[Bullseye]

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:09 pm  

Northernrelic wrote:

Not suggesting that - but if something does emerge from the current situation its a way of bringing some more capital into Newco and broadening the fans involvement. I think you could also make the point that after what the fans have done in the last few months then Newco could both acknowlege this contribution and at the same time strengthen the core fan bases engagement with the club by offering some shares - not as investments but more recognition of their contribution

Fair enough but obviously that's a non starter for this current season as I said earlier.

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:22 pm  

To run it as a supporters trust of whatever flavour, you would need a set of people who were rich in spare time, rich in business experience, short of a life, and able and willing to sacrifice 40-50 hours a week permanently, for nothing, to run what is a multi-million pound turnover business.

A bit like the Board we just sacked, then.

I would imagine the odds of finding such a cadre of volunteers able and willing to set this up and run it are probably as long, if not longer, than the odds of finding a sugar daddy.

I also fail to see how a bunch of well meaning amateurs, even if by some miracle they were to step forward, would be able to solve the funding shortfall which we are given to understand is maybe £1m - £2m a year. Or maybe they would coincidentally be the world's financial geniuses too? Anyway, to me, some sort of volunteers supporters trust trying to run an operation like this is just pie in the sky, it can't happen.

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:26 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

To run it as a supporters trust of whatever flavour, you would need a set of people who were rich in spare time, rich in business experience, short of a life, and able and willing to sacrifice 40-50 hours a week permanently, for nothing, to run what is a multi-million pound turnover business.

A bit like the Board we just sacked, then.

I would imagine the odds of finding such a cadre of volunteers able and willing to set this up and run it are probably as long, if not longer, than the odds of finding a sugar daddy.

I also fail to see how a bunch of well meaning amateurs, even if by some miracle they were to step forward, would be able to solve the funding shortfall which we are given to understand is maybe £1m - £2m a year. Or maybe they would coincidentally be the world's financial geniuses too? Anyway, to me, some sort of volunteers supporters trust trying to run an operation like this is just pie in the sky, it can't happen.

I await some bright spark coming on here to point out that FC Barcelona are a Supporters Trust

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:36 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Fair enough but obviously that's a non starter for this current season as I said earlier.

I think most of us will be more than happy just to see the team complete the rest of this season!

But I think going forward we would all like a club with the firmest foundations possible and equally - assuming we are still in the higher leagues professional management - neither a supporters trust or interferring shareholders

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:51 pm  

Starbug wrote: I await some bright spark coming on here to point out that FC Barcelona are a Supporters Trust Barcelona a supporters trust? Sure! You mean the one that was based on an initial investment of €50 million? Yes, that's what we should do. I wonder if anyone can see any catch? I have to say that I have nothing but admiration for the people who implemented the transformation of Barcelona, although mentioning them in the same breath as us is a bit rich. Mind you, as at 2010 they had a net debt of €442 million, currently 58% of the club's net worth, so maybe there's something in it, seeing as we only owe an odd million or so. But if you are interested (I was at the time) here's an article about how they did it. Basically, some very clever and hyper-wealthy people, operating as a cabal of sugar daddies, I suppose would be one way of describing it. in a snapshot, a number of high-powered executives took up to a year out from their companies to set it up, and as the year went on, they gradually hired a skilled (and extremely expensive!!) management team. Good luck in finding the Bradford equivalent. PS a quick Google suggests Barca are in financial strife, trying to implement a 4 year "austerity" programme of cuts, and drive down a management wage bill of pushing €30 million (excluding bonuses). But they do have a bloody good team.

Starbug wrote: I await some bright spark coming on here to point out that FC Barcelona are a Supporters Trust Barcelona a supporters trust? Sure! You mean the one that was based on an initial investment of €50 million? Yes, that's what we should do. I wonder if anyone can see any catch? I have to say that I have nothing but admiration for the people who implemented the transformation of Barcelona, although mentioning them in the same breath as us is a bit rich. Mind you, as at 2010 they had a net debt of €442 million, currently 58% of the club's net worth, so maybe there's something in it, seeing as we only owe an odd million or so. But if you are interested (I was at the time) here's an article about how they did it. Basically, some very clever and hyper-wealthy people, operating as a cabal of sugar daddies, I suppose would be one way of describing it. in a snapshot, a number of high-powered executives took up to a year out from their companies to set it up, and as the year went on, they gradually hired a skilled (and extremely expensive!!) management team. Good luck in finding the Bradford equivalent. PS a quick Google suggests Barca are in financial strife, trying to implement a 4 year "austerity" programme of cuts, and drive down a management wage bill of pushing €30 million (excluding bonuses). But they do have a bloody good team.

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:37 pm  

Cleck Bulls wrote:

now i know a lot of you have given money all ready and not everyone can afford to give more money in this hard economic time but do you think the fans could have part ownership in the club. I understrand that Brendan Guilfoyle says we need £300,000 in 10 days. Im sure there will e talks with investors but do you think us fans could at least have one last push because i am not prepared to lose this club.

1 short awnser NO, the club need 200k every month just to pay the staff, and there is the ground rent, that's before the unpaid tax. The current management at the club have a lot to awnser for and if the true extent of the finances were known when they asked for the fans pledge they would not have got the money then, they were dishonest with the fans, not disclosing the true state the club was in and although I have the greatest respect for the players and more so the fans they have only got themselves to blame, but I do the RFL knew about the finances that is why the bought the ground and they should accountable as well.....

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:29 pm  

if the bulls reform as a new name do you think we could be called the bradford northern bulls?

Re: could us fans save the club : Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:35 pm  

daveyz999 wrote:

Really needs someone to bankroll us until the end of the season, then put in place a viable business plan.

Exactly

Also "Super League bosses will allow Bradford Bulls to finish the season as a new company even if the club goes into liquidation in the coming weeks. "

How can they make that statement, when we dont even know if there will be a Newco, and the Newco will also need to fund losses for the next 12 months plus until the wage bill is cut.