Forgive me for not knowing every detail of this affair, are you saying that the other clubs would have taken over the Bulls?

That's why I don't really understand all the hate for the RFL. At least their actions went some way to ensuring that there was a team to support. The fact that that team is hamstrung by less central funding than the others is a consequence of the OFFER to forego the funding.



I watched Diamonds Are Forever yesterday. Blofelds all over the shop!!! (And I found out today that Marwan's got seven brothers. Spooky!)

100% incorrect. The requirement to submit to 1 years loss of distribution was sprung on them as a take-it-or-leave it option, at the last minute. The ONLY discussion that took place was they got the RFl to pay half money spread over 2 years. But they should never have agreed to it, better to have let the deal collapse than agree to it. As hindsight proves, although I don't seek to absolve in any way the calamitous mismanagement once they took over.

But it was never "offered".

Why? And who's idea was it?

That was basically the fall-back plan, yes, but only to keep the club going while some other orderly disposition came along. If one ever did. It sounded nuts to me, and no details were published. Maybe it was better than the alternative.

I see, thanks, that makes sense (as an explanation, not a solution!). I suppose it made some sort of sense at the time too to keep the club ticking over until, or if, a permanent take over could be arranged?

A majority of the 13 clubs voted for the proposal to allow the bulls to stay in SL was they had to forego 1 seasons central funding .... This was because of the unknown loan made by the RFL and subsequent purchase of Odsal. OK had to make an offer without SLStatus being a given right

Bradford Bulls caused their own downfall by continuing to sign expensive players they couldn't afford even AFTER they knew they had only half the Sky money. Egged on by the fans "We've room under the cap" "we've a quota place free now" etc etc.

Just to get it straight in my head, the withholding of central funds was to repay this unknown loan? In that case I don't see why that money should have been distributed to the other clubs, unless there was some punitive element involved because Bradford had an advantage from the loan?

As to your final point, recent events suggest that an offer to the administrator isn't always final.

Does the SLE offer to purchase not explain this. Ok offers £0 to buy the club. SLE had already offered that much. If the clubs planned to run Bradford to seasons end. Would they not have auctioned off the players and effectively liquidized the club at the end of 2012. This would give the clubs the £1million of central funding in 2013. Running at one club less.

Letting Bradford restart if they wanted to in a lower tier.

Ok effectively offered the same thing without the clubs being seen to do the dirty work.

Did you copy and paste this from earlier?

I did pose the question "How can Bradford afford all these signings?" in July 2013. But all the Bradford fans that responded said everything was fine.....

e.g. "Trust me, we are operating well below the salary cap, therefore there is no issue!!

Next..... "

It was NOT to repay the loan, that was covered by the RFL taking over the lease to Odsal and charging the Bulls a rent to play there and maintain the ground. The 1 year sky money was because a majority...not all the clubs .....decided to flex their collective might as they were extremely unhappy about the secret un-secured loan to the Bulls and the subsequent taking over the lease when it was realised that bradford had not made any payments in the last year on the loan and looked likely never to be able to pay off the loan. Some clubs felt the RFL had overstepped the mark in the assistance that had been given to the bulls.....

That's quite some time to be banging on about a club you don't even support.

I'm actually not sure the playing staff are the reason OK Bulls ran at a loss TBH. When they were running concerts that lost 170 thousand pounds (estimate) or losing unbelievable amounts on the bar it's makes you think otherwise.

Still it's all my fault as a fan of the club. If that's the case is this some way of reflecting your own guilt for Keighley going into admin and leaving Colin Farrar massively out of pocket?

That was his own personal money too you must feel terrible.

So the majority of clubs actually came up with that idea, rather than it being suggested by OK and accepted by the majority of clubs? It's quite an important distinction.

Either way, I guess that in future, if Big Nige offers a struggling club a brown envelope with a nudge and a wink, they'd be wise to think twice about it; the RFL's 'secret' help for the Bulls hasn't exactly turned out to be much help at all has it?