Some fair points in there, and it's rare for me to type as such.

A key factor for any potential investor is quite simply that the injection of funds (and alignment) is both viable and will provide some kind of ROI. Similarly, if the potential investors have a view that an existing administration has been both dysfunctional and negligent then it would be only the brave and narcissistic who would progress. Given that more than explicable scenario awaiting the removal of key members of a misfiring management seems perfect common sense.

I do think Ryan Duckett needs to be given elements of credit for the way he has conducted himself in the media, under quite a bright spotlight. Remaining positive is critical in all elements of successful business and this he has done publically. My concern, rightly or wrongly, is that a CEO is a core part of any financial guidance, structuring (alongside player recruitment) and given the evident parlous situation, which I'm sure may prove to be even more perilous than is currently publically evident, him remaining as CEO may be actually, untenable. Notwithstanding the financial elements, our player recruitment has been abominable over recent years given our relative salary cap spend and that in itself to most fans who care primarily for the on-field production and cast members, is a core facet to be analysed.

Credit must go to Hood for stepping down, and yes as a highly vitriolic critic of his on frequent basis that doesn't come easily, I simply hope he hasnt misled the fans as I may suspect regarding any further chasm and financial black hole. It is also clear that the "review" by CC, SC et al is simply that prior to determining the exact course of action needed. For us to guess what any "intention" may be is futile given that they are not yet in a position to have fully assessed where we are as a club. Sweeping the office of dust won't get rid of the rotten timber.

I rather suspect that the key decisions that have most bearing on the current mess, including signings and overall financial control, were handled by Hood.

In my opinion, Ryan has done a superb public job this last few weeks, in pretty dire circumstances and with sod all support from his Chairman.

In fact, I believe Ryan does a pretty outstanding job generally, especially given the serious lack of resources at his disposal. He is also, in my opinion, one of the most genuine and decent blokes you could hope to meet. I very very much hope that he is retained at a senior level in the new structure, and that his role is not handed to Tasker unless it is clear to all parties that that would be a significant improvement.

I get the feeling that the "Cohorts" are struggling for or maybe not even bothering with getting new investment, administration became more a probability than possibility as soon as Peter Hood stepped down.

Elements I'd concur with there but I'd prefer a CEO at a sports club who had more strength to personally handle key elements including the playing roster and critically, strategic brand guidance. If that's not the case, then he is simply a CEO by proxy, solely dealing with the bits Hood didn't like, PR for one.

My additional concern is the wind blowing. Loyalty is one thing, flaky wind blowing is another (which people may view it as) to switch from Camp Hood to Team Caisley and accompanying flag waving to mitigate ones position. Ryan is seemingly a very pleasant guy. But being merely a nice guy and a hand shaker doesn't make anybody Donald Trump. It's all about the bottom line.

absolutely agree 100%. How many CEOs in his situation would be literally on the terraces as he was at the Leeds match. What people dont see or wish to see is that in order to try and make the business work, every bit of economising has been done at this club, especially on the admin staff side of things,whilst attempting to not hit the playing side of things. Bradford City run with lots more permanent staff than we do, and effectively the club has been asking the employees left, to fill various roles!

This could of course have turned out to be a false economy, as more workload often means lower quality, but over the last 6 years that has been the hand the club has been dealt. Your view whether they could have played it better will probably depend on a large portion of hindsight!!

The Likes of Debbie Robinson, Andrea in the shop, Duffy and Raz, (sorry if ive left anyone out) have effectively been left spinning far too many plates than they should have been! perhaps this has contributed to the situation, or perhaps it has delayed the inevitable?? who knows.

Hopefully some positive news will come form the meeting in the next 24 hours, followed in the next week by Coulby, Caisley et al announcing that the club is safe and we are moving onwards and upwards. I can dream cant i?

Oh and by the way. Ryan is genuinely in both Camp Caisley and Camp Hood! remember he's been at the club a lot longer than the years he's been CEO. IIRC, he first came to the club on work placemnet in the 95-96 centenary season! He could and should be the glue that could bring it all back together!

Has the Dark Lord moved in yet?

Elements I'd concur with THERE too. I'd like to see a CEO who is empowered by his chairman to act 100% in that role, without having to defer to the chairman on key day to day decisions and with the support structure in place so he can concentrate on being an effective CEO and not just a General Manager of Everything. Bit like Hetherington at Leeds. I felt that was a handicap Ryan was operating with under the Hood regime. Whether Caisley will afford his CEO - be it Ryan, Tasker or Donald Trump, any more scope and any more support resources I guess we'll just have to wait and see?

