Bradford Bulls legend Brian Noble has no time for nostalgia as he looks to prove himself all over again
Those same fans were once gripped by Bullmania, a wave of excitement and success that passed by all too quickly for proud Bradfordians.
The Bulls won it all during a golden decade that saw Matthew Elliott and Noble combine to deliver 10 major trophies.
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Hide AdIf Elliott gave Bradford lift-off after a fallow period, Noble took the club into a different stratosphere.
Between 2001 and 2006, the former hooker led the Bulls to three Super League titles, three World Club Challenges and single Challenge Cup and League Leaders' Shield successes.
Eighteen years on, Bradford are still emerging from the financial wreckage that saw dreams turn to nightmares.
The Bulls went through 11 permanent head coaches before returning to Noble in the wake of Eamon O'Carroll's departure.
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Hide AdThe 63-year-old remains the last man to lead the club to a major trophy but Bradford must get back to Super League before they can think about bringing back the glory days.


For all the nostalgia, Noble has inherited a Championship side and not a team that had just won the Challenge Cup as he did all those years ago.
The man himself has no time for sentimentality.
"Not on my part but I've had a lot of reflections from other people about the nostalgia," Noble tells The Yorkshire Post.
"I'm very much a tomorrow guy. I recognise the club's past achievements and was lucky enough to be part of some of that – but nostalgia doesn't really work for me.
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"I'm more excited by the challenge ahead and what's possible at the Bulls. That's probably the reason I came back.
"I see a bright future and I'd like to help kickstart it. It's made progress over the last couple of years. Now it's about stability and keeping the momentum going."
The sport has evolved in the decade since Noble last held a head coach role.
He could have been forgiven for wanting to protect his legacy, a reputation initially carved out during 15 years as a player at Odsal.
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But there are no fears that the game has left him behind as he gets to grips with the challenge of finding a successful method in the modern era.
"I'm not fazed by it," says Bradford Hall of Fame member Noble, who has held director of rugby roles and worked with the BBC as a pundit in the intervening period.
"It's completely my decision. I've had lots and lots of offers to coach over the last 10 years but I took the decision not to take those and instead help teams behind the scenes on the administration and recruitment sides.
"I just think with Eamon leaving for all the right reasons, would a change of direction be the right thing? A new coach brings in new philosophies and thoughts.
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Hide Ad"I've kept up to speed with the game so am not fazed or worried about diving back in. I've had great feedback from the current crop of players so I'm confident we can keep the stability.
"I've got a lot of faith in Lee Greenwood who is going to be the first-team coach but clearly I'll have my finger in the pie in most of the parts of that.


"I think it can work. It's worked before. I'm not worried about my abilities because I know the vagaries of rugby league and the pressure that comes with getting results.
"Hopefully I'll be better this time around."
As he alludes to, Noble knows the inner workings of the modern-day Bulls having returned to the club as a consultant in 2022.
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Hide AdBradford have secured consecutive third-place finishes in the Championship since Noble's homecoming, even if he has had something of a back seat up to now.
The introduction of a grading system has made a return to Super League more complicated but the thought of leading the Bulls back to the big time is driving Noble.
"Super League has to be the next ambition for the club," he says.
"I don't want to be involved in anything that doesn't have the ambition to be in Super League. The board of directors, the chairman and CEO – we all share the same opinion.
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Hide Ad"We think we're really close. A lot has been done and there's still lots to be done.
"It can go wrong as well as it can go right so we've just got to keep building the momentum next year."
Bradford have ground to make up in the battle to outscore the lowest-ranked Super League clubs after slipping to 16th, below fellow Championship outfits Toulouse Olympique, London Broncos and York Knights.
The long-suffering Bulls fans would love nothing more than to be fast-tracked but Noble is of the mind that the club must prove they are ready.
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Hide Ad"We've certainly got enough pixels on our screen and enough seats in the right places," he jokes.
"I think IMG has been a really worthwhile attempt to improve standards right across the board. We've seen those improvements and clubs making those strides.
"However, I'm a firm believer that on the football side of things, you have to earn your stripes. Our ambition is to finish in the top two this season but we know how difficult the Championship is so that is by no means a gimme.
"We have to show we're worthy of Super League. I'm not one for saying we should be in because we're Bradford Bulls and one of four clubs that have ever won the competition in nearly 30 years.
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Hide Ad"That's not the criteria that should apply; the criteria is that you need to be a good club and a sound club that brings something to the table."
On the face of it, Bradford's biggest obstacle is a stadium stuck in time.
There is hope for Odsal after the club reacquired the lease but whether it is improved or not, Noble feels there is still life in the famous old ground.
"I dipped my toe in the water with the conversations I had with the board and asked about the stadium," he says.
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Hide Ad"There are things happening behind the scenes that are beyond my pay scale.
"Is it a hindrance at the moment? Probably. I don't know why because there are lots of boutique stadiums still in Super League.
"It's important that we tick the boxes where we can and make a case for it, but I've been to Odsal when it's had 29,000-30,000 people in and the last couple of years when there have been 3,000 people and it's still a great atmosphere and a great place to go and watch rugby league."
Once the best supported club in Super League, Bradford have work to do to convince lost fans to return.
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Hide AdFor his part, Noble can still see the same potential that made the Bulls unstoppable all those years ago.
"When I was a player, somebody took action and it changed from Bradford Northern to Bradford Bulls," says the club legend.
"It changed a couple of times before that as well with different owners and directors taking the club forward.
"There's definitely a momentum about the place. What I do know about Bradford people is they like to watch a good team, a team that is effort-based and will have a dig. If they get that, they'll enjoy their Friday nights or Sunday afternoons.
"I'm confident they'll come back and follow the club. In the halcyon days between 1996 and 2006, Bradford was a force in the world of rugby. Getting back to that has to be our aim."
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