Very true and I seriously believe it’s going to work. The York game was a classic and the Keighley one a tough game of RL, just like it should be! There’s no way C1 would tempt me back by itself. Showcasing via Proper Sport stream was/is the perfect way to do this.

Anyway, it’s up to Workington and I wish them no ill will as I am sure they believe they’ve done this for the right reasons. Does make me laugh though when in one breath they say they aren’t using the Bulls as a cash cow and in the next talk about protecting their income and telling people how much it is to get in.

COYB that’s the most important thing - unfortunately I am out this afternoon and can’t listen to any commentary (I could have watched the feed on and off in silence) but I’ll be refreshing my flashscores app every few minutes!!!

Well that was always going to happen wasn't it. Thanks a bunch Chalmers you bloody idiot.

Lets not pretend anybody is really doing it for the good of the game. Each club does what is best for themselves. Some clubs charge more when we go there, some clubs will not allow us to broadcast live. We have tried to use live broadcasts to get fans to come back and pay above SL pprices for 3rd tier rugby. Presumably Propersport are doing this to make money from either the clubs or in anticipation of launching a subscription channel.

Spot on.

I genuinely worry about people who believe the guff about clubs doing things "for the good of the game". Actually no I don't worry about them, but I do have some time share I'd like to speak to them about and a Nigerian Prince to put them in touch with.

Well Workington could've used a recording of that game on Facebook as a marketing tool - especially considering what a dramatic game it was.

Except they can't now.

today's attendance was 1,366 with 750 travelling from the #BradfordBulls

So just over 600 Workington fans turned up to see Town beat the top of the table BULLS.I think they need to have a long look at themselves and their own marketing team as they have missed a massive opportunity today to advertise Cumbrian Rugby to 10s of thousands.What an OWN GOAL.

What's this rumour about 25k???

Dunno what you heard?

It's from some dodgy twitter account.



But they also tweeted this afterwards, which I can only assume is a wind up

Well it sounds like I am in the minority but.....I do not like the idea of a free live stream regardless of the supposed reasons for it.

I have no problem with a stream after the game has concluded but to me we are giving our product away for nothing with a free live stream and sending a message out to fans not to bother buying our higher than average tickets when they can watch for free. I don’t see how this is any different from the RFL giving away sponsorship to stobarts for free and getting slated for it.

I have a season ticket and prefer to go to a game for the experience and social side but I can’t see these thousands of lapsed fans watching a stream for free and thinking ‘yes I will part with the best part of £20+ and go rather than at best turn in for free next week’.

Hopefully I’m wrong or we are building towards a subscription service but, although I will buy a season ticket next year, I have a nagging doubt in my mind saying why when it’s free online....

I couldn't agree more, I think if you buy a season ticket you should be able to sign into something to watch the game. I couldn't make it today as my son was playing rugby.

Think you’d have to be pretty gullible to believe any of that claptrap TBH

No, but we can use the footage from our own DVD which is produced for every game. You can have one for a tenner.

Don’t believe everything Gledhill tweets. There were no more than 350 Bulls fans there today and that’s a fact. Your club sold around 200 tickets for the game (and ripped their own fans off in doing so).

I'll pass thanks

What was the attendance then?
Just read the below.
today's attendance was 1,366 with 750 travelling from the #BradfordBulls

How did the club rip off fans?

In order to try and encourage Bulls fans to come Town told Bulls they could sell the tickets for £12 adults and £5 concessions. Some unhappy Bulls fans today who had bought tickets from the club for the full £15 adults price and £10 concession price. No doubt it’s an “admin fee”.

So the only people who can see Workingtons great victory...is fans who were already there

anyway the streaming arguments been done. I just think it's a missed oportunity by Workington IMHO

Was inevitable after yesterday's spat this would happen. Have to take the taunting, dust ourselves down and go again. For those who went, any mentions on the drop goal, even some Town fans were saying it went wide?

God as if people are replying to a drunk Workington fan after his club have won their cup final.

