Sparks Out

I believe Ryan commented with regards a DOF to help that side of the club, but didn't sound enthusiastic about it.

 

Please keep us informed with any response you get from Ryan, fair point you've both quoted.

 

Cracking post Martin, I do believe it's an age thing with regards older fans not supporting protests before dialogue.
When fans start accusing other fans of being "happy clappers" IMO they have lost the debate.
Back in the day when we started watching Bradford City there wasn't the options of Saturdays being anything else but football, I'm not suggesting that if you don't have 50+ years in I'm a better fan than them, many attend both home and away as we did in our younger days.
I agree with regards when we have a bad result it's certain players or as we've seen of late individuals not performing as well as they did last season, but I have to say the situation were in compared to where we were before Rupp got involved has to be questioned, I'm don't believe as an owner or CEO you necessarily have to be a devoted Bradford City fan but under Julian Rhodes, Mark Lawn, James Mason and David Baldwin you believed they would do whatever was required to improve and bring success to our club.

 

Over the years Dave , i am approaching 50 and you many more, the club has seen far more struggles the times of joy
The rise in the 80's, blown by lack of vision by the owners and a fall back.
The rise in the 90's , blown by the owners summer of madness ego.
The rise under Parky , lost with the sale to the current owner.and back to where we have spent most of our time.
Like you say , i suppose most of us that have been going since the 60's and 70's are a little more reluctant to riot.
Evolution over revolution. Although the first is very difficult, but not impossible, i do not think the second will work, as Rupp is quite happy to maintain the status quo.

 

Thanks Bronco
I believe that when I started watching City Albert Harris was Chairman (and owner ?) and presumably a “Wool Man”
During the early 60s he oversaw a relegation to Division 4 and eventually to almost extinction
We then got Stafford Hegginbotham who was the first vocal Chairman promising the Earth but sold out to Bob Martin after one promotion and then relegation
Bob Martin - rogue that he was - talked a good talk but after getting us promoted drove the club into administration
Once again Stafford Hegginbotham stepped into the breach and financed by Jack Tordoff started the best era the club has seen in recent times.
Unfortunately the disaster in May 1985 took its toll on Hegginbotham despite promotion to the Championship and allegations about his role in ignoring fire risks eventually led to Jack Tordoff taking the reins
Relegation back to L1 followed so Tordoff sold to Dave Simpson - a travel agent with few means
The best thing Simpson did was sell the club to Geoffrey Richmond financed by David Rhodes and we were promised and achieved Premier League football
The cost of this brief period of glory was administration - twice in 2 years and after being saved by Gordon Gibb (due to him buying the stadium) Rhodes and his Son took control
Julian became Chairman and saw us get relegated twice (back to L2) being joined on the journey by Mark Lawn
Lawn had given City a loan at an interest rate higher than that represented by the rent on VP but after the tremendous luck reaching Wembley twice in 2013 repaid the loan
After defeat in the L1 play off semi final Rhodes and Lawn sold out to Rupp and Rahic
Once again fans were promised Premier League football within 5 years but finished up back in L2 instead and got rid of Rahic in the process
My question is - Which of these Chairmen had any real vision of both Football and Financial success ?
Hegginbotham maybe and Richmond in the football side - as for the rest they are all as bad as each other

 

Let's give these new guys who formed the Independent Supporters Group a chance if they don't get what we believe is a reasonable reply (unfortunately nothing will suppress the feelings of some on here) then it's down to individuals choice of how they respond.
Unless my grandson says he doesn't want to attend Bradford City games I will be renewing, my time with him is far more important than anything else at my age.

 

So are we not allowed to aspire to be better? If we were traditionally always a League 2 club, do we just be content with what we are now?

Sorry. Not for me.

I thank the Lord there are people like Geoffrey Richmond in this World, who show some ambition.

I doubt this club could be more than a ‘Rotherham’ in the Championship given the sickening sums involved in running a football club, but there is absolutely no reason why a club of this size, with a huge ground and fanbase, should not be competing at the top end of League 1.

