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Bradford Bulls: RFL rejects revised offer for club

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Leaguecomments52

Odsal

The Rugby Football League has rejected the second bid submitted by the ABC consortium for Bradford Bulls.

An original conditional bid was rejected last Thursday before a second bid was submitted on Friday.

It is believed the consortium want assurances over the club's Super League future as well as being allowed to buy back the club's Odsal ground.

Meanwhile, the RFL is continuing to talk to the club's administrators about funding the players' wages for August.

"We have been consistent that we are unable to consider any offers which comes with strings attached," RFL director of licensing Blake Solly said.

"It is disappointing that the ABC consortium are still unable to submit an unconditional offer."

When the initial bid was placed, administrator Brendan Guilfoyle warned that he could not envisage any consortium being willing to purchase the club if there was a chance it would not be in the top flight next season.

He said at the time: "The best the RFL will get is a conditional bid. The consortium I'm dealing with won't move forward with the club in the second tier. It would be a totally different business model.

"I'm here to save the Bradford Bulls as a Super League club."

The Bulls have been in administration for over a month, having entered it on 26 June when efforts to raise £1m to keep the club afloat proved unsuccessful.

On Monday, Solly voiced concerns about the second bid being a conditional one, saying he did not expect the board to accept it.

He reiterated that any offer for the club would have to be unconditional and cast doubt on the details of the bids placed for the club so far.

"The position with Bradford Bulls is identical to that faced by Widnes Vikings and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, who were taken out of administration in 2007 and 2011, respectively, by new owners without any guarantee as to which competition they would be playing in," he added.

"All enquirers have been informed that the RFL is only interested in receiving offers for Bradford Bulls which are free from any condition pertaining to competition membership or the re-acquisition of Odsal Stadium.

"The ABC consortium have also been informed that any unconditional offer would also have to be accompanied by a detailed business plan, the identity of all material shareholders and proposed directors and the appropriate proof that the required levels of funding are in place.

"Unfortunately the ABC consortium have been unable to supply any of the above information, leaving the RFL with no option but to deem the offer unacceptable."

Earlier on Wednesday the acting chairman of the Bulls had appealed to the RFL to give the club some clarity on what division they are likely to be in next season.

Stephen Coulby said the uncertainty over the club's future was putting off potential investors and was unfair on current employees.

"If the club is at best to be a Championship club for a period of at least two years please let any prospective purchasers know this, so that they can decide whether to proceed with their interest and plan accordingly," he said.

"The continuing uncertainty is impacting not only on potential investors but in particular on the lives and families of the staff and players at the club, who are in no way responsible for the financial crisis and whose efforts at this time cannot be praised too highly."

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52 comments

  • Comment posted by User0057896099, at 22:37 1 Aug 2012

    the 3 year SL licence was given to Bradford Bulls Holdings Ltd. If a buyer comes in and takes them out of administration and pay off the creditors, then surely they are entitled to finish the remaining terms of the licence. If they liquidate then they shouldn't be allowed to remain in SL. simpleas that

  • Comment posted by GM Massingbird, at 10:18 2 Aug 2012

    Just to say that I'm a Rugby League fan (and Union (and NFL)) from Stoke and if Seik Mansor or Bill gates gave me all of their money I would buy the Bulls and turn them into the best team in the world, again.

    Sale Sharks and the Minnesota Vikings too.

  • Comment posted by User0760673711, at 15:00 1 Aug 2012

    It looks like the rfl do not want bradford to survive.
    No business can plan without knowledge of whether they will be in superleague or if they can buy the ground back.

  • Comment posted by Morley Borough RLFC, at 22:57 1 Aug 2012

    The RFL were offered the lease because the Bulls were a prime target for developers who fancied getting their hands on Odsal. With a sitting tenant Odsal isn't worth so much. The RFL are trying to ensure that whoever gets hold of the Bulls actually wants them as an ongoing club rather than as a cheap way of getting hold of the land.

  • Comment posted by User0943371943, at 14:59 1 Aug 2012

    I admire the RFL's resilience in standing firm and not listening to conditional offers.

    The re-acquisition of the stadium shouldn't be the most important issue for potential buyers, especially since Keighley Cougars have kindly offered a ground share at Cougar Park.

  • Comment posted by User0686661645, at 17:00 1 Aug 2012

    The RFL have to protect the sport as a whole before they can save a club whose mismanagement has led to this sad situation. The Bulls’ financial plan to the Super League Licensing board last year was based on, it seems, wings and prayers, and I’m surprised, reading what has subsequently emerged, that it was accepted. In reality the club must reform and start at the bottom tier of the pro game.

