Super League boost for Bradford Bulls’ owners

New owners Gerry Sutcliffe and Omar Khan celebrate the news of Bradford Bulls’ Super League licence New owners Gerry Sutcliffe and Omar Khan celebrate the news of Bradford Bulls’ Super League licence

Bradford Bulls’ new owners have revealed season tickets will go on sale on Monday as the crisis-hit club was handed a one-year probationary Super League licence for 2013.

Bradford restaurant boss Omar Khan and former Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, who hope to announce ticket prices over the weekend, said they were “over the moon” after the Rugby Football League confirmed it had given the struggling side a reprieve in the top-flight yesterday afternoon.

The governing body said the decision to award the Bulls a probationary licence would mean it could keep a close watch on its progress and eradicate the possible need to undergo a mini-licensing round.

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus at Odsal Stadium last night, Mr Khan and Bradford South MP Mr Sutcliffe told of their relief at finally being able to make decisions after two weeks of uncertainty.

Mr Sutcliffe, honorary chairman of OK Bulls Limited, said: “It’s been a torturous process. It left a lot of uncertainty around, but now we can be very positive about the future. We can set about the task of selling season tickets, getting a club structure in place, looking to appoint a new coach over the next week. This gives us an opportunity and we need the people of Bradford behind us, the business community, the Council and everybody else, to make sure that they help us achieve greatness for this club.”

Mr Khan, who runs restaurants in Bradford and Skipton , confirmed meetings had taken place with potential sponsors and the pair were now able to contact people with ideas to help them achieve their dream of building the “Wembley of the North”.

Mr Sutcliffe said: “We will not interfere on the playing side, other than to appoint the coach. It will be up to the coach to improve the squad to the best of his abilities and make sure that we get a team that the fans can be proud of.

“They have to recognise that our priorities are getting things moving on the pitch, certainly, with a good squad of players, but make sure that the long-term financial base of the club is secure as well. We have been heartened by the response of fans to some of the difficult decisions that we are having to take, will have to take, in relation to the future.”

Asked about the club’s aspirations for next season, Mr Sutcliffe said he hoped it would be able to secure a top eight place, but he added: “Obviously we are not going to commit ourselves to that because that would be foolish. But what the fans can be rest assured of is that whoever goes out there will be committed to Bradford Bulls.”

Comments(23)

bullboy1997 says...
4:18pm Sat 15 Sep 12

finally something good coming from this farce!

barbarian mike says...
4:44pm Sat 15 Sep 12

I like how realistic his words and aims are. None of these idiotic promises the previous regime came up with while they were in charge!!

barbarian mike says...
4:44pm Sat 15 Sep 12

I like how realistic his words and aims are. None of these idiotic promises the previous regime came up with while they were in charge!!

Adeybull says...
5:19pm Sat 15 Sep 12

Very impressed with both these guys when you talk to them. Mr. Khan seems a genuinely positive and committed guy, very easy to talk to and fully recognising that this is a community club in which the fans play a key and vital part. A greater contrast between him and Caisley or Hood would be hard to find. They have loads of ideas, but right now maybe most importantly they have the enthusiasm and commitment and the RIGHT ideas.

I found Mr Khan very easy to quickly warm to - and be uplifted by - and Mr Sutcliffe talked a shed load of common sense. So as it stands I feel more positive than for a while.

None of them are exaggerating though when they say it will be a long hard road back. A lot of damage has been done, by various parties, and I feel sure the RFL will be determined to ensure no other club will lightly consider the route that our major shareholders between them inflicted upon us. So it is indeed encouraging to hear a load of realism.

I am sure most fans appreciate the mountain we have to climb, and will therefore appreciate the honesty for seemingly the first time in ages. These guys are going to need a hell of a lot of support though in the coming weeks and months, and ongoing. They have shown the commitment, and made a massive leap of faith in the face of that administrator threatening to send the club into almost immediate oblivion. Hopefully the fans will recognise that, and go on to play their part in the recovery.

