....do we forfeit the points we have against them (and those they've beaten get theirs back) ?

As they're in administration now they can fulfill their obligations to the ladder, but if they [ireally[/i go pop then all bets are off.

They are not in liquidation they are in administration but look likely to be liquidated in the next 10 days if additional funding isn't found.

that's my point - what happens to their (and our) points if they go into liquidation?

I've only ever seen it happen once in football that I can remember, and I'm sure the past results were expunged.

Sad day if it happens though.

They play in the same league as Glasgow Rangers! Seriously though, let's up this does not happen, it would be a stunning blow for Rugby League.

It'll be a "pre-pack" administration, with the former Chairman Caisley waiting in the wings to get it on the cheap without the debts. Points deduction for going into administration and the Newco allowed to carry on as Bradford. In other words a hatchet job on the poor sods who gave them £500k. It was always going to end like this.

To be honest, I don't give a toss about the points. I'd much rather someone with loads of cash stepped in and saved them...

re points - it would be fairer to give all up and coming fixtures as a bye and you get 2 points and a rest that weekend - as in Aus.

What's done is done and if you lost to them in the early part of the season (as Stains did) - tough!

but more than likely all past results are expunged, so play all the kids on Friday?

So not fair at all then.

Well, if all the Bulls games are discounted, the main beneficiaries would be Leeds and Saints...so I expect that to happen.

They'll both lose two points and don't forget the Whinos were due to play them at home a third time.

Been told that it is not a pre-pack administration.
There is no agreement and there are no funds to buy the club, liquidation is a distinct possibility.
I just hope that what I've been told is wrong, that a buyer comes along with funds and they survive.
From what the administrators are saying it doesn't sound good at all.
One bad day for Rugby League!

I've been hunting round the RFL's web site but there's no mention of the rules/laws (whatever) in regard to forfeits when this happens - unless someone else knows where they're squirrelled away. The only precedents are the 4 points deduction (which still leaves them above Salford) and then "allowing" liquidation at the end of the season - thus avoiding my initial question. The only people to then loose big time are the players and the supporters and ultimately the reputation of the sport.

(some very depressing pictures of very depressed people here : [urlhttp://m.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9781870.LIVE_UPDATES__Bradford_Bulls_go_into_administration/[/url)

London went out of business and I think I am right in saying it was Uncle Mo who opposed what happened with them in that they just wrote the debts off and carried on under a different name without any real interruption. He got slagged off at the time as it was seen as a lack of support for a team viewed as vital to the league but he was viewing it on purely business terms and felt it unacceptable clubs could just do this. It would give clubs no incentive to be well run if they could just wrack up debts, close and reopen a week later.

This is the same. That being so and given the precedent London set Bradford would no doubt feel hard done by if they were not allowed to do the same.

If London had been allowed to go bust completely then maybe that might have focused peoples attention that there was no easy way out.

I didn't/don't want to lose either club but Rugby League can't be seen a some sort of cowboy operation that just wrack's up debt and walks away from it.

If a club in Bradford survives then it should be like the Crusaders. Outside of SL. It is not really on to do this pre-packaged administration thing and carry on. Not when there may well be better run clubs after a place in SL.

This may seem harsh but if you look at the Rangers thing several clubs are opposing them retaining their league status as Mo did with London.

Yes, but it's a fair bet that the other realistic playoff contenders would effectively lose 4 points (potential points, if you like)...though yeah I'd forgotten Leeds play them three times.

normally everyone gets 0 as if they were never there if they go into liquidation

The only way to do it would be to award 2 points to every team for every fixture against Bradford (whether game was won, lost or still to play) and wipe out the points difference. As Leeds beat them in Manchester every one is held whole apart from leeds giving up +6 or something on the points difference.

I think if they get to liquidation point then start up as a new club and swap them with Halifax or Leigh whichever has the better rating under franchise rules if they were to apply right now. They would obviously only come in next year but pointless now seeing as we are past halfway but it's the only fair thing to do unless they can beat administration if they're saved then just carry on with the points deduction and of they stay above water until the next licence period then fair enough.

May increase the travelling Bulls support on Friday what with it potentially being their final game.

A sad day for the sport if this happens, but it's a real possibility with the current financial climate.

Let's give the Bulls a great reception on Friday night, the players and staff have given their all in dire circumstances and their supporters don't deserve this at all.

Good luck Bulls, hope you can pull something out of the bag before the deadline.

It is absolutely awful news and it is awful for the game. The whole episode has been a complete shambles from start to finish and I cant believe the lack of action from those in charge to do something about it long before they got to this. The figures the club are losing each month are astounding and I cant believe that attempts have not been made to cut costs and as for the whole pledge saga and fans being mislead and not told about the true situation

If you believe what is written here:

[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?f=19&t=531157&tsmp=1340736430[/url

then both sides have been fiddling while the Bull's burn and would seemingly rather argue with each other than sort it out.

It all looks rather fishy to me!

Could always reform as Bradford Northern mark 3 ?

All too predictable. The RFL and many clubs are ineptly managed. We should look to the state of the game in France as the future facing British RL.

The failure to raise the SC says it all - most clubs can't afford to pay players 70% of the real terms wages they were being paid 15 years ago.

I'm afraid we are heading back to semi-professionalism, in fact the players are likely to be more poorly paid than in the late 80s before Leeds and Wigan led the full-time revolution. The game is in the long term likely to shrink down to the level of French RL due to shrinking real term revenues, clubs going to the wall, ever lower media exposure for the sport and competition for playing talent from RU and the NRL (though only 3 or 4 clubs produce quality players in any volume anyway).

If the RFL spent as much time auditing the financials of SL clubs before they granted licences based on THEIR criteria, instead of dreaming up ways to peg back a Wigan revival, Bradford wouldn't be in the mess that they are currently in.

I await with baited breath the posts from pro CC supporters, who can, no doubt, explain to us how a club in the financial position that Bradford find themselves can pay over £2m a year to their players*




*based on a quoted wage bill of £200k for one month