  • Comment posted by RayCee, at 23:10 1 Aug 2012

    I find it amusing anyone saying 'if this happens, I'm finished with the sport'. You can't be a real fan anyway.
    For my take, try:
    http://raycee123.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/the-bradford-bulls-bid-am-i-missing.html
    (copy and paste in your browser).

  • Comment posted by User0108223076, at 14:54 2 Aug 2012

    I do not beleive what I am reading, the Sooper League ae bidding to run Bradford Northern, the lunatics have finally taken over the asylum.

  • Comment posted by King Wally, at 16:35 1 Aug 2012

    The RFL should throw the book at them and the Board who signed-off the budget should never work in the Game again. They have cheated 13 other Clubs by signing players they had no right to. This is sporting fraud and they should be booted out of Super League. It is not the RFL's job to save them. It is the RFL's job to save the Game from this lunacy.

  • Comment posted by User0046174315, at 17:09 1 Aug 2012

    i smell a Rat on this- RFL rejecting another bid. the RFL want the bulls to go under as they have the power of the lease to the ground- i bet there are some bids going to the RFL for this as we speak.

  • Comment posted by Adrian, at 16:05 1 Aug 2012

    It's time the RFL decided are we gonna be in Super League and are they willing to sell the ground lease back to the buyers in order to develop the current facilities?

    You don't buy a house without walls...you wouldn't buy a rugby club without tangible assets. It's just dragging out longer and, as a Bulls fan, I'm starting to think we're fighting a losing battle.

  • Comment posted by User0665723781, at 17:31 1 Aug 2012

    I own a greengrocery business. If you came to me for a sack of potatoes and I said they are £8.50 a sack. You say " Are they class 1 or class 2" and I said I am not telling you, would you buy them? No of course you wouldn't. Thats what the bidders want to know. Are we playing first grade or second grade? The Bulls have been punished once with a 6 Point deduction more than anyone before.

  • Comment posted by User0476747524, at 13:03 2 Aug 2012

    RL need to level playing field & let heartland clubs chance in big time & not subsidise outside clubs.
    as far as i believe this bulls debacle hit news because RFL bought odsal, bulls collateral for bank deal. did nobody realise this before deal was done!!! is it unfair to say the RFL saw an opportunity to buy a HOLE & by doing so sent the bulls over the edge!! GO RFL... never cease to amaze!!!

  • Comment posted by User0247163469, at 17:59 1 Aug 2012

    @18, but if they only wanted Class 1 and maximum offer to you was 85p (10%), you'd also walk away. As they are getting the business at a fraction of the real cost, they should be happy to buy a team in first or 2nd tier.

  • Comment posted by George Liam, at 18:22 1 Aug 2012

    Everyone seems to forget that Bradford and Wigan a few years ago were found to have broken the salary cap and that Bradford over the last ten years have spent millions on transfer fees.

  • Comment posted by morty, at 07:14 2 Aug 2012

    @ Curlyfella.....Id love to see a Lancs team in SL but Leigh themselves nearly went to the wall last season and only an advance of the £100k from the RFL for the season propped you up. It would be financial suicide to promote Leigh...only Fax or the Cappers have the finances and structure to go to the gym monkeys league.

  • Comment posted by User0476747524, at 12:50 2 Aug 2012

    Shame about the bulls but they need to drop down and rebuild, like any club, saints, wigan, leeds etc, the game is bigger. sick of "experts" saying RL need this club or that club! RL need bosses with conkers and brains. if bulls disappear or wigan did drop down would RL cease to exist!!

  • Comment posted by Morley Borough RLFC, at 15:28 1 Aug 2012

    If they want to run an RL club they don't need the lease back. They need the lease to either borrow money against it's value or so they can "suddenly" go bust and their creditors suddenly inherit some prime real estate.
    With the RFL in charge of Odsal a successor club can be set up by anyone....

  • Comment posted by User0465208298, at 19:26 1 Aug 2012

    Widnes were given 9points deduction because it was 3 points for a win, Superleague is 2 points for a win therefore Bulls have had 6 points deducted
    No team has been demoted as far as I know, only gone down due to the points deducted

  • Comment posted by educational, at 15:25 1 Aug 2012

    I am constantly incredulous that the sport is in this situation. How can a business run that is losing £200k a month? Either the existing owners should have come clean, as there was no obvious means of making up the shortfall, or the RFL should have got in and sorted it to save this embarrassment. Serious incompetence on one or both sides - whoever is to blame is a disgrace to the sport.

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