Bradford Bulls: Championship club placed in administration for third time

Bradford Bulls were relegated from Super League at the end of the 2014 season

Championship rugby league club Bradford Bulls have been placed in administration for the third time.

Bradford, who entered administration in both 2012 and 2014, faced a winding-up petition from HM Revenue & Customs in October.

Bulls chairman Marc Green said he had been talking to investors but "pressure from HMRC has forced the club to be put into this position to save its future."

Green has been in charge of the club since 2014.

He added: "There is a dispute between ourselves and HMRC which we have been working hard to resolve since the winding-up petition was issued and despite two adjournments from the courts to resolve this matter we have been unable to do so.

"We were concerned over the ability to secure a third adjournment and therefore this action became unavoidable to protect the club.

"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.

"Regardless of whether I remain at the helm of this great club, I will ensure all memberships already purchased for next season will remain valid, as will the offer under which they were purchased. I believe the future of Bradford Bulls is still strong."

Gary Pettit and Gavin Bates, directors of PBC Business Recovery and Insolvency, have been appointed joint administrators of the club.

The Bulls, four-time Super League Grand Final winners, were relegated from the top flight of rugby league in 2014.

They finished fifth in the Championship in 2016.

In a statement, the Rugby Football League said any decision regarding Bradford's membership and possible sporting sanctions would be made in due course at the discretion of the governing body's board.

"It is undoubtedly a painful and uncertain time for supporters, players and employees," the statement added. "In these circumstances the RFL will always seek to support a club in difficulty for the sake of those directly affected and also on behalf of the chairmen and boards of well managed clubs who deserve stability."

'It's just so sad'

Former Bradford Bulls coach Francis Cummins told BBC Radio Leeds: "I was there when the club went through it twice before and what the genuine fans of the club did will stay with me forever. It's sad for the people who are having to live through it now.

"It's a terrible feeling when you go through it. You're not in control and you're waiting for answers but there's no answers to give.

"Bradford have employees who are doing more than just their job. They're doing two or three jobs and they're volunteering extra hours.

"You're hoping that someone will step in and buy the club. It's going to be a tough ask finding someone willing to take it on."