Bradford Bulls crisis: In depth video interviews with administrator and acting chairman

BRADFORD’S situation was described as “grim” by the man brought in to save the club from liquidation.

The ailing Super League club today entered administration in an effort to avoid a winding-up petition brought by HM Revenue & Customs over an unpaid tax bill of £300,000.

Brendan Guilfoyle, from insolvency firm The P&A Partnership, who has been appointed as joint administrator, says he has just 10 working days to find a buyer and may have to listen to offers for players to bring in short-term cash.

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“It’s a crisis situation,” Guilfoyle said, “and selling players and redundancies cannot be ruled out.

Click the video screen above to watch the full interview

BULLS ADMINISTRATION TIMELINE

January 24 2012: The Rugby Football League announce they have brought Odsal from Bradford for an undisclosed sum - later revealed to be around £1.25million - and will lease the ground back to the club for a monthly rent. The governing body also claw £750,000 back in loans advanced to the Super League club.

March 27: Bradford chairman Peter Hood launches a desperate appeal for £1million after the club’s bankers, RBS, cut their overdraft facility. He warns they need £500,000 by Good Friday - April 6 - to keep the club afloat.

March 28: The club realise £100,000 in pledges within 48 hours.

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March 29: Widnes chairman Terry O’Connor donates £10,000 of his own money to Bradford’s appeal.

April 5: Former Bradford chairman Chris Caisley calls an extraordinary general meeting to oust Peter Hood and co-director Andrew Bennett.

April 5: The All Party Parliamentary Group write to the chairman of RBS urging him to extend the club’s overdraft.

April 5: An auction of sporting memorabilia at Odsal raises £28,000 towards the appeal fund.

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April 6: A bumper crowd of 20,821 turn out for the Leeds home game on Good Friday, enabling club to exceed original budget for the match and further boost the appeal fund.

April 10: Bradford announce they have reached their initial target of £500,000 in pledges.

April 22: Peter Hood announces he is preparing to step down ahead of the EGM scheduled for May 23.

May 9: Peter Hood and Andrew Bennett formally resign from the board.

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May 11: Former directors Stephen Coulby and Rowland Agar rejoin the Bradford board and former chairman Chris Caisley, still a major shareholder, announces a strategic review.

June 2: Coulby reveals the club’s debts are worse than thought following an independent financial review and that a further £1.25million is needed to survive beyond the end of the year.

June 13: Bradford file notice of intention to appoint administrators after HM Revenue & Customs threaten to issue a winding-up petition over an unpaid tax bill, later revealed to be in excess of £300,000.

June 26: Club enter administration and joint administrator Brendan Guilfoyle says they have 10 working days to find a buyer or go into liquidation.

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