Get out 24/25

As with anything in life there are no guarantees so taking the road of not financially supporting my club could have the opposite effect of forcing Rupp out, we are only a small number on this forum in comparison to the total number of 2024/25 season ticket holders so we cant speak for them, who's to say Rupp will not just continue to run the club on the income from future season ticket sales and commercial sponsorship (that will diminish as crowds reduce) potentially seeing Bradford City enter non-league football that's not a situation I would be happy to be a part of.
During my time of supporting the club even through the times of going cap in hand to the league for re-election and those times when an emergency meeting was held at St Georges Hall to show support to keep the club going and supporting Stafford and Jack that Sunday morning when again the alternative was unthinkable I hoped my small financial contribution would help, I cant see that changing at my age.
I get why others are making a stand by staying away I have never criticised them for doing what they believe is right for them, having said that even if we disagree then it should be in a civil manner, as they say it would be a boring old world if we all agreed.

 

That's my thinking, or hoping. It can't be left to Sparks again.

I get the "sacking him won't change a thing" line. Which is completely true, it won't change how the club operates, or rather how Rupp wants it to operate. However, keeping GA when it clearly isn't working shouldn't be an option either and is a far easier change to at least attempt to get the on field things ticking. If Sharpe is the one in charge of the next appointment, at least that's a new set of eyes.

Looking at his time at other clubs, he's only ever had for long spells Gary Caldwell, Paul Cook and Nigel Clough working under him. All of which I can't see leaving their roles for our place, so it would likely be new ground for him too. To be honest, when Sharpe was hired as the DOF (or equivalent of) I did think he'd sack GA at the first drop of form so he can start a fresh with his man in.

 

On Lawrence remarks today, he replied to a fan who asked a question around player fitness. Lawrence said he has offered his services to the club before to help out with fitness and nobody from the club ever replied to him.

 

Our club can no longer afford to waste money if it ever could. We have an inactive owner who doesn’t mind wasting our season ticket money over many seasons on managers and players. A CEO who also is not delivering so more money wasted and as for recruitment well words fail me.

 

Indeed but iff the cro3ds do drop which is

Indeed but iff crowds start to drop dramatically which is more likely and this iff debacle continues no doubt the trigger will be pulled Rupp will want to come out of this smelling of roses

 

Fair points Dave
We all have our opinions on how to best move our club forward who's to say/criticise who's right or wrong
My thoughts are something drastic has to happen before we see any progression no amount of speculation will answer that
Yes we are a tiny minority of the fan base opinions will be split between the rest am sure nobody wants to see non league football at VP that wouldn't help anything but more and more believe plodding/stagnating in L2 is akin to it
You mention the hard times of re election and the St George's meeting in those days the fans were "connected" with the club and owners/management had passion to keep it going (can't see any of that under this stewardship)
Anyway hopefully Mr Rupps December "visit" will be tonight and he sees the swathes of empty seats maybe that would bring home exactly how his investment is performing
Get that heated jacket ready for tonight mate if you are going

 

I'm not sure if empty seats tonight will have that big an impact. It's a cold night, it's on Sky etc. Ready made excuses for the empty seats

 

Totally agree with regards fans back in those times of need should we call them were 100% behind the then owners, yes it looks like we're going tonight the grandsons just text, we'll be fine once we get there it's the thought of leaving a nice cosy warm home when as @ahar964 says it's on Sky, I think we'll win tonight, but then as you know mate as far as Bradford City is involved I'm the eternal optimist.

 

We have to stop this merry go round of changing managers at some point, just over 12 months and then sacked, is not working.
It will not work either, whilst Herr Rupp and his puppet Sparks are running this football club.
This season is almost a write off again and probably will be come Janaury, if results don't pick up. Sacking GA , will come at a cost. are we not still paying for Hughes and possibly Adams
Who could we possibly attract that would turn us into that promotion wining team, did not several managers , turn us down before Alexander got the gig.
It shit again and we just have to grin and bear it. The club have your money, so probably are not bothered if you stay home or not.
I do not have the answer and i am pretty certain no one at the football club does either.
We just have to hope that Mr Alexander can manage to get a tune out of the under performing squad.

