Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:41 pm  

R.B.A wrote:

I reckon that there is a big chunk of Bradfords support who would gladly swap those 10 years of success for a stable Club now. I'm gutted for them.

Could you imagine waking up one morning and finding out your Club was gone? I would rather wake up to find the wife had gone.

On the flip side, we need props.

What I would like to see though, assuming The re born Bulls are ready to play round 1 is the Bradford fans who purchased season memberships to be given discounted entry to the match.

The thing is the club isn't gone even though it's been liquidated there will be a club for them to support even if it's at the bottom level and we've all been there

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:03 pm  

craig hkr wrote:

Been following saga and hoped it wouldn't come to this.think bradford fans expected this but still it's awful for them and the staff there.nothing but empathy for them.only positive is at least it must be rock bottom now and only way is up?

You'd hope, right? Nah.

Another year of steady decline, dwindling crowds and hopes fought for but dashed on ever decreasing budgets and still with Odsal around our necks and dragging us under. Possibly enough to ensure administration happens by the end of the year instead of with the now traditional two year gap.

We're in the Championship. We *might* have a team by the time the season starts. We certainly won't have one that has prepared to play together. We're on -12 points. It might turn out to be one of those things where future generations watch their version of Jossie's Giants and it's all based on what whatever collection of kids is still left achieve this coming year.

Far more likely it'll be another year of more bad news and people with no money paying a lot of money to see something soul destroying.

The right thing for us is to be in L1 where there's only one direction.

I suspect the true sticking point is Toronto, strangely. Their backer has paid for all their travel and all their opponent's. That is probably all booked. You could swap out a L1 side for Bradford if you could maintain those travel arrangements. But we maybe don't even know where we're playing next year and so can make no guarantees about it. Maybe. Speculating a bit.

But the majority of the fans want one thing and that's for truly the only way to be up.

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:24 pm  

R.B.A wrote:

I reckon that there is a big chunk of Bradfords support who would gladly swap those 10 years of success for a stable Club now. I'm gutted for them.

Thanks mate. We really do appreciate it.

I'm not sure I would swap those years tbh. If Odsal is the main factor, and I truly believe it is, then the majority of those cup winning years happened before the decisions that ultimately sealed some kind of downward trajectory fate for us did. That was in 2002 when the decision was made to move back to Odsal after its redevelopment was stopped.

Certainly some of the choices that were made after that don't cast the primary actors in a good light (Iestyn Harris, the Coral Stand, the behind-closed-doors lease deal with the RFL over Odsal that those of us who remaun may yet still be saddled with). But still, the fundamental fact of Odsal is the problem. There was a solution to it before all this nonsense and it just didn't happen for us.

R.B.A wrote:

On the flip side, we need props.

I think you're too late already, at least for the proven talent. This year it really was a leaner meaner squad and there were a couple of older heads and seemingly but as yet unproven better recruited understudies. The older heads are gone already in the pack. As are the try scorers from the backs.

R.B.A wrote:

What I would like to see though, assuming The re born Bulls are ready to play round 1 is the Bradford fans who purchased season memberships to be given discounted entry to the match.

Whether all parties are saying this or not I do not know but some at least are talking about honouring existing tickets. I understand there are about a thousand - we were in admin essentially since the start of November until yesterday so whatever Christmas rush there might have otherwise been did not happen. They are the biggest creditors of the club. I understand the sentiment, and they are after all the most important goodwill there is to your business. I hope it's possible.

I haven't bought one since '97 when we first won SL. Naturally I gave this decision all the credit and have never bought one since. That trick has got old though and it should probably retire. It doesn't quite seem to have the knack anymore.

Free to a good home.

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:38 pm  

Man, those two posts are depressing.

So sorry for the Brat-Fud fans, it's just ridiculously awful.

I agree about Odsal, it's just a complete millstone.

I went to the odd game during Bull Mania as I was trying to get the as then Ms. Terrorist into TGG and although the razzamataz wasn't for me, she liked it, the idiot. And a lot of families clearly did as there were loads of them there enjoying the barbecues, bouncy castles and the like.

