They will have to lose the franchise otherwise it looks very wrong because:
1) the body that owns them is involved in making the decision!
2) the surety of keeping the franchise wasn't given to other bidders - who may in fact have produced a better offer?
3) the organisation making the offer to buy is linked to those rejecting the other competitive bids!

Lets just remember what matters here: What's right for the sport of rugby league.
I don't think there is any doubt that the presence of the Bradford Bulls in SL has always been a positive, with typically higher than average spectator numbers, playing success and production of youth players. To see that go (or reduced) would be a detriment to the sport.

Governing bodies owning clubs is not unprecedented, and I believe to have happened in the NBA and NHL - I need to go look that up now.

Should they have preferable treatment to others?

RL fan default position = "it's a joke and a disgrace!"

The way I see it this is only a temporary stay of execution. I can't see the Bulls starting 2013 SL season owned by SLE. It should remove the threat of imminent liquidation and also clear the path for new bids to buy the club.

If anybody is so infuriated maybe they should complain to Gary Hetherington who was one that apparently voted for this to happen...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Coyotes

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Coyotes

What makes you call it preferable treatment?

Said anti requisite was removed when Celtic Crusaders went into administration, if they want you in then they change the rules change to fit

I fully understand what the RFL are trying to do. I do not blame them. They're making the best of a very embarrassing situation the game has been put into by the Bradford Bulls. And I use that phrase deliberately. Not Caisley, not Hood, not the administrator. The Bradford Bulls.

Everyone involved should hang their heads. From the directors than ran the club with very little regard for sound economies right down to the apathetic public of Bradford who drifted away when the trophies dried up and were only enticed back by the suicidal cut price ticket offer.

Clearly, not the likes of you Sam, or others who stood on the wintry terraces shouting Northern and Steam Pigs but the public (and businesses) of Bradford should be ashamed that they didn't support the Bulls adequately and, when that fact became clear, the directors and staff who failed to cut their cloth accordingly.

The Bulls must have surely used up all goodwill outside Bradford City Limits. Certainly in Widnes, Keighley, Wakefield and other clubs left to claw their own way out of their own mess.

I'm sure nobody wanted Woolworths to go under. It had done a great deal for retail and had a nostalgic aura about it. Nobody wanted staff and shareholders to lose their jobs. But similarly, nobody shopped there. Nobody wants the Bulls to go under, but how long can they survive on other charity and how long should they do so?

From what I hear we've got until November 30th.

And if things go pear shaped as a Pudsey lad you'll be welcome with open arms as one of ours that went astray for a whee while.

A bit like Anakin Skywalker chucking Emperor Palpatine down the pit at the end of Return of the Jedi, you will be redeemed.

Can you get a season ticket for the away end at Bass Headingley?



If they do go pear shaped it'll be Bramley for me (nearer my spiritual home).

Any evidence of this?

Bass Headingley



Brings back visions of Paul Harkin running around in a Carlsberg sponsored Leeds jersey.

Has that cheered you up?

Interesting post Gareth.

I share your sentiments to some extent, but I think the suggestion that the people of Bradford are any more inclined to be apathetic in general than the people of any other city is a bit unlikely. I think the loss of fans (which preceded the drying up of trophies btw) came about through

1. The move to VP most likely broke habits
2. The failure to redevelop Odsal - something that has never been within the club's control
3. General disquiet about the city of Bradford itself - telling-people-you're-from Leeds/near Leeds syndrome
4. And I'm going to be controversial here, the failure of the Deakin method of marketing - far too hinged on the team being successful IMO.

When I go up to games now, very few of the old faces round me who watched in the Northern days are there, even though the majority aren't that old. And most games that take place, my old face won't be there. That's not because of apathy but because of life circumstances. They've seen a lot worse than the last few years, I know because i watched it with them. The club's failure has been in not replacing these people like myself who no longer regularly attend for whatever reason.

A person who lorded it over Leeds fans around the turn of the millennium and then scuttled off when the tide shifted is undoubtedly a bell. But I don't know how many of those there are and whether there were more at Bradford than attach themselves to any club.

I appreciate the Woolworths analogy but it's not really valid. People went and shopped else where. There are a large number of people who will 'shop' at Bradford but are unlikely to do so at Leeds, Fax, Keighley or Huddersfield should Bradford no loner be an option. I doubt many former Woolies patrons are so picky.

The episode has been embarrassing to the game, I agree, but I think the blame lies with the club's management, the council and circumstances in general rather than the people of Bradford. I hope today proves to be a positive move and that Bradford RLFC ( happy now?

) are able to take advantage of 150 years of history and what is a resilient hardcore support to make further contributions to the success of the game.

Let's hope the RFL are not incharge at millenium Magic next year. Calls by the Bradford CEO to demand the points because Leeds cheated may be treated with a lot more sympathy.

I haven't stolen pick and mix from anywhere else.

Just shows how bent the super league is, it make our sport look like a joke

According to bbc sport the SL have decided to buy the bulls,Our Gary said its in
the best interest of all parties. Apparently he has been quoted as saying the
SL will be responsible for all ongoing debts.
If this is the case and the information coming through is still a bit sketchy it,
Could be setting an interesting precedent for any future major club meltdown .

Not sure how, the other clubs went into administration and backers were found to kake them out of administration.

This option didn't look possible for the Bulls. It seems to me that the RFL (with the agreement of the SL clubs) have managed to prolong the process. My guess is that they will try to sell the Bulls in an orderly fashion or close them down at a time that better suits the integrity of the competition.

I'm not sure if the RFL have done the right thing but I take my hat off them for making a decision which they feel will benefit RL. i'd much rather see money for the rest of the year going to Mick Potter and his coaching team than to the administrator and his team at £200-£300 per hour.

Only question left is has the offer been accepted by the administrator how are the debts of the club dealt with. if it's an offer to take the club out of administration the creditors will be burnt. It will be interesting to see if HMRC accept the integrity of this deal.

There's a difference between on-going debt and historical debt. Interesting to see how HMRC react.

It was all your fault!

What were you nicking from Odsal? The curled up corners?

Here here

I was jaded by work poop when I went on my earlier rant.

I'm now about to leave the office after 30 mins of watching Beach Volleyball on the I-Player and my mood has lightened.

So, I've gone from feeling wearisome and indifferent to the Bulls plight to feeling sympathy because, mainly, of fans like you and Bullseye. But not the pick and mix thief. he's just plain dirt.

Not really. The fact that SL felt the costs vs benefits of buying the Bradford Bulls meant is was a beneficial deal for them does not guarantee that the costs vs benefits of buying any other club will appear to be a worthwhile deal.

I would think the main reason behind this attempt to solve the problem, is
the ownership of odsal. As far as I am concerned its just a big hole in the
ground which SL are stuck with.
I can't see much devolpment potential at odsal,so it is what it is a rugby
ground,albeit an old fashioned one.
Please don't tell me they could reintroduce speedway riding.

Having read some of the posts above, a few corrections, if I may...

It's the RFL, not SL, who own the lease to Odsal.
Its SL, not the RFL, who are bidding for the Bulls.
It's the RFL, not SL, who awards the franchises.
Reportedly, the SL clubs unanimously voted to make the bid.

We can't pin this bid on the RFL.