It's a new company with no history. It's unlikely they had credit with most people yet anyway.

Whilst feeling sorry for the players I think they should cast their minds back to their abject display on 10 May and what that meant for revenue over the summer months. Given London's ties in the Challenge Cup we could have had at least had two extra games including a semi-final.

That said we must have been aware when the fixtures were published that there'd be a shortfall coming.

If the players think the best response to this is to shut up shop and finish the season early then they're foolish in the extreme. They now need to go all out and secure the club play-off football - that's the only way to get extra income and generate some feel good factor for 2014.

If the people of Bradford feel so strongly about this they should start turning up for matches, buying merchandise, going up to the Coral Stand ie. spending cash.

Given the venom currently being aimed at the clubs board by the unlimited supply of business experts in the city on here and the T &A site you'd think the level of feeling with be strong enough to ensure that more than 8000 people would be ar53d to turn up to home matches.

6500 season tickets and sub 10K average attendance that's where cashflow problems come from. In the absence of someone with cash to put into the club it's really up to the people of Bradford how far they want their club to go.

From what has been said by BS of the RFL reference the 3 rd Party funding due in the next 7 days, and his confidence in this happening makes me wonder if it's the SKY money contribution x 3 months, plus maybe the final payment from the Magic Weekend, Bulls share of the total.

From the Creditors Voluntary Liquidation report (now available) August last year was the same, with the payment being made by the RFL on the 14th August, as the advanced figure owing to the previous company.

I am not saying this is fact because I don't know! However why did BS of the RFL get involved in this problem?
Maybe something to speculate and ponder over.

As for Bateman, well I must say I haven't yet seen the potential everyone says is there, and using the adage that no ones indispensible, lets hope someone does come in for his services after he is once again declared fit.
Looks like we could do with a hefty fee for him..personally I would prefer Donaldson, because as the saying goes it's only in the dictionary that success comes before work, and Donaldson is a proven worker with the skill to match.

Sad but true. Thing is its not the people on here who don't go.

Hope the signings for next season and some (hopefully) more consistent performances will encourage more people to come. Maybe RHP can help drive up the sales.

Well, I kind of agree, except that berating non-attenders for not attending is probably about as pointless as any waste of time there is. Nobody has an obligation to go, and as greater Bradford has broadly speaking 500,000 inhabitants then even if you take a figure of 10,000 as an average of fans (between good times and bad times) that still leaves 490,000 or at best 480,000 with no interest in attending games at Odsal, whatever happens. This is why appeals to "the people of Bradford" always seem pointless to me.

Instead all efforts ought to be concentrated on the missing fans between 8K and 15K - they are the only ones realistically there is any point in trying to attract back. And not "the people of Bradford" who, for the most part, while they can often whinge for England and stick their oars in, aren't really bothered.

Absolutley which is why after the good work done in securing Robbie's services (one of the few people in the game who is recognised nationally) , the signings made in the pack - and hopefully some more to strengthen the squad for next year - are all positive steps towards getting some more of those 8 -15k back and paying on the gate. Grabbing a place in the plays would also a big boost. That is why is is so gaulling we are back all over the national press for financial problems again.

Yeah whatever pal.

I haven't berated anyone BTW it's merely an observation that the club is dependant on money coming in from it's fans (ie. it's customers).

Earlier today I emailed Ryan a few questions :

Dear Ryan

I am emailing with regards to the statement that Omar Khan has released regarding the current financial situation that the Bradford Bulls are facing.

I am quite concerned by recent events that have taken place over the past 4-5 days and Omar’s statement has raised a number of questions.

1) Why were players, staff and fans told that the delay in wages was down to an ‘admin error’ when this clearly was not the case.
2) Why did the Bradford Bulls give Robbie Hunter-Paul false information to pass on to all concerned parties. As you will be aware his statement assured everyone that wages would be paid on Tuesday 30th July.
3) If there is clearly no money available this month, what assurances can you provide that monthly wages etc can be paid next month.
4) The RFL has stated that money will be obtained from a 3rd party. Does this mean that the Bradford Bulls are in the process of obtaining a bank loan to cover expenditure ?
5) Why is there a lack of honesty coming from the Bradford Bulls ? As a fan I feel the Bradford Bulls have lied not just to us as fans but to the players who have worked hard to be in a position to fight for the play-offs.


