | |
| 32 | Andy Smith | Winger | Bradford Bulls Academy |
Transfers
Transfer for 2006 (In)
| Name | Signed From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Gene | Huddersfeild Gaints | 2005 | |
| Marcus Bai | Leeds Rhinos | 2005 | |
| Chris McKenna | Leeds Rhinos | 2005 | |
| Terry Newton | Wigan Warriors | 2005 | |
| Marcus St Halaire | Huddersfield Giants | 2006 | |
| Ian Henderson | Parramatta Eels | 2006 |
Transfer for 2006 (Out)
| Name | Signed By | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Peacock | Leeds Rhinos | 2005 | |
| Leon Pryce | St Helens RFC | 2005 | |
| Stuart Rearden | Warrington Wolves | 2005 | |
| Rob Parker | Warrington Wolves | 2005 | |
| Ryan Atkins | Wakefield Wildcats | 2005 | |
| Stuart Feilden | Wigan Warriors | 2006 | |
| Robbie Paul | Huddersfeild Gaints | 2005 | |
| Paul Johnson | Warrington Wolves | 2006 |
Transfer for 2007 (In)
| Name | Signed From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn Morrison | Parramatta Eels | 2006 |
Transfer for 2007 (Out)
| Name | Signed By | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Myers | Gold Coast Titans | 2006 | |
Super League Era
| Year | Title | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Super League | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1999 | Super League | Lost St Helens 8-6 | Old Trafford | 50,717 |
| 2001 | Super League | def. Wigan Warriors 37-6 | Old Trafford | 60,164 |
| 2002 | Super League | Lost St Helens 18-19 | Old Trafford | 67,000 |
| 2003 | Super League | def. Wigan Warriors 26-8 | Old Trafford | 69,912 |
| 2004 | Super League | Lost Leeds 15-6 | Old Trafford | 69,912 |
| 2005 | Super League | def.Leeds 15-8 | Old Trafford | 69,912 |
Challenge Cup
| Year | Title | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Challenge Cup Final | Lost St Helens 40-32 | Wembly | 75994 |
| 1997 | Challenge Cup Final | Lost St Helens 32-22 | Wembly | 69,329 |
| 2000 | Challenge Cup Final | def. Leeds Rhinos 24-18 | Murreyfield Stadium | 60,164 |
| 2001 | Challenge Cup Final | Lost St Helens 13-6 | Twickenham Stadium | 67,000 |
| 2003 | Challenge Cup Final | def. Leeds Rhinos 22-21 | Millennium Stadium | 69,912 |
| Year | Title | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | World Club Challenge | def. Newcastle Knights 41-26 | Galpharm Stadium | 21,113 |
| 2004 | World Club Challenge | def. Penrith Panthers 22-4 | Galpharm Stadium | 20,912 |
| 2006 | World Club Challenge | def. West Tigers 30-10 | Galpharm Stadium | 19,207 |
Super League Table 1996 - 2005
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 1st | 6th | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Captains
| Name | Started | Ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robbie Paul | 1996 | 2004 | |
| Jamie Peacock | 2005 | 2005 | Went to Leeds |
| Iestyn Harris | 2006 | Present |
Coaching Register
| Name | Contract Started | Contract Ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Hobbs | 1990 | 1993 | Sacked |
| Peter Fox | 1993 | 1995 | Sacked |
| Brian Smith | 1995 | 1996 | Went to Parramatta |
| Matthew Elliott | 1996 | 2000 | Went to Canberra |
| Brian Noble | 2001 | 2006 | Went to Wigan |
| Steve McNamara | 2006 | N/A | N/A |
Super League Points Scoring Records
Tries in a Match
| Player | Tries | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesley Vainikolo | 6 | Hull FC | 2.9.2005 |
| Lesley Vainikolo | 5 | Wigan Warriors | 20.2.2004 |
| Lesley Vainikolo | 4 | Hull FC | 1.10.2005 |
| Leon Pryce | 4 | London | 30.6.2003 |
| Robbie Paul | 4 | Salford | 25.6.2000 |
