ok. I didn't make masses of notes about most of it because others were doing that.

OSV.
Peter Hood said he was confident of the funding. The contribution from the club is the ground with it's freehold lease worth a lot of money for them to build on. Other funding sources are the revenue from the sale of the RD centre land - obviously to be input by the council for the development of the new sports stadium.
Funding is not seen to be an issue.

A number of interested hotel groups are already making enquiries about the hotel part of the complex which is actually attached to the stadium and would have to be built at the same time. They would pay for the building of this. There is a huge shortage of hotel rooms in Bradford and this hotel would be perfectly situated.

The main concerns were given as "planning and operating revenue". Much work is going on now and will go on in the next few months to address these.

Planning is estimated to be put in in December.

The plan includes the bowl to be filled in to the level of the top of the terracing.
The drawing that we've all seen linked to on here is already changing and will continue to change during the next phases.
They have not yet ruled out some standing areas in the ground and the capacity may increase a bit but is unlikely to be massively different.
Studies have shown that 18k is about as much as we'd usually need for a superleague game. There is no desire to turn odsal into Old Trafford.
18k is seen as cost effective and realistic.

We want atmosphere in the ground and we want to create demand for tickets too. If there are limited numbers of tickets available then people will buy in advance and the club won't lose out if it happens to rain on the day etc. We currently rely too much on walk-up crowds.

The plans include an access road from Rooley Ave. This and the carpark would, along with the stadium and hotel, be the first parts built and would be open before the rest of the complex.

There is no desire to turn the sports complex into an Olympic village. The council want the ground to open in 2012 to reflect the growth in interest in sports which is expected in the Olympic year.

Bradford Bulls are an official partner in the scheme. Bradford City are not.

Our plan B would be to look at other options at the club. We have a 150 year lease and would look to do something with that if the scheme doesn't go ahead.

--
breaking news
ANDY LYNCH HAS SIGNED FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS (cue much applause)
--
Squad development
The long term plan is to bring through the best of the juniors as the core of future squads. We're only seeing the beginnings of this at the moment.
Developing your own juniors creates a squad who have grown up together, share a passion for the club and know eachother's strengths and weaknesses.

Also it's cheaper than signing a squad full of superstars.

Under 18s are progressing well as a team and Bradford fans are encouraged to come to the stadium to watch them play.

---
Season tickets
Season ticket prices have not yet being set for next year - much depends on where we will be playing and what that will cost us. They are seeking to get the prices sorted ASAP

---
Salary Cap
We are under it - but not by lots.
If talent becomes available we have the money to sign them, we also have some room for movement under the cap
--

Openness, communication and the on-line community
Steve agrees that the club being more open could counter negative on-line comments. He's not particularly worried about comments about him on forums like this, he doesn't even look at them.
---

Iestyn Harris - has lasting damage been caused to the club financially by the IH affair?
No lasting damage was caused.

---
Is Valley Parade up to code as far as the RFL are concerned?
Yes - we are however looking at all the available options. We're not about to go to the owners of VP and say 'please can we use your stadium - how much do you want because we've got no choice but to play here'. We have choices. We might take them up too. Dewsbury was mentioned.
---

The timing of the fans forum was not to coincide with the the OSV announcement. They just chose the middle of the season as a good time to have a second forum after people asked last time.
--

Sadly Blotto then gave Steve some coaching advice, expect our season to get worse if he listened to any of it!




one last little snippet of info
it will take 300,000 cubic metres of stuff to fill up the bowl before they can start building the new stadium. It's a pity we couldn't link the hole with the amount of crap which comes off this board somehow - we'd fill it up in no time.

I don't know I'll have a think too see if there is any way of doing it.

How long is an acceptable time to continue to say we are building for the future? Fair enough, you've always got to be building for the future but how long should it be before we start to see a plan bare it's fruits? We can't keep saying, 'give him/them them till the end of next season can we? because if we continue as we are then we could be saying it for 10 - 20 years.

If we consolidate our place in Super League's top 6 once again then I could see myself saying, 'yes, give them another season and let's see what it brings', but if we miss out on the playoffs then I'm afraid I would feel as if we have slumped to far, to soon and that would probably be the very end of my patience for the current regime.

Good old Dennis!

I'd swear I saw Macca saying to Hood after Blotto's bit that he could not take any more...



Seriously - a pretty comprehensive summary, from someone who claims not to have taken many notes! All main points covered there. I'll go through mine and see if anything jumps out that I can add to (probably the boring financial bits...

)

Time to get out the hand puppets again?

Any typists out there who wants to type up the full recording.

