New chief allays fears after Khan quits ‘stronger’ Bulls

Restaurant boss Khan only rescued the West Yorkshire outfit from administration barely 12 months ago with support from local MP Gerry Sutcliffe.

However, he has found it difficult making the former Super League champions viable and just recently had to release cash from his own property portfolio to raise funds to pay the players’ wages for July. Bradford failed to make the play-offs for a fifth year running before owner Khan yesterday unexpectedly announced he was stepping down due to “ill health”.

Sutcliffe and fellow director Vipin Joshi have also departed in readiness for general manager Ryan Whitcut and Moore – who runs Bradford-based bed business BedzRus – to take over ownership if the RFL ratify the deal.

Moore has been a sponsor of the club since May and – though he is not allowed to reveal how much he had paid for the club due to “legal reasons” – he did reassure supporters that current budgets for 2014 will be maintained.

“The deal was completed late Tuesday night and it’s been going on since the weekend,” he said.

“My background is retail and I help to run a multi-million pound business, so there was an opportunity to come in and bring my expertise across, so here we go.

“My businesses are mainly retail and dotcom companies based on the internet, social media and I’ve a retail shop in Bradford.

“There are a lot of those skills that I can bring here. I can’t control the players but hopefully we can make it more viable commercially as a retail centre and a proper business. I think in any organisation, you need different people with different skills.

“That’s the main challenge but we’ve known about it for a while and have been able to plan ahead in terms of budgets.

“They are in place for next year and have been signed off, so we know what we are dealing with.”

Bradford coach Francis Cummins has already made some significant signings for 2014 including Warrington Wolves’ England prop Garreth Carvell and Huddersfield Giants forward Dale Ferguson.

The new owners have indicated they will be looking for further outside investment into the business but, importantly, the club’s future does not depend on that.

Deputy director Robbie Hunter-Paul, meanwhile, becomes chief executive officer and Roy Davison will assume the title of assistant commercial director but there will be no changes to the football structure.

Khan’s statement read: “Following an exciting year, it is sad that due to ill health, I intend to hand over the reins to new owners, Ryan Whitcut and Mark Moore of BedzRus, subject to RFL approval. Ryan and Mark both share the same passion as I do for the club.

“My objective, together with Gerry Sutcliffe MP, to move the club from the threat of extinction has been achieved and I have spent every single day for the past year at the club in order to reinvigorate it and bring it back to life.

“The club is in a much stronger position and the time is now right to move it forward.”