I think even the most optimistic of bulls fans would have to concede the probability of relegation is high.

The question I have is how will the bulls afford to play at odsal outside of SL? Revenue from all avenues will be reduced playing in the championship.

And if not at odsal, where...valley parade? Is that viable? would it not require a very generous rent agreement?

Seems like theres alot of uncertainty ahead.

Possibility is high id say it was damn well certain, if our owner isn't planning on championship next season and making provision he is a moron, depends how many fans we can draw a competitive ch team should and I would hope draw 4-5k, odsal as has been said is an expensive stadium to run so without the fans we are looking for a new home.

As long as we cut our cloth accordingly.

Id like to think that there would be some sort of clause in the lease for odsal, that if we were relegated the rent would be adjusted accordingly.

Doesn't it depend on how much debt we'd be carrying going into the championship?

The Rent is only £72000.
Valley Parade would be tons more.
Its the cost of maintaining Odsal that cuts deep

When it comes to financial matters it's best to consider that you reap what you sow.

Marc Green states that the club is 'commited' to having a full time squad if we do go down this season. He also states that we won't be moving away from Odsal. Coaching candidates include: Glenn Morrison Brian Noble John Kear James Lowes James Lowes has said "It’s obviously a job I’d love to do whether it’s now or in the future. It’s Bradford Bulls – it’s my club.” www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ord_Bulls/

Marc Green states that the club is 'commited' to having a full time squad if we do go down this season. He also states that we won't be moving away from Odsal. Coaching candidates include: Glenn Morrison Brian Noble John Kear James Lowes James Lowes has said "It’s obviously a job I’d love to do whether it’s now or in the future. It’s Bradford Bulls – it’s my club.” www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ord_Bulls/

Quote ="dddooommm"Marc Green states that the club is 'commited' to having a full time squad if we do to down this season. He also states that we won't be moving away from Odsal. Coaching candidates include: Glenn Morrison Brian Noble John Kear James Lowes James Lowes has said "It’s obviously a job I’d love to do whether it’s now or in the future. It’s Bradford Bulls – it’s my club.” www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ord_Bulls/'" See people on T&A comments are quite happy to sling muck at LSH. That's despicable really. He's been here 8 years including working or free and took over as head coach temporarily when he admitted himself he didn't see himself as a head coach. He's been fired so the time for commenting on his performance has gone bit of respect might not go a miss.

Quote ="dddooommm"Marc Green states that the club is 'commited' to having a full time squad if we do to down this season. He also states that we won't be moving away from Odsal. Coaching candidates include: Glenn Morrison Brian Noble John Kear James Lowes James Lowes has said "It’s obviously a job I’d love to do whether it’s now or in the future. It’s Bradford Bulls – it’s my club.” www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ord_Bulls/'" See people on T&A comments are quite happy to sling muck at LSH. That's despicable really. He's been here 8 years including working or free and took over as head coach temporarily when he admitted himself he didn't see himself as a head coach. He's been fired so the time for commenting on his performance has gone bit of respect might not go a miss.

I think it's fair to say that without investment there will be no promotion, though it's also true that without much actual cash going in, the club could still [isurvive[/i, maybe for ever, in the lower divisions.

If there is a serious wish to return to 'former glories' though, the cash input needed rises, indeed all our 'former glories' were achieved at a substantial financial loss -around £500K per annum, according to the published balance sheets at the time, even with our massive crowds and strong shop sales. Though, if you're happy to just be competing, but not necessarily winning anything, y'know, making the play-offs most years, it's then, maybe, possible to run on the 'cost effective' basis without the big spending 'Sugar Daddy'.

It will still cost real money just to achieve this medium level though, and to gain that limited status requires money going in and, at the very least therefore, a short term financial loss.

As has been said already its the cost of maintaining Odsal that's a big expense and one that no other clubs are lumbered with.

I'd hope for a rent reduction and can see us just opening the main stand for games where we don't expect to exceed 5k.

We may survive muddling along but it'll need long term investment to get back to competing in SL. I think we can break even if the business is run properly.

Sorry, but what makes you think bradford are the only club who are responsible for the upkeep of their stadium? Could you clarify the first paragraph for me?

No one is saying they are. However, few clubs have a stadium the like or size of Odsal to maintain

Got no doubt that you guys will be OK.You have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans in SL.
You will receive a parachute payment of just over 700K next season should you be relegated.The salary cap for next year will be 1 million if you have a turnover of 2.5 million then you will be allowed to spend the full cap.
If the money is used wisely then you can assemble a strong squad that will allow you to be dominant.
Once you start winning games then your crowds will grow even bigger.Fans like winning teams and the fact that it will be at Championship level will not deter your large base of loyal fans.

i honestly worry for Bradford. It gives me no pleasure in saying it but i think we could be in the final stages of the long slow death of pro RL in Bradford.

