RFL reach agreement with consortium for new professional Rugby League club in Bradford

[josie andrews]

The RFL is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with a consortium to create a new professional Rugby League club in Bradford.

Following a thorough review and consultation with potential owners throughout the week, the RFL Board approved a decision to offer membership of the League to a consortium that it believes offers an exciting and stable future for Rugby League in Bradford. As previously communicated, the new club will begin the 2017 season in the Kingstone Press Championship on minus 12 points.

The owners will arrive at Odsal early next week and will at that point speak with former players, staff and relevant stakeholders before holding a press conference to reveal their identity and outline their vision for the future.

RFL Director of Operations and Legal, Karen Moorhouse, said: “The last few weeks have been extremely difficult for all those involved, particularly the former players, staff and families of Bradford Bulls. They have conducted themselves with complete professionalism and integrity throughout this period.

“The RFL is confident that the consortium selected to run a new club in Bradford will provide an exciting and stable future for Rugby League in the city. They outlined a strong vision, have relevant and extensive experience and we are confident that they offer the best opportunity to take a new club forward. We have always said that the city of Bradford needs and deserves a Rugby League club that it can be proud of and we believe this new club can deliver that.”

The RFL would like to thank the administrators Gary Pettit and Howard Roberts for their support in the closing stages of what has been a very difficult process.

http://www.rugby-league.com/article/391 ... wYq0Q.dpuf[/url]

[josie andrews]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/38616454

Earlier this week, a proposed pre-season friendly for a Bradford Select XIII due to take place on Sunday was called off because they do not have enough players.

The new club will remain in the Kingstone Press Championship, but will start the new season with a 12-point deficit.

They will also continue playing at Odsal Stadium, the lease for which is owned by the RFL.

Is it just me or is this so wrong? The RFL have bent over backwards to help Bradford after all it's mismanagement over the last several years, yet hasn't help other clubs in the same way, if at all!

I don't think they should be allowed to go straight back in at the Championship level either!

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

They should start in the lowest tier of the professional game.

[Panchitta Marra]

1996 Workington Town received no assistance like what's been afforded to Bradford, Workington were just allowed to sink.
Like Bradford, Workington bought players on contracts the club couldn't afford and eventually couldn't pay, so players like Jimmy Pickering and Rowland Phillips departed.
I'm like others, any new team has to start at the bottom tier.

[thegimble]

So we got accused by some in 2006 we would pay any side above us if we were relegated 1 million for them to go down. All fans went nuts and it forced DW to go on SKY and make a statement this was false.

Now why is this allowed to happen. Seems strange a new outfit is allowed to go to 1 division below SL yet the Toronto who has an owner who starts a new side has to go to a division below the Bulls.

Its the same thing 2 new sides different rules. Quite ironically was thinking this morning if we had won 2014 and 2015 GF its a safe bet the RFL would be changing the rules to hinder us again.

Its wrong on so many levels the Bulls could be in SL next season (I know they wont) I just hope Toronto go up and they go down.

I bet the RFL would make up a rule to reverse it and make Toronto pay for the privilege.

[FWarrior]

Crazy by the RFL. If Bradford are rescued for the umpteen time then great but it should be from C1. I presume C = C -12 points which is pointless.

If a Lancashire or Cumbria club faced the same problems I cannot see the RFL making such an effort to save them.

[butt monkey]

I am sure there is a conflict of interest here.

The RFL own Odsal so NEED RL to be played on it otherwise it is nothing more than a white elephant to them.

Trouble is, Odsal is so dated, so poor as a facility that upgrading it to even a satisfactory state would take millions. All the potential suitors for the Bulls have been interested in is the real estate that came with the purchase of the Bulls.

Can/should RL be played on such a dung hole considering no monies will be available to upgrade it to at least a minimum standard or should the new club look to groundshare or move to a newer, better and more suitable option?

[FWarrior]

The RFl are owed 66,000. St Helens 10,000 ??

[OAMJSONA]

RFL is bent and always as been

[morley pie eater]

Sorry if this goes against the grain, and I admit that I do not know the full facts, but . . .

. . . the RFL "own" Odsal. My understanding is that they bought the lease as a way of trying to keep Bradford afloat whilst not allowing new owners to benefit from the value of the stadium. Bearing in mind that "the RFL" is, in effect its member clubs, this decision was presumably made with the interests of the whole RFL in mind - i.e. it's to the benefit of everyone for Bradford to be given a chance of survival.

. . . re the latest situation, the RFL are faced with owning a ground but no team. If they sold it for development, possibly making a profit, wouldn't many voices be raised saying they sold out the team? And what good would this have been to RL in the long-run?

. . . then there's the place in the Championship. Again, if they gave it to Toronto, unfair. Give it to Workington, potentially to see them relegated in 2017 (given resources and limited chance of decent quality signings)? What would Whitehaven fans have to say?

In short, faced with a no-win choice, they seem to me to have come up with as good a solution as possible. Surely member clubs have been consulted and the majority realise this?

Oh, and the 12 point deduction means the new Bradford team have little chance of short-term benefit from the decision - in fact, they could easily be relegated.

Finally, I despise Bulls' fans ("forrard, forrard") but my support for the game in general leads me to the conclusions above.