I think the little matter of Ryan (as last man standing) appointing him as a director probably needs to happen first?

But whilst I think Sauron on the board would scare the sheite out of the rest of the competition, we need to know about Caisley & co too...?

All very accurate.

Duckett for me should retain a place as a senior manager at the club, no question. I do however query his best fit as a CEO.

The aforementioned names have also contributed significantly over the years. Quite how Duffy may fit into that structure given his hatred of CC will be interesting. However the PR emanating from the club in recent years, has been dire.

Adey, quite correct, the Chairman will need to empower the CEO and I would also hope whoever both are have the nuts to stand and deliver and not be pacified with a proxy role. I'm not sure CC would want a nodding dog in any case. I may be wrong. It happened once...

It will be interesting to see if there are any material black holes (other than Odsal), and who puts investment in, Caisleys Hoods or both. It sounds as if Hoods have held back so it might just be that Caisley won the war by PR ie Coulbys revelations were aimed at putting off Hoods investors.

I desperately hope you are wrong with that assessment. The mere thought that one, or both, parties were playing politics with a club they both clearly have a great affection for, fills me with despair to be frank.

Ryan Duckett is a lovely guy. Having had the pleasure of working with him for a couple of years from 1999 onwards I was delighted when he was appointed.

I really hope he is kept on in a senior role.

Lovely guys don't always make the best gaffers !

Sometimes they don't, though the alternative of an absolute ars*ho*e dealing on your behalf may not get you the goodwill and end results you want.
To automatically perceive a nice guy as being weak in decision making and strength of management would be to belie their skills in positive business relationships.
Ryan is a quality guy in private and his work on behalf of the Bulls
He is the only person to retain some credit from the recent debacle

I also though it was very important that Ryan came out in fulsome support of Mick Potter. Potter has also said he wanted to stay and that he was hoping the present situ was resolved so we could re-sign players and enter the market. Hopefully, this means both he and Ryan are fully expecting him to stay.

Well here is the latest www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... mmentsList

Well here is the latest www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... mmentsList

Board of Directors is now Coulby, Agar and Duckett. EGM 'scrapped' Caisley to head up 'strategic review' + talks with 'potential investors' ongoing. www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... _scrapped/

Board of Directors is now Coulby, Agar and Duckett. EGM 'scrapped' Caisley to head up 'strategic review' + talks with 'potential investors' ongoing. www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... _scrapped/

Quote ="Blotto"Well here is the latest www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... mmentsList'" I notice my comments disappeared rather quickly, someone at the Taliban is being over sensitive or Caisley could be sleeping with the editor! You can now see there are comments but you can't access them!

Quote ="Blotto"Well here is the latest www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... mmentsList'" I notice my comments disappeared rather quickly, someone at the Taliban is being over sensitive or Caisley could be sleeping with the editor! You can now see there are comments but you can't access them!

Quote ="paulwalker71"Board of Directors is now Coulby, Agar and Duckett. EGM 'scrapped' Caisley to head up 'strategic review' + talks with 'potential investors' ongoing. www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... _scrapped/'" Thats the worrying quote "potential investors". I thought CC had people lined up

Quote ="paulwalker71"Board of Directors is now Coulby, Agar and Duckett. EGM 'scrapped' Caisley to head up 'strategic review' + talks with 'potential investors' ongoing. www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... _scrapped/'" Thats the worrying quote "potential investors". I thought CC had people lined up

notice theres also a statement that no further comments will be made til after the review is finished. The old board was poor at getting information out and was rightly criticised for it. The new board has set its stall out early and simply said they are going to keep us in the dark officially.

Why does Caisley need to consider how involved he can afford to be? surely he's had last month or two to make that decision. Seems a strange comment that he now needs time to think about it.

He's probably going to see how bad things are (or not) before committing himself. He's probably realised he's not flavour of the month as he had hoped and might want to find a way of winning the fans over?

Not sure how he'll do it, as taking us into Administration would pee off the majority, while saying the club can survive justify's Hoods recent actions to a degree, which I doubt he (CC) would like to do.

The other option might be that he "brings" some investment with him after they have carried out the review and his investors claim that they do so only with CC being on the board?

I suspect that Ryan Duckett is on an extended interview before CC decides how much of the day to day decision making he's prepared to delegate.

