To be honest, that all just sounds like a bit of jealousy that more people are bothered about the Bulls going bust than they were about WTW.



Who, and what specific assurances did he want?



Again, you're assuming someone buys it.

Not jealousy, just a level playing field from the governing body.



He wanted a guarantee of a three year licence.




If the price is right, someone will come in.

We discussed that possibility at the Bullbuilder board meeting last night.

We have a week. Five working days now.

Many have already pledged.

There is no time to set up the necessary arrangements and protections. Not least because we have limited resources, not least our time!

All we would achieve, at this point, is diverting some of the pledge money (a few tens of thousands at best). We'd then be the bad guys for bringing the club down, if we did, and ostracised if the pledge succeeded anyway.

Would Ste O'connor pay into an Escrow rather than the club? The players and numerous others who have pledged? No chance.

Why are the RFL endorsing this? Could it be because it was their calling in the loan early (however that arose and regardless of the nature of whatever was prevuioulsy agreed) that precipited this crisis?

As we said in our press release last night, the Bulls situation is unique. And, with respect, its on a larger scale than Wakey's was and with a far shorter timescale between first indications of crisis and D-Day.

And we have no indications at all of anyone with a rugby interest at heart being in the least bit interested in taking over the club.

Is this fact? Does anybody actually know the terms of this loan and whether the RFL deviated from them?

I find it incredibly difficult to believe.

Adey, just clarify a couple of thing for me, if you can.

When did the RFL lend Bradford the alleged £700k & how much of it had been paid off prior to the buying of the lease?

No, we don't. That is the crux of all this.

I've said elsewhere, the circumstances of the RFL requiring repayment when they did, and the extent to which the club could and should have factored such a possibility into its planning, seems absolutely central to this whole disaster. It seems to have been the first domino...which tripped the bank domino and the last domino just fell on the fans.

It must be factual that the RFL required the loan to be repaid earlier than the club "expected" because Hood has said that in the media and (unlike RBS) there has been no rebuttal whatsoever.

The first thought that went through my mind was that the RFL had given the Bulls an understanding that the loan need not be repaid until x date (I have been told a date), but that that was not binding just a gentleman's agreement. And then, when the RFL failed to secure a monetary sponsorship for 2012, they found themsleves a bit short of cash themselves... but I stress that is 100% speculation on my part.

But you are spot on - this looks to be the crucial issue, and could explain why Hood told us all it was fine in january, and yet tells us we are now two weeks off being fish food.

And it goes without saying, I suggest, that if it transpires that the board was reckless or negligent in their understanding of the terms of the RFL loan then heads must roll.

But that will not save the club right now.

Dunno and dunno, is the simple answer.

The charge in favour of the RFL was put in place in Jan 2011, which suggests that was when the first advance was made. My guess is that none has been repaid, but that is just a guess.

We do not know for certain, even, that it was £700k.

But we have asked for an urgent meeting with the baord, and you can guess what one of the key questions will be.

Shame is your too damned thick to realise that the bull they feed you is just that, I used to think you where ok now I see you as a bit deranged!

This is ironic on so many levels.

So wha bull am I believing then?

Whoooooooosh.

There’s nothing deranged about his passion for his club.

However, he must have a very snazzy pair of rose tinted spectacles.

I’ve no idea what the stipulations were of the loan, but if the RFL had lent £700k in January 2011 & Bradford hadn’t paid back a dime by the end of the year, contrary to the agreement, there’s no wonder they got twitchy bums, and went for Plan B.

Unfortunately as soon as the bank got wind that Bradford’s major asset had been sold off, they got twitchy as well, allegedly.

Not jealousy at all, and you seem better informed than to make such a crass assumption; the point I'm making is that the governing body shouldn't be endorsing *any* whip-round, regardless of the club involved - they didn't do it for WTW, rightly so, and they shouldn't do it for Bradford. Let's imagine for example, that this begging exercise results in a temporary stay of execution and allows the incumbent BoD to continue in situ, doing what they've always done - spending money they don't have whilst bemoaning their lack of a welathy benefactor. Then, in six months time, they hit another iceberg and the club goes down, taking a million quid of wellwishers money with it; will the RFL compensate the people who were persuaded to donate by their own endorsement? I very much doubt it.

Further, I still fail to see why people are so certain that Bradford wouldn't be resuced from admin; if perennial underachievers and unloved basket case WTW were, why not Bradford who, it seems, are essential to the future of SL?

That the sound of the bulls going down the pan?

I genuinely think people are wasting their money trying to rescue Bulls with £100 donations. It is peeing in the wind. They need a Sugar Daddy to sustain the club, the £1,000,000 will only pay off immediate debts. Whan they have paid the £100 is that the last they will see of it.

A tremendous gesture from Steve O'Connor - one of many from the RL family. Leon Pryce, Jamie Peacock and Stuart Fielden are to be applauded too for auctioning off some priceless personal memorabilia from the height of their careers. Twitter is flooded with events/messages of support for the Bradford cause. Brings a tear to the eye & reminds us all why RL is the greatest game.

Damn right, donate £10,000 like Steve 'Thor' O'connor

a proper chairman and a true rugby league man

Please - it was NOT the club's major asset!! It had pretty well no value in the event of insolvency.

You mean Steve's £10,000 deposit on the player of his choice.



Plus a whole load of positive publicity for him and Widnes. Shrewd businessman.

Can SOC possibly kiss any more RFL ass?

I'd guess the RFL will make up the difference if the Bulls miss the target, so he just saved them ten grand

There is that, yes

Im hoping for Ben jeffries myself.

I think you'd buy Ben Jefferies and his house for that

So what they going to do shortly after the 6th April when the £500k's gone? Ask for another half a million from the gulible?

Erm...well actually, yes!

This is just to operate beyond the next pay day.