Bradford Bulls administrator denies any plot to buy club on the cheap (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting TANEWS to 80360, or email
Bradford Bulls administrator denies any plot to buy club on the cheap
10:44pm Monday 2nd July 2012 in Bulls
By Hannah Postles, T&A Reporter
Bradford Bulls fans at tonight's meeting in Low Moor
The joint administrator of stricken Bradford Bulls firmly denied there was a “cunning plan” for any past directors or shareholders to buy the club debt free during a heated crisis meeting tonight.
Brendan Guilfoyle told hundreds of supporters, who had packed into The Guide Post Hotel in a last-ditch attempt to save their club, that rumours of a possible takeover by former club figures circulating on the internet and Twitter were “wrong” and that no one was “kicking his door down” to buy the Super League side.
He revealed he had been contacted by people interested in acting as interim chief executive and a coach “for no money” after he made chief executive Ryan Duckett and coach Mick Potter redundant earlier in the day – but would not reveal their names or any more information.
Mr Guilfoyle said: “If you believe there’s a cunning plan by which previous directors or shareholders are going to acquire this club debt free, you are wrong.”
Around 500 fans stood in a bar area of the Common Road hotel to hear the administrator explain why he made members of the club’s coaching staff redundant to cut its wage bill and how he had been approached by “a number of people” to step in and help free of charge.
Members of the crowd mentioned names, including former coach Brian Noble and previous chairman Chris Caisley, but Mr Guilfoyle said: “Tphe speculation on the Twittershere and blogs is not helping me at all.
“I have received approaches from a number of people – more than one to act as interim coach and more than one to act as interim chief executive for no money – just expenses – until I can sort this club’s problems.”
Mr Guilfoyle said he hoped to have an extra fortnight to prevent the Bulls from being liquidated.
He must find around £200,000 to pay the players’ wages and said he was confident, after meeting the Rugby Football League yesterday, they would advance him the club’s next scheduled central payment to cover the cost. That could give him up to July 19 at the latest to find new investment. Mr Guilfoyle urged fans to turn out in force for the club’s game against London Broncos on Sunday, which normally draws a small attendance, because they could make a loss by staging the fixture.
Season ticket holders agreed to pay again at the turnstiles after the administrator said an attendance of 5,000 would generate cash towards paying the club’s wage bill for July. Supporters also offered to help staff turnstiles and provide security at the game.
Fans also discussed the possibility of a supporters’ trust taking over the club if it went into liquidation, but Mr Guilfoyle said he did not believe there was time to form a bid which would satisfy the Rugby Football League to keep its Super League status.
He added: “They have indicated the board would look favourably to the transfer of the franchise to a new club depending on the quality of the offer.”
Mr Guilfoyle said it was his “dream” that a consortium of Bradford businesses would join forces to save the club and urged anyone interested to contact him.
He said he had been approached by people who wanted more information about buying the club but had not received an offer.
Carl Kitson, chairman of the event, took a vote from the audience, who gave their support to the idea of a supporters’ trust taking over the club to give fans a bigger say.
Comments(20)
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
11:05pm Mon 2 Jul 12
Hmmm who said that? I very much doubt that every season ticket holder agreed to such a thing after pledging hundreds of pounds a mere few weeks ago.
Not that it matters to me but are all season ticket holders expected to pay at the next home game?
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
11:06pm Mon 2 Jul 12
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:Btw the reason I say this is because the no1 creditor at the club at the moment will be the administrators. They will take their cut before anyone else. So this gate money may just go straight to cover their bills.
Season ticket holders agreed to pay at the turnstiles.
Hmmm who said that? I very much doubt that every season ticket holder agreed to such a thing after pledging hundreds of pounds a mere few weeks ago.
Not that it matters to me but are all season ticket holders expected to pay at the next home game?
otleybull
says...
4:53am Tue 3 Jul 12
The club desperately needs an injection of cash, it's crucial we get these funds in to pay the players wages. If only it was Wigan/Leeds or one of the Hull sides we were playing and not London.
We can't rely on them to be bring paying fans through the gate so the money needs to come from somewhere.
Mike Strutter
says...
5:57am Tue 3 Jul 12
mdn
says...
6:45am Tue 3 Jul 12
Also why the y'all of forming a supporters trust when one already exists? Wouldn't be because the existing trust supported the pledge and the new board don't want to deal with them would it?
Disgusting the way events are being engineered and it's going to be obvious what's gone on, after the fact, when a certain former director is revealed as new owner/chairman.
jaybs
says...
9:55am Tue 3 Jul 12
TongLass
says...
9:58am Tue 3 Jul 12
Wots up
says...
10:00am Tue 3 Jul 12
mdn wrote:Yes. Strange that.
Hmmm no mention of the potential investors representative at the meeting claiming the administrator was refusing to talk to him? Poor reporting but expected.
Also why the y'all of forming a supporters trust when one already exists? Wouldn't be because the existing trust supported the pledge and the new board don't want to deal with them would it?
Disgusting the way events are being engineered and it's going to be obvious what's gone on, after the fact, when a certain former director is revealed as new owner/chairman.
otleybull
says...
10:07am Tue 3 Jul 12
albut71
says...
10:28am Tue 3 Jul 12
birkybull
says...
10:45am Tue 3 Jul 12
There was a lot of mickey mouse silly questionsd and proposals pout forward last night. The one hope we can hold out for is this Greenwoods Director and the Chinese backers they claim to have. The gentleman concerned seemed to have a lot of inside knowledge like the offers on the table for Kopjack, Gale, Bateman. The administrator advised that they were very poor offers and that he had refused to sell them at such a price.
birkybull
says...
10:46am Tue 3 Jul 12
johntheumpire
says...
10:47am Tue 3 Jul 12
otleybull wrote:It's time for their Union to show some fight!
Meeting with players cancelled at last minute
johntheumpire
says...
10:47am Tue 3 Jul 12
otleybull wrote:It's time for their Union to show some fight!
Meeting with players cancelled at last minute
birkybull
says...
10:55am Tue 3 Jul 12
theviking62
says...
11:11am Tue 3 Jul 12
theviking62
says...
11:11am Tue 3 Jul 12
Prisoner Cell Block A
says...
12:07pm Tue 3 Jul 12
Good luck to you all, as a City fan I know the pain and misery this is causing, hope you pull through with a club to support.
matacaster
says...
7:52am Wed 4 Jul 12
If its a pre-pack CVA it wouldn't be debt-free - so he would be speaking the truth. The new owner would offer say 6-8p in the pound.
johntheumpire says...
10:59pm Mon 2 Jul 12