Were you there? I thought your question was answered pretty well and effectively, to be honest.

No I couldn't attend, which question was that again? I was looking for it the other day but I couldn't find which thread it was in. Do you know where it is? And what was the answer?

I meant at the forum, sorry. And the question in your post.

This one?

[iHow long is an acceptable time to continue to say we are building for the future?[/i


What did they answer and who answered it please? I'd be really interested to hear that recording.

So Medders is our Barack Obama, even though his name doesn't rhyme...

Thanks to those who transcribed for us, that is much appreciated.

Sounds like it was a good forum.

And good to hear that Paul Medley is still a legend. Was always a favourite player of mine.

Fans Forum break down.

Question 1
OSV

In the present climate are you confident that funding will be found as there appears to be a short fall

Answer

Peter Hood

A great deal of funding as is known is already in place. He was as confident as he could be at this stage.

Question 2

Are the Bulls making a contribution to the scheme and is this affecting our ability to sign top class players.

Answer

Peter Hood

The clubs contribution to the scheme is the land its self without the land the scheme is unviable. The OSV scheme is 10x times the size of the Odsal bowl and the bowl is central to it.

Question 3

Ground Sharing

Answer

Peter Hood

There are no plans too share with Bradford City if the plans fall through. If the scheme does fall through Bradford Bulls will stay at Odsal alternate solutions will be found.

Question 4

Why has the new ground only got an 18,000 capacity

Answer

Peter Hood

If you build a bigger stadium you have higher cost building and operating. The Bulls have conditions for getting an average crowd of 15,000 maybe higher so a 18,000 venue creates the scarcity value. the challenge of Odsal at the moment is that every knows that you can get in when you want you don't have to worry about a ticket. There is still a debate about all seat er stadium there may be some standing.

Ryan Duckett

The drawings of the plan will probably change over the next six months the capacity may possibly go up.

Question 5

With all super clubs signing new players and re-signing current players their seem s to be a worrying lack of news from the Bulls is their anything new to report.

Answer

Steve McNamara

The club had signed Glen Hall last week and Andy Lynch has signed a new 3 year deal.

Question 6

Is it the clubs intention to hold on to good players and thee for revert back to the old system of stability and firmarily amongst the players which in turn will shorly see our club return to former glories.

Answer

Steve McNamara

We are looking to retain our best players bring in the best available juniors in to the club and also bring in some top class talent.

Question 7

With all the focus now on the academy is it the clubs intention to keep hold off all the best player and not let them leave and join our rivals.

Answer

Steve McNamara

Yes it is the clubs intention to keep old of the best players. The club don't want a boom and bust cycle where it just invests at the top level and is successful for a year or two then fall flat on its face with no money. There was always be a few players who they make a call on who move on a reinvent themselves.

Question 8

What is the clubs view on Dave Cravens article after the Celtic game on twenty first of May.

Answer

Peter Hood

It didn't make pleasant reading.

Question 9
How do fans go about getting tickets to use the Coral stand bar after games many would welcome the chance to meet there heroes.

Answer

Ryan Duckett

The coral stand is mainly for sponsor but you can buy tickets for the restaurant at forty pound each but you can get match by match tickets which cost thirty ponds.

Question 10

What would the club consider a successful season and what steps would be taken if this wasn't meet.

Answer

Peter Hood

A decent run in the play offs is what everyone at the clubs is shooting for.

Question 11

What position does the panel see the club see in 12 months time.

Answer

Peter Hood and Steve McNamara

On the stadium to be out the other side of the planning process and to have moved out of the ground as the work has started and see the club stronger on and off the field.

Question 12
Franchise when are the bids likely to have to be submitted.

Answer

Peter Hood

The category C licenses my have to start making there application by 2010. It also needs to be found out if the clubs will have to submitted as much information as last time or will they just focus on those with a C license and ask the current A and B license holders to put in a shortened document specific to certain aspects.

Question 13

If the club was submitting a next round of franchise bidding today taking in to account what the club already knows or guesses of how the process proceeds how confident is the club be that it would be awarded a franchise what steps could be taken to further improve our chances of a successful application.

Answer

Peter Hood

The club is very confident off a franchise being awarded. Next time it wont be sufficient to just have plans for a new stadium clubs will need bulldozers on site. If the club applied for the license today it would expect to get the same grade if the builders were on site they would be shooting for A grade license.

Question 14
What impact has the drop off in home support having on the clubs finances and if it continues what are the probable implications going forward.

Answer

Peter Hood

The drop off has a distinct and marked and immediate effect on the finances. You've collected less money at the turnstiles at the car parks at the bar and every where in the ground. It has an immediate negative impact on the following Monday.

