History of the Bradford Bulls
The History of the Bradford Bulls stretches back from their former incarnation as Bradford F.C. in 1863 to 2017.
1863–1907
The Bradford Football Club was formed in 1863. Park Avenue was established as their home ground in 1880. It achieved its first major success by winning the Yorkshire Cup in 1884. In 1895, along with cross-town neighbours Manningham F.C., Bradford was among 22 clubs to secede from the Rugby Football Union after a historic meeting at the George Hotel in Huddersfield, in response to a dispute over "broken time" payments to players. These 22 clubs formed the Northern Rugby Union. In 1903–04, Bradford finished level on points with Salford at the top of the league and then won the resulting play-off, 5–0. Manningham ran into financial difficulties and, despite a summer archery contest that generated enough money to ensure their survival, its members were persuaded to change to association football. The club was invited to join the Football League in 1903, in an attempt to introduce soccer to the rugby-dominated region, and the newly renamed Bradford City AFC was voted into full membership of the Second Division without playing a game of soccer, having a team or being able to guarantee a ground.
There was also a demand for association football at Park Avenue, which played host to soccer matches as well as Northern Union games. The first game of association football played at Park Avenue was an exhibition match between Blackburn Rovers and a Blackburn District XI in 1882. Between 1895 and 1899, Bradford also entered the West Yorkshire and Yorkshire leagues, the FA Amateur Cup and the FA Cup. In 1905–06, Bradford's rugby team beat Salford 5–0 to win the Challenge Cup and were runners-up in the Championship. The following season winning the Yorkshire Cup 8–5 against Hull Kingston Rovers.
With soccer already successful at Bradford City, a meeting was called of the club members on 15 April 1907 to decide the club's future. An initial vote appeared to favour continuing in the Northern Union, then opinion shifted towards rugby union but the Chairman, Mr Briggs, used his influence to swing the committee behind association football. This act, sometimes referred to as "The Great Betrayal", led to Bradford becoming a soccer club, Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C. and a new team Bradford Northern was created to take the available place in the Northern Union. Bradford Northern's first home was Greenfield Athletic Ground.
Bradford Northern
In 1951–52, Bradford were runners-up in the league but beat New Zealand at Odsal in the first floodlit football match of any code in the North of England. In 1953, a crowd of 69,429 watched Bradford play Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup third round. This was Northern's highest ever attendance. Northern also won the Yorkshire Cup final 7–2 against Hull. Bradford Northern and Leigh were the first rugby league clubs to stage matches on a Sunday in December 1954, although there was opposition from the Sunday Observance lobby.
Bradford Northern's support declined rapidly in the 1963 season, attracting a record low crowd of 324 against Barrow. Northern went out of business on 10 December 1963 having played just 13 matches; winning 1 and losing 12, scoring 109 points and conceding 284. In 1964, the Bradford Northern club reformed through the efforts of such people as Trevor Foster and Joe Phillips and were accepted back into the Rugby League. The reformed club won its first cup in 1965–66 by beating Hunslet 17–8 in the final of the Yorkshire Cup.
The Super League era
The Super League era – 1996
Name Change and start of the Bulls The club's name was changed from Bradford Northern to Bradford Bulls and a new logo was adopted. Australian Brian Smith was appointed coach and later Chief Executive. Bradford lost the 1996 Challenge Cup final 40–32 to St Helens, Robbie Paul became the first player to score a hat-trick in the final, a performance that won him the Lance Todd Trophy. Robbie also won the Super League Player of the Year.
In September 1996, Brian Smith decided to return to Australia as coach of Parramatta Eels and assistant coach Matthew Elliot took over. Bradford Bulls finished the season as the best supported team in Super League with an average attendance in excess of 10,000.
Champions-1997
On the Road – 1998
So Close – 1999
The millennium
Flower of Scotland – 2000
Glory Days-2001
World beaters- 2002
Tre-BULL Champions -2003
World Champions – 2004
History Makers – 2005
New Era – 2006
Centenary season – 2007
There was a team of the century team announced in August 2007.
