Bradford Bulls went into administration and faced 'extinction'

[joedynamo]

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.

They do exist for all...this is no different to what happened at Wakefield.

You cannot deny that Bradford have been very fortunate to have had a SL willing to make a very special case for them

How have the RFL treated Bradford as a special case? Now, demoting them because of administration....would very definatley make them a special case...

 

[BODISGOD]

Really, you don't think their treatment of this situation has differed to any other club who have found themselves in such a situation before?

 

[joedynamo]

Nah, its all been done before BoD...Note that the negative posters have various axes to grind against the ppl who run the sport...hence the moaning about the points deduction. Why should Bradford be treated as a special case and be hit with a sanction that no other club has?

 

[WireMan]

Nah, its all been done before BoD...Note that the negative posters have various axes to grind against the ppl who run the sport...hence the moaning about the points deduction. Why should Bradford be treated as a special case and be hit with a sanction that no other club has?

Because Bradford were worse than other clubs. They had to be taken over by the rest of super league so they could complete the fixtures.

Let them re apply for next years license. If they have a plan then great. It has to be believable though as Halifax was denied entry due to fantasy business plans.

For example, a plan to have cheap season tickets to boost crowds should mean an instant relegation.

Or they could go down the Widnes route and be kicked out for 3 years.


After all, all clubs should be treated the same. ;-)

 

[joedynamo]

Because Bradford were worse than other clubs. They had to be taken over by the rest of super league so they could complete the fixtures.

Hmmm, another club was in deeper in 2005 and the SLE have never taken the Bulls over.

Let them re apply for next years license. If they have a plan then great. It has to be believable though as Halifax was denied entry due to fantasy business plans.

For example, a plan to have cheap season tickets to boost crowds should mean an instant relegation.

The ppl who thought the season ticket pledge was a good idea are no more...even hudds have stopped offering them.

Or they could go down the Widnes route and be kicked out for 3 years.

Widnes were never kicked out for three years? They went into admin after failing to win promotion via the Championship GF...tho I agree it was a mistake not to give the Steve o'Connor owned Widnes a license in 2009.

After all, all clubs should be treated the same.

Which club has been demoted from Super league due to an administration event...I agree all teams ahould be treated equally.

 

[docbrown]

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.

Sanity prevails.

 

[deluded pom?]

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

And you seem to selectively ignore the fact that Widnes were denied SLE status (only mentioning it when it was pointed out in another post, choosing instead to use Wakefield as your example) because of having been in adminstration yet Bradford's foray into the same area will be ignored and they'll retain their SLE place.

 

[deluded pom?]

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,

Didn't Bradford annoumnce that they'd secured Elliott Whitehead to a new long term contract about a fortnight before the brown stuff hit the air conditioning unit?

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.

You can't make the business side of the club a part of the licencing process if you then decide to ignore it when a club defaults on the same business plan that helped them get the necessary licence in the first place. The plain fact is that not enough SLE clubs can actually meet the requirements of the licencing process and also spend to the SC. I reckon only half a dozen, tops, can do it, so we have the scenario that has arisen whereby it doesn't matter who the other clubs are because they can't compete with the ones who can. It may as well be Halifax/Leigh or Fev failing than Bradford/Cas/Salford/London.

 

[joedynamo]

And you seem to selectively ignore the fact that Widnes were denied SLE status (only mentioning it when it was pointed out in another post, choosing instead to use Wakefield as your example) because of having been in adminstration yet Bradford's foray into the same area will be ignored and they'll retain their SLE place.

Widnes weren't a SuperLeague club at the time...Wakefield were.

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.

Sanity prevails.

+1

 

[deluded pom?]

Widnes weren't a SuperLeague club at the time...Wakefield were.

Is ignorance bliss joe? Widnes were denied SLE status because they had been in adminstration just like Bradford have. Looks like the door into SLE Towers is of the one way variety where it's do as we say not do as we do.

 

[joedynamo]

Is ignorance bliss joe? Widnes were denied SLE status because they had been in adminstration just like Bradford have. Looks like the door into SLE Towers is of the one way variety where it's do as we say not do as we do.

It kinda always has been, ...and talking about ignornance, you seem to be the only fella IIT who doesnt understand why:

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.

 

[deluded pom?]

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.

So who is good enough EH? Only a handfull are competitive and can spend the full SC. The rest are also rans. Why do they have to be the same also rans all of the time especially if one of them has contravened the licence criteria within twelve months of being assessed?

 

[Evil Homer]

So who is good enough EH? Only a handfull are competitive and can spend the full SC. The rest are also rans. Why do they have to be the same also rans all of the time especially if one of them has contravened the licence criteria within twelve months of being assessed?