Mumby was the best says...
6:27pm Sat 15 Sep 12

Greaser

theviking62 says...
6:59pm Sat 15 Sep 12

Adeybull, never knew you were a Mexican. Must be true because FAKE says so.

billybobbull says...
7:15pm Sat 15 Sep 12

In some ways it's all quite exciting and certainly interesting......aft
er 2005/2006 thngs seemed to drift and we got worse.nowt changed...Mick Potter revitilised the Bulls this year and set us on a new course (thank you Mick)......now we are in a completely new era of the club...
Onwards and upwards into the unknown....New Era Bulls OK..
Excellent.

murphyslaw says...
10:17am Sun 16 Sep 12

Lets hope we start to see these gentlemen appreciating the fans unlike so many others in the past. Keep the fans up to speed with whats happening, treat them like a family, no more Hood type whispering behind the back of the hand, then watch he club blossom. The fans are the club, they need to know asap what the plans are for he ground and the playing staff....it's been overlooked in the past. The fans are the lifeline of the club,treat them as such and they won't go wrong.

bradfordbronco says...
11:47am Sun 16 Sep 12

Could be best thing for Bulls since Super League began. Doesn't matter if we're not winning every week just as long as we have a club we feel part of again.

BTW.New Hall Nev. If you're reading this. How did you enjoy the play offs. We taught Sykes all he knows about missing tackles!. As you would have put it LOL, HAHAHAHA. Look forward to seeing you at old Belle Vue again next year.

Mike Strutter says...
12:03pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Adeybull wrote:
Very impressed with both these guys when you talk to them. Mr. Khan seems a genuinely positive and committed guy, very easy to talk to and fully recognising that this is a community club in which the fans play a key and vital part. A greater contrast between him and Caisley or Hood would be hard to find. They have loads of ideas, but right now maybe most importantly they have the enthusiasm and commitment and the RIGHT ideas.

I found Mr Khan very easy to quickly warm to - and be uplifted by - and Mr Sutcliffe talked a shed load of common sense. So as it stands I feel more positive than for a while.

None of them are exaggerating though when they say it will be a long hard road back. A lot of damage has been done, by various parties, and I feel sure the RFL will be determined to ensure no other club will lightly consider the route that our major shareholders between them inflicted upon us. So it is indeed encouraging to hear a load of realism.

I am sure most fans appreciate the mountain we have to climb, and will therefore appreciate the honesty for seemingly the first time in ages. These guys are going to need a hell of a lot of support though in the coming weeks and months, and ongoing. They have shown the commitment, and made a massive leap of faith in the face of that administrator threatening to send the club into almost immediate oblivion. Hopefully the fans will recognise that, and go on to play their part in the recovery.
Sutcliffe talks common sense ?

Have you followed his political career ?

moomooland says...
12:37pm Sun 16 Sep 12

I would like to file a missing persons report, New Hall Nev where are you, did you enjoy watching your team get bummed last night, were you crying in your cornflakes this morning.

Capabull says...
12:43pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Mike Strutter wrote:
Adeybull wrote:
Very impressed with both these guys when you talk to them. Mr. Khan seems a genuinely positive and committed guy, very easy to talk to and fully recognising that this is a community club in which the fans play a key and vital part. A greater contrast between him and Caisley or Hood would be hard to find. They have loads of ideas, but right now maybe most importantly they have the enthusiasm and commitment and the RIGHT ideas.

I found Mr Khan very easy to quickly warm to - and be uplifted by - and Mr Sutcliffe talked a shed load of common sense. So as it stands I feel more positive than for a while.

None of them are exaggerating though when they say it will be a long hard road back. A lot of damage has been done, by various parties, and I feel sure the RFL will be determined to ensure no other club will lightly consider the route that our major shareholders between them inflicted upon us. So it is indeed encouraging to hear a load of realism.

I am sure most fans appreciate the mountain we have to climb, and will therefore appreciate the honesty for seemingly the first time in ages. These guys are going to need a hell of a lot of support though in the coming weeks and months, and ongoing. They have shown the commitment, and made a massive leap of faith in the face of that administrator threatening to send the club into almost immediate oblivion. Hopefully the fans will recognise that, and go on to play their part in the recovery.
Sutcliffe talks common sense ?

Have you followed his political career ?
Bet you wish you were a few bob behind him!

Adeybull says...
12:46pm Sun 16 Sep 12

MS: of course. But that was the first time I actually met him, and I can only go on what I saw and heard. What I heard from him and Mr. Khan was a hell of a sight more encouraging than from almost anyone else for a long while, and so I for one am prepared to give him a fair go over this.