Goals in a Match
| Player | Goals | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Paul | 14 | Salford City Reds | 25.6.2000 |
| Paul Deacon | 10 | St Helens | 17.9.2004 |
Tries in a Season
| Player | Tries | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lesley Vainikolo | 37 | 2004 |
| Lesley Vainikolo | 32 | 2005 |
| Tevita Vaikona | 22 | 2001 |
| Michael Withers | 22 | 2001 |
| Shontayne Hape | 21 | 2004 |
| Lesley Vainikolo | 21 | 2003 |
| Tevita Vaikona | 21 | 2002 |
| Robbie Paul | 18 | 2001 |
| Graham Mackay | 18 | 2001 |
| Michael Withers | 17 | 2002 |
| Leon Pryce | 17 | 2003 |
Goals in a Season
| Player | Goals | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Paul | 207 | 2001 |
| Paul Deacon | 173 | 2003 |
| Paul Deacon | 168 | 2005 |
| Henry Paul | 142 | 2000 |
| Paul Deacon | 155 | 2002 |
Points in a Season
| Player | Points | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Paul | 407 | 2001 |
| Paul Deacon | 389 | 2005 |
| Paul Deacon | 389 | 2003 |
| Paul Deacon | 336 | 2002 |
| Henry Paul | 319 | 2000 |
Biggest Super League Victories
1996
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 60-32 | Paris St Germain | May 19th 1996 |
| Bradford Bulls | 54 8 | Leeds Rhinos | May 24 1996 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 4 | Workington Town | June 2 1996 |
| Bradford Bulls | 64 22 | Sheffield Eagles | June 24 1996 |
| Bradford Bulls | 56 0 | Oldham Bears | July 28 1996 |
| Bradford Bulls | 56 18 | Leeds Rhinos | August 8 1996 |
1997
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 54 10 | Sheffield Eagles | April 24 1997 |
| Bradford Bulls | 68 0 | Paris St Germain | August 22 1997 |
1998
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 52 10 | Castleford Tigers | May 25 1998 |
| Bradford Bulls | 38 18 | Hull Sharks | August 8 1998 |
| Bradford Bulls | 40 10 | Salford Reds | 27 September 1998 |
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 92 0 | Workington Town | FEBRUARY 14 1999 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 16 | Warrington | MARCH 14 1999 |
| Bradford Bulls | 74 0 | London Broncos | JUNE 9 1999 |
| Bradford Bulls | 56 6 | Warrington | JULY 11 1999 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 4 | Sheffield | AUGUST 22 1999 |
2000
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 58 4 | Warrington | MARCH 19 2000 |
| Bradford Bulls | 58 4 | Warrington | MARCH 19 2000 |
| Bradford Bulls | 60 0 | Huddersfield-Sheffield | APRIL 2 2000 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 1 | Salford | APRIL 16 2000 |
| Bradford Bulls | 62 2 | Halifax | APRIL 2 2000 |
| Bradford Bulls | 96 16 | Salford | JUNE 25 2000 |
| Bradford Bulls | 56 6 | Hull | JULY 14 2000 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 20 | Huddersfield/Sheffield | AUGUST 18 2000 |
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 54 10 | Widnes | FEBRUARY 11 2001 |
| Bradford Bulls | 68 18 | Halifax | FEBRUARY 25 2001 |
| Bradford Bulls | 56 24 | Warrington | MAY 2 2001 |
| Bradford Bulls | 62 10 | Wakefield | MAY 18 2001 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 28 | Halifax | JUNE 24 2001 |
| Bradford Bulls | 56 30 | Castleford Tigers | AUGUST 26 2001 |
| Bradford Bulls | 84 12 | Warrington | SEPTEMBER 9 2001 |
| Bradford Bulls | 62 18 | Leeds | SEPTEMBER 15 2001 |
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 54 22 | St Helens | APRIL 20 2002 |
| Bradford Bulls | 44 12 | Wakefield | APRIL 1 2002 |
| Bradford Bulls | 44 18 | Salford | APRIL 29 2002 |
| Bradford Bulls | 46 22 | Halifax Blue Sox | MAY 17 2002 |
