On the day that news broke of the proposed deal from Superleague Europe (SLE) to take over the Bradford Bulls, BullBuilder arranged a meeting with Blake Solly, RFL Director of Licensing and Standards, to find out more details of the way ahead for the club. In a constructive meeting, we established that SLE look on this as a short-term measure and are confident of attracting a long-term, unconditional bid in the near future. Solly could give no guarantees about the division in which the club will play next season: he commented that the debt of the club remains a concern and is estimated to be approximately £1.5m. However, he assured BullBuilder that the club would continue to play at Odsal for the foreseeable future. If the SLE bid is accepted, we understand that players will then be free to speak to other clubs to secure their future for next season. Where recently redundant back room and coaching staff are concerned, there is a likelihood that some may be re-employed. However, in the interim, those staff are still not being paid and are unlikely to be reimbursed for their unpaid work in the mean time, so the Hardship Fund instigated by BullBuilder is still required. Therefore, BullBuilder intend to carry out a bucket collection in support of the Hardship Fund at this Sunday’s home game against Widnes. We will be looking for the club’s support in this, but can guarantee that all money raised will go toward the Hardship Fund. Supporters’ generosity has already made a major contribution to relieving financial distress suffered by individuals as a result of their commitment to the Bulls, with funds of £4,200 already allocated or distributed. Thanks to all who have made this happen. We thank Blake Solly for taking the time to speak to us and look forward to a constructive relationship, allowing BullBuilder to communicate the views of the fans to the RFL. We have agreed to further meetings after the SLE deal has been ratified, and will keep BullBuilder members informed. www.bullbuilder.co.uk/NewsItem.a ... d887bf5c2c

On the day that news broke of the proposed deal from Superleague Europe (SLE) to take over the Bradford Bulls, BullBuilder arranged a meeting with Blake Solly, RFL Director of Licensing and Standards, to find out more details of the way ahead for the club. In a constructive meeting, we established that SLE look on this as a short-term measure and are confident of attracting a long-term, unconditional bid in the near future. Solly could give no guarantees about the division in which the club will play next season: he commented that the debt of the club remains a concern and is estimated to be approximately £1.5m. However, he assured BullBuilder that the club would continue to play at Odsal for the foreseeable future. If the SLE bid is accepted, we understand that players will then be free to speak to other clubs to secure their future for next season. Where recently redundant back room and coaching staff are concerned, there is a likelihood that some may be re-employed. However, in the interim, those staff are still not being paid and are unlikely to be reimbursed for their unpaid work in the mean time, so the Hardship Fund instigated by BullBuilder is still required. Therefore, BullBuilder intend to carry out a bucket collection in support of the Hardship Fund at this Sunday’s home game against Widnes. We will be looking for the club’s support in this, but can guarantee that all money raised will go toward the Hardship Fund. Supporters’ generosity has already made a major contribution to relieving financial distress suffered by individuals as a result of their commitment to the Bulls, with funds of £4,200 already allocated or distributed. Thanks to all who have made this happen. We thank Blake Solly for taking the time to speak to us and look forward to a constructive relationship, allowing BullBuilder to communicate the views of the fans to the RFL. We have agreed to further meetings after the SLE deal has been ratified, and will keep BullBuilder members informed. www.bullbuilder.co.uk/NewsItem.a ... d887bf5c2c

So we need to hope that the players really do want to stay at Bradford.

TBH, it might not be a question of what they want. Really, the RFL need to come out now and say exactly which league we'll be playing in next season. How else are we supposed to plan going forward? If we're staying in SL then we can look at retaining the majority of the squad, if we're being dropped down to the championship then we can sort out the budget for the lower salary cap and hopefully hold onto our best young players because we'll not be able to hold onto the whole squad on the lower cap of the championship and we'll need to build a virtually new team.

You are NOW a Championship club, simple as

Realistically our best players are going to be snapped up by other clubs

BTW good work Bullbuilder, I'll certainly be looking out for those buckets on Sunday

How can they be so confident of, basically, achieving in the next 4 months what the previous board and BG have been effectively trying to do for the last several years?
It's almost an insult to BG for them to say as much, but I'm sure he's too busy counting his £££ right now to care.

Best case scenario? The RFL pull off a miracle and find a buyer. We lose all of our best players, sign a bunch of journeymen and spend the rest of our days rotting in the Championship playing at Odsal with crowds of 4 or 5k getting a shoeing most weeks.

Worst case scenario? The RFL find no buyer. And what then? Oblivion?

My thoughts exactly. I don't understand why everyone is so happy about this.

Welcome to the real RFL!

When asked he said he was 9/10 confident they would have an unconditional offer to buy the club, to the point where we said it sounded like they they were already talking to people....but we could be wrong

You are missing the key, key things that have changed.

1 - Any prospective investor in recent years had to contend with a dysfunctional shareholding, clearly with serious divisions amongst themselves. For example, Hood and Bennett could not unilaterally issue new shares to anyone - investors, fans, whoever - without the approval of the rest of the shareholders. Would they have agreed? Seeig theor own holdings diluted as a consequence?

2 - Guilfoyle was racing against the clock, in an unfunded administration, putting any prospective investors under pressure (lets move on from whether or not initially prospective investors struggled to get access to him and the relevant information) which is not at all conducive to a long-tem considered solution. I am sure he would be the first to agree that he would have far preferred the luxury of time, and that far from being an insult to him the SL(E) action has done him a massive favour?



This action removes both impediments.

I think people should give serious thought to what the likely view of at least some other SL clubs may have been to the prospect of Bulls bieng allowed to continue in SL having effectively been relieved of their obligations to pay legitimate liabilities? Maybe the same as Caisley's (and mine) was when London were in precisely that situation - that it gives a huge unfair advantage to such a club, compared with those clubs (or, more to the point, their owners) who have sought to pay what they owe when due. And would those clubs have been prepared to allow the RFL to give a guarantee of a SL place for the Bulls to a prospective buyer? What would WE have thought, only a year or so back, had the RFL done that with Wakey, for example?

Seems to me:

IF we get a buyer who is prepared to buy the club AND discharge the unpaid tax bills and other creditors, THEN we get to stay in SL.

IF we get a buyer who is NOT prepared to so do, we get ejected from SL and have to see if there is a future within the lower leagues (which personally I doubt).

If we get NO buyer by later in this year, then its oblivion.

"If the SLE bid is accepted, we understand that players will then be free to speak to other clubs to secure their future for next season. Where recently redundant back room and coaching staff are concerned, there is a likelihood that some may be re-employed."

Is this in relation to our off contract players or all our players?

All of them.

Shut up, you don't know. Your guess might be right in the end but you don't know.

Ginger is right, 1 st team squad gone, next year you will be watching your u 23 s with a few Leeds loanees and Dual regs from the Giants , running up the hills at Batley and Fev, enjoy