Better?

Its true, our relegation has not been a short sharp shock to the system, its the result of a very long drawn out public death and flogging of something we all hold dear. Its ground people down to the point where attendance is more out of duty than enjoyment. I think it was actually pretty amazing we got over 5000 for the home game vs catalan with all the other distractions that weekend and no away fans and nothing to play for - and I think that attendance actually bodes well for next season when there will hopefully be lots to play for and some winning rugby (hopefully). I've come to the point where I belive relegation and the subsequent clearout and "rebooting" of the club is actually required and will turn out to be a good thing in the long term, despite the short term hurt of relegation.

A fresh start with different challenges, and like FA said, Im looking forward to next season in the championship a lot more then the next month in superleague. (sorry, should that be super dooper league now if im to put my championship chip on my shoulder

?). We will be seen to have "taken our punishment" "got what we deserve" etc etc, then we can "cut our cloth accordingly" build for the future "within our means" - but hopefully and seriously, bring some respect and integrety back to the club/brand whilst trying to get back up into superleague with a clean slate. My only worry would be an extended stay in the championship would be a problem in the long term, but I havn't the energy to worry about that, Id much rather spend my time hoping for watching us win more games than we lose next season and pushing for promotion in the end of season middle 8 (which we would probably be in anyway next season even if we survived this year, just trying to avoid relegatioon rather than gain promotion)


#edit, some fast modding this morning PP, I blinked and my post jumped threads

Sorry all. Over-zealously tidying up perhaps!

You got that absolutely spot on!



A fascinating point. So the only difference for us may be the start to the season where instead of ritual floggings, we start in a lower league, but join the same party, just after (hopefully) a win or two. I'm not at all sure many people have thought of it that way. i certainlyu hadn't. Not least as I'm just mastering combining Einstein's Theory of Relativity with quantum mechanics, before I move on to how the 2015 league will actually work. (I was seconded to the role by Big nige, as Stephen Hawking gave backword as it was too complicated for him) ...

Always easier to look on the bright side of life...theres a song it that somewhere....Next august/sept starting on zero points in the middle 8, the only difference between us and a team like wakey in the same party will have been the funding and therefore squads assembled in the previous 10 months, but we'll have (hopefully) won more games and go into it with confidence looking to acheive, rather than losing more than winning looking to avoid failing. Take this year, would you bet against Leigh beating us or london at the moment?

This season my interest in the club has slowly disappeared. Just want the season over. I realised early on that we were getting relegated, but it's something that's taken a long time to come to terms with. Probably the first time i'm considering not going to my favourite game of the season, leeds away. Not sure i can stand a 60-70 plus drubbing there when we are already down.

Can't say i'm really looking forward to next season, just hoping we can be competitive. I don't see an automatic return to super league, but be nice to go to some grounds that i've not been to in years or ever.

I will be glad to see the back of a lot of players this year and seeing the young guns thrive a bit.

Not buying a season ticket mind. Will pick and choose my games, just like this season wakey at home was my last match i'll attend at odsal in 2014. I may do last home game of season, but just seems like a depressing occasion.

I put staying and will get a season ticket, though I never get a season ticket and that's a flat out lie. I'm more your cash flow kind of fan than a cash up front guy.

Like a lot of people I've quit with a lot of the media. I don't watch the TV games. I don't keep up with the results. I've abandoned three fantasy teams I put quite a bit of effort into (though I notice I'm still top 5 amongst ourselves). There have even been points where I stopped referring to football as soccer in order to bend the resulting argument towards Rugby League.

I'm still watching NRL games though and I'm a semi regular on a fairly obscure NRL forum that's knowledgable, funny, and still small enough that people can't get away with being complete knob jockeys.

I am looking forward to next season. Winning some games, going to grounds I haven't been to in years if at all, and then spending a good portion of the season playing the teams currently laughing at us anyway. I am kind of worried that we won't survive it, but I feel like all the angst I'm capable of holding about that has been wrung out of me now.

I've been to all but one home game this year, though some of them only because it was a Sunday bike ride to get there, and I do intend to see out the remainder. There's only one game remaining this year that I'm actually looking forward to though, and that's away at London. We should all pile down en masse for relegation bonding and V flicking.

I might put as much effort into going next season as the players have put into staying up this year, and the management has put into fighting for the points.

I've put that I'm staying.

It's only recently that I've started following other results but I also had to get rid of SKy sports this years so that might have something to do with it. I'll catch games at other people's house or pubs if I'm in but I won't go out of my way to watch.

I've also stopped passing up on other social engagements/work to watch Bulls matches. For example on Sunday I'll be at my nephew's birthday party but will be checking my phone all afternoon. Even home games I chose watching le tour over the Catalans game for example.

But I'm looking forward to next year and can't wait to go to Dewsbury, Halifax and Featherstone.

