Most liked posts in thread: Callum Cooke

Footballers just like other sports stars have the opportunity to learn other things while playing, the time off they have gives them a lot of leisure time to do just that. Whether they choose to do just that is their perogative. I know personally of a few rugby league players who have taken the opportunity to undertake training for jobs such as trades and university courses whilst playing professionally. I have no sympathy with the ones that choose no to, after all, this moment in time has proved there are more important things in life thatn kicking a ball around a field.

 

They are allowed to work once their football career is over just like the rest of us, could never understand that argument that they have short careers so they need to be asking top dollar, many Premier League players who have performed at that level may be made for life but lower down the pyramid they will have to get a job.

 

We wont be signing anyone for a long while.

 

I've never subscribed to that 'short career' theory either. You earn what you are worth during your playing career, you then move on to something else, be it in or out of football. Even if they only play for 10 years and earn a salary comparable to the countrywide average salary, its better than working for a living. If you'd given me a chance to play football for 10 years on my wages i'd have bitten your hands off. And your feet.

 

Yeah and they'll all go to better clubs. We're should take Cooke, we won't attract any better on the money we're likely to pay.

 

Agreed.

 

No players will be signed on big contracts from now on. Football has been shaken to the core by Covid 19 and most likely will never be the same again.

 

I think the first item on the agenda of lower leagues clubs like ours is to keep the club going by whatever financial mechanism they can. I certainly don’t see myself at VP until next year or even next season. However, the club needs to to think creatively and at a much lower budget. If they can play behind closed doors then that would be a start. They could offer a package of support plus iFollow with seat retention as an incentive and others packages. They could do survey of fans to establish what kind of support they might be able to offer the club going forward.
It will be a massive buyers market, wages that players have earned previously will be a thing of the past at all levels in my view. What we are seeing at football governing levels is ppl trying to get back to normal, yes well that won’t be happening in my view. Once reality sets in, they will need to think how at all levels they can financially support clubs. If they don’t clubs will go under it is as simple as that. It is a very real turning point for the game, and the ‘winner’ takes all mentality will not work, we have to have a collegiate approach. If not we aren't just looking at a couple of lower league clubs going under, it will hit all the way to the top. Sky the cash cow won’t be paying anywhere near what they have been doing for empty stadiums.

If and when we have a vaccine, may help but unless we are extremely lucky, that won’t be coming to the aid of football clubs already in financial straights. Just my view of course.

 

I think we will let all non contract players go and not sign anyone until last minute but I don't expect signings of any note until next season is 100% going ahead with no sign of a second/third wave.

 

I think youth will be more than backup. I think you'll see some very young sides in league 2.

 

Most of your posts since the lockdown is about how bad it would be if Liverpool are not premiership champions that they won't be signing any players if it bothers you so much go register on their forum and you can all cry together and your only trying to wind our resident hammer up by mentioning West ham every post.
Think you should have a little rest again as this lockdown has sent you dafter than normal.

 

I think faithful was being sarcastic Rodders.

 

I work with athletes in a far less secure sports industry, and believe me committing to that sport is an all or nothing decision that often involves conflicting advice from various sources, ie, family.

Because it's less secure, secondary careers aren't just after thoughts, they are generally a very real and active part of their lives until an athlete reaches a certain point of their career and a contract capable of funding them for the immediate future.

That young people can forego all of that before they've even made it in football is bizarre, and possibly unsustainable going forward. In some ways it must make it much more difficult later in life to just switch careers. That's largely because football exists in a totally unrealistic financial bubble.

 

I think what ever level they play at, they need to think long term. It is a negative way of looking at their career to think this is a short career I must get as much as possible while I am playing. I would advise any young footballer to think creatively and think his football career is a platform for his future career. He is a footballer now, but he could be anything in the future and should consider he is extremely lucky to be earning money with job (I hope he enjoys).

 

First of all hope all is well and you keeping safe.

Football is in a mess. I have heard it will cost the Pl 1 billion if they don't finish the season and even clubs with money will go under.

PL clubs have no confidence in the EFL hence this no relegation nonsense talk.

I'm not sure how Bradford City will keep going. I don't see us being creative enough. We haven't been creative since Mason left!

Think we need to let all players out of contract go in the summer and I mean all of them. Reduce the wage bill but we will have no money coming in as we don't have any assets.

The hope is the PL finishing but then the PL might make some down payments to the EFL. If they don't then the PL won't support the EFL.

If clubs like Barcelona, Utd, Liverpool are all saying it's going to be tough in the summer then lower league football clubs are in an extremely difficult position.

Me and @Faithful Bantam have said for years the club isn't ambitious and now that lack of ambition could hit us hard! Take directors loans isn't the way forward and we shouldn't be in that position.

Rhodes needs to talk to Gibbs about the stadium. We need to be more creative to generate money and I would hire Bradford City sales people to connect with businesses because that digital tv thing and as boards will be useless for 12 months.

I fear for our club. Have done since the owners stood on the pitch promising PL football.

 

Have to say, it's an interesting point you make.

I agree, and as outlined in my earlier post, it's something that's necessary in other sports.

However, and to play Devil's advocate, that's the same for anyone in any job. I think if we were being honest, there are lots of people in lots of occupations who know it might not last forever. Are they all retraining? Almost certainly not.

The major advantage footballers have is they can afford to train in another set of skills - but equally, if you're learning a trade you need to get the timing right. No use learning a trade at 20, then retiring at 36 unless you're going to practice in between!

 

We can’t and shouldn’t be offering anyone any contract until we know when football will start again, I didn’t mind Cooke and think he could excel in a McCall coached team on a decent surface.

But as I said on another thread I think football will look very different when it returns, it’ll have to too survive. We and many others will most likely have to rely far more on youth teams, however if Cooke is still available when the time comes and has realistic wage demands which we can afford I’d say go for it.

To put it into context he’s the same age roughly as Danny Devine, it’s a no brainier who you’d rather have.