that's true

My questions:

1. How does the Board grade our performance for the 2010 Season? End of year report based on what was said at the Fans forum earlier this year regarding expectations (Top 4, Play-offs and Challenge Cup).

2. How are the Board going to convince me to part with my hard earned cash to buy a season ticket for 2011, when it is competing with Xmas, a week in Spain or I'll save it for a rainy day?

3. Why are the LOYAL Fans who still pay good money to watch the Team being taken advantage of with the beer and concession prices? Yorkshire folk don't like to be taken advantage of and it almost always has a negative effect with fewer sales anyway. Give us an incentive with a card and stamps, buy 5 get 1 free or something, this would generate more sales!

Perhaps could have phrased them better but there you go.

That looks a good idea.

Three of us had a meeting with the club today. Amongst lots of other things, on the subject of the Fans' Forum they said they could not reasonably be expected to answer "questions" that are phrased like statements, or which are rhetorical and effectively contain the answer or that are worded as attacks more than questions.

Nor, to be fair, would anyone, I suggest?

Means people may hear their question, but perhaps worded a bit differently, I suspect?

I know I've said this already on this thread, but I'm only trying to help us fans get a proper hearing! It would be pretty crap if someone's important question ended up not being used only because it was worded in a way that the club could say made it impracticable to use?

We had a chat about the beer prices, btw! Can't imagine why that question seems on so many people's lists...but I'm sure it will be one that IS addressed at the forum!

Another thing they said is that they really would like as many people there as possible, and urge as many people as can come to please do so. They say they hear the charge of not being open enough with the fans and, whether or not the club think that's fair, the more people who are there to hear from them the better people will be able to judge. Seems a fair comment to me?

I'll hopefully be in attendance on Wednesday and I hope I come away feeling like we do have some good plans for next season.

I do worry that the club will print out the 'letter from a player' season ticket renewal flyer or similar and that'll be about it. I really do hope I am wrong but at the moment I cannot see many people committing to a full season card. I thought last year was about as bad as it would get, how wrong was I?

Unless we have an ace or two up our sleeve it is difficult to see anything other than a reduction in season ticket sales. Where will the further cut backs be made to balance the books?

The attendance yesterday was bare bones season ticket holders, and what worries me is that some of them will not be renewing next year. A little lad behind me asked his Dad 'is that why we're not getting a season ticket next year' after the Catalans were gifted their last try and I imagine there will be quite a few others. I can't make the forum, but I would like to hear that we have some idea of a clear strategy on and off the field and some imagination about how to re-engage people. We need leadership and drive now, not shrinking violets and cost cutting.

I like the questions about season tickets, or admission prices in general.

I enjoy going to watch rugby league, but it'd be good to know why I should pay 18 quid to watch the Bulls when I could get just as much enjoyment watching my non-league footy team for a fiver, or going to a gig, or having an evening out at the pub for less than 18 quid.

Why should I part with my hard earned cash to go to Odsal, what is the Bulls competitive edge / USP etc? I certainly wasn't feeling it yesterday.

Absolutely.

Three of us had a formalised and useful chat about this with the club yesterday - and certainly not with any shrinking violets either! At least we can report that the club see the same issue and are very actively looking at ways of addressing it. And they are very much looking at improving the engagement with the fans. The inescapable fact remains that they are constrained by the budgets, and the Catch-22 that the fewer fans turn up the more squeezed those budgets are. And they are very interested indeed at what (committed) fans can do to help. In a variety of ways. All this came across encouragingly loud and clear in our meeting; hopefully it will - with some meat on bones - do likewise at the Forum.

After a third consecutive dismal year in which the onfield performances have no pride, passion, motivation or heart, and given that the key to a successful business is attracting and keeping customers through offering them a product that they want, enjoy and embrace, what are you going to do to attract the disconcerted supporters who are currently season pass holders but are unlikely to renew next year?

If it is a fact that the cost of staying at Odsal Stadium is not financially viable and we must leave, can you confirm or state where the Bradford Bulls are likely to be based and how you will market that change to the fans on this occassion?

I would also add that the club doesn't understand why people think they are keeping fans in the dark. There are certainly no great secrets being sat on by officials at the club as some suspect.

They have tried to be as open and engaging with the fans as possible. They certainly do more than many other clubs in my opinion.

Unfortunately people want everything on a plate.

I would also reiterate the message to get joined up with BullBuilder. The club are keen to use this as a vehicle to promote some really meaningful club - fan dialogue.

It isn't a clique of a select few and you're not signing up for hours of work. You can be as involved or uninvolved as you want.
Can you spare 1/2 a week? It may not sound a lot, but those minutes add up when many are doing it.

Also, you don't have to be skilled in a particular area (although even better if you are).

Ryan gave a cracking example yesterday: If 100 fans gave up a Saturday in the off season, imagine how much maintenance could be completed - cleaning, painting, etc etc - jobs the club would normally pay for.

I may sound like little money being saved, but the club are counting to the pound week to week, so every little really does help.

Are you planning to ask that polemic yourself Mick?

I personally feel the club should be writing to me every time a decision is made on player retention, signing or leaving, as well as every time they buy some new pens for the office and every other decision they make. If they don't do that, I'm afraid their communication just isn't good enough.

Indeed to all that. Have a good read through Connor's interview with Ryan on 21st (or thereabouts). You remember that one? The one where he lectured the fans it was all their fault for not attending?

It must have been what it was about, since so many people said it was and referred to nothing else in it.

Have a read of it.

And then come back and say if that is what he actually said? And not just what too many people THINK he said, having perhaps closed their minds to everything else in the piece? Where I think he was genuinely trying to inform the fans, as far as he was able? That certainly was his intent, as he explained yesterday.