Noble wants Bulls considered in SL restructure proposals

[The Daddy]

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/brian-noble-bradford-bulls-super-24437838

 

[Damien]

What sort of Bradford though?

Many have this rose tinted, nostalgic view of the club with big crowds and a great team but they have been a basket case for years. Bar a decade or so they were never a team that got big crowds or packed out Odsal.

Yes Bradford at their peak would be an asset but can those days return? Was it all that just a perfect storm of everything coming together at just the right time?

We would all love to see a packed Odsal again but I'm sceptical about that happening if Bradford just get plonked into Super League now.

[Jughead]

I want to win £150m on the Euromillions Brian, but that won’t happen either. 

[meast]

Can we have Swinton and Hunslet in as well as they were good and got decent crowds once too.

[RigbyLuger]

Just now, meast said:

Can we have Swinton and Hunslet in as well as they were good and got decent crowds once too.

This is a great argument. How long are we since Bradford were what people think they are?

 

Were Super League to have been set up in the mid 80s, would Wakefield have been in for being good 20 years ago? That's why Nobby wants, and it's things like this that get the backs up of others.

(Not all Bulls fans have a lack of humility, but some associated with the club do.)

[meast]

People still have this notion that Bradford are the same Bradford who enjoyed a decade of success with a large following but their last major trophy was 17 seasons ago.

Their last super league play off appearance was 14 years ago, they were relegated from top flight 8 years ago and have been nowhere near since.

Their massive fan base has dwindled to around 3,000 diehards, not bad for a 2nd tier club but pretty damning for a big city club with the success they enjoyed a generation ago.

They have been an absolute farce in terms of finances, bankruptcy etc, more begging bowls than an extra in Oliver Twist.

Their ground is an absolute joke, a rundown hole in the ground.

I started watching rugby league in the late 80's, Bradford were playing in a rundown hole in the ground in front of 3,000 ish die hards then.

They've gone full circle now.

[meast]

14 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

This is a great argument. How long are we since Bradford were what people think they are?

 

Were Super League to have been set up in the mid 80s, would Wakefield have been in for being good 20 years ago? That's why Nobby wants, and it's things like this that get the backs up of others.

(Not all Bulls fans have a lack of humility, but some associated with the club do.)

Huddersfield were playing in a ramshackle ground that had literally fallen to bits in front of a crowd of a few hundred diehards, with no money and locals lads who played for the prestige of playing for and at Fartown.

Would Huddersfield have been considered for a place in the top flight back in 1980's because they were still quite good in the 60's?

Exactly, Bradford's time has been and gone, just like their glory hunting fans.

[clogdance]

"Clubs like Featherstone and Leigh are spending their way to try and get there before the structure maybe changes" Brian, dear boy, can you think of an alternative way ? Even if you can produce your own talent generally you only have those players for 2 years, unless you give them a lucrative contract. Also I think Brian misses Toronto Wolfpack, I think this justifies another bless !  

[Trojan Horse]

Nope. Bradford hasn’t just been a fall it’s been an epic fall from a skyscraper down into the deep depths.

i watched them a few weeks ago and tonight on tv and the club is in a mess on the field too as well as off it.

Shouldn’t even be considered. Their time has gone. 

[AB90]

3 hours ago, meast said:

Can we have Swinton and Hunslet in as well as they were good and got decent crowds once too.

Theres more to it than that.

The Bradford area has a significantly larger population than the above areas. We keep saying that we want ‘larger’ towns and cities in SL, well Bradford is the second largest rugby league heartland city we have behind Leeds.

It would be silly to not consider Bradford.

[Dallas Mead]

Just considered you Brian.  The answer is no.  Thank you.

[Loiner]

9 hours ago, meast said:

People still have this notion that Bradford are the same Bradford who enjoyed a decade of success with a large following but their last major trophy was 17 seasons ago.

Their last super league play off appearance was 14 years ago, they were relegated from top flight 8 years ago and have been nowhere near since.

Their massive fan base has dwindled to around 3,000 diehards, not bad for a 2nd tier club but pretty damning for a big city club with the success they enjoyed a generation ago.

They have been an absolute farce in terms of finances, bankruptcy etc, more begging bowls than an extra in Oliver Twist.

Their ground is an absolute joke, a rundown hole in the ground.

I started watching rugby league in the late 80's, Bradford were playing in a rundown hole in the ground in front of 3,000 ish die hards then.

They've gone full circle now.

Well spoken every word is spot on, couldn't have put it any better myself.

[GUBRATS]

3 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

Havent got much to add.  Club now gets 3000 playing in a hole.  Maybe if we went back up tomorrow we could get back to 6000 but that ground would take the money and has cursed us to irrelevance.  

From a tv point of view,  were Bulls ever to get back then we would definitely add value to a tv with some big games  (Leeds vs Bulls home and away,  taking decent followings to KR and Hull to create more tv worthy games).

In cold reality though, Leeds are fine without us and if you were an investor coming from nowhere then I can probably think of a dozen better markets with or without teams that would be easier to sort out and get or have decent ground.  (Manchester, Plymouth, Sheffield, Rotherham, team in Wales). 

Now I would put my Euromillions in Bulls but thats because I am an idiot. You would still only do that if you could find a spot to build a 10-12K stadium. 

Also from IMG , if you are locking teams in then London is a bigger market, with commercial potential outstriping all.  York have a modern facility in heartlands.  Newcastle good sized ground with academy.

