Dave Craven: Ailing Bradford Bulls reach crisis point in bid to survive

ALMOST as predictable as the post-mortem into another England tournament failure was news that former World Club champions Bradford Bulls are in administration yet again.
Bradford Bulls new owner and chairman, Marc Green.Bradford Bulls new owner and chairman, Marc Green.
Bradford Bulls new owner and chairman, Marc Green.

It is the third time in just five years they have hit such troubles.

For all Marc Green’s protestations otherwise – the Bradford chairman publicly insisted in August he would not consider sending the club into administration – many fully expected it to occur.

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Indeed, it was hard not to agree with Matt Diskin, the Bulls assistant coach who left at the end of the season to take over Batley Bulldogs, when he Tweeted ‘is anyone genuinely surprised?’

Championship club Bradford were hit with a winding-up petition following a claim for monies owed by HMRC in July and that remains unresolved.

Green said: “I will be working closely with the administrators over the coming weeks and it is my intention to regain this club from them within the shortest practicable time frame.”

After a costly relegation, they have been stuck in the Championship for two seasons and failed to reach the money-spinning Qualifiers this year. If they do survive to start the 2017 campaign they could receive a six-point penalty.