Odsal is a huge millstone for an SL club, it is far too big a weigh to carry in the championship. Bradford will get less TV funding, far less sponsorship, much lower crowds, and lower merchandise sales in the lower leagues, They arent going to have the money to spend on a dominant squad, it will be virtually impossible, without incurring large losses, for them to put on a team better than 12th in SL to get back up.
You also have a squad that needs rebalancing, you will have a players on pretty decent SL level wages, as well as some not so great names who are on far more than championship players. Thats not a criticism, simply a fact of operating at a full time, fully pro level rather than semi-pro.

It will also be virtually impossible for them to run an SL level academy, and even more difficult for them to keep the best prospects from Hudds and Leeds as a lower league club.

Bradford are in a bit of a spiral right now, P+R and the dumbass system which is being implemented is exacerbating it. Marc Green isnt a fan or a white knight who came to rescue Bradford, he is a businessman who is doing the best to cover his investment. He isnt likely to plow money in to rescue the situation.

No-one said the Bulls were the only club with maintenance costs. It's just that the costs of looking after an 'iconic' ground the size of Odsal are way above those of a modern, breeze block and plastic, construction. Odsal with its new 'iconic' status is more akin to a listed building, with costs to match - to be blunt it is a money pit with no bottom.

I don't fully agree with you.

Bradford will no doubt have the largest crowd figure in next seasons championship. A parachute payment will ensure a full time squad.

The marketing should be simple enough as you will no doubt have a winning team, the championship will be broadcast on sky and you will definitely be involved in the end of season 8 team Superleague 2 play offs, which will get huge exposure as it is the first time it's been done.

I think a season in the championship will give the bulls time to breathe after the last few seasons of turmoil. Oh and I am looking forward to our local derby at the shay.

Have to agree that a year out of the inner pages of the papers would be very nice - for the fans as much as the staff. I've always enjoyed visits to Thrum Hall and the Shay [not to mention the 3 pigeons

so, yeah, bring it on!

Bradford may very well have the largest figure in next seasons championship but thats still going to be thousands less than their SL attendance. If Bradford can get 3k averages they will be more than a third more than other championship sides. They will be a good 7k less than last year, and about 9k less than 2012 when they went bust.

The parachute payment is still less than SL TV money.

The SL2 playoffs will get championship huge exposure, not SL huge exposure. Bradford arent pulling in 5 figures for those games lets be honest.

The championship isnt 'a breather' i honestly dont know where this myth came from other than the coincidence of Huddersfield getting relegated and Ken Davy deciding to pump in millions. For Bradford the championship will see huge drops in income from Tv, fans, merchandise and sponsorship, with their biggest expenditure in Odsal staying the same, and their 2nd biggest in playing squad needing to be increased from right now if they are to be better than the worst SL side.

We obviously won't play from Odsal in the Championship, it isn't to me even a possibility.

I agree with those who point out that it isn't like a 1 year penance till we rejoin our rightful place, it is much more akin to starting a whole new ball game in completely different circumstances.

And in some cases you could say that if a relegated club managed to keep the bulk of its side together in some way, then it would easily win the Championship. Generally that may be true but to me it certainly isn't true of the bunch who are pulling on the shirt and stealing a wage at the moment, which isn't all of them, but a significant number.

I would frankly prefer to see the lot of the non-trier wage-stealers who have got Cummins sacked through not giving a toss, right out the door. "Playing" like these have, they'd be nearer the bottom of the Championship than top of it.

Of course everything is going to be scaled down, salary cap and income is going to reduce.

But of all the teams left in the championship next season the Bulls will be best placed to make a swift return.

As for marketing, that's down to your marketing team. But a winning team , which is likely to get quite a lot of tv exposure has to be easier to market than the dross that us currently being served up?

I guess the biggest hurdle is your cost for running Odsal, but the RFL can't let you play elsewhere, so I'm sure they will adjust their costs , if need be, if some clever negotiations took place.

if bradford dont play at Odsal, then where? is it any cheaper to go to VP which is still far too big?

And if Bradford do leave Odsal, then surely that isnt going to just sit empty?

no team gets more as a winning championship side as they do a losing SL side. No team has averaged more in their promotion season than their relegation season.

There will be between 10 and 20 championship games on tv and they are largely to be the promotion group ones. This isnt going to be quite a lot of tv exposure. It will be far far far less than SL.

I don't see it sitting "empty", quite the reverse. Odsal would be worth in the hundreds of millions if developed and I'm sure that if you do the maths, us negotiating some deal to play anywhere else could make a lot of sense if all the parties agreed to forget about Odsal as a sports ground and cash in their chips.

Anyway everybody knows that it's not financially feasible for us to play from Odsal in the Championship yet still somehow think we might. Who's gonna pay then? These hopes to me are a bit like the irrational hopes of people who say mathematically we are not yet down. Yeah, right, whatever.

I apologise for trying to be positive, probably comes out if 25 years supporting Halifax.

The truth of the matter is that your BOD will work to achieve what is best for the bulls for next season and like it or not if you are in the championship you WILL be favourites to both top the league and compete for a 2016 Superleague place