aj cougar wrote:
I don't think that was the start of the problem; the RFL had to do that deal to allow you to continue functioning, much the same as Keighley had to do.
The big problem started when you did the compensation deal with the council and thereby inherited all the running costs. That deal was a product of naivety mixed with vanity IMHO, and it must have been massively debilitating.
Before that, you were basically living like teenagers at home not paying board, living the dream, but not saving up for a mortgage.
I think that the whole compensation thing was tied up with the fact that we were going to put the money towards the development of the new stadium. This would have taken responsibility from the council and onto the Bulls. This together with the retail development would have funded the new stadium. where things went pear shaped was when the beloved Sir Ken put his two pennyworth in and stuffed the whole package. This was the start of the whole downfall, and not Harrisgate, despite the fact that we won titles afterwards. We could never square the circle of maintaining the old ground on our crowds over 14 fixtures a year.