 

It's a balancing act isn't it? The running of the club and the managers performance are two separate things but they also go hand in hand in a sense. Everyone can sense that the fat lady is warming up her voice for Mr Alexander unless he can start pulling something out the bag, but we still have the same people steering the ship who keep making poor decision after poor decision. So I bet there's a certain malaise over some of the fanbase who almost think "well what's the point in sacking him, when the same situations are going to happen again and again".

I think it's a balance between accepting the GA hand we have been dealt or rolling the dice and trying a fresh set, but either way Rupp and Sparks are still the dealers. We are really in a teetering moment, with us being one win away from the play offs but also 2 points from 17th place. Thankfully a lot of the pack are either playing each other tonight or playing good sides so we shouldnt drop too far down the table even if we lose, but i fear if we get to Monday next week without a win against either Barrow or Crewe, the axe is swinging for GA and we start again as we most certainly would be 13th/14th or even lower. I suppose the only thing that's fresh if we look for another guy is Sharpe, and the hope that he as this DOF/SD whatever the role is named is in charge of the recruitment and will bring a fresh approach..... yes, I'm clutching at those straws.

 

My straw is the euromillions ticket in my hand, as i would probably be the only white knight on the horizon.
I am a very long suffering fan, i have Bradford city running through me, but even i am finding it a chore to follow this club currently.
I don't expect us to win every game, but i do expect better than the dross we have suffered under the ownership of our current master.
He really does not seem to get it, we can not carry on indefinitely as we are, treading water, as it eventually will result in complete failure and the total loss of his investment.
We would not survive, with our overheads at National league level.
His talk of extra investment appears to be just that ,TALK.
As the saying goes, either shit or get off the pot.

 

I think I've fallen on staying at home tonight rather than making the lengthy journey from Nab Wood because as you say its just a chore. There's nothing fun pulling me towards VP tonight.

I think that's the most important bit for me, the expectations. As you say, no fan expects 3 points every match, but we do expect some desire, commitment, running for your spot in the team, intent on and off the ball and we just rarely see any of it. Lately it's like watching a team in almost a training environment, just going through the motions in the hope a moment of magic happens. In terms of GA, I've never really liked watching his teams so I cant say id be sorry to see him go as he is up there with bowyer in terms of boring football. But my worry would be the type of candidate who would come here? It takes 10 minutes on google to find tweets, articles or message boards like this to get a feel of the discontent from the fans to the ownership, if you were a manager looking to get back in and you or your agent had a read of the past 12 months of this club, why would you want to work here? Since Sparks' promotion it has been a string of rinse and repeat sackings under an inexperienced and out of his depth CEO with a constant murmur from the fanbase to change ownership after more false words.

After 8 years, I think 99% of us would agree Rupp is all talk and the talk tends to come just as things start becoming too loud from the stands. I'd love to know what his stake is actually worth in the club, even a ball park figure of what he wants rather than the was it £8m or £10m floated about previously?

 

I will go, but more out of a sense of duty or miss guided loyalty, just about beats the dross on telly.

 

Yes we are on Sky as well

 

I hate sacking managers with such regularity, but the manager does have to give us at least a glimpse that the signs are there and he is trying to build towards something. Sadly at this moment in time I don't see that with GA. But I'm still going tonight.

 

You'll miss Gregg Wallace on Masterchef doing his best Benny Hill impersonation

 

Those days have gone where the owner was usually born in or near the area of the football club they owned and identify with the club, a few during my time at City were Jack Tordoff, Dave Simpson, David/Julian Rhodes, Mark Lawn, Stafford Heginbotham I believe was an Oldham lad, Geoffrey Richmond was from Leeds, Bob Lord owner of Burnley was Burnley born, Louis Edwards Manchester United was born in Salford, Reginald Dwight born in Pinner he was a life long Watford fan, David Whelan although Bradford born moved to Wigan early in his younger days and worked wonders at both Wigan Football Club (with help from Paul Jewell) and Wigan RLC, so were left with the likes of Rupp who as we know had and still has little if any knowledge of professional football and its workings I say little love for our club and certainly little respect for its fans or he would be doing his damnedest to get rid as soon as possible as having to attend games just to try and pacify fans is not what either he our us fans want.

 

Don’t forget the Shipley mini market owner Dave …….. Bob Martin.

 

His lesson didn’t finish on time so its option B.

If his lesson hadn’t overrun it would still have been option B.


To be perfectly honest it was always option B.

 

Sack them All