I've invested probably thousands in Bradford Bulls/Northern over the years. I've not heard a word from Caisley's people about investing more. My patience is wearing thin.

The 'new' board is, to some extent, the previous one but with CC in the background. [iThat[/i board was never very forthcoming with info to be honest, so why anyone would expect it now I can't imagine. Most clubs give fans the rhubarb treatment, mostly for sound business reasons to be fair - just because we'd like to know doesn't always mean it's in the club's best interests to make things public.

We can all speculate till the cows come home, but it seems clear they have issued a press release and that is that for now.

I've not come across an EGM being cancelled before, so I'm unsure what the legal position is but they must be happy it's OK. Obviously, the samll shareholders are now denied the opportunity of making their voices heard.

I'd very much like to know who the accountant carrying out the review is, and in particular what his personal specialisation is - especially if it is in insolvency.

Its interesting that the backers that the Caisley camp seemed to suggest were waiting in the wings seem to be rather more tentative than we were perhaps encouraged to believe. I guess its premature to read too many bad things into that, given it is perhaps understandable that people will be reluctant to commit until the uncertainties are resolved, but it would have been nice had that been made a bit more clear earlier? Of course, if such prospective backers were of the view - for whatever reason - that they will only put money into Newco and not the existing company, then we could well end up being told that administration is the only option, and creditors not being paid and the pledge money counting for naught, if new funds are to be secured. Or if maybe the review concludes that the only way such prospective backers will commit is if they start with a clean sheet - even though that was never alluded to before. But I'm falling into the trap of speculating! It is to be hoped that there is no pre-ordained agenda, and that all parties want to avoid administration at all costs.

As for Caisley not being appointed as a director now, that will doubtless be a cause of much speculation, regardless of how much power he actually wields behind the scenes. One possibility is that he distances himself from any decisions that involve putting the club into administration, so he feels he is not tarnished by association or involvement when people end up losing money. That is not an uncommon situation, and in my view would be quite understandable. I guess that, if nothing else, staying off the baord for now keeps his options open, which may be the prudent course of action until the review is concluded.

Another possibility that has been raised by several folk on the T&A in particular is that they seem to "knopw" or believe that the RFL does not deem Caisley to be a fit and proper person to run a SL club. Although several have stated this as if fact, I must admit I have never ever seen this referred to anywhere official - nor would I have expected to, even if it happened to have some legs. So those folk either have some inside/confidential information, or are just speculating or repeating gossip. I'll work on the assumption that it is the latter, unless it is ever shown to be otherwise. There is far too much dangerous gossip flaoting around as it is.

Or maybe he is genuinely unsure of how much he wants to get involved day to day again? Especially if, as they say, they don't yet know the full position untikl the review is completed. After all, who the hell would want that thankless job? No pay, lost of work, LOTS of flak from the fans (much of which doubtless uninformed and/or unjustified) and no small amount of very personal abuse - you'd either have to be very very passionate about the club, have huge self-confidence and ego or be very naïve IMO to take the job on! Indeed, some on places like the T&A have suggested that, and suggested that he wanted to stand down earlier than he did the last time because he had a young family to see. That would make perfectv sense to me, tbh, although if not him then who? Maybe a key decision is how much real power to delegate to the CEO, be that Duckett, Tasker, or whoever - like the Hetherington situation at Leeds? And especially any decision regarding bringing Tasker in as CEO and what Noble's role would be, and where that then leaves Duckett and Duffy? I could easily see a key decision being whether the chair role remains executive, or becomes more non-executive.

I certainly believe that, later in his first tenure, Caisley was feeling let down by the fans. A number of reasons, one of which being his response to how fans responded to one of his public attacks on the fans for not turning up in enough numbers - which concern was clearly and understandably IMO worrying him greatly, as I saw with my own eyes. In that case (and it was not that long before he stepped down, and was the first hint I had that he might) he said that he hoped his successor would find the job a bit easier than he had. I still have a copy of the email where he said that. And I must admit its hard not to sympathise, since in that job you are damned whatever you do. So it is far from impossible that he indeed is unsure how much commitment now to give?

But it's all speculation, and only he knows the extent to which any of the above may or may not be pertinent. I guess we'll just have to sit it out an wait until they next decide to tell us something. I'd doubt that the hopes of many fans, for more openness and engagement, will be realised in the short term, since much of what will be going on will be commercially sensitive. And understandably so IMO. Beyond that, I guess that is too far ahead right now.