The club budget conservatively so a drop off itself is not a massive problem unless it were to continue for ever. In which case you would end up re-budgeting it effects things like cash flow.

Question 15

Are the season ticket prices going to rise next year if yes by how much.

Answer

Ryan Duckett

The club aren't sure too early to say but they are looking too add value.

Question 16

The crowds at Odsal have been decreasing steadily over the season especially away is low do you think special promotions should be put on to entice people back.

Answer

Ryan Duckett

During the season the club has done special promotions, A kid for a quid and Buy one get one free. The club is very cautious of not devaluing the season ticket package with promotions.

The club was on budget for the Catalans and Celtic games above budget for the Hull KR, Huddersfield and Hull FC games but under budget for the Warrington game.

Question 17

For the avoidance of doubt is the club spending as it much as it prudently dares and there fore limiting scope to splash out or is the club in a position to take advantage of any advantages spending opportunities.

Answer

Peter Hood

Yes we are absolutely in the market in the situation arises.

Question 18

Is the club spending the salary cap and if not what sort of head room do we still have and how able are we to raise the spending to the maximum if needed.

Answer

Peter Hood

The club are under the cap we do have some headroom available.

Question 19

Too what extent is the lack wealthy backer seen as a signifacant disadvantage to the club what steps can and could be taken to mitigate this.

Answer

Peter Hood

It is an advantage if your wealthy backer stops in place. No such individual or consortium has ever come forward.

Question 20

There are one or two individuals with possible misguided or questionable loyalty who post an incessant stream of negativity and abuse especially sack the coach sack the board on Internet message boards. Is this at worse seen as an irritation or does it have real potential to damage the club if the latter what can be done to mitigate it.

Answer

Peter Hood

There isn't a potential to cause any real damage. But any message that are libelous would be pursued legally.

Steve McNamara

Some time the club could be a little more open with the fans. Sometime the message are a little bit irritable.

Question 21

What effect has the Iestyn Harris debacle had on the clubs finances in the long term.

Answer

Peter Hood

Nothing in the long term.

Question 22

Is it true Kooga are pulling out of the shirt sponsorship deal.

Answer

Ryan Duckett

Not as far as the club no. New shirts have already being designed for 2010.

After this the Dictaphone got very tinny struggled to make out the question especially from the floor.

That's excellent. Thank you for that.

All very positive.

Dear me. OBN award.

Medders speil was pretty impassioned, he's certainly not going to rush any of the youngsters into the first team before they're absolutely ready. He's trying to bond a group of lads who will have played together for many seasons.
(BTW I thought Redeverreddy put Steve on the back foot with his Johnny Horton question)

The rousing, impassioned - and very POSITIVE! - speech from Medley was the most uplifting thing I have seen from the club for a long long time. Given the reception it received, I suspect I am not alone in that thought?

I will second that!

The news regarding Andy Lynch received a very good reception, and quite right to but the speech from Medders was very uplifting and deservedly received the best reaction of the night!

For me, his last few words in his speech really meant a lot (if I heard correctly) - "Its about Pride and and its about passion!" That summed up why people made the effort to go last night and why we should still follow he team through the bad times! Its about pride and passion for our club!

Definitely not, it was the highlight of the forum for me, well that along with the Lynch news. I was so pleased to hear him talk about wanting players to play with pride and passion, something which seems to be somewhat lacking on the field at the moment

So my question about MC Wiggy was ignored again!!!


The stuff on the OSV sounds a lot more positive. It's also good to read some of the answers that they didn't give. It sounds like they were genuine and honest.Says and means a lot that and leaves me feeling confident. Certainly contradicts a lot of the crap posted by some people on the internet (no one on here but some of the other sites are filled by complete plonkers).

Hood, Macca, Duckett and Duffy - and Medley, when they dragged him in - put themselves up in front of what could easily have been an angry and very hostile big crowd.

Whatever else people may accuse the club and its officials of, cowardice and dodging the flak are charges that cannot be levelled at them. It takes a pretty big and brave man to put themselves where they did last night, I suggest?

Just a thought.

I could maybe hazard a guess at whom is responsible for this question. There are certainly a candidate or two anyway!

FWIW, there is no question about my loyalty to the team whatsoever. The problem here is what each individual describes as loyal.

Some people clearly see loyalty being defined as simply accepting what is being offered up. Some don't.

This sounds like a very positive event all round and reading posts from some of the other naysayers who went restores much of my faith in the club.

Did anyone ask my question about the benching stats? Maybe this could go on the website

[iOBN award?[/i