The sad thing is, as a sport, Bulls havent been replaced in UK. Catalan are excellent mind.  

If we had a decent ground we offer something, potentially loads to the game.  If we are stuck at Odsal? Not so much. 

You need an LSV 

[JohnM]

During an earlier manifestation of the club, I recall the crowd chanting a player's name. Despite searching the team line-up, nowhere could I find a single player called Norman.

[Harry Stottle]

6 hours ago, AB90 said:

Theres more to it than that.

The Bradford area has a significantly larger population than the above areas. We keep saying that we want ‘larger’ towns and cities in SL, well Bradford is the second largest rugby league heartland city we have behind Leeds.

It would be silly to not consider Bradford.

Aye and London is 20 times the size of Bradford in demographic terms, should they be granted what Noble wants?

[Damien]

30 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

You need an LSV 

A council owned ground that Leigh complained the rent was too high on and that you moan they struggle to generate money from and aren't allowed to do any additional revenue raising activities. Any sort of idea to raise crowds or income you say it isn't allowed.

As we have seen at various clubs, mine included, grounds you don't own, or at least have a decent long term lease that makes you defacto owners, aren't the answer either.

[Harry Stottle]

4 minutes ago, Damien said:

A council owned ground that Leigh complained the rent was too high on and that you moan they struggle to generate money from and aren't allowed to do any additional revenue raising activities. Any sort of idea to raise crowds or income you say it isn't allowed.

As we have seen at various clubs, mine included, grounds you don't own, or at least have a decent long term lease that makes you defacto owners, aren't the answer either.

Yes quite, if only Leigh did own it they would be sitting pretty now, it must be generating a fair bit of income as well as Leigh, Man U Ladies are resident and there are also a number of other age related Man U teams have games there  and this season it has 3 RLWC games and 4 Ladies Euros including a quarter final.

But what Gubby says in relation to the Bulls is correct, if they had a ground which people would want to go to they would be much better off, and corrections welcome but Odsal is not owned by the Bulls is it?

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

So that's why they've appointed him...

[AB90]

21 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Aye and London is 20 times the size of Bradford in demographic terms, should they be granted what Noble wants?

Nope. I did make reference to rugby league ‘heartland’ city (which London is not). So not a very good analogy. 

[DavidM]

11 hours ago, Jughead said:

I want to win £150m on the Euromillions Brian, but that won’t happen either. 

He’d come on board to advise you how to spend it for a very reasonable fee 

[GUBRATS]

45 minutes ago, Damien said:

A council owned ground that Leigh complained the rent was too high on and that you moan they struggle to generate money from and aren't allowed to do any additional revenue raising activities. Any sort of idea to raise crowds or income you say it isn't allowed.

As we have seen at various clubs, mine included, grounds you don't own, or at least have a decent long term lease that makes you defacto owners, aren't the answer either.

Compared to Odsal it is , unless of course they can find 50 million 

[Superb Chops]

4 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

Havent got much to add.  Club now gets 3000 playing in a hole.  Maybe if we went back up tomorrow we could get back to 6000 but that ground would take the money and has cursed us to irrelevance.  

From a tv point of view,  were Bulls ever to get back then we would definitely add value to a tv with some big games  (Leeds vs Bulls home and away,  taking decent followings to KR and Hull to create more tv worthy games).

In cold reality though, Leeds are fine without us and if you were an investor coming from nowhere then I can probably think of a dozen better markets with or without teams that would be easier to sort out and get or have decent ground.  (Manchester, Plymouth, Sheffield, Rotherham, team in Wales). 

Now I would put my Euromillions in Bulls but thats because I am an idiot. You would still only do that if you could find a spot to build a 10-12K stadium. 

Also from IMG , if you are locking teams in then London is a bigger market, with commercial potential outstriping all.  York have a modern facility in heartlands.  Newcastle good sized ground with academy.

The sad thing is, as a sport, Bulls havent been replaced in UK. Catalan are excellent mind.  

If we had a decent ground we offer something, potentially loads to the game.  If we are stuck at Odsal? Not so much. 

Agree with this. The likes of Odsal can never be the answer if any club wants to progress.

But surely a large, centrally-located, contemporary cultural beacon is a brilliant opportunity for any organisation?

If IMG reads League Express, I’d hope they have Bradford as a priority job.

Get the city together collectively and turn two failing stadia into one suitably modern community home for Bradford’s sports clubs and the people.  

If the clubs - plus the council, local authority, City of Culture organisers, other public bodies - say it cannot or will not be done due to technicalities and history, then the likelihood is these people are inadequate for the here and now.

A core support of 3,000, meanwhile, is also not to be sniffed at by RL. Especially one with such a high threshold for long-term pain.

[Ackroman]

7 hours ago, AB90 said:

Theres more to it than that.

The Bradford area has a significantly larger population than the above areas. We keep saying that we want ‘larger’ towns and cities in SL, well Bradford is the second largest rugby league heartland city we have behind Leeds.

It would be silly to not consider Bradford.

Geography not your strong point?

[Scubby]

30 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

So that's why they've appointed him...

Yes quite ironic that Nigel Wood, who helped to undermine licensing and the top division with stupid gimmicky restructures, is now at Bradford who are now basically begging for licensing.

[Jughead]

As much as you look at Bradford as a club, on and off the pitch, I’ve also tried to think of clubs this morning who you could say Bradford should be in any Super League or licensing period over but I’m struggling to think of many names and that’s telling,