Sport : Rugby League

BRADFORD FINANCES 'WORSE'

2nd June 2012, 10:15am

The Bulls remain confident of avoiding administration

The Bulls remain confident of avoiding administration

Bradford say the club's financial situation is much worse than originally thought and £1.25million is still needed to secure their future to the end of the year.

Stephen Coulby, who was recently re-elected to the board of directors, said a significant sum, understood to be around £500,000, is in the pipeline from a would-be investor but that at least another £700,000 was needed to avoid the threat of administration.

After fans responded to an urgent call to donate funds, around £500,000 was raised and it was claimed another £500,000 would pay off current liabilities.

Now, however, after an independent review of the club's finances instigated by former chairman Chris Caisley, Coulby said the Bulls are currently losing £100,000 per month and revealed that former chairman Hood and his former co-director Andrew Bennett, who both stepped down last month, budgeted to lose over £1million this year.

"The independent financial review has taken place and a further injection of £1.25million is needed to pay off short-term debts and keep the club out of administration," Coulby told the Bradford Telegraph and Argus.

"Nevertheless, we're in a position to carry on the talks with investors and progress is being made.

"There is more than one party involved and they want to see business plans and budgets for next year, which is what we've been doing for the last three weeks.

"There is progress being made but other things have come out of the woodwork, such as a six-figure loan which we didn't know about.

"We're on with the business plan and budget for next year because we need to get away from losing £100,000 a month, which is what is happening at the moment.

"Peter and Andrew budgeted to lose over £1million this year. How the hell you budget to lose that sort of money, about £1.2million, in a business is beyond me."

Coulby, who said he was confident that players and staff would be paid as normal next week, believes the club can negotiate a way through its current crisis.

"There are conversations ongoing with more than one potential investor and we are quietly confident of avoiding administration," he said.

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