www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... next_move/

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... next_move/

3 options plus Caisley - improvement on the previous 2 plus CC

The £425k collected so far is better than I expected.

Bennett makes the same point that quite a few of us on here have - setting the past aside, through gritted teeth or otherwise, a Caisley solution would be better for the club than Administration. Although I doubt you would see any effective engagement with fans in such circumstances. But he also effectively calls on Caisley to back up his words with concrete financing plans, or admit that he will put the club into administration anyway. Be interesting to see any response to that. If Caisley CAN bring in funding to stave off administration, then we have a plan. If.

What this tells you about the status of the current BoD's fundraising efforts is ambiguous.

I can't see how the club can progress with the current BoD as it is now. How will investment help? We borrowed a substantial amount from the RFL about 12 months ago, and now that has run dry the BoD had nobody else to borrow from except for the fans.
I initially thought that the money was needed to pay off specific, exceptional creditors (such as the image rights tax bill) but now it transpires that we're struggling to meet our monthly wage bills.

I appreciate everything Hood & Co have done for the Bulls, I am sure that were it not for them, we would have been in this position - if not worse - several years ago. But it seems clear to me now that another cash injection won't help matters at all, only delay the inevitable.

Unfortunately it seems like the alternative could be just a load of spin from the guy who helped put us in this mess in the first place.

How can there be 3 options plus Caisley? A majority body of the shareholders, represented by Chris Caisley has called for the board to resign and demanded an EGM, presumably to confirm their removal. This pretty much trumps all other options, even if they exist. Who would hand money to a BOD who are a fortnight away from being sacked?

Why is it taking so long to hold an EGM? This just smacks of pointless, spiteful delay with the club and it's fans the victims.

There are various legal requirements in holding the EGM - just because Caisley has requested it, a few things have to happen before it actually occurrs. Don't forget, EVERY shareholder has to be made officially aware of the EGM as they are entitled to vote.

Although you are right in saying that Caisley's imminent arrival does trump the other options, would you prefer the current BoD to sit on their backsides and not try to investigate possible options?

Imagine if Caisley got hit by a bus - unlikely - but could happen, that option goes out of the window and we're really up the creek without a paddle.

Also, would it be harder for Caisley to regain control if the current BoD did manage to pull off a coup and find investment for this second £500k before the EGM? It would be very interesting to see how some of the "floating" shareholders would vote at that time given that some of them have leaned towards CC at this moment, but under the belief that his is currently the best way forward (whatever that may be). Any substantial change in the current situation could alter the EGM plans of CC.

Hood and CC do not get on, I think that is a given, which is a shame as at this moment in time we could really have done with all the shareholders working together to get the initial issues sorted, then had the bun fight as to who should be Bulls Fans enemy number 1.

Anyone else got that sinking feeling again after reading the article....

Yes.

It seems from the artical that outstanding debts which could have quickly triggered winding up - VAT, tax etc are up to date - so the challenge, and the the need for the extra £0.5m is to cover the running costs of the current operation to the end of the season - wages, keeping the tax payments and rents up to date.

I really don't believe there is a potential weathly benefactor out there with an open cheque book - so although we might be able to attract some more sponsorship the bul of the cash - (whoever owns the shares, forms the board) is going to need to come from more straightforwars sources - eg the long suffering fan.

So you would assume that any recovery plan needs to: increase the paying gate over the current plan, come clean about the situation and persuade the members who did not pledge in the initial round that it is a sound proposition, allow season ticket holders to contine to contribute to "virtual tickets" if they are able, get some cheap child tickets offers out, incentive packages to get more away fans to travel to Odsal, get more people paying to use the Coral stand facilities which always appear half empty.

I guess like other fans i just don't understand why there doesn't seem to be any proper organised attempt to build up the crowd for Sunday. yes we know that commercial deals are normally reached in private - but why aren't we seeing more of the simpler annoucements to fans to help keep up the clear swell of support from the fan base, and surely this is the main reason fans are not happy to fall in wholeheartedly behind the current management

It has been a bit quiet hasn't it? Almost like it's just another game.

There was a piece in the T&A the other day with quotes from Ryan Duckett asking fans to turn up in numbers as this is our last home game until 4th June, unless we get past Wire in the Challenge cup and then get a home draw.

Could be all over by then......either that or we will hopefully know what the hell is happening be it Administration, or new investors / sponsors.

If Caisley come's crawling back I will be surprised if the outcome is anything other than admin.

Seems people are forgetting we have also had the reduction in OD facility coutesy of RBS along with RFL suddenly recalling their loan unexpectedly - neither of these bodies have denied these facts.....
We now need to find money to pay off smaller creditors and the wages for next month, past that it seems the income streams are in place to balance the books going forward.