Here is Ryan's reply :

Thanks firstly for your email. Here are the answers to your questions.

1 The players & staff were told of all the information at the time we had it. When the words admin error were quoted this was exactly what we had been told, nobody was intentionally misled or given false information.
2 I think the above answer, answers this question.
3 The funding issue is to cover us for the rest of this year and next, so there will be no more issues.
4 The money is coming from Omar as has all other monies received by the bulls since 1st September 2012. Omar is using equity in his portfolio to fund the Bulls.
5 There is no lack of honesty coming from the Bulls, hence why I have given my email address to all who have questions. This was and is a dynamic situation which has changed over the last few days.

I hope this answers your questions.

Why didn't they just come out and say all that in the first place? Would have saved a lot of unnecessary worrying and rumours. Omar would then be seen as the hero instead of the villain. Nothing but respect for the guy for releasing money from his portfolio to save the club but seriously, get some lessons in PR!

With you lot gone and Wakey hopefully next it makes next years cull easy and the Broncos can stay in and play on Richmond College fields

Will the mascots v Wakey this week be coffins

SL is looking strong.

From what I've seen from most fans, that's the crux of the complaints. Nobody will (sanely) question Omar's committment and surely nobody can fail to appreciate that he's putting large amounts of his own money into the club. But it's the lies that came out at the end of last week that have got people's backs up. The stuff about players will be paid by Monday/Tuesday, it's an admin error, it's due to management restructuring. All that was clearly not true. While it's annoying they've told fans that, it's worse that they told their employees that, as their lives and welfare depend on those wages.

If it had been said from the start about the funding issues, that they were working to resolve it, and would do the best they could, people would be more understanding. Instead, they keep making noises about being transparent and honest, when it looks from every other angle that they're being a lot less than that.

If that email is real then fair play to OK imo.He has skin in the game.

But PR must be improved if they are gonna woo the fans back.Honesty/Transparency go a long way,so let this episode be a lesson.Play with a straight bat.

How much do cafes bring in? He can't be that wealthy?

Things are getting worse!!!

We are now being 'sledged' by a quins fan, or is it the quins fan??

Yeah ha ha.

Who's he on about anyway? Who's the cafe owner?

Now that is rock bottom-Blame the want away second rower and his loose tongue! or key board.

You think you've got it bad, we are just of the back of a 70-0 thrashing and have Leeds tomorrow!! I hope our lot dont get paid!

One of your owners

MORON!!!

I feel a hell of a lot more positive now after reading those email replies. Top marks to Omar if he has
provided and is providing the funds to cover the period we are without our sky money.

However I agree with what everyone has already said about how poorly the situation has been handled.
An announcement more akin to the content of those emails would have put everyone's minds at ease much
earlier.

Considering that probably only a small proportion of Bulls fans will email Ryan Whitcut or read these forums,
there will still be a lot of people out there who don't know the true picture.

I put in my survey responses that whilst I feel the club has a better presence now on social media than previously,
they still need to do more for the large proportion of fans who don't read/use twitter/Facebook/RLFANS etc. I wonder if Robbie will let me recall my survey so I can add a few bits to it/downgrade the marks I have them in a couple of areas relating to communication!

It was a bit unfortunate that the fans forum came just before all this happened. I'm sure if it had have been this week there'd have been a huge attendance and a lot more items for discussion!

Well I for one feel better about the situation now as it looks like some serious consideration has been given to longer term funding. If OK is securing funding by pledging some of his property porfolio to the bank that is definately a long drawn out process as lawyers are involved.
The shame is that if he had got the players to one side and explained this then the wage problem would probably never have got out in an uncontrolled way and OK could have made a big splash in a few weeks time about having put long term funding in place.
So all we have to do is secure a few more signings and put one over on Wakey at the weekend - no problem!

Hehe

All of a sudden the clown appears on here

He gets everywhere unless it is a positive thread and even then he may change it into a negative one

This may be a solution to him

Thank you, do you Rhinos fans think he's an idiot as well