Really sorry to hear about all this. As a lifelong Trinity supporter I know the pain you are feeling at the moment. It's a tough call as to whether to try and save the club as it is or wait for the inevitable and reform and regroup. Every situation is different. We did the latter and it's worked for us but the pain of those few weeks was really horrible. I do NOT want to see other clubs circling to pick over the bones like they did with us - no team in our RL community should do that and it took Tony Smith over at Warrington to remind everyone of that just over a year ago. Let's not see it happen again.
All I can say is that you have my suuport and I'm sure that goes for a lot of other Trinity fans as well.
Anyone unsure whether to pledge or not – go look at the Leeds Rhinos message board and see what most of them are saying.
If we go into administration the vultures come in and take our best young talent. I would gladly pay £100 to not have to see koppy in a Leeds shirt next season!
Imagine if we can raise the money and stay competitive, what message would that send to the rest of super league – we are a massive a club with loyal supporters!
If we go bust and have to rebuild we lose our best players and possibly end up in the championship.
I’ll probably pledge £50, buy this seasons home shirt and pay in to the leeds game(rather than using my season ticket). At least that way it seems like I am getting something for my £100.
"I'm 49, I've had a brain haemorrhage and a triple bypass and I could still go out and play a reasonable game of rugby union. But I wouldn't last 30 seconds in rugby league." - Graham Lowe (1995)
Franking 11000 letters first class would have cost over 5k for the mailshot that is even before envelopes and paper/ink.
But you forgot to mention that they're in exactly the same style and with the same marketing prose, tinged as ever with the aim of inciting guilt, that has been used throughout. No sense of shame it appears amongst our board. We the fans should feel guilt in case by not pledging we deprive our kids of the opportunity to watch the Bulls at Odsal. Similarly given the 'pledge' tactic is evoked once more, perhaps it might be worth looking at the economics of the cheap season ticket deal and previous pledges.
I don't think the choice is as stark as the Board are suggesting - pay up or fold, they've had time to prepare this and the letters evidence that, which means they've been disingenuous with the fan base and see us as a soft touch. If they've had time to plan this 'quest for survival' I would rather they had put it in to setting out the terms of a share issue through which we might change the structure of the club and clarify ownership.
Firstly, I would hate to see the Bulls or any other team go out of business, it is not good for the cause of RL in general for this to happen.
Secondly, if there is to be a revival of the current club, I think it is wholly unrealistic for the club to come cap in hand to the fans. As has been pointed out, this is a privately owned business, if the current owners want to approach the fans for funding they must surely have to be prepared to give up shares in exchange for funds. This would give the Fans both a share in the benefits any revival might bring but also some visibility of the real situation and a say in how the club / company is run going forward.
I hope that the Bulls can emerge form this current crisis, strengthen and move forward. But I think it is a massive ask.
"I'm 49, I've had a brain haemorrhage and a triple bypass and I could still go out and play a reasonable game of rugby union. But I wouldn't last 30 seconds in rugby league." - Graham Lowe (1995)
If we go into administration the vultures come in and take our best young talent. I would gladly pay £100 to not have to see koppy in a Leeds shirt next season!
Pledge away, but you have no guarantee that this won't happen anyway and I would argue that with this Board the chances are we will be in the same situation sooner rather than later. This is the chance to make a change, Hood thinks we're too gullible. I'm not sure sticking with what we've got - a Board who have made public statements at odds with the position they now hold and a team that will once again struggle to make the play-offs is a good prospect, but then fear of change is always a barrier, particularly when some marketeer is increasing the club's deficit sending out begging letters which involve making the recipients feel guilty.
Always a shame to see this happen and has a longtime supporter of the Keighley cougars I've seen it happen a few times. Only 2 ways out of this situation that I can see.
1. Someone with £1000.000 buys the club and takes over completely. 2. You go bust and form a new company and play in championship 1
Hope for you bulls supporters that it's option 1 but with the economic climate how it is asking all supporters to cough up £100 to save the club is never gonna work.
hood's pre season predicition of pushing the top 4 this season doesnt look very promising does it? we aint even going to make to easter! he has made a laughing stock of our once great club
Anyone unsure whether to pledge or not – go look at the Leeds Rhinos message board and see what most of them are saying.
If we go into administration the vultures come in and take our best young talent. I would gladly pay £100 to not have to see koppy in a Leeds shirt next season!
Imagine if we can raise the money and stay competitive, what message would that send to the rest of super league – we are a massive a club with loyal supporters!
If we go bust and have to rebuild we lose our best players and possibly end up in the championship.
I’ll probably pledge £50, buy this seasons home shirt and pay in to the leeds game(rather than using my season ticket). At least that way it seems like I am getting something for my £100.
I for one wouldn't mind some of your better players wearing a Rhinos shirt, if Leeds were in the mess that you are i am sure this message board would be saying similar. At this time though rather than any of your players I'd rather have financially viable and competitive Bradford Bulls team.
Last edited by Fieldheadrhino on Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.