Bradford are a far, far better option than the likes of Featherstone, Halifax and Leigh and to suggest otherwise is lunacy. Bradford have in the past been a top Super League club, none of the potential replacements could ever even dream of achieving anything like Bradford did. And don't come back saying that they were successful in the past or whatever, because that is completely irrelevant. The harsh truth is that these clubs are not up to Super League standard and never will be, and if we try and pretend otherwise we will just end up shooting ourselves in the foot.

 

[deluded pom?]

Bradford are a far, far better option than the likes of Featherstone, Halifax and Leigh and to suggest otherwise is lunacy. Bradford have in the past been a top Super League club, none of the potential replacements could ever even dream of achieving anything like Bradford did. And don't come back saying that they were successful in the past or whatever, because that is completely irrelevant. The harsh truth is that these clubs are not up to Super League standard and never will be, and if we try and pretend otherwise we will just end up shooting ourselves in the foot.

And Bradford ARE up to SLE standard? They are being kept in on their recent past. So to totally ignore the SLE's own licence criteria isn't shooting ourselves in the foot?

 

[Evil Homer]

And Bradford ARE up to SLE standard? They are being kept in on their recent past.

It depends how you define SL standard. They are one of the strongest 14 clubs, so yes, in that respect they are. They clearly aren't the weakest club in that group either, financial problems aside. They are going through a tough patch now, but quite obviously have the potential to be a top club, you can't possibly say the same about any of the potential candidates to replace them. Put it this way, Sunderland probably won't win the Premier League this year, and aren't one of the strongest clubs. Does that mean they should be replaced by Stevenage? It's just complete nonsense.

 

[deluded pom?]

It depends how you define SL standard. They are one of the strongest 14 clubs, so yes, in that respect they are. They clearly aren't the weakest club in that group either, financial problems aside. They are going through a tough patch now, but quite obviously have the potential to be a top club, you can't possibly say the same about any of the potential candidates to replace them. Put it this way, Sunderland probably won't win the Premier League this year, and aren't one of the strongest clubs. Does that mean they should be replaced by Stevenage? It's just complete nonsense.

You can't simply pluck a football analogy out of thin air to back up your claims. Ever heard of Glasgow Rangers?

 

[Evil Homer]

You can't simply pluck a football analogy out of thin air to back up your claims. Ever heard of Glasgow Rangers?

I haven't followed the Rangers case, but it's not really relevant at all. Nor is what I posted, it was just an example. The fact remains that if Bradford now have the financial backing to be able to compete at SL level (which presumably they do), then relegating them would just be cutting off our nose to spite our face. It wouldn't achieve anything and would make the already fragile competition a lot weaker for no reason, and could also be extremely damaging to the club brought up to replace them. If you want to count the administration against Bradford in the next scheduled round of the licensing process then fair enough, but as far as I'm concerned, if they are one of the strongest 14 eligible clubs then they should be in.

 

[WireMan]

It depends how you define SL standard. They are one of the strongest 14 clubs, so yes, in that respect they are. They clearly aren't the weakest club in that group either, financial problems aside. They are going through a tough patch now, but quite obviously have the potential to be a top club, you can't possibly say the same about any of the potential candidates to replace them. Put it this way, Sunderland probably won't win the Premier League this year, and aren't one of the strongest clubs. Does that mean they should be replaced by Stevenage? It's just complete nonsense.

You cannot compare football to rugby. Two different systems.

If Sunderland went into administration they would get docked 10 points and lose most of there players. They would find themselves relegated. If Stevenage win the championship then they would be replace them.

Its not nonsense. Its unlikely, but not nonsense.




Bradford would NOT be getting relegated from the Super League. In Super League now there is NO SUCH THING AS RELEGATION.

What they got was a license to run a franchise. To be awarded this franchise certain criteria needs to be met. Bradford have failed to meet this criteria. It doesn't matter what failed, be it on the pitch, of the pitch, the ground, anything.

At the end of each year the RFL have the right to review every license awarded and can take licenses away from teams that have not fulfilled there obligations. Be that Wakey not having a ground, Warrington going bust, Wigan breaking the Salary cap (again) or Bradford going bump due to being run badly.

Now once the license is removed then there is a spot for teams to apply for it. Be it a new Bradford, Halifax, Leigh or anyone with a team.

Widnes were denied a new license because they had been bust, Halifax were denied one last year on the grounds the business plan was a load of baloney.

That is how newco Bradford have to be judged. If they can supply a business plan that involves staying solvent, improves the ground, gets bigger crowds etc. then by all means give them a license.
I feel the RFL would have to be open about this plan as a lot of people will be watching.

 

[BODISGOD]

Bailout Bradford is the problem here. They should not have been allowed under the last licensing agreement. They bought Odsal, kept the club afloat and went well beyond the usual that they do for other clubs. The remedy (a few points for one year) is farcical.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Is the licensing format here to stay? There were rumours that when Richard Lewis stood down, it might be binned (it having been his brainchild).

Not sure it has entirely been a success has it? Anyone have any stats or info that might inform?