Stefan Rupp - An Open Letter

I'm guessing Sky have the budget details or can easily find them through agents or connections with the EFL, i;d imagine its not a hard thing to find for them. All Sparks has said is ours is £2.8m and that the top budget this season for the first time ever ticked over £4m (Wrexham). I can and i cant see it being us because you look at the squad and think how in the world have we spent so much and ended up with that? But also, we have over 30 pros at the minute either here or out on loan, i cant imagine Woking and Hartlepool are covering Odusina and Hendries wages in full, but we have a few like that. I bet we have spent it all, just we have 7 or 8 too many on the books.

 

If there is an interested buyer, the best thing we can do to force Rupps hand is ramp up the ST boycott.

 

Yeah i think Gills are the likely other one, they spend loads and had a fair few on decent money. Mansfield matched out Wrexham for Aden Flint apparently at the time, and Flint living in Sheffield didn't fancy moving for the same money was on one of those Football League world type websites. No idea how true but probably not a million miles off.

 

Hence why I think something else is brewing, as Rupp/Sparks want to avoid any negatives to reduce the selling price.

 

What he said over 5 years ago in December 2018

“The time for change has come and this marks the beginning of a new chapter for the club,” said Rupp.

“The people of Bradford deserve much, much better.

“I will do everything in my power to wash away the dreadful memories of the last 12 months and consign them to the history books for good.

“I have invested significantly in the club over the past two seasons and will continue to do so

Let's be honest if the protest wasn't tommorow you wouldn't have heard anything today

 

It's just meaningless waffle, to put people off from protesting tomorrow and for people to buy season tickets.

 

Exactly how I feel why now what's changed apart from the realisation that the cheap season ticket deal doesn't and hasn't delivered success.
There's so much Apathy amongst the fanbase at the minute can you or anyone honestly trust Rupp to deliver the goods?
After so many years I whole heartedly can't.
My message to Rupp prove me wrong starting today.

 

The whole thing seems a bit silly to me, but I suppose football loves to talk figures even if you can’t put names to faces. Sometimes it’s like agents are running the game, not just an annoying part of it.

I think we can assume one of the £4+ million quite easily https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/news/2024/march/statement--wrexham-afc-annual-report--financial-statements---ye-june-30-2023/

 

The answer isn’t just to keep putting money in. I believe the budget what we had least season was competitive, the problem was how and where it was spent. I wouldn’t be trusting sparks and gent to be spending any of my money!

 

Nothing has changed imo.

An acknowledgement that more is needed on the football side is welcome. However, it is no good if they are answerable to RS.

Acknowledgement that sustainability is a problem, especially if we keep wasting money, is also welcome.

Need to see some actions now.

Keep the pressure on.

 

Well I have read the letter twice now. I am not that impressed to be honest. He gets a tick or something for actually writing it. However like everyone has said it is either or both a cynical ploy to up the ST sales, and/or an attempt to quell the protest. A further consideration is that he has been contacted by the German media which will no doubt have shaken him up.

I am afraid he is too late which is a shame really as it does address some of what fans wanted to hear. The first thing he could do is suspend the sale of ST until meat could be put on bones about some of this hastily formed plan. A fans forum you know the type when fans actually turn up. Without any action on his part I am afraid nothing changes. The reason behind a suspension of ST sales they won’t have to announce a drop which may have a detrimental effect on sponsors etc., it would also give none returning fans time to think again and maybe renew. It’s a long shot, but it is action. It may also give Rupp time to start organising the finances if he actually means what he says.

 

Whilst I appreciate the attempt to communicate with the fanbase, only a fool would pump more money in without understanding why it keeps going wrong. I’d much rather Rupp came out and said he’d recruited an experienced team of footballing auditors (for want of a better word), to look into all things Bradford City. We have one inexperienced man making mistake after mistake. Wasting more money than necessary on settlement costs and 3rd rate players. I don’t trust Sparks to bring the milk in, never mind a football expert to assist him.

 

That's a good point and a serious concern.

Investment in the first team isn't our primary issue.

We don't have the 17th highest budget in League Two, so we're drastically underperforming for reasons unrelated to the budget.

 

Couldn’t have put it better mate.

 

Timed to take some of the heat off for tomorrow's game.
Whilst I welcome the sentiment of the letter it needs to backed up genuine action.
It should be clear to Sparks and Rupp that patience has run out. Anything less than tangible evidence of change will only further alienate the fans of this club.
It's very disappointing that it had to get to this stage for Rupp to act (or should I say appear to act).

 

With regards this comment "Part of my discussion with Ryan yesterday concerned the football department, Ryan expressed a desire to add to that operation and assist our existing staff to achieve better outcomes".
I would hope after reading that statement the help Ryan needs and is prepared to accept will be the appointment of a DOF then the football dissions made at Valley Parade are made by people who have had many years experience within the game, Ryan's staying as CEO but has NO INPUT with regards football apart from making money available.

 

I know you're joking but ........

 

Totally agree.