I just can't believe how they've arrived at where they are, I can understand how they're feeling, in the early nineties I'd more or less given up on Rover's, I remember a particularly awful afternoon standing on a terrace at Fev, watching us be rubbish and thinking "Why am I doing this to myself?"

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:12 pm  

vbfg wrote:

You'd hope, right? Nah.

Another year of steady decline, dwindling crowds and hopes fought for but dashed on ever decreasing budgets and still with Odsal around our necks and dragging us under. Possibly enough to ensure administration happens by the end of the year instead of with the now traditional two year gap.

We're in the Championship. We *might* have a team by the time the season starts. We certainly won't have one that has prepared to play together. We're on -12 points. It might turn out to be one of those things where future generations watch their version of Jossie's Giants and it's all based on what whatever collection of kids is still left achieve this coming year.

Far more likely it'll be another year of more bad news and people with no money paying a lot of money to see something soul destroying.

The right thing for us is to be in L1 where there's only one direction.

I suspect the true sticking point is Toronto, strangely. Their backer has paid for all their travel and all their opponent's. That is probably all booked. You could swap out a L1 side for Bradford if you could maintain those travel arrangements. But we maybe don't even know where we're playing next year and so can make no guarantees about it. Maybe. Speculating a bit.

But the majority of the fans want one thing and that's for truly the only way to be up.

I think if history has given us one lesson of these scenarios, it's that when you hit rock bottom as now, the only way can be up.

I've written a post on Page 1 of this thread which takes a critical and oblique side swipe at the RFL. As more information has emerged, I am coming round to the idea that the new Bradford Phoenix team should remain in the Championship and use this season as a debt free existential experiment. I question the wisdom and severity of a 12 point deduction from the off and this should be appealed by the new entity, given the additional handicaps of little or no preparation time for recruitment and training etc.

However, there are two huge positives. You get to regenerate DEBT FREE and you get to stay in Bradford, where there are a lot of chimney pots. Cash is king above all else in any business and any new owners will go into this venture with the benefit of eyes wide open and a clean financial slate. It facilitates effective planning.

In addition, you should be able to tap into an emotional and partisan spike within the Bradford community in the coming months and generate additional revenues for next season, should the inevitable relegation befall the new entity. I genuinely hope relegation is avoided.

The RFL today claims 10 new interested party bids to take on the new franchise, so no shortage of opportunities. The RFL's ability to appoint the right and proper individuals to take this venture forward in a sustainably viable way will most certainly define their credibility and suitability to lead our sport.

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:18 pm  

Sandro II Terrorista wrote:

I just can't believe how they've arrived at where they are, I can understand how they're feeling, in the early nineties I'd more or less given up on Rover's, I remember a particularly awful afternoon standing on a terrace at Fev, watching us be rubbish and thinking "Why am I doing this to myself?"

Aye. It's the problem with bad news. Nobody can point to the day there weren't the crowds there had been. It just slowly shaves away.

Here's to another season.

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:21 pm  

Pickering Red wrote:

I think if history has given us one lesson of these scenarios, it's that when you hit rock bottom as now, the only way can be up.

I agree. Emotionally we are at rock bottom. It's just that in possible direction of travel we are not. And if that direction does go down, as it surely must, then we'll see what's below rock bottom.

I'm a big fan of history. I've got nothing against your history. I just think we should watch it have a fight with Murphy's Law first and then meet up again here afterwards.

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:32 pm  

Can't wish you anything but good wishes and good luck.

The Bradford fan's cannot be lost as they're ruddy funny and top people.

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:47 pm  

Cheers mate. Come what may we aren't going anywhere.

Re: The sad demise of the Bradford Bulls : Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:08 am  

vbfg wrote:

Aye. It's the problem with bad news. Nobody can point to the day there weren't the crowds there had been. It just slowly shaves away.

Here's to another season.

I believe the turning point was the signing of Harris and the financial penalties that ensued. The club have not been on a secure financial footing since.