Bradford go into administration

[Evil Homer]

I doubt it's 30 clubs, probably only 18-20 at most would have any type of aspiration for SL other than "maybe one day".

The problem with Bradford is just that they were badly run. They should've gone up in 2015 but they stuck with an absolute dud coach, and then continued with him until midway through last season when they had pretty much lost any chance of promotion, and that has pretty much killed the club because the whole thing is based on on-field results. Also the fact that incomes at Championship level are pitifully low, they are barely enough at SL to sustain full-time clubs let alone in the Championship, the whole thing is a recipe for disaster. But whatever, it is what it is. No problem with them being allowed to continue in the Championship if they can reform, f**king with the divisions now with a month until kickoff would just be stupid as hell and do far more harm than good.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Well they've set a precedent now. So good luck dealing with every other club from now on.

 

[Pommy]

Well they've set a precedent now. So good luck dealing with every other club from now on.

It's the RFL a precedent doesn't mean they have to be consistent with it.

 

[adamkungl]

With any new Bradford club starting on negative 12, demotion to League 1 next year is almost certain.
Seems to kinda defeat the purpose of sticking them in Championship. A year wasted. I'm with ECT - More likely that the 3rd placed League One team from last season, or the Wolfpack, would give it a far better crack.

 

[roughyedspud]

League one is stacked with clubs so i understand why they weren't demoted..the season starts in 4-5 weeks,its too late in the day to start shifting teams out of leagues..

Though starting on -12pts,minimum funding and cobbling together a new team at short notice...practically relegates then anyway..

 

[Evil Homer]

With any new Bradford club starting on negative 12, demotion to League 1 next year is almost certain.
Seems to kinda defeat the purpose of sticking them in Championship. A year wasted. I'm with ECT - More likely that the 3rd placed League One team from last season, or the Wolfpack, would give it a far better crack.

Probably not since Bradford will likely retain most of their squad. But even if not, those other teams haven't budgeted for that, they haven't built a squad for that, they haven't been training for that, the fixtures have been in place for months, you can't just bump them up a division with four weeks notice, it's stupid to even think about. The alternative would be for Bradford to sit out the season and then start again in League 1 in 2018, which would clearly be a much worse option than what is happening. Promoting a team from League 1 with four weeks notice is not and never would be an option. I don't think you people really understand how promotion and relegation works and the consequences of this type of thing.

 

[Pommy]

League one is stacked with clubs so i understand why they weren't demoted..the season starts in 4-5 weeks,its too late in the day to start shifting teams out of leagues..

Though starting on -12pts,minimum funding and cobbling together a new team at short notice...practically relegates then anyway..

I'm sure Barrow would have jumped at the chance had it been offered.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

What about the consequences of letting a new club jump the queue and giving them more money than league 1 clubs get because Bradford overspent?

No one can ever talk about fairness ever again. This blows all of that out of the water.

No league 1 club given the chance to swap places would say no, regardless of how close to the season it is. Budget, roster, schedule. Who cares. They'd get more cash, could sign some Bradford players and others and compete. Orrrr stay in league 1. Hmmm.

But the rfl want a team from Bradford in, any team. Probably because they own the lease to Odsal. Talk about conflict of interest. Meanwhile any new club, no matter how much potential, investment, support they have, are kicked to the back of the queue. Including clubs who are doing the rfl's job of growing the game for them and paying their own way.

 

[roughyedspud]

Im sure they would have jumped at the chance 2 months ago...when they would have had the timeframe to budget & build a team for the championship...chucking them in now at a months notice is ridiculous..

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Let's see:

1. Free pass to the championship and extra cash and see if you can survive.
Or
2. Stay in league 1 and hope you get promoted at the end of the year and then see if you can survive.

Yeah it's a real conundrum.



And that's before you consider fairness and consistency.

 

[roughyedspud]

Ok you know better.....lol

 

[Pommy]

Im sure they would have jumped at the chance 2 months ago...when they would have had the timeframe to budget & build a team for the championship...chucking them in now at a months notice is ridiculous..

It's a free pass really everyone has Toronto down to walk it this season so even if they get relegated they would only be in the same position they are now.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Fans of the shittest championship clubs are just really keen to be up against a team on minus 12.

 

[Evil Homer]

It's a free pass really everyone has Toronto down to walk it this season so even if they get relegated they would only be in the same position they are now.

Not really since there are two promotion spots from League 1. But even so, as a soccer fan you should understand that teams don't just get randomly promoted a couple of weeks before the start of the season because someone in the league above went bust.

 

[Pommy]

Not really since there are two promotion spots from League 1. But even so, as a soccer fan you should understand that teams don't just get randomly promoted a couple of weeks before the start of the season because someone in the league above went bust.

Ok I thought it was only 1 promotion place.
I do but I don't remember a situation like this. The only one I can think of is Rangers and whilst I can't remember the time of year it happened they did have to start from the bottom.

 

[CC_Roosters]

Ok I thought it was only 1 promotion place.
I do but I don't remember a situation like this. The only one I can think of is Rangers and whilst I can't remember the time of year it happened they did have to start from the bottom.

Was late in the season from memory. and yes re-born in league two after the SPL clubs voted in favour of that decision

 

[Tigers1986]

Not really since there are two promotion spots from League 1. But even so, as a soccer fan you should understand that teams don't just get randomly promoted a couple of weeks before the start of the season because someone in the league above went bust.

Actually there's been cases of teams being refused promotion and saving the relegation of teams. I think Hamburg were saved in the Bundesliga this way.

Ok I thought it was only 1 promotion place.
I do but I don't remember a situation like this. The only one I can think of is Rangers and whilst I can't remember the time of year it happened they did have to start from the bottom.

Rangers were toast mid-way through the current season and their shell company filled in their fixtures. If I'm remembering it right, they copped a 10-point deduction and were banned from European competition.

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The whole situation is another example of having to take caution on spending above your means. This is a team who went from World Champions in 2006 to 3 administrations in the space of 5 seasons. Something was horribly wrong with their business model, as Bradford weren't short of home support or sponsorship. The million pound game last year crippled them as they were hinging all their bets on the promotion. However, I doubt that would've done them any good anyway as they were a SL franchise in 2014 and went bust, causing their relegation.

The whole nonsense about teams not 'being ready' for a shot at the second division is asinine. What team wouldn't want the chance to jump at the opportunity? I'm sure the 5 teams relegated to fit the new model would want a chance to get back up there. Toronto are expected to walk League 1 like Toulouse did last season, why delay the inevitable? Whitehaven could be 'rescued' from relegation and take the Bradford team's place. Make them worth their while and prove they deserve to go up the hard way.

 

[Evil Homer]

Actually there's been cases of teams being refused promotion and saving the relegation of teams. I think Hamburg were saved in the Bundesliga this way.

Yeah, there's a big difference between not relegating a team and promoting a team with four weeks to go before the start of a season. There's also a big difference between RL and soccer which makes it even more ridiculous in this case. Look, if you Aussies with no experience of promotion and relegation think this would be a good idea then that's fine, you can keep thinking that if you like, but you have no idea what you're talking about and are objectively wrong. Again, this is a stupid discussion to even be having.

 

[roughyedspud]

Exactly

 

[East Coast Tiger]

But it's easy to start a brand new club with four weeks to go.

Signed, the f**king geniuses that brought you this clusterf**k. We know what we're on about.