| Bradford Bulls | 44 6 | Widnes | JULY 4 2002 |
2003
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 82 0 | Hunslet | MARCH 2 2003 |
| Bradford Bulls | 62 22 | Halifax | MARCH 23 2003 |
| Bradford Bulls | 60 12 | Halifax | JULY 11 2003 |
| Bradford Bulls | 60 6 | London | JULY 30 2003 |
2004
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 54 8 | St Helens | APRIL 12 2004 |
| Bradford Bulls | 60 12 | Castleford | JULY 4 2004 |
| Bradford Bulls | 60 18 | London | SEPTEMBER 5 2004 |
| Bradford Bulls | 64 24 | St Helens | SEPTEMBER 17 2004 |
2005
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 80 14 | Featherstone | APRIL 3 2005 |
| Bradford Bulls | 54 10 | Huddersfield | APRIL 17 2005 |
| Bradford Bulls | 58 12 | Leigh | JULY 17 2005 |
| Bradford Bulls | 74 24 | Widnes | AUGUST 7 2005 |
| Bradford Bulls | 58 12 | Salford | AUGUST 14 2005 |
| Bradford Bulls | 49 6 | Hull | SEPTEMBER 2 2005 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 34 | Huddersfield | SEPTEMBER 11 2005 |
| Bradford Bulls | 71 0 | Hull | OCTOBER 1 2005 |
2006
| Team | Score | Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Bulls | 58 18 | Catalans Dragons | March 3 2006 |
| Bradford Bulls | 52 12 | Huddersfield Giants | April 18 2006 |
| Bradford Bulls | 54 6 | Catalans Dragons | April 28 2006 |
Highest Super League Home Attendances
- (All games Played at Grattan Stadium or Valley Parade)
1996
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Wigan Warriors | 17,360 | July 7 1996 |
| Halifax Blue Sox | 13,196 | August 18 1996 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 10,229 | May 24 1996 |
| St Helens | 11,467 | July 5 1996 |
1997
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Warrington Wolves | 15,017 | March 3 1997 |
| Sheffield Eagles | 14,834 | April 17 1997 |
| St Helens | 18,387 | May 11 1997 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 16,542 | August 10 1997 |
| Paris St Germain | 17,128 | August 22 1997 |
| Wigan Warriors | 16,761 | August 25 1997 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 19,188 | April 12 1997 |
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| St Helens | 14,054 | 10/05/98 |
| Halifax Blue Sox | 16,337 | 17/05/98 |
| St Helens | 11,467 | July 5 1996 |
| Wigan Warriors | 14,103 | 12/06/98 |
1999
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| St Helens | 14,054 | April 5 1999 |
| Halifax Blue Sox | 16,337 | May 17 1999 |
| Wigan Warriors | 14,103 | June 12 1999 |
| St Helens | 15,107 | June 25 1999 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 24,020 | September 3 1999 |
2000
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Warrington Wolves | 17,127 | March 19 2000 |
| Wakefield Wildcats | 15,276 | May 7 2000 |
| Halifax Blue Sox | 14,082 | May 12 2000 |
| Wigan Warriors | 18,815 | June 30 2000 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 21,237 | July 30 2000 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 19,623 | September 8 2000 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 15,077 | September 30 2000 |
2001
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| St Helens | 16,572 | March 3 2001 |
| 16,247 | 17,205 | April 16 2001 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 15,102 | July 22 2001 |
2002
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Warrington Wolves | 15,476 | 2002 |
| Hull FC | 13,268 | 28 March 2002 |
| Wigan Warriors | 13,314 | 24 May 2002 |
| St Helens | 13,948 | 16 August 2002 |
2003
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|
- Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (Att: 20,283)(March 9 2003)
- Halifax RLFC (Att:15,557)(March 23 2003)
- Warrington Wolves (Att:15,157) (13 April 2003
- Wigan Warriors (Att:15,182) (18 April 2003)
- Hull FC (Att:14,739 Sun, (11 May 2003)
- Leeds Rhinos (Att:21,784 Fri) (23 May 2003)
- Wigan Warriors (Att:15,732) (21 June 2003)
- Leeds Rhinos (Att:21,102) (07 September 2003)
- Leeds Rhinos (Att:19,786) (04 October 2003)
2004
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Wigan Warriors | 17,205 | 20 February 2004 |
| St Helens | 15,623 | April 12 2004 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 23,375 | June 5 2004 |
2005
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | 15,137 | February 2005 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 22,843 | March 24 2005 |
| St Helens | 16,603 | June 5 2005 |
2006
| Team | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Leeds Rhinos | 16,603 | 26 May 2006 |
Internationals
Notable Players
| Player | Player | Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graeme Bradley | Karl Fairbank | Paul Medley | Staurt Spruce | Trevor Foster |
| Jeff Grayshon | Paul Newlove | |||
| Brian Noble | James Lowes | Keith Mumby | Ellery Hanley | Paul Loughlin |
| Robbie Paul | Henry Paul | Terry Price | Glen Tomlinson | Jamie Peacock |
| Leon Pryce | Stuart Fielden | Danny Peacock |
Titles
World Club Challenge
- 2002, 2004, 2006 (3 times)
- (including Super League): 1903-04, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005 (7 times)
Minor Premiers
- 1999, 2001, 2003
Grand Finalists
- 1999, 2002, 2004
- 1905-06, 1943-44, 1946-47, 1948-49, 2000, 2003 (6 times)
Beaten Finalists
- 1897-98, 1944-45, 1947-48, 1972-73, 1996, 1997, 2001
- 1977-78
- 1906-07, 1940-41, 1941-42, 1943-44, 1945-46, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1953-54, 1965-66, 1978-79, 1987-88, 1989-90 (12 times)
- 1899-1900, 1900-01, 1939-40, 1940-41, 1947-48 (5 times)
- 1974-75, 1979-80 (2 times)
- 1973-74
- 2002
All Time Records
Player records
Most tries in a game
- 7 by Jim Dechan (vs Bramley) 13th October 1906
- 14 by Joe Phillips (vs Batley) 6th September 1952 & 14 by Henry Paul v Salford, 25 Jun 2000
Most points in a game
- 36 by John Woods (vs Swinton) 13th October 1985
Most tries in a season
- 63 by Jack McLean 1951-1952
Most goals in a season
- 203 (+ 4 dg) by Henry Paul 2001
Most points in a season
- 446 by Henry Paul, 2001
Most career tries
- 261 by Jack McLean 1950-56
Most career goals
- 781 by Paul Deacon 2006
Most career tries
- 261 by Jack McLean 1950-56
Most career points
- 1,834 by Paul Deacon June 23rd 2006
Most career appearances
- 580 (+8 as a subsitute) by Keith Mumby 1973-90, 1992-93
Biggest win
Heaviest defeat
Bradford attendance Record
- 69,429 vs Huddersfield (Challenge Cup ) 14th March 1953
Odsal attendance record
- Officially 102,569 although some estimates have put the figure around the 125,000 mark - Warrington vs Halifax (Challenge Cup Final Replay), 5th May 1954
Record attendance in Super League era
- 24,020, vs Leeds, 9th August 1999
Trivia
- First Team to Win Super League from 3rd Place
- First Team to Appear in Five Consecative Super League Grand Finals
- Record 20 Super League Matchs Unbeaten-(First 20 in 1997)
- They are one of only two teams to have won the Super League four times, the other being St Helens
Famous Fans
External links
- World of Rugby League- Bradford Bulls
- Google - Bradford Bulls
- BBC Sport-Rugby League
- Bradford Bulls WebSite
British rugby league clubs | Bradford | Sport in West Yorkshire
"Bradford Bulls"