Why is everyone downcast? 3 potential investors now rather than 2 that is a positive surely?

My fear is that the shareholders, even if Hood & Co save us by raising the further half mill, will vote for CC. To me that will be a disaster and be the death knell of the Bulls - Caisley only wants a return on his shareholding nothing else.....

If caisley returns, I'm afraid he will be receiving my membership in the post cut up and I'll vow not to return to Odsal whilst he is in power.... and I'm not the only one...

But there is more to our club than just one man - I go week in week out to support the Bradford Bulls, not the chairman.

Yes, it's important who is in charge of the club, especially at present. I would much prefer we get the additional funding required then the BoD can sort out their power struggles and give the fans the answers they want. And I'm certainly no Caisley fan. As a previous poster said I have the feeling of dread back that was there a couple of weeks ago. All part of being on the Bradford Bulls rollercoaster I suppose.

But stop supporting my club because of who is in charge? Not a chance.

I love the "take his word, as a solicitor" comment!

He clearly didn't want to take his word as a 'gentleman', which would have been the more normal response, did he!

Bennett was playing it pretty cute there, with that wording. Caisley now either has to confirm he DOES have firm investment lined up, or acknowledge that all he has is a plan to come up with a plan and that could mean administration.

If he DOES so confirm, then Bennett seems to be telegraphing that him and Hood will happily go, if that is the price for securing the investment for the future:

"[iBut if Peter and I cannot raise the immediate investment and secure the long-term future of the club in the very near future, then we will have no option other than to accept Mr Caisley at his word, as a solicitor, that he has a strategy in place to attract investment and has a survival package for the club.

“I believe he expressed this quite clearly in an article in the T&A – and we would welcome this survival package with open arms.[/i"

If he does NOT so confirm, then if/when he DOES sieze control then if he does NOT deliver on investment he knows he will be widely viewed as a liar who gained control under false pretenses.

Appreciate what you are saying – however the Bulls are a business and that means potentially my membership funds will be paying him, whether in salary or via divedends, especially as the admin route will bring him a 100% shareholding, that I could not live with. I have morals and if I mess up I hold my hand up and accept the consequences, Mr Caisley has neither any morals and has never held his hand up regarding the Harris affair and other issues of his doing.

I have supported the club through thick and thin for well over 30 years but I could not support the club with him at the helm or pulling the strings again.....

FC Bulls of Bradford anyone?

{joke}

What is the likelihood of CC making public his plans for the club if he gains control so we can understand what direction he intends the to go..NIL. He does not have to name names just outline his roadmap for the future as some past politician used to say

The silence since the pledge target was reached as been deafening so any soundbite should be well received by fans. However, when the troubles were announced i thought the statement read along the lines of 'if the fans/sponsors etc could raise the 500k then the board of directors have plans in place to move this club forward'? What exactly were these plans?
did they have a plan or was it really a case of, see of anyone will invest if we get some other muppets to raise half a million quid for us.

A couple of weeks ago, the groundswell of opinion was that we should get behind the club whoever is in charge.


That should not change. Nomatter how unpalletable Caisley and Hodd/Bennett maybe, if they are in charge, it means there is a club to be incharge of. that is what counts!

Secure, the future, then argue about it!

This.

Cannot believe that some posters will only continue supporting the bulls providing Caisley isn't running the show. You are not true fans.

Really??

Because some people have looked at the recent history and facts surrounding the club and cannot support a regime that given chance will plunge us into another 6 plus years of hell to satisfy their own ego? Some of us that can see Caisley for what he is and what he is after?? If Caisley cared about the Bulls and its fans would he have done any of the following the last time he was in charge? –

- High Court action against Leeds (we lost by the way, Caisley still got paid though...)
- Built the coral stand with settlement monies – you know that big white elephant in the ground where the WAGs watch the game..... forget how much it cost but it was alot more than £1million we need now.....
- Ask the fans to come to games in greater numbers due to our year on year financial losses.... he was in charge of the balance sheet and the spending.....
Or more recently -
- Act as agent in the sale of Sam and George Burgess to Souths whilst the majority shareholder of the club they played for – conflict of interest surely?
- Try just last year to wind the club up because he didn’t receive a dividend on his shares, whilst every other shareholder waived it
- Timed his “attack” on Hood and the current regime to totally destabilise the current fight for survival, so he could pick us up when in Admin

Its all well and good buying success if you have deep pockets.... we didn’t and the mess we are in is all down to Chris Caisley, can you understand now why I don’t want this pariah near our club because with him at the helm there will be no club in the near future.

Once bitten, twice shy......