RFL terms of engagement in the SL franchise system in my view = Sport for only those who they the RFL decide, when they decide and if they decide it is entirely on their terms what they decide, or decide to change those terms, if they have previously decided something which now doesnt suit them, they will just decide.!!!!

Then use the words..." due dilligence has decided after a closely contested process that nobody from the Championship can join us because WE are the only ones who can DECIDE" (but we reserve the right to change our mind in case one of the clubs we are not too bothered about go bust ie Castleford)

Thats why we are such a visionary, progressive,vibrant,vastly improving, all inclusive National sport attracting billions in funding, operating with openess and transparancy promoting the goverment ethos of sport for all.................NOT

Part quote. "What happens when Salford go bust? Precedent has been set. Or has it?"

Exactly what I posted before with the addition that if a "Lower" SL clubs gets into serious trouble and do not get saved by the powers that be then this is blatant sporting discrimination that cannot be right.

In effect.
Wigan, Saints, Leeds, Warrington would never be allowed to go out of buisness!

Salford, Cas, Wakey would be?

What about either of the HUll clubs, have they not got just as great a tradition and history in the game.

On the other hand.

If any of the clubs currently in SL get into trouble and are saved then what has become of the licensing system criteria, box ticking or whatever they want to call it.

Answer = totally irrelevant.

I wonder if the people at Red Hall have considered any of the above.

It gets deeper the more you think about it.
Bradford Bulls success ( and current image (which is what the RFL say can't be lost) and is not the same as Bradford Northern) over the last few years was built on success on the field through having a winning side assembled by spending large sums of money on signing up some of the better players.

This and the novell idea of getting whole families to come with bouncy castles for kids,live pre match entertainment for supporters etc had Odsal full to the rafters with crowds averaging above the 17,000 mark.
Eddy Emmings said about this that it was so good.
Quote: "Other Super League Clubs take note." This is how it should be done in the modern era.

The problem was that many of the 17,000+ crowd were not and are not true Rugby League supporters.
For a short while as long as the Bulls were winning, they enjoyed it and thought they were winners too.

As the bubble started to burst and the novelty wore off the idea of turning up and seeing the Bulls lose a few games and not sweeping everything before them wasn't quite as appealing and a bouncy castle type razz and tazz at odsal quickly lost it's appeal.

Crowds started to drop but the players were still on the large contracts and a shorfall in funds started to appear that could not be quickly fixed.
That is one of the main reasons Caisley walked away in the first place he knew that more was going out than was coming in and they were slowly going bust.

The irony is.
Having reached the Rugby league dizzy heights that they did.
Bradfords Bulls SL success and there "Image" as a great club that must be saved at all costs is what has led to their current situation.

Having got to the top they could not handle it at the top overreaching themselves to try and stay there, that and some sheer bad management thrown in is why they are where the are today.

A lot of it has to do with the luck of timimg. We were bigger than Bradford in 1986 - they were poor and struggled with crowds. We were bigger than Huddersfield, Wakefield, Castleford, Hull, Hull KR, Widnes and London throughout the early 90's.

We were bigger because we too spent money we didn't have. Bradford are no better than us. Yes - they attracted about 7,000 more people than we did. So what? I would say the end result for both clubs is markedly different though. Bradford have brought chaos and ridicule to the game - and it's still dragging on.

They have but they have also got a heck of a lot of PR out of this, I have noticed an increase in Bulls shirts and tops the last few months around and about, they have also got from most SL fans the sympathy vote, weird.
I bumped into some Bulls fans on the train down to London on Friday and they just don't get it at all, they really do think we are all just having a go 'cos its them and we don't like them' and that they deserve to be in SL and should stay there, they do not even contemplate being outside SL at all. The daft sod even said 'where was the biggest RL crowd ever?' = Odsal but I had to remind him it was Halifax v Warrington that played, meaning WE and Warrington created the biggest crowd ever not Bradford!

Now that would be bold BUT do you really think Fat Controller will be bothered? No it will make it even easier for him to keep the status quo

I chatted to fans of a lot of the Buggeroffleague yesterday before the CC Final.

They ALL want promotion and relegation back.

Licenscing will be dustbinned Soon' I hope.

The latest "rumor" in the never ending saga from the Bfd Bulls forum is that Bradford stay in SL but receive a reduced amount of money each month from sky 2012/13 to appease creditors etc.....and wait for it .....other clubs can apply for the Bulls SL franchise.(Would you it, another fair and open due dilligence process on SL franchise application)

Its quite "simples" he says in a rather Brendan Hill style sqeaky voice ....we keep those rude boy Campionship clubs like Fev, Fax and Leigh, nice, quiet and controlled by inferring the future potential of a place in the SL promised land. Those at the bottom end of SL have to do what we say because they are frightened to death of loosing their licence. Those at the top we know arent right bothered. We have at last got the administrator out of the way, HMRC get the buyout fee but to make sure it looks half decent for other creditors we hold back some of the sky money and hey presto it means we have got some interest to cover the cost of us buying the lease! The Bulls are still in SL so the lease is now back up to top buck, If the consortium want to buy it back in a year or so from us its double our money time!
Fantastic now lets concentrate on more important things in life... (Allegedly says the fat controller as another deliciously large Melton Mobray pie is eaten in one bite....Oh sorry I missed those Championship crumbs he says not being able to resist a sly grin.... as the bald headed giants very large thumb reaches out and squashes them flat...... )

That would be the money that is currently paying their team to make the play offs , its a good job they are still in SL or they would have been paying back their ' advance ' for several years in the Championship

They couldn't manage spending the money they got from Sky as it was. How is this going to work? Less money?

Oh my god ..................... i've just realized. The "fans" may have to pay a realistic price to watch the Bulls (which in my view is actually only what they're paying now) instead of the "bums on seats let's go bust" price that they have been charging them.

Cretins. All of them.

Yes but these are ' mega rich ' people , they are paying £ 150 K for an ' iconic , world famous ' RL club , that should go a long way with debts of up to a million a year

Yawn...................
Had enough of the whole sorry affair and all the other laughable bits that have come up since. The RFL/Sky spin- doctors must be in overdrive now -another success for SL and the franchising system.Looks like Fev are now the latest to be strung along -with us and Leigh- as they have been given asurances they won't have to link to a SL club the latest news. So Fev you can get your stadium sorted, sort out your own junior section and then apply to give our franchise system some credibility before we find another reason not to let you in to our closed shop quango. Sound familiar Fax/Leigh fans?
Yawn.........................
PS good luck to all clubs in Champioship play off's-should be a cracking competition this time.Fax will have to be at their best to get to the final this time!

I class Barrow, Haven, Town, Leigh, Oldham, Rochdale, Fax, Fev, Batley, Sheffield, Keighley, Dewsbury and Swinton as a good break away comp. The SL tie ups will only be of interest to the dead clubs of Hunslet, York, Gateshead, Skolars, South and North Wales and the new boys in C1.

Break away, and do it now - they are fooked if we do. If my club accepts a tie up then I have walked from the game. We must force change together.

In what way ?