Hardly free money was it, it's all mostly paid back. A loan based on future funding is no way in the same ball park has having your ground bought because you defaulted on a loan (despite spending near full salary cap at the time). I can say with certain confidence that such a loan would be available to any club that requested it in similar circumstances.

For the record in late 2010 Wakefield (under Ted Richardson) was refused a £300,000 loan by the RFL to save the club from going in to administration. Just a few months later Bradford was receive a substantially bigger loan, on the quiet might I add. Just saying like.

That's ok then. I'm going to try that with my mortgage

The RFL didn't buy the ground.

Are we doing this one again already? Do you think that on the 100th re-hash, which must be soon, there'll be like an award or presentation or something?

Can we have it at the Coral stand?

Do we know who owns it?

Here’s a conspiracy theory for you (well fans of a certain other club (not naming names) can have them so why can’t we?).

The RFL are trying to bridge the gap between Super League and the Championship. They are increasing the funding, rebranding as SL2 and having play offs against SL1 teams. What better way to further improve exposure to the new SL2 than adding an ‘iconic’ team. One that has been one of the most successful and well followed in the modern era. A team that all championship clubs would love to beat, which is something their fans would turn out in droves to witness.

Yes the RFL have helped out Bradford in the past but all of a sudden they seem to be doing all they can to hinder us. Taking away £1.2m in funding over 2 years (how many other clubs could survive this?), then seemingly advising us to go into administration with the promise of no penalty but slapping us with a 6 point deduction and special measures. They will have been fully aware that players would walk away at that point, leaving us on -6 and with a threadbare squad. They effectively sentenced us to relegation there and then, barring a miracle of course. I just wonder if this was always their plan. I suspect we’ll never fully find out what happened during the last administration but the fact that the RFL were so heavily involved and listening to some of the comments made by people involved at the club at the time leads me to suspect that maybe there were ulterior motives.

I believe Cows has it basically right.

Well why don't we spite them by changing our name immediately to Highfield. Then instead of an iconic club in SL2 they'll have put a joke one in.

Have you ever been to Odsal? It couldn't be "Highfield" unless you turned it upside down. As it stands, with respect it is very clearly "Low Field". Please be sensible.

Here we come.

I bet Rimmer and Solly have just followed through.

Bradford Bulls RLFC ‏@OfficialBullsRL 6m CLUB officials have confirmed their intention to challenge the points deduction in the High Court. Details: ow.ly/ytgYw

Bradford Bulls RLFC ‏@OfficialBullsRL 6m CLUB officials have confirmed their intention to challenge the points deduction in the High Court. Details: ow.ly/ytgYw

I just can't fathom why we might be doing this. Given we will almost certainly finish in excess of 6 points behind our nearest rival, what can possibly be gained from the appeal?

Sigh. Right and wrong are a distant second place to pragmatism right now. We should be kicking this into touch and concentrating on getting ready for next year.

We can gain more dislike from pretty much everyone else in RL, Im sure there were at least a couple of people somewhere who thought well of us that we can turn by dragging this out through the high court....

Waste of time IMO. If the evidence was that good what happened at the appeal? What happens if the court hearing is after the season ends? But more to the point, like you say, its a very good bet that we'll end more than 6 points behind wakey and go down anyway....and thats if the high court agrees with us and we get all 6 back. Just cant see this ending well.