Well, we couldn't have done much better in 2016, I reckon.

The Bulls machine is already gearing up for 2017 and as existing sponsors, we would in theory get first dibs on Ethan and Joe if we wanted to stick with them.

Do they still fit our profile, or would the panel prefer to pluck some more young unknowns (

) from obscurity?

Views on a postcard please, along with your sign-up if you want to chip in £25 and join the select band of heroes that is the RAB Sponsors.

2017 RAB SPONSORSHIP

Please add your name to the list, and add "Stick" if you'd like to keep the present incumbents, or "Twist" if you'd prefer we sponsored some different young guns, or "NB" if you're Not Bovvered either way.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick

2017 RAB SPONSORSHIP

Please add your name to the list, and add "Stick" if you'd like to keep the present incumbents, or "Twist" if you'd prefer we sponsored some different young guns, or "NB" if you're Not Bovvered either way.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist

Please add your name to the list, and add "Stick" if you'd like to keep the present incumbents, or "Twist" if you'd prefer we sponsored some different young guns, or "NB" if you're Not Bovvered either way.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB

Please add your name to the list, and add "Stick" if you'd like to keep the present incumbents, or "Twist" if you'd prefer we sponsored some different young guns, or "NB" if you're Not Bovvered either way.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - [delJPB[/del NB

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist

I've gone for twist as I think Ethan could be one of the more lucrative sponsors next year. Home grown and try scoring machine, He'd be snapped up in no time. I'd personally like to sponsor one of the 6 promoted academy products. Any monies left over could be used to sponsor some of our hugely talented 19s.

Jacob Trueman, Reiss Butterworth, Joe Brown, Matthew Storton, Daniel Waite-Pullman, Cameron Scott have massive futures in the game.

Glad to be part of this again this year finances meant I couldn't commit to it last year. Also planning on signing up to the lottery and Bullbuilder in the coming months.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm

Is it more money to sponsor certain players? If so then maybe Ethan would attract more sponsorship if we "let him go" as Bullmania says.

If not then happy to stick. Happy to stick with Joe Lumb regardless. If Ethan is more money then let's twist and sponsor one of the 19s that's moving up. I think both Liam Kirk and James Bentley are going to get a few games next year.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist

We have proven ourselves to have the midas touch. We should touch the younger kids.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe

I'm agreed that Ethan should and probably would attract more interest this year. Therefore I think its only fair to allow the club to market him for more money. I think Joe however is still in the young breaking through bracket and therefore we should look to stick with him.

I'd agreed with backing any of the others being promoted. It does seem likely that Kirk and Bentley will get some game time but happy to go with the consensus.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB

Think like others Ethan may get more interest from Sponsors this next year.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist

New entry here, coming in at number 10. Happy to contribute to sponsoring youth.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist
11. dddooommm - Stick

I think the club will decide the sponsor value before they are offered, tbh - it's a totally a commercial decision as far as they are concerned and I'd guess they have ashrewd idea how much to put on each member of the squad, and I concur that Ethan will most likely be much more expensive than last season.

For us, my view fwiw, is that sponsoring one [or more of the youngsters means they have a sponsor and that knowledge maybe gives them a 'lift' when the go to training and then pull on the shirt. Again, for what it's worth, seeing Lumby and Ethan in the team gave me a lift too, in the knowledge that we'd, maybe, to some tiny extent, helped them and, of course, the club.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist
11. dddooommm - Stick
12. The Bill Seddon Fan Club Twist

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist
11. dddooommm - Stick
12. The Bill Seddon Fan Club Twist
13. Bullnorthern - Partially Twist

Ethan is now established and as our choices in previous years have been governed by a desire to promote development, I think we should let the club market him . I have no problem continuing to sponsor Joe Lumb - and hope that he is a regular member of the 17 by this time next year.
Let's sponsor one of the 6 newly promoted players - or more if we attract extra participants.

I will join up if it's ok for someone new to join? When do you require payment?

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist
11. dddooommm - Stick
12. The Bill Seddon Fan Club Twist
13. Bullnorthern - Partially Twist
14. Nothus - Twist

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist
11. dddooommm - Stick
12. The Bill Seddon Fan Club Twist
13. Bullnorthern - Partially Twist
14. Nothus - Twist
15. RickyF1

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist
11. dddooommm - Stick
12. The Bill Seddon Fan Club Twist
13. Bullnorthern - Partially Twist
14. Nothus - Twist
15. RickyF1
16. debaser - new blood for me, the RAB sponsorship has a pretty good strike rate at getting them into the first team.

Sure, any RAB member is very welcome to join in, and we'll close the books, and gather payments, once we have at least hit the target and gone a few days with no new takers. Payment probably by end of next month I'd imagine.

PS If you have family etc who want to be a part of it there is nothing to stop any member "buying" more than one sponsorship, eg you could pay £25 X 2 and thus enable your +1 to attend our many and varied glittering functions and generally join the party!

There's functions to attend? This gets better!

Do we have any indication from the club as to which players are available outside of their own marketing operation and at what price?
In previous years this has helped us set a financial target.

We're a bit of a special case though. Anyway, we could do the same players as last year at the same price. Doubt that will be the general rule and as we have a number of sponsored players leaving, some of those sponsors will doubtless be keen on "replacements". So basically our target is unchanged, around the 30 members mark, but the more we get, the more options we will have.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - =#008000Stick
2. =#FF0000Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - =#FF0000Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - =#FF0000Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - =#FF0000Twist Ethan/=#008000Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - =#FF0000Twist
11. dddooommm - =#008000Stick
12. The Bill Seddon Fan Club =#FF0000Twist
13. Bullnorthern - Partially =#FF0000Twist
14. Nothus - =#FF0000Twist
15. RickyF1
16. debaser - =#FF0000new blood for me, the RAB sponsorship has a pretty good strike rate at getting them into the first team.

1. Ferocious Aardvark - Stick
2. Bulliac - Twist
3. Fr13daY - NB
4. hindle xiii - NB
5. Bull Mania - Twist
6. Bullseye - Erm
7) vbfg - Twist
8. Bullinenemyland - Twist Ethan/Stick Joe
9. Rarebreed - NB
10. DrFeelgood - Twist
11. dddooommm - Stick
12. The Bill Seddon Fan Club Twist
13. Bullnorthern - Partially Twist
14. Nothus - Twist
15. RickyF1
16. debaser - new blood for me, the RAB sponsorship has a pretty good strike rate at getting them into the first team.
17. Fifty50 - Twist