Fact is we’ve really embarrassed ourselves this weekend. Not the result but the way weve carried ourselves as a club. 1 step forward 2 steps back - again!!!

Meet the new boss - same as the old boss.

Well I’ve been following the club for over 30 years but last year on top of everything else we’ve been through really sickened me off. To be forced to stay in a league for an entire season with relegation almost certain was a real kick in the nuts. So I definitely lost heart, found other things to do on a a Sunday and found I didn’t really miss it. I now very rarely watch a SL game and my interest in the sport is a lot more casual that it used to be.

However I watched the stream against York and I enjoyed it. So much so that it convinced me to take the family to Keighley. Now ok, that hasn’t really benefited the Bulls but that is more down to other commitments. I’m sure I will get to some games this year now which I’m not sure I would have done if I hadn’t have been following the streams and finding myself taking more interest once again. So perhaps I am the target audience and maybe some proof that there are some benefits?

I'm actually a bit surprised he hasn't offered up an apology (yet). He clearly let his emotions run away and posted 'in haste' the other day, which seems really out of character. Frankly, he never usually comments on [ianything[/i, so he must have really let this get to him.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of apology or climbdown in the next day or two

I think he’s best not mentioning it and moving on.

One things for sure though. If a spat between people that should know better at 2 part time clubs in league one is the biggest story of the week - we’re still a thing- which is good for sponsorship. Look at how eager the knuckle draggers were to get their knickers in a twist. Even super league fans!

3,2,1...

For those that follow me on Twitter/Facebook will know that two weeks ago, I was at Derwent Park and the Recreation Ground with Sam Bridges (Proper Sport) testing the cameras ahead of the planned live stream. 

I think it's important to point out that as a club and organisation, the Bradford Bulls and Proper Sport don't just turn up at these grounds unannounced. 

I personally phoned Workington Town up - some eight days before our visit and explained what we would like to do - the response from Workington Town was that we were good to visit Derwent Park on the 28/3/18 for a ground site visit.

When myself and Proper Sport arrived at Derwent Park on 28/3/18, Workington Town welcomed us with open arms, one of their directors and a volunteer were present as the Workington chairman is a driving instructor and had a full diary, so couldn't meet us on our visit.

Once at Derwent Park we had numerous cups of tea, talked for over 90 minutes about the current state of Rugby League before we conducted our site visit. I would like to thank Workington for their generous hospitality.

Whilst we were on site it was communicated to myself and Proper Sport that the chairman was worried the coverage would be too pro-Bradford.

I showed the two memebers of staff from Workington the coverage from the York and Keighley games, and explained that we could get the chairman or coach/player to be part of the production - eg have them on the live during the broadcast to give the coverage a balanced view.

This was communicated back to the Workington chairman and we left Derwent Park with an agreement to stream the game with the chairman wanting to be filmed pitchside talking promoting all things Workington Town. 

For whatever reason that I'm not privy to, Workington Town then changed their mind last week, four days before the game was scheduled to take place.

Yes, it's frustrating because myself and Proper Sport spent a full day with the camera equipment on the Cumbria peninsula, but ultimately Workington Town have the final say in the matter of who is allowed to stream/film games as per the 2018 RFL operational handbook.

That is one of the strangest aspects of this mess. As it is, no-one is gaining anything, apart from those who are gaining a free viewing - it is all expense and a totally loss making endeavour as someone is clearly paying the, I'd guess not insubstantial, expenses incurred in buying equipment, travelling to grounds and setting it up and then putting out the broadcasts and then getting nothing back. I fact the most likely (financial)result of the current set-up, as identified by the Workington chairman, would be that the odd person might decide not to go and watch the stream, and though I doubt very that would be very many, I'm far from surprised that clubs might quibble.

It seems pretty obvious that this season is some sort of trial and that when the glitches are ironed out then some kind of subscription service (with ads, maybe?) will evolve. Whilst I'm sorry for those who want to go and can't, I don't think they can really complain too much about losing a freebie, disappointed as they, no doubt, are.