Thats either going to be new stadium/income generation possibilities +/- a core of quality academy players who have come through together and are willing to pen 2yr deals to give us a shot. Or we tick enough boxes of the presumed franchising model with the two items above & get placed there directly. I would think.

Probably. But I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. Until there's something official comes out about the stadium I find it hard to believe it will happen - too many false dawns in the past. I also think if we're to get a core of decent academy players to come through and stick together we have to give them a reason to stay at the club. A new ground would be a tangible way of showing better times are coming. Otherwise they'll get picked off just like the others. Kids want to be successful and it's a short career.

So we need both to happen to get out of the Championship OR a multi millionaire that wants to throw some money away comes along!

Until then it's C1. Interesting that the threads about 2018 have been so popular. It's as if we want 2017 out of the way as soon as possible

Yes, look at them.

But I don't want to be Rochdale nor oldham, with respect etc., nor is being a Rochdale ever going to work for a club like Bradford. We'd almost certainly fold, but even if no, we'd be pointless.

My point was that it's possible to come up and stay up. Those clubs have managed it, presumably on far fewer resources than we would be in such a position. The idea is to then build on that rather than tread water.

I doubt - if we have the rent and upkeep to pay - that practically any Championship club would be on less net resources than us

That's the big question isn't it? If we're lumbered with that I can't see us making it to the end of next season.

If we're not for some reason then we can probably muddle through.

Don't forget there is big decision from the courts to come in January - we haven't made it to the start of the season yet.

Forgot about that.

Another reason to hold back buying those season tickets - might be a case of deja vu otherwise.

I'm calling it now... the supposedly random RFL computer generated fixture list will 'just happen' to give us Keighley away on the first day of next season (just like it did with Leigh in 2015)

And, furthermore, our 'new look team will get beaten up - and beaten on the scoreboard - by the Cougars, triggering several weeks of taunting on this forum from Cougar fans about how it is 'justice' for whatever happened back in 1995.

You know it's going to happen

Problem for the owners is that has the risk of being a self fulfilling prophecy. Fans don't buy season tickets in case the club folds in off season due to not having enough cash, and the fans lose money and season tickets, so club folds in the off season as they don't have the cash from fans money from season tickets.

Needs lots of positive news early in the off season.

On the poll, not clicked an option yet as currently I suspect we have no players and no coach 100% on board for next season, so it's completely unknown. I'm hoping for recruitment to point to a push for automatic promotion, but I'll wait and see.

I've commanded my Maester to send a raven to Odsal with delay

Haha what we would give for the three eyed raven to look into the future

Wouldn't mind signing up a few of the dead, those boys showed better tackling technique on Jon Snow than any of the Bulls team have this season!!

But on a realistic note I expect:

A good undisturbed pre-season.
A number of signings before January.
Decent FT players signed up on those limited FT deals (ie. A Chisholm, not a Mendeika).
Decent PT players to supplement.
A number of academy players in the numbered squad (Kirk, Wilkinson, Rickett etc).

A coach announced before pre-season training in November.
Kit release before Christmas.
Season tickets being set at a decent price.

For me at the moment, all this is more important than any on field related issues. Get these done in the next few months and it shows me that we are gaining some form of stability and can look forward with renewed optimism.

As for on field. I expect a competitive squad capable of top 1/2/3 (depending who comes down) and see where we are and how we have performed after 4 weeks. If we win 4/4 then secure either automatic promotion or at least play-off contenders.

In terms of performance I want to see pride and passion for the shirt and also not lose to the Cougars. Don't think we have played them in a competitive match since SL started. So would hate to lose our first real encounter with them.