That is where we were before Rupp and Rahic arrived. We’re miles off getting back to that point now. That is thanks to our passive owner and inexperienced/blagger of a CEO.

get them out, ASAP.

 

Lawn and Rhodes were prepared to make calculated risks at least. Rupp is risk averse and happy just to exist. Its not good enough for the majority of our fans. We’ve regressed under their leadership.

 

How many times do you get chatting to fans of other clubs and they say ‘what is going on at Bradford’ or words to similar effect?

it shows its not just us having rose tinted specs. We are chronic underachievers because we are led by donkeys.

 

Ditto, Saturday afternoon with my lad and occasionally my granddaughter , who wants her first ever season ticket for next year and she will be almost 21 and my grandson who is 5 and wants to come. its more than just the football.

 

At this very moment in we're sitting 18th in league two with very little excitement/entertainment on the field, next seasons "season ticket launch" is going to be one massive effort to convince many fans things will be better than the previous 6/7 seasons.

 

We all want the club to be better.
I am not sure anyone on here or at the club actually knows the way forward.
Even those good times (few and far between) were lost through owner lack of ambition , ego or mistakes.
We need to as fans all stick together and set some targets we would like to achieve.
I suggested if the season tickets remain the same, why not ask fans to put extra into an account either one of payment or monthly and see what can be raised. could we get the stadium for £4 - 5 million tops ,
4 years to renewal 10000 fans at £125 per annum each , raises the £5million plus accumulated interest.
Still only equates to paying £325 for a season ticket or £14 per game.

 

True. If I went for just the football I'd have stopped years ago, the 90 minutes usually ruins an otherwise enjoyable Saturday. That said I still yearn for those afternoons like against Sheffield Utd and Bolton where Valley Parade was rocking and you left feeling exhilarated despite not winning because the game matched the occasion. You just don't get that level of excitement in league 2. This club, this city even, deserves to have the chance of 20,000+ crowds against some the bigger sides in the football league.

 

Agree in principle with this but with the caveat that any owner in charge also stumps up the same amount. I ain't doing it to put money in Rupp or any other owners pocket.

 

Exactly what Risks did Rhodes take on his journey from the Championship to L2 ?
Prof Rhodes had all but lost his investment when the club slipped into administration and it was Gibb who took a massive risk buying the ground of a club that may not exist down the line (and don’t tell me VP would represent an attractive development alternative)
Lawn did at least risk a loan but got it repaid at the first opportunity
2012/3 was a freak event. Even after our League Cup exploits we only just scraped into the play offs
Rupp has taken a massive Financial Risk due to being duped by someone claiming to “Know Football” but has decided to limit his involvement presumably because he doesn’t know football
There maybe better owners (some Saudi Investment funds ???) and maybe some worse (some Saudi Investment funds ??? Or Reading) owners
However Coventry fans hated their owners for several seasons but are now quite content
As for me I’ll go to Wrexham expecting (hoping for) 3 points and if the inevitable loss follows I”ll be at VP on Tuesday expecting the same against MK

 

We could as owners still charge rent to the club , either at the same or a lesser amount, the funds then raised can be used to re-invest into our asset , the stadium. improving the matchday experience for us , the fans, who will be here long after Rupp and Sparks have gone. Unless they ruin the club beforehand.

 

I'm always up for a different way of looking at things.

 

I'm not disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing mate but what about the owner of the business putting his hand in his pocket showing us fans he does want to start by getting us back to where we were when he took over, getting a promotion would also give him a better chance of a sale.

 

So your suggestion is that the fans buy the ground and then lease it back to the club
Gibb gets his money back by selling the ground
How does the club benefit unless the fans decide to waive the rent ?
If I had £5m to buy the ground I think I would want a bit of a return on my investment
However if you’ve got the odd £5m or pals with £5m between them for no return then I’m happy with that - but wouldn’t necessarily expect the club to invest this annual saving wisely

 

Devoted to the club !!!
With this lot I would be happy if they just did their job with a modicum of conscientious