You talk about the bad vibes convincing fans to stay away and then tell a big section of the fan base they need to feck off and they are not fans.

You couldn't make it up. If you leave it just to the 'true northern fans' then we won't have a club to support at all.

No idea who Kyle is....? But he had signed last week

It's quite possible that the club gave Bateman permission to talk to Wigan before a fee was agreed. Bateman agrees terms (last Friday) but the clubs don't agree a fee until yesterday.

How's the flagellation? Quite painful?!

God forbid that you don't know the ins and outs of every story concerning the club.

Take time to read my post properly and then get back to me when you find where I say that the bad vibes are convincing fans to stay away!!!

and what is the last comment aimed at??? I was making the point that you support a club because you're passionate about the team and not just the glory.

My thoughts exactly.I`ve followed northern?bulls for more than 50 years, nothing is new. If he wants away let him go for as much as anybody will pay. Players like him are disruptive with his moronic tweets. He has great potential but I`ve seen countless who were lauded the best thing since sliced bread who have not fulfilled that potential. What has he actually achieved? Could he be another Gareth Hock (brainless)?? Anyway Shaun Wane won`t put up with his badmouthing on ter etc.

As long as we got a good fee it's good business. If he don't want to be here and has requested multiple times to leave (his mate Elliot probably in his ear). He's flattered to deceive, A good player but certainly no world beater. By his age, Sam Burgess & Andy Farrell were quantum leaps above where he'll ever be. He's too small to be a great forward and will be a run of the mill super league player (if this backfires I will be happy to congratulate the lad and eat humble pie by the spoonful...cos he's certainly got talent)

I heard 2 or 3 month back that FC suspended Bateman because he got caught driving when he didn't have a licence.I don't know if this is definately true,it may or may not be.I didn't put it on here at the time because negative gossip is not needed.With today's developments I'm wondering if this is true and this is one of the reasons Bateman and Cummins didn't get on.

If somebody in the know says all this is a load of tripe I will be happy to accept that

Yeah, I misread that bit.

You were making the point that the fans who aren't in your elite club should leave the real supporters in peace. Don't buy into this 'true fans' rubbish. The club needs its supporters regardless of why they want to watch the bulls.

I've not bought a season ticket yet, and I probably won't this year. I don't really care if you think I am a true fan or not but I feel telling me to feck off is a bit harsh tbh. We all want the same for the club at the end of the day, doesn't mean we have to defend every decision the club makes.

Not too disappointed, my concern was he was getting injury prone also noted by Wigan but they feel they can overcome that with a new training regime for him, best of luck on that score. Also a big silence from the NRL Clubs who were looking at him in 2011 as a potential player, I think they also have had doubts about him, picking up injuries the way he has.
In light of that and that he wants out, good business by the Club he was also becoming disruptive looking at some the silly stuff on twitter. We were all upset at Fielden leaving for Wigan but he never set the world on fire from then on. I'm not going to get all upset and hysterical (like the Taliban muppets) just accept that its a done deal and move on and keep supporting the Club!!

Great potential that may or not develop. Serious injuries that may or not affect his full recovery. Could be good business for Bulls.
To the people that have not already bought their season ticket I say - think about whether it is your fault he has gone.

How many games did he play last year, and like has said I've never watched a game and thought damn wish Bateman was here, when he played LF he gave to many penalties away, his seems FC is in tilling his own culture on the club and ew and jb didn't like it as seen by their twitter over the past season leaking information about wages when they would have been told to keep quite about it and other things Ive seen.

The number of front rowers Wigan have signed recently is means he won't be first choice, can't see him ahead of farrel and the youngsters they have. and if he thinks he can get away with abit more he is in for a huge rude awakening

This isn't just about Bateman. There is a bigger issue here that also involves whitehead, naughton and kopout. They are all promising home grown talent who have chosen to leave the club in the last year. I have now lost ALL respect for Cummins and the rest of the management. I am a REAL fan but I can't keep throwing my hard earned at something I don't believe in anymore

Again, read my post properly. I clearly say fair play to fans that don't buy season tickets for genuine understandable reasons, such as not affording them, not attending enough games etc etc.

However, I am sorry but if you've not bought one simply because you don't agree with what is going on at Odsal then I don't think you are a true fan.

In some way those that have chosen to not support the club by investing money in a ST at a time where there is little cash flow have probably contributed towards the club having to back down at the transfer request at this time, yet those same "fans" will cry and shout for blood when ultimately if they had dipped into their pockets (assuming they could) and splashed their cash it might not have even happened.

My so called elite are people who whilst not agreeing to everything that goes on will still turn up week in week out and support the guys that pull on the RAB. We don't constantly harp on about playoffs and winning trophies, everything happens in cycles and we've had our turn at glory. Chances are that if the club survive we will see triumph again. However we won't if we chase something that we simply cannot afford.

Bateman going is no worry to me. Some are making this out to be a crisis and its simply not... its good business. If more players go before season I might not agree with the decisions and I might even comment that I think its a bad call but will that stop me buying another ST, or buying a shirt for next season? Hell no!!!

More than any other club, this one seems to have a section of fans who are quick to turn on the club they claim to support. My honest truth is i'd rather be a championship club, with a smaller fan base who supported the club no matter what than the predicament we find ourselves in.

I find it hard that many seem intent on inflicting harm (no matter if it is intended) on the club, but as a fan I'll have to put up with it and hope that some day the noise will quieten enough that we can actually get back to enjoying the game.

Sorry if you feel aggrieved by my comments but this is the club i've loved for many years and it pains me to see it in this situation.

You'd have been better telling that to your John.

We've had a few forwards who have been tipped as the next big thing. Graham Joyce, James Donaldson, lee radford. They all didn't quite fulfill their potential because they missed out on that late growth spurt that can make all the difference. I always thought that radford would have been absolutely world class if he was 2 inches taller and 2 stone heavier. I think the same might apply to Bateman.

Like most i'm disappointed with losing Bateman, specially being another Bradford lad leaving his home town club, however...

I think we've adequate cover in the back row, Ferguson, Winterstein, Donaldson, Walker, Blythe if needed and Addy (if he learns to tackle)

So if the club use the funds appropriately and bring in some strike out wide in the form of a fast powerful centre, it should soften the blow.

I think Wigan have forwards who are already better than Bateman so he's going to have to pull his finger out in order to compete, otherwise he might find himself on the fringes of the Wigan team rather than a guaranteed pick like he was when fit at Bradford.

It might be the kick in the pants he needs to fulfil his potential, but I'm not holding my breath

Does this provide funds to sign a centre from Newcastle?

more likely it provides funds to pay the bills.

Ha,maybe but let's hope not

If we were able to sign a decent prop, the squad would actually look more balanced than it did.

Words can't say just how disappointed I felt at hearing this news. It's not just the one player, it's the drip drip drip over the last 18 months and just when we're trying to sell season tickets too.

However, much as I've always said that a pro sportsman's career is short and I don't blame any player for maximising his income, at the end of the day we're better off without those disloyal few who lack the ethics to see out the contracts they've freely entered into, and I agree with Franny that we want only those who are committed to the club and their team mates[if only for the length of their contract, which is all anyone can reasonably ask. Hopefully all the bad influences have now gone...

Fortunately, we're far from badly off in the second row/loose positions and played most of last season without John anyway as he was mostly injured, so the effects may not be too bad with more chances for such as Danny Addy and James Donaldson.

So today's t&a report says the fee was 'approaching' six figures. So not even a six figure sum then. I really hope this wasn't done to ease any financial worries, because a figure smaller than six figures isn't going to stretch very far.