Bradford Bulls went into administration and faced 'extinction'

[Wilson1]

If the Scottish Premier League can relegate Rangers, surely us in rugby league should be just as principled?

 

[joedynamo]

If they are allowed to stay in SL just because of their name and their recent history then the integrity of the game is compromised in my opinion. It will show the licence system to be just a boys' club for the ones on the inside.

Surely by enforcing its operational rules the RFL are protecting the integrity of the game...Bradford have received the max penalty for entering administration and the board and directors who allowed the situation to escalate have been removed.

By the way joe, Hull aren't a very good side they are a very average side. ;-)

Heh, I once accidently (honest!)found mah self in the middle of an FC/ KR flame war on another forum...
...never again :shock:

 

[deluded pom?]

Surely by enforcing its operational rules the RFL are protecting the integrity of the game...Bradford have received the max penalty for entering administration and the board and directors who allowed the situation to escalate have been removed.

The RFL artificially kept Bradford afloat so that a buyer could be found. They have never done this with any other club to my knowledge. Then the SL teams made an offer to buy them, again to keep them going so that a buyer could be found. All very philanthropic but also a sure fire way of telling the clubs outside of SL that their services aren't required and if the SL clubs see any value in you you'll be guarnteed a SL licence no matter what your business acumen is like.

I once accidently (honest!)found mah self in the middle of an FC/ KR flame war on another forum...
...never again :shock:

I'm a Hull supporter joe ;-)

 

[joedynamo]

The RFL artificially kept Bradford afloat so that a buyer could be found. They have never done this with any other club to my knowledge.

The two 'mergers' in the late 1990's and the decision to advance 2012 monies to a Championship club last October...plus a bit of lease buying and HMRC guarantor'ing inbetween.

Then the SL teams made an offer to buy them, again to keep them going so that a buyer could be found.All very philanthropic but also a sure fire way of telling the clubs outside of SL that their services aren't required and if the SL clubs see any value in you you'll be guarnteed a SL licence no matter what your business acumen is like.

The SL offer to the administrator achieved its purpose, which had nothing to do with sending a msg to Clubs outside of the Rugby Super League.

I'm a Hull supporter joe ;-)

I thought you were Hull but tbh, I'd forgetten which side...so I decided discretion was the better part of valour and hedged....:lol:

 

[deluded pom?]

Merger money was available to all teams not just the chosen few. Agree about the RFL buying grounds and leases though. A dangerous game that has, rightly so in my opinion, led to claims of bias. Yes the SL offer achieved it's aim but it's still sending bad signals out.

 

[joedynamo]

Merger money was available to all teams not just the chosen few.

All teams DP?

The RSL clubs decided that FC added more value than Gateshead...and then gave the greenlight to the directors who business acumen had been so successful in the NE to continue in Hull...then there was the whole preventing DL from winding up the Sharks thing.

Agree about the RFL buying grounds and leases though. A dangerous game that has, rightly so in my opinion, led to claims of bias.

I'm not sure...Acquiring part Leases has helped to secure a few Championship clubs...tho I suspect you are referring only to Odsal.

Yes the SL offer achieved it's aim but it's still sending bad signals out.

Bit melodramatic there DP, the SL offer had no impact whatsoever on clubs currently below SuperLeague...All it suggested was that teh RSL clubs were determined the Bulls would see the season out.

 

[deluded pom?]

What's RSL? The retired serviceman's league? A million pounds was available to any clubs who agreed to "merge". Unfortunately it was never anything like a merger but a takeover (thanks to Barry Lilley, HKR chairman at the time who vetoed Hull FC dropping down into the NFP and forced them down the "merger" route). I'm aware the RFL also bought either the stadium or the leases at Keighley and Rochdale too. As I said a dangerous road to go down. Not melodramatic at all. Bradford have shown that they cannot fulfill the terms of the licence after less than one year yet still look like retaining their place at the top table. That to me says to the teams with ambition in the CC "don't call us and we won't call you". The SLE have a licence system that is totally disregarded if you are on the inside yet stringently adhered to if you are on the outside. Widnes were denied SLE status last time around due to them being in administration, exactly the same as Bradford have done but Bradford will still be in SLE come 2013 because the other SLE clubs want them there no matter how they run their business. Double standards.

 

[joedynamo]

What's RSL? The retired serviceman's league? A million pounds was available to any clubs who agreed to "merge".

I think you'll find certain T&C's applied...

Unfortunately it was never anything like a merger but a takeover (thanks to Barry Lilley, HKR chairman at the time who vetoed Hull FC dropping down into the NFP and forced them down the "merger" route).

Heh, what did I say about FC/ KR flame wars lol. It was down to more than KR's vote..the APC were pissed at clubs being denied promotion and totally blew the call...but you were right to say it wasnt a merger.
Ultimately the RSL clubs valued the potential of FC higher than that of Gateshead.

I'm aware the RFL also bought either the stadium or the leases at Keighley and Rochdale too. As I said a dangerous road to go down. Not melodramatic at all. Bradford have shown that they cannot fulfill the terms of the licence after less than one year yet still look like retaining their place at the top table. That to me says to the teams with ambition in the CC "don't call us and we won't call you".

