I know, and many of the mugs who've coughed up this time will do so again (I would add 'and again' but it won't go on that long) just delaying the inevitable.

Gotta love the "loans" being handed out left right and centre by the RFL to Superleague clubs that don't have the word "London" in their names


The Flatearth Society are very quiet, I must say......

Totally fair call mate!

You deserve to make the most of this!

Alas, as a RL fan, I get lettle pleasure out of the potential demise of a great club. 2005's Vote aside, Bradford are an important club in a lot of ways to the sport. For the best RL Club in the world in 2006 to be close to the brink speaks volumes about how that game is being run and I don't just mean in the ESL era either.
For too long in the 70's and 80's, off field issues were ignored in favour of chasing trophies....then everyone who could afford to (an a lot who couldn't) went chasing Wigans coat tails....and the family silver was flogged off.

RL needs to remember where its roots are.....the fans make the club, not the stadium, the players of the BOD. Without the fans, even Uncle Ruperts advertisers wouldn't be interested.
RL is not soccer and never will be...the sooner the guys running the game see that and accept it the better.....IMO that is.

I'd just be satisfied to know what criteria the RFL work to, when deciding who to loan money to.

They must have a system. They can't just arbirtrarily pick and choose who and how they help...can they??

Im pretty sure they dont do it arbitrarily, though the conspiracy theorists do seem to have a problem separating arbitrary and subjective.

Hence, there must be a basis on which they gave a 700k loan to Bulls (which they failed to repay and instead contra'd for the stadium lease).

Just wondered what that basis is.

The RFL refusing an advance of the Sky TV money 15 months ago (note: no hand-out was asked for), put WTW on the road to recovery perversely.

Why are Bradford a "special case"?

Serious answers please.

because they had an asset which come armageddon could be taken in exchange for loan. The same reason Crusaders got a loan (which again was paid back through the sale of said asset) and the lack of which would be an obvious reason Wakefield werent.

It seems a perfectly justified decision not to advance Wakefield the Sky TV money as there is a strong possibility that WTW would have fallen over anyway and the new club would be about £1.2m less attractive to a potential buyer.

Odsal isn't worth a lot in a stable, happy and progressive world. It's all when Armageddon happens!

Bulls took a loan against an asset, yet couldn't repay it. WTW asked for an advance - which incidently had been given to more than 1 other SL club - yet were refused.

I am happy enough with the outcome i.e. the removal of the Richardsons - but there is a cloak and dagger, opaque nature to the RFL's way of dealing with different clubs.

That is wrong.

RBS dont agree with you. They seemed happy to value Odsal as an asset.

There is no cloak and dagger, you are just seeing what you want to see.

Bradford havent had an advance either.

Yeah, well done for flogging your shirts and medals but what happens in 6 months time when another £xxx,xxx is needed?

Simple, it won't be.

This is the final part of Bradford's debt, this £1 million will make them a debt free club, something they've not been for a long long time. They'll more than likely be under new ownership in 6 months time. There won't be an impending image rights bill for them to foot.

There really are some bitter fans floating around. End story is, Super League simply needs a strong Bradford - that is why so many are getting behind them to help them out.

and you believe them? is there any guarantees if they somehow manage to get through this crisis they definitely will look to sell the club on.

Struggling on this one aren't you Smokey old lad. The years of abject nonsense you have peddled on here are finally catching you up.

Never seen you post such short replies - nothing to say, oh the joy - at least we can thank the Bulls for that.

I have just puked in my mouth - thanks.

What worries me is...The million is debt, yes, pay it off - lovely, everyone is happy, the Bulls are debt free.

But theres then the running of the business to attend to and a whole season to get through.

The season ticket money is gone, the rush to buy the "new" shirt has gone, they will be paying the RFL rent for the stadium - where is the next revenue stream for the club? It's very likely that they will be in this situation again in X months time. I just cant see where the cash is going to come from.

Yes, theres the pay on the day money to come through, but what % of that goes to the opposing team? I heard a long while back 2-3 years (when they owned the stadium) perhaps, that they were LOSING money on gameday. With 7,000 (ST Holders) essentially in there for free, that situation looks a lot worse now than it did then.

I have emailed them asking to see the business plan going forward to see where they intend to create revenue streams from. It's damn sure not good marketing and on field performance. Businesses arent doing the whole "hospitality" thing any more - that is a premium offering and should be promoted as such - not offered at a cut down price/loss.

Relax people, your problems are over. Simply co opt your newest MP onto the Board and Gorgeous George will bell a couple of his rich arab chums for the neccessary....

and there will surely be enough left over, to erect some sort of a statue in your new duckpond to the great man!

Win/win all round I would say!,

Sorry mate but no, it doesn't. The Bulls have been virtually anonymous for a good few seasons now & SL has rolled on quite nicely thank you. Truth is, SL just needs to serve its own agenda...clubs are subject to the whims of the RFL whoever they may be.

I hope the Bulls make it btw.

So what is the totaliser running at currently? Are they now safe?

You really could not make it up, could you? As if the city of Bradford hasn't got enough on its plate right now, we've just inherited bloody Galloway. Oh joy.

Duckpond...I like it! Not heard it called that before (most of us round these parts call it far worse...) but, if you don't mind, I'll shamelessly nick that for future use. Welcome to Bradford...the only city with Galloway, a Duckpond and a Hole in the Heart

. At least we still have a top-flight RL team. Er...

I've heard a strong rumour that if old Engelbert wins this year the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Bradford next year.

Hate to say it, but you are not far wrong there.

My own, personal view is that if fans etc of other clubs are prepared to help us in time of crisis (as I have helped other clubs a bit in times of theirs) then those are wonderful gestures - and I hope and expect the club are suitable appreciative. the fans certainly are.

Equally, if supporters of other clubs take the view that this is Bradford's problem and theirs to solve, they have every right to hold that view and cannot be criticised for it. And I don't really see anyone much attempting to do so. I can fully understand any feelings of "you reap what you sow" and so on.

You will certainly never see me say "SL needs a strong Bradford". Ultimately it doesn't. What it needs is a full complement of financially-secure clubs, and a level playing field as far as practicable. But I DO think l SL would be the worse for losing Bradford, and it would be a great pity if that was to happen. IMO.

My only request, to supporters of other clubs generally, is to try and avoid being misled by misinformation or (more to the point) lack of information.

I called a guy an idiot earlier because he was reeling off stuff that was factually so far from reality that it was laughable. And yet, on reflection I was very wrong to call him an idiot. Unless he is being deliberately mischievous (in which case I'll call him something else...

), he is just very badly informed. As are many of the posters expressing concerns or worse. And THAT is the fault of the Bradford board - no getting away from it. It won't give anyone any satisfaction to know that the Bradford fans are just as concerned about the need for improved communication and explanation. But no amount of blaming will solve the present crisis.

My posts on this forum have been aimed solely at trying to provide better information - or deduction/opinion where hard facts are hard to come by or (sometimes) cannot be set out on a public forum. Very occasionally, I have become annoyed at occasional individuals who are clearly revelling in our misfortunes. We are all angry enough finding this disaster dumped in our lap. Having people fanning the flames is not only unhelpful, it is also pretty uncivilised, I would suggest?

Talk about kicking us when we are down...

Respect to your efforts on here - firefighting everywhere! A true fan.

Whatever the fallout from what has happened to the Bulls (and indeed what happens at any club) it's the fans that feel it in the heart. Good luck sir.

As a gesture of solidarity, Gary Hetherington has offered Peter Hood the two league points he wanted back after Tanseygate.