Capabull says...
12:47pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Mumby was the best wrote:
Greaser
Can someone explain to me was has happened to the above poster? I have followed this site for a while now, and he used to talk sense, but lately he behaves like a child, has he had some kind of stroke or something?

theviking62 says...
12:47pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Mike, good day, you on the wind up again. Who's going to the final, then.

theviking62 says...
12:50pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Cappa, he's not the real one, he's a FAKE. Talks rubbish, insults folk and uses other peoples' name. A NO MARK.

New Hall Nev says...
8:48pm Sun 16 Sep 12

moomooland wrote:
I would like to file a missing persons report, New Hall Nev where are you, did you enjoy watching your team get bummed last night, were you crying in your cornflakes this morning.
no i didnt enjoy us getting beat but at least we had a game too watch not like youre lot i wonder what well spend our money on maybe lullila lol
thaks for talking bout me on hear and rlfans i now you all love realy wonder who youre new cheap coach is he will work for peenuts not like potter hahaha

moomooland says...
9:41pm Sun 16 Sep 12

New Hall Nev wrote:
moomooland wrote:
I would like to file a missing persons report, New Hall Nev where are you, did you enjoy watching your team get bummed last night, were you crying in your cornflakes this morning.
no i didnt enjoy us getting beat but at least we had a game too watch not like youre lot i wonder what well spend our money on maybe lullila lol
thaks for talking bout me on hear and rlfans i now you all love realy wonder who youre new cheap coach is he will work for peenuts not like potter hahaha
Ah there you are, i was getting really worried that you had disappeared just like your defence last night. But on a more serious note, it would cost you a lot of money to sign Lulia, just concentrate on taking Sykes off of our hands permantley

Mumby was the best says...
10:48pm Sun 16 Sep 12

So press conference tomorrow announcing FC as new head coach. Cheap option and shows how things are going to be.

raisemeup says...
11:56pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Mike Strutter wrote:
Adeybull wrote:
Very impressed with both these guys when you talk to them. Mr. Khan seems a genuinely positive and committed guy, very easy to talk to and fully recognising that this is a community club in which the fans play a key and vital part. A greater contrast between him and Caisley or Hood would be hard to find. They have loads of ideas, but right now maybe most importantly they have the enthusiasm and commitment and the RIGHT ideas.

I found Mr Khan very easy to quickly warm to - and be uplifted by - and Mr Sutcliffe talked a shed load of common sense. So as it stands I feel more positive than for a while.

None of them are exaggerating though when they say it will be a long hard road back. A lot of damage has been done, by various parties, and I feel sure the RFL will be determined to ensure no other club will lightly consider the route that our major shareholders between them inflicted upon us. So it is indeed encouraging to hear a load of realism.

I am sure most fans appreciate the mountain we have to climb, and will therefore appreciate the honesty for seemingly the first time in ages. These guys are going to need a hell of a lot of support though in the coming weeks and months, and ongoing. They have shown the commitment, and made a massive leap of faith in the face of that administrator threatening to send the club into almost immediate oblivion. Hopefully the fans will recognise that, and go on to play their part in the recovery.
Sutcliffe talks common sense ?

Have you followed his political career ?
Yes he still outsmarts the Strutters in our midst!

raisemeup says...
12:05am Mon 17 Sep 12

New Hall Nev wrote:
moomooland wrote:
I would like to file a missing persons report, New Hall Nev where are you, did you enjoy watching your team get bummed last night, were you crying in your cornflakes this morning.
no i didnt enjoy us getting beat but at least we had a game too watch not like youre lot i wonder what well spend our money on maybe lullila lol
thaks for talking bout me on hear and rlfans i now you all love realy wonder who youre new cheap coach is he will work for peenuts not like potter hahaha
I had to have a thesaurus to read your drivel this time.

Your team didn't do too bad, and it would be unfair to castigate them for what some of the moronic fans who supposedly support them attempt to write!

Kellington Bull says...
8:11pm Mon 17 Sep 12

I was quite prepared to see him as head coach for a probationary year period. If he has been given a three year contact I can only think of shades of McNamara. I certainy hope he succeeds in his new post and I'm perfectly willing to let him prove himself just like Nobby had to. Fingers crossed.

Kellington Bull says...
8:11pm Mon 17 Sep 12

.

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