Maybe it says the potential and abillity of the replacements is....limited.

Fwiw, I don't believe Bradford will start 2013 in the RSL...

The SLE have a licence system that is totally disregarded if you are on the inside yet stringently adhered to if you are on the outside. Widnes were denied SLE status last time around due to them being in administration, exactly the same as Bradford have done but Bradford will still be in SLE come 2013 because the other SLE clubs want them there no matter how they run their business.

How has the system been disregarded? Both Bradford and Wakefield were punished as per the operating rules.

Double standards

Pmpl, werent you the one decrying a lack of business acumen?
Speaking of which:
Fev just hasnt the population to sustain an elite club and they'd better hope the probiz guy keeps his promises this time.

Leigh were hours away from admin last yr...till the RFL kept them alive by advancing monies due 2013.

Halifax had 8yrs at the 'top table', they started the 1990's in receivership and ended the decade in what would become a 4yr CVA.
Their average attendance over the RSL period was 4,837 and their highest single regular season attendance came in 1999, when 9,342 turned up to watch them play..........Bradford.
The highest single attendance at Bradford that yr was 24,022.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Stoked to see The Bulls survive. Superleague's once most dominant club cannot fold. The glory days were a team that would have been a problem to anyone in the NRL. Fielden, paul, Peacock, vainokolo, L Pryce etc...... Dominant!

 

[docbrown]

Gutterfax will be devastated.

Good news for the club though.

 

[Sam_the_man]

No sign of BODISGOD either saying that this is good news. f**king trolls.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

No sign of BODISGOD either saying that this is good news. f**king trolls.

qft.

 

[BODISGOD]

I've been away so only seen this news. It is indeed great news, however the club should be forced into at least one year below Super League if this was purely based on competition fairness. Commercial ones usurp those obviously.

 

[joedynamo]

I've been away so only seen this news. It is indeed great news, however the club should be forced into at least one year below Super League if this was purely based on competition fairness. Commercial ones usurp those obviously.

Explain?

 

[BODISGOD]

Explain?

I personally think the message that should be sent out is to keep your finances in order and not overspend. I don't think it's fair that a team can just overspend on their means (and you can argue about Harris ect till the day is long but they clearly spent more than they should have) and get away with it just because of a takeover.

 

[joedynamo]

I personally think the message that should be sent out is to keep your finances in order and not overspend. I don't think it's fair that a team can just overspend on their means (and you can argue about Harris ect till the day is long but they clearly spent more than they should have) and get away with it just because of a takeover.

Thanks BoD...no one has got away with anything. The ppl responsible for the situation at the Bulls have been removed and the Club sanctioned as per the op rules.

Not sure why you want to punish the new owners of the club (other than your union bias of course).

 

[deluded pom?]

I personally think the message that should be sent out is to keep your finances in order and not overspend. I don't think it's fair that a team can just overspend on their means (and you can argue about Harris ect till the day is long but they clearly spent more than they should have) and get away with it just because of a takeover.

Spot on. Overspend, virtually give your season passes away to maintain five figure attendances and the illusion of a well run club. Let someone else step in and Bob's your uncle it's as if nothing has happened. Oops I forgot about the six point deduction. A real slap on the wrist in a league with no relegation.

 

[BODISGOD]

Thanks BoD...no one has got away with anything. The ppl responsible for the situation at the Bulls have been removed and the Club sanctioned as per the op rules.

Not sure why you want to punish the new owners of the club (other than your union bias of course).

Literally have no idea how being a fan of another sport as well as this one has anything to do with this.:roll: I think you will find that is an opinion shared by fans of plenty of other clubs.

I personally don't think the punishment was harsh enough and that Bradford have gotten off very lightly, my opinion is based on a sporting one and nothing else. Rules on not overspending should exist for all. You cannot deny that Bradford have been very fortunate to have had a SL willing to make a very special case for them and to really only suffer for this one season. Compared to most sporting business implosions of the past 10 years, they have gotten off very lightly.

 

[Evil Homer]

I don't really agree with sporting punishment for off-field mismanagement. It's not the fault of the players or coaches, they have suffered enough and I don't see what needlessly punishing them further would achieve. It's not as if clubs deliberately overspend and end up in administration, and the salary cap is supposed to stop that anyway. Bradford have clearly been appallingly managed but the people responsible are no longer involved, and I don't see what relegating them would achieve other than having a disastrous effect on the competition because it would mean the short-term promotion of a club that would be nowhere near good enough even if they did have time to prepare.

 

[joedynamo]

Spot on. Overspend, virtually give your season passes away to maintain five figure attendances and the illusion of a well run club. Let someone else step in and it's as if nothing has happened.

By 'step in' you mean buy the business from the previous owners who were making a hash of it...thats a good thing, isnt it?

Oops I forgot about the six point deduction. A real slap on the wrist in a league with no relegation.

Aye, you do seem to forget a lot of things DP...