Would you be happy with this guy in charge

You would have to ask Stefan that question, I'm not party but I have a good idea but not for me to speculate on others affairs.

 

The question was about your comment on Rupps tenure, your personal opinion. I obviously didn't expect a forensic breakdown of the accounts.

 

Think my opinion is contained in the last para of my post 74 on this thread.

 

Considering he's taken that money back out at the earliest possible opportunity and at a time when the club was massively struggling then we'll probably have to agree to disagree.

 

We've gone from play off final in div 1 to mid table in div 2 in Rupp's ownership. That can't be defended.

What has he done differently to Rhodes & Lawn? The plan you outlined in #74 was Rhodes plan because he couldn't take the club forward. Now we are back to Rhodes master plan which is to HOPE we go on a cup run.

I just can't take Rupp seriously! Why is Rhodes still here and why hasn't Rupp brought in his own team now to try to take this club forward.

First chance Rupp took was to take money back out of the club.

 

Rhodes isn't STILL here, he's BACK here - he is part of Rupp's team that he's assembled.

 

Lazy appointment now. He needs to leave

 

I would agree with a lot of what you say and in fact we had similar
choice options which my father gave me.It was always City,maybe
even as a six year old I never wanted BPA or L**ds even though my
father offered to take me to either of those.

The club has always been financially struggling.The ground was always
an eyesore even though it didn't seem to matter.The crumbling kop
terracing and rusty barriers which health and safety would condem
today.An old cricket type half time score board just another eyesore.

I think in all honesty, Bradford has been an affluent place with the wool
industry and as you say,had plenty of wealthy citizens.However,once the
economy changed so the poor infrastructure got worse and City did too.

The irony is the 85 tragedy created a bond with fans and club that is virtually
unique in my opinion.You persevere watching your team with no expectation
of anything beyond a rare cup run.Then, in the McCall Hendrie era with what
was a rise in quality that I had never seen before and although a lot is said about
those two players,we had a real team playing fantastic football and I believed
for the first time we could actually become a club to be reckoned with.

Alas,I see that opportunity as being a surfer missing the biggest wave and although
Richmond kept his promise of prem football,he had a chance to either consolidate
sensibly or maybe be a yo yo club continuing our aspirations of eventually cementing
a top flight place but he gambled recklessly and the rest is history.

The other aspect is Bradford has a high Asian population and it's great to see them at
games but I think we need to encourage more to get attendances higher and bring in
the extra revenue.

My opinion of Stefan is gratitude for not abandoning us when Rahic went and he did
the honourable thing but the question of investment is very debatable as by his own
admittance,he is not a big football man so does that mean hope is in short supply?

 

Thread title “Would you be happy with this guy in charge” My answer yes I have just watched his video on Posh TV . He his in isolation in the States the guy comes over well and is keeping in contact with the club . My point is we as fans hear nothing from our owner and not much from the club overall. I do feel we have had issues within the club long before the pandemic hit us. I have followed City for many years throughout difficult times. Once we get through this I just hope the club are positive and get things sorted even if it means Stefan going.

 

Yes, fair point, I would definitely enjoy Darragh's forthright tweets and down-to-earth communications.

It wouldn't take long for some to try arguing with him at every verse end, but he doesn't seem to mind and it doesn't stop him.

 

You make some good points about the history of Bradford.

However, other unfashionable towns and cities seem to be able to sustain relatively successful football clubs.
So there must be more to it.
I think part of the problem is football culture has never been as engrained into the fabric of the city as, say, the north west, or other big industrial areas.
West Yorks, Huddersfield not withstanding, is just one of those areas where football never really gained a big foothold. It's just the way it is. Even Leeds only really became 'big' in the Revie era.

For me, the big missed opportunity was the late 80s.
I'd bet Tordoff is kicking himself now. A bit of investment could have seen City established in the old first division going into the premier league era. He'd be laughing now.

Another missed opportunity was not capitalising on our 15 minutes of fame in the late 90s, failing to invest in training facilities/ academy etc.

I don't necessarily share your pessimism regarding attracting investors. A hard nosed business man will see an underachieving football club in a big post industrial city with a large potential fanbase. Hence the comments from Dmac.
I'm not sure they'd give too hoots about what the golf club snobs think.

 

I don’t think with very few exceptions football is an investment it’s either a passion or a status symbol.Sadly I don’t see anybody with money who has passion for the club on the horizon and I don’t think owning a football club in the city of Bradford is a status symbol

 

Maybe not, but i think some might be attracted by the fanbase and the adulation that would come with getting the club into the championship or beyond.

 

A great example of what could be achieved...

 

You have to look at the history of Burnley to understand the potential of the club they are today. Take out the disastrous eighties and early nineties and their history puts them up their as a premiership/championship side all day long. I'm not sure what we have in common with them other than being a predominantly poor working class area of the country. All this talk of potential just doesn't wash with me, our history shows as a sporting city the only real success has been when money was pumped in, nothing to do with the catchment area. In my life time the only times i can remember Bradford having an iffinity with its sporting clubs was the mid to late nineties and mid 2000s for the bulls. Bradford isn't a sporting hotbed, it never will be.

 

Neither did Peterborough when he bought them.

 

Burnley are a big name in football having over achievers most of their history but your right they have achieved well without spending boatloads