2012–2017: Administrations, relegation and liquidation
In March 2012 the club announced that it was in financial difficulties and needed £1 million to keep the club afloat.[1] A public appeal saw a lot of new funds pour in from supporters,[1] but following the issue of a winding up petition from HMRC for unpaid taxes the holding company for the club was forced to go into administration on 26 June 2012.[2] The Rugby Football League announced that had the company been wound up then the team would be allowed to complete their fixtures for the 2012 Super League season under the possible ownership of a supporters trust.[3] On 2 July 2012, the club's administrator, Brendan Guilfoyle, made sixteen members of staff, including the coach Mick Potter and chief executive Ryan Duckett, redundant, but announced that the club would attempt to fulfill its fixtures.[4] Mick Potter continued as an unpaid coach until the end of the season. On 31 August 2012 a bid for the club from a local consortium, headed by Braford businessman Omar Khan, was accepted by the administrator[5] and was ratified by the RFL in early September.[6] Days later the RFL also granted the new owners a one-year probationary licence enabling the club to compete in Super League XVIII in 2013.[7]
Francis Cummins was appointed as head coach of the Bulls in September 2012.[8] During the 2012/13 season the Bulls appointed Dr Allan Johnston (psychiatrist) to the backroom staff to support the players wellbeing and performance. This appointment was thought to be the first of its kind in Rugby League.[9] In late December 2013 it was announced that chairman Mark Moore and directors Ian Watt and Andrew Calvert had resigned.[10]
In 2014, relegation was reintroduced to the Super League with two teams being relegated. Bradford were deducted 6 points for entering administration early on in the season and the Bulls were relegated from the top division of rugby league in Britain for the first time in 40 years. Francis Cummins was sacked around the time of relegation and replaced by James Lowes and won most of their remaining games.
Bradford began their first Championship campaign in 40 years against Leigh away where they narrowly lost the game. By the end of the regular season they entered the Super 8s finishing second. In the Qualifiers Bradford failed to make the top three for automatic entry to Super League for 2016, finishing 5th which meant a trip to Wakefield to play them in the first ever Million Pound Game. Bradford would lose 24–16, condemning them to a second year in the Championship.
In preparation for the 2016 season, Bradford completed the signings of several experienced players, such as Centre Kris Welham from Super League side Hull Kingston Rovers, as well as Oscar Thomas, Mitch Clark, Johnny Campbell, Jonathan Walker and Kurt Haggerty from London Broncos, Doncaster, Batley and Leigh. Bradford started the season strongly, with a win over fellow promotion hopefuls Featherstone Rovers by 22–12. Omari Caro scored a hat-trick in this match. This was followed up by away wins at Whitehaven and Swinton. Bradfords season was ultimately disappointing with failure to reach The Qualifiers,[11] this meant Bradford would miss out on a chance of promotion
On 14 November 2016, Bradford Bulls were placed in administration for the third time since 2012.[12] On 16 November, the Rugby Football League (RFL) cancelled Bradford's membership, making their future uncertain. In the ensuing weeks several bids to buy the club were made but despite one bid being acceptable to the RFL, none were accepted by the administrator and the club went into liquidation on 3 January 2017.[13] Following liquidation the RFL issued a statement saying:
While a number of alternatives were considered the Board was most mindful of the planning already undertaken by all other clubs in the competition structure, the season tickets already purchased and the players and staff who will now be seeking employment in and around the sport in 2017. Accordingly the Board has agreed that the wider interests of the sport is best satisfied if it offers a place in the Kingstone Press Championship to any new club in Bradford and that such a club start the 2017 season on minus 12 points. The RFL believes that Rugby League needs Bradford and that Bradford deserves a strong and stable professional club and will work with all interested parties to deliver that outcome.[14]
References
- "Bradford Bulls 'need £1m' to stay in business, as support pours in". BBC Sport. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- "Bradford Bulls go into administration and face 'extinction'". BBC Sport. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- "Bradford Bulls can finish season – even if liquidated". BBC Sport. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- Ian Laybourn (2 July 2012). "Bradford Bulls make 16 redundancies, including head coach Mick Potter". The Independent. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
- "Future of Bradford Bulls resolved as Omar Khan buys club". The Guardian. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- "Bradford Bulls: Omar Khan takeover ratified by RFL". BBC Sport. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- "Bradford Bulls: RFL grants club Super League licence". BBC Sport. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- Ian Laybourn (17 September 2012). "New Bradford Bulls head coach Francis Cummins is ready to work with limited resources". The Independent. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- "BULLS APPOINT PSYCHIATRIST". Bradford Bulls. 1 April 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- "Bradford Bulls directors quit Super League club", BBC Sport, 24 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013
- "Bulls star Mellor targeting unbeaten end to campaign". Telegraph & Argus. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- "Bradford Bulls: Championship club placed in administration for third time". BBC Sport. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
- "Bradford Bulls: Former Super League champions liquidated". BBC Sport. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- "Bradford Bulls go into liquidation - MP Judith Cummins demands an investigation". Telegraph & Argus. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.