I seem to recall that, when in Special Measures, you have to pay HMRC on a monthly basis.

Its a vicious circle though.

Special measures = can't sign new players to help improve perfromances and therefore income to get the club OUT opf special measures.

Along with the scandalous £2/3m Sky money confiscation.

With an already very small squad.

Add in the points deduction, and the only way to get out of the hole is for owners to put in a shedload of cash.

And no such potential oweners have been forthcoming. Caisley sought them out; they were not there. Hood sought them out; they were not there. Caisley and co again then allegedly sought them out, and said they HAD such funding; but they and it were not there. Khan sought them out; but only wanted small-scale investors and, in the end, even they were not there. And again we seek them out; and again they are not there.

I've put £2 on the Euromillions tonight.

£170k sound like maybe 3 months PAYE to me. Yes, that's right. At the most.

Which would be the PAYE payable 22/12, 22/1 and 22/2 (from the Jan payroll) I presume?

Now, given that the club ownership went out of the window just before Xmas, it is hardly surprising that the 22/12 payment was likely not paid then? And the ongoing failure to resolve the ownership, with the club being technically insolvent, makes it hardly surprising that it was not paid in January? Or that the payment due 22/1 will not have been paid when due? Given the risks of fraudulent preference. And of course, the payment due 22/2 was not even DUE when the administrator was appointed end January.

I was pleasantly surprised that the amount owing to HMRC was as comparatively low, and short term, as this. Compare and contrast £500k owed by Bulls last time (albeit a lot of back-claimed VAT in there), £500k by London a few years ealier, and £750 by Wakefield.

A cynic might think that the RL would prefer it if the Bulls are punished to the point that they either go out of business or get relegated due to either a points deduction or losing games due to a weak squad or losing players.

That would then mean only one team needs to be relegated at the end of the season so there's less chance of them losing both London and Catalan. After all, better to lose one of the pesky teams that insist on being based around the M62 rather than one of the expansion teams that the RFL crave success for.

A cynic might think that.

Without reading the entire thread...

Firstly..... to todays events.

Secondly, apologies if someones mentioned it, but isnt the points deductions and sanctions as a result of the way we exit administration in terms of creditors and business plan? With BB2014 walking away, are we not still in Admin? Indeed, did we ever leave? If so how can we have a points deduction applied yet? Are we not now back in the hands of the administrator? And if a new deal is struck with someone else, would the points deduction and sanctions not need to be re-assessed against the actual exit from administration?

Even the RFL aren't so stupid to drive us out of business and see the asset they bought overnight become worthless are they? It look that way, but.........

Really good point, in case Ken Morrison or his family are reading this.

Adey I maybe wrong but prior to admin wasn't there a HMRC petition for £170,000 I maybe mistaken having seen so many winding up orders over the past 12 months at Wakey

Matt Diskin on twitter:

"Operating with half sky money, losing star players, -6pts, smallest squad in SL & informed you can't reinforce, is this feasible? "

"Your parents advise you to divorce your wife & they'll support you but then closed the door on you when you asked to stay the night? Upset??"

"Points deduction is no drama! But If you owned your own business would you do so if your were restricted from trading???"

Those from one of the more thoughtful and articulate players in the game. Seems pretty clear what HE thinks? Anyone see anything to fault there? I sure don't.

Looks like it is the Special Measures that wrecked it all.

That's a very good point.

It would imply that the penalty has been decided, regardless of what any new owner offers. Which suggests a total fix up.

Compared to how they'd look and the potential loss of marketing and sponsorship income of losing London and Catalan (not that I think both are in trouble but...) and limiting out top division to the North of England again?

What is the situation with Odsal should the Bulls cease to play their for whatever reason? Are the RFL able to sell it to be developed into something else or is there some caveat stating that it has to be used for sport?

2 things the Council own the ground so would have to agree to redevelopment, and what would you build? Out of town retail now significantly frowned on by planning authorities and Government, we have an arena in West Yorkshire, shape not good for housing, cost too much to fill in, so I struggle to see what sort of building would be allowed that would make economic sense

It may be up for re-assessment, but the new buyer would 500k immediate operating capital and 170k to pay off
HMRC.

That's a bare minimum, before any reduction in the points penalty is even looked at.

The administrator surely has no choice now, but to realise some assets and reduce back room staff.