The recent article in the T&A with Ferres talking about the club's outlook for next year is the main reason behind my upturn in optimisim. The statement that the club is looking for average gates of 4000 and not pie in the sky 10000 season ticket holder numbers previous administrators of the club have spoken about was the most significant thing I've heard from the club in ages. The first time I've started to feel less fearful that this will happen again.

Staying, and will get a season ticket for any venue - I don't care where we play

On a side note, am I the only person outside of Red Hall that kinda likes the whole 8x8x8 idea? I'm starting to think I've misunderstood how it works because everyone else seems to hate it

Perhaps it's best to reserve judgement on the 8x8x8 until we've seen it in action. If the games between the bottom SL clubs and the top Champ clubs are all blowout scores in favour of the SL sides, then much of the criticism will be justified. More importantly from our perspective, it would mean that our realistic chances of ever being in the top division again are pretty much zero.

As far as next season is concerned, I'll be there regardless.
My only hope is that we can have a season where all we discuss is the match we've just played, and the next match coming up. For the last few years the rugby at Bradford has taken a back seat, crowded out by all the ugly stuff. Let's just have a season of stability, please.

This This This, I've not been to the London away game for years and years, but Im definately off to this one. I was there for our first game of superleague and i'll damn well be there for the last. Im really hoping we take a good number of fans down for the V flicking!

I'll be staying put for the 2015 season. Having only been 10 years old in 1997 I never had the opportunity to visit any of these lower league grounds. Next season will be a real throwback year for me.

I worry for the future of rugby league in general but I will always be a Bulls supporter and will watch them wherever they play.

No contest i will be staying, i know it may seem deftest but i can't see us staying up and am looking forward to next year when we can play some different teams and see some wins. The Cougars / Bulls came is a must.

Thoroughly looking forward to the trip to fax. Marketed right, could see a crowd of 5k

I'll still be around and will still buy my season ticket regardless of where we play.Bradford have been my team for as long as I can remember, my family have been going since the 50's and it was pretty inevitable i'd follow suit. My Grandma died 2yrs back and she would turn in her grave if I gave up now just cos we've got to take a step down for a bit.

Like many, i'm looking forward to getting this year out of the way and starting afresh next year, although I still dream of a miracle intervention (however unlikely).

When I started really going to games and understanding what was going on, I was about 8yrs old (1989/90 season) and I went with my grandparents to all away games. In hindsight, some of the smaller grounds were the best, although many have changed (Watersheddings, Thrum Hall, Post Office Road to name a few).

So, sign me up to wherever. How does the song go???

"I'm Bradford Till I Die, I'm Bradford Till I Die, I know I am, I'm sure I am... I'M BRADFORD TILL I DIE!!!"

In an odd way I am looking forward to next year. The Winter should allow my 'Bulls fatigue' to dissipate and with an off season without the drama we have all experienced over the past several years it will feel good to focus on matters on the paddock.

For myriad reasons I am hopeful of attending more games in 2015 if my schedule allows. The derbies should be fun and the novelty may be similar to that of Rangers playing in the lower leagues of Scottish football. I don't think the Bulls are going to necessarily sweep all before them as Rangers have done these past couple of seasons, but there is a common thread of the fallen giant starting over.

I have a sense that Super League may miss the Bulls more than the other way around.

Couple of questions I have about next year.

1. Presumably this year will be the last for dual registration?

2. Will the competition points system in the Championship fall in line with Superleague next year? ie. 2 for a win, 1 for a draw and no bonus points.

Pretty much my feeling

I haven't decided yet about a season ticket, and voted in the poll for that option. A lot depends on what kinds of deals they strike. We will also need to know whether the season ticket is for just the 'regular' season, or whether it includes the breakaway 8 games as well.

To be honest, I'll be relieved when this season is over. With a few months off, I suspect I'll be looking forward to trips to The Shay and Cougar Park.

Looking at the champ table, it's not certain we'll actually be playing Keighley next season. It's squeaky bum time right now as far as they are concerned.

There'd be a certain irony in that

They've been waiting for nearly 20 years for us to fall from grace and they might fall further down still

Two thing I'll be doing differently;

1. Not rushing out to buy my season ticket ASAP, I'll wait until news - any news - drips out and get it in the last week of Early Bird.

2. Buy it on credit card!

So somewhere around 80% don't think they will be packing it in. I find that very encouraging, and so should the Bulls. If I was expecting anything then it'd probably have been maybe 50-50 so this is great stuff.

Yes - but you are sampling a section of Bulls fans who also spend their time on RAB - so pretty hard core supporters. If you take the current gates of around 5000 then if 80% turn up next season it would give the club the 4000 they are looking for. However the vast majority don't come onto RAB - so for the balance I would suspect they will want to see more evidence we can get a competitive squad assembled for next seasons campaign. Fans will just about be resigned to life in the 2nd tier - but probably ease their pain by assuming we will quickly head up the pack next season - but a few early defeats next year and maintaining the gates will get a whole lot harder.