Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:28 pm  

Purchased by Superleague Europe on behalf of the other SL clubs: http://www.superleague.co.uk/article/25815/super-league-europe-ltd-statement Suddenly I can see their SL status being guaranteed now!

Purchased by Superleague Europe on behalf of the other SL clubs: http://www.superleague.co.uk/article/25815/super-league-europe-ltd-statement Suddenly I can see their SL status being guaranteed now!

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:43 pm  

The Chief wrote:

Suddenly I can see their SL status being guaranteed now!

SLE, which is owned by all the clubs, are going to guarantee the status of one club but not their owners and financiers of the bid? Are you really sure about that?

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:52 pm  

I like the sound of that. I'm open to persuasion that I may not be understanding the whole of this but it reads as a protection of franchise. That sounds like a good move to me, ensuring that the competition in the way that other franchised sports i.e. the common good over survival of the fittest.

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 2:36 pm  

So let me get this straight... All the other SL clubs (almost all of which are making big losses on their own account already) are chipping in to buy Bradford, both a direct competitor and a heavily loss-making basketcase business at the same time, thus guaranteeing that either their own ongoing losses are bound to increase yet further and/or, if Bradford somehow become a success again, that their own clubs' success in the competition will be compromised in future? Will the same courtesy be extended to Salford when they go under? And Crusaders/Wakefield last season? Bradford are an important club in SL and need to be saved, but not at ANY price...

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 2:49 pm  

If Bradford make a loss next year does the Clubs foot the bill?
If Bradford want to purchase James Roby does the Clubs have to foot the bill?

Lot of explaining to do

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:14 pm  

I think it's more of a case that if the club's franchise status is protected, which this statement seems to indicate, it will mean that's its easier now to find a buyer. Prior to this, buyers were demanding that status be protected, which the league wasn't prepared to support. Small change but one which seems to transfer the responsibility from the RFL into a collectivised approach to business within Super League.

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:32 pm  

The way I see it the SL needs the Bulls to finish the fixture list. This allows the Bulls to do so. It will give time for a new buyer to come in. If no new buyer comes in then SLE can still run the Bulls as a championship side.

Financially it makes sense as the cost of buying the club will be offset by the SL clubs getting extra money from TV income if the Bulls go down a level. Then SLE can run the Bulls at championship level, with the cap lower in the championship they can probably turn a profit or at the very least break even.

This could continue indefinately until someone else purchases the Bulls. I don't think buying the Bulls makes certain that they will play in SL for ever, but it does allow the SL clubs to decided where the Bulls will end up.

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 5:40 pm  

Very strange. Where does the money come from? What happens WHEN the next team goes into administration? Do they buy that team as well?

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:11 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Where does the money come from?

The clubs I presume?

Saddened! wrote:

What happens WHEN the next team goes into administration? Do they buy that team as well?

This is my worry. SLE have set a precedent now that they'll support any club that goes into administration.

Re: Bradford's furture secured : Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:05 pm  

All this at a time when there are Crusaders players who are still owed money! Surely SLE should pay these players first.