The first one I went to Peter Hood told us the club was on a firm financial footing and he was confident we'd challenge for silverware.

At which point did Jeremy Beadle appear?

Only 2691 season tickets sold to date


Seems like the ratification process has really hit season ticket sales hard. That number needs to increase drastically over the next few months otherwise we are well and truly fecked.

The club needs to get marketing and quick. It's not rocket science. A lot of it doesn't cost much either.

I don't think it will increase drastically.

There will be a few more that buy them now the ratification is done (I certainly now have mine), but I think a lot of Bradford fans are at a point, rightly or wrongly, where they are severely disillusioned with the club and everything that's gone on.

It's going to take a lot of rebuilding to get those fans back on side. Blind faith only goes so far when it comes to supporters, and that faith has been tested to the limit the last 18 months. While you can't necessarily blame the new regime for that, they are in a position where they have to deal with it.

Extending the early bird offer would be a start.

It's a shame Odsal wasn't one of the World Cup grounds as the games so far seem to be generating an extra bit of off season interest, and while we might not have any players in the England squad the Bulls contingent playing for the other countries are doing their bit. Kear always looks one of the best players in the Welsh team.

On the face of it, it probably isn't the best ground for the world cup though.

One of the reasons it's seemed so successful so far is that the stadia have been packed out. This is because they've not only picked well on location, but on size. If that Workington game that drew 8,000 or so had been at Odsal, they'd have been lucky to get 5,000. In a stadium that holds 25,000 (depending on what figure you believe these days). It would have look empty.

The only way Odsal would have looked packed is if it held a big game. Namely one of the England matches, or at least a Quarter Final that would have had Australia or New Zealand in. And even the latter there would have struggled to fill it.

They've very carefully selected stadia that will be filled or at least nearly filled, if they market them correctly. No amount of marketing could have filled Odsal, and the stadium just isn't good enough to warrant a big game like the England ones or the Knockout stages, over the likes of Hull and Huddersfield.

While it would have been good for the club, it wouldn't have been good for the World Cup.

he is disillusioned, so I'm surprised that you make that statement. There has been the odd one who has told me they are pigged off with the RFL over the time it took to ratify the takeover, but none actually blames the people in charge at the club.

Fair enough, there's always the odd one or two, you only need to read these boards the hear them but there's never a "lot" and you have to wonder just how much of a 'fan' some people are when you read some of the stuff. That said, there is a recession on and money is tight right now - maybe the non-problems are being used by some as an excuse, not that one is needed, it's a fair outlay when you maybe have no job and Christmas is coming up.

Perhaps you're right, and maybe it is being used as an excuse. Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised if some are using it as an excuse to actually cover up that they don't want to shell the money out to go and watch a team that isn't winning trophies any more.

Certainly it's none of my friends that are not renewing. I'm basing my comments on what I see on social media. I interact with a lot of Bulls "fans" (and I appreciate what you're saying, that the term may not apply to some of them), through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and allsorts of internet based media. I've met none of them except for people I already knew. But it's from that (very large) group that I'm seeing people being disillusioned.

I don't think many of the hardcore support will be that way. But certainly I think there is a fair size element who are in that frame of mind. On the plus side, I do think a couple of years of decentish results and no money issues should bring those people back and hopefully start building the fanbase up again.

No matter what the hardcore fanbase think of those sort of people who don't stick by the club through thick and thin, and no matter whether they are in the right or in the wrong, there is an element of that in every club, in every sport. And sometimes it takes a lot of good faith, and good results, to get them back.

I've been deluged with texts and e-mails in the last week. They finally wore me down with the automated phone call from Robbie Hunter Paul

I received the same phone call today eventhough I renewed my season ticket about 2 months ago! It seems they are being very thorough!

I just got the phone call too


Had the email through about a week ago as well, I'm glad to see that they were aware of me being a 2013 ST holder yet to renew. Perhaps that talk of them losing the database was a bit wide of the mark.

Anyway my ST is bought now so hopefully Robbie will stop harassing me!

I like the fact of Robbie calling up getting you to renew but maybe if someone hasn't renewed in the next week days the number should be passed onto Nas to call personally

... that might get a few more

Yep, I had a call to my landline and another to my mobile. Both after I had purchased my Season tickets today and served by Robbie himself. Thanks Robbie don't give up the day job though

Robbie has not phoned me!

Wasn't it one of things they said last night, that they wouldn't be extending early bird deadline. Seems a poor decision as not many will buy at full price and will just pay on gate. Better for cash flow over full season I suppose but also makes a bad run of results more financially critical as pay on gate attendances suffer.

It was definitely said that the Early Bird deadline won't be extended

But I wouldn't be surprised to see another special offer being announced as soon as that deadline passes. They've got to do something, because 2691 or a few more isn't going to help the cash flow

I think the club need to invest in some new tables for the Coral stand. Some poor bugger snapped one clean in half after sitting on it at the start of the forum.

Well they need to invest in at least one more now anyway...

So what is the score with the Hudds deal? We got nothing?

cash I would hope. did anyone ask the question as to what they did get instead or was the answer that loans were never part of the settlement just accepted? I couldnt see any players that Hudds would be want to lend us that would do us any better than our own young lads, so no surprise if it is cash. And a quick cash settlement would suit both parties and cost less particularly to Hudds particularly if its appeared in the cash flow plans submitted to our dear friends. If so I am happy a lines drawn and no more said.

I was 50:50 about renewing (until Robbie finally broke my resistance). I usually miss a couple of games a season due to holidays etc so financially there isn't much of a saving buying a season ticket. In the past I bought one mainly to get first dibs on GF and CC final tickets but sadly that isn't much of a factor these days.

I have had several mail shots as well even though I renewed at the start of the "Belong" campaign.

However getting a solid number of ST's sold is a vital component of the club's finances so I will put up with a bit of irritation if it helps get the overall number sold up. Good to see Robbie getting stuck in on the Front Line.

but cash taken on the turnstile is subject to some RFL levies. This certainly used to be the case though, as I say, I'm not 100% certain this still applies. Maybe the higher price paid at the gate makes up for this.

Funnily enough, your experiences pretty much mirror mine, as none of my friends or mates in the pub has said they're not renewing but I've read a few on line. I guess it's just my perception of those on line numbers which differs from yours, though I confess I totally ignore the T&A rantboard as it seems representative of nothing, bar insanity...

Got to agree with the other bit though, a couple of vanilla years with slightly better results and no off-field 'surprises' will put everyone in a better mood - and that definitely includes me!