By Jason McKeown
What took you so long, Stefan? 24 hours before Bradford City’s dismal FA Cup defeat to bottom of League Two Morecambe, the owner Stefan Rupp sent a message to Bantams supporters, giving a general update on club matters.
It wasn’t a ground-breaking statement. It didn’t tell us much new information. But that shouldn’t matter. It’s communication. It’s the chairman talking to supporters. Revealing what he can reveal. Sharing what can be shared. Keeping us in the loop, rather than shutting us out. It was a decent communication that should be welcomed.
The problem with all of this can be best illustrated by supporter reaction, at least on the increasing doom-pit that is social media. Scorn, anger and cynicism poured down in response to Rupp’s words. “Just sell up” amongst the more politely worded range of comments. It’s a frustrating, catch-22 situation. We lament the fact Rupp does not communicate with us. Then when he does, those with the loudest mouths tell him to shut up.
But then, why should this be easy for him? Rupp and the club have waited until arguably the most difficult spell of the season so far before bothering to address us. Where the mood has firmly started to turn against those running the club, and where we risk going back to where we were last March. It’s not hard to feel sceptical that the club are panicking and being reactionary. The optics don’t look brilliant.
It didn’t need to be this way. Back in March, as supporter protests were plotted, and the club was on a horrendous run of form, Rupp made a very public apology by issuing an open letter. He vowed to do things differently, promised he would invest more. He recognised the club’s break-even, sustainability model was not working. “I am fully motivated to ensure we have better days ahead,” Rupp pledged. “I understand the expectation placed upon this club, and I am responsible for starting to deliver on that. I want more of those [successful] times and memories for all of us, and it has been made clear to me what I must do to assist in that.”
That open letter definitely sparked a mixed response, but it did help to quell the unrest, aided by the team dramatically improving its form and ending the season in good spirits. Ultimately, the majority of supporters were prepared to give Rupp the opportunity to make good on his open letter promises. To allow a reset to take place.
The big question is: are things truly different to before? We know there is David Sharpe in place, and City were pretty active in the summer, building up a squad that – when everyone is fit – looks to have greater depth. But whether we genuinely spent more money than break-even would allow, and were smarter in recruitment – well, the jury is certainly out on that. There have been positive noises about buying back Valley Parade and I think most sensible fans recognise this will take time, involving certain sensitivities that mean it can’t be played out in public. But equally, the lack of progress is understandably frustrating.
It seems, not unreasonably, that the club has staked a lot of its focus on the field, with the hope that having a more successful season will answer the critics. But by taking this narrow approach, they’ve neglected to improve engagement with supporters. They’re still making decisions that leave fans scratching their heads and getting angry. The club hasn’t succeeded in rebuilding goodwill of fans, and that leaves them a hostage to the fortunes of whatever the result happens to be at 5pm on a Saturday. And on that front, it’s not been pretty of late. The anger levels are rising with each recent setback.
One of the best sentences we’ve ever published on WOAP came back in April 2012 from David Pendleton, when he wrote, “Here is the crux: if a football club cannot offer genuine hope, it must offer a vision and one that can be bought into.” It’s so true, and yet it remains a lesson the club cannot seem to grasp. There are times it just won’t go well on the field (where hope is absent). But if fans can see the overall intent, and have reason to believe in the club (the vision), patience can hold.
Of course, our mood is going to be primarily dictated by the form guide. But in 27 years of supporting Bradford City, I’ve seen much worse seasons than the last two, and during those dark days supporter mood felt more positive than it is right now. The club surely cannot believe that winning on the field is everything, and negate fixing the foundations of looking after their supporter base. Yet here we are.
And that to me is the biggest disappointment. You can’t fully control how extra investment into players turns out. Whether signing x is a masterstroke or failure. Whether manager y delivers from the resources you give him. But you can influence the mood and confidence of fans by treating us with greater intelligence and respect. And that starts with communicating effectively all the time – not just when things aren’t going to plan.
Back in that Rupp March 2024 letter, he seemed to get this, and he made some big promises. “I have not been present enough and have been too quiet. For that, I apologise. My intention going forward is to be more visible, and I will communicate more regularly with you to ensure you are kept updated on plans for the club’s future. I have been made aware of the various topics that matter the most to you, and I intend to cover them more openly, regularly and clearly.”
Can Rupp say, hand on heart, that he’s living up to this?
And that’s why last Friday’s statement to supporters falls short. He absolutely should have been communicating to us at the end of November. But he should also have communicated to us at the end of October, at the end of September, at the end of August. Heck, at the end of July, June, May and April too. If you do it consistently, in good as well as bad times, frosty supporter relationships would thaw and be more likely to prove durable during challenging periods.
I write this with some personal interest. In my day job I am a copywriter with 15 years experience. Before that, I spent five years helping executives communicate to their staff through written internal communications – aimed at building visions and boosting confidence. I’ve managed other writers for the last 10 years. More recently, I’ve started delivering training sessions on communicating effectively with writing.
I don’t know too much about how to give good media interviews (other than don’t do what Ryan Sparks did at the Graham Alexander unveiling press conference), but I know a couple of things about the importance of written communications. Ways to win hearts and minds. Persuade people to your perspective, and offer reassurance if they’re feeling worried. I think good written communications can make a real difference, and I find it incredibly frustrating when I read much of the copy that comes out of Valley Parade.
I mean, what on earth was that statement about adding £1.50 charges to fans buying tickets by telephone? Who wrote that message, and who signed it off? Forget the £1.50 principle, that was a communication that seemed to have been written with contempt for supporters, or from a viewpoint that we’re stupid. Maybe it’s both. It’s a difficult message, delivered incredibly badly. An absolute f**k up.
If this is the standard of how the club communicate day-to-day, it’s no wonder the messages from the top don’t land as they would want. Partly Rupp needs to be more engaged with club matters. He says he is coming to a game in December. Great stuff. But please don’t just be with us from the comfortable surroundings of the exec box. Why not go for a pre-match drink on North Parade (the beer is great)? Meet and talk with regular supporters. Listen and hear their concerns. Understand better what it is like from our side. Walk a mile in our shoes.
Rupp is clearly not someone who wants to go on Radio Leeds, or stand up in front of people at supporter forums (unless it’s July and most fans are switched off from previous anger/on holiday). Fair enough. But there’s nothing stopping him writing communications to supporters on a much more regular basis, rather than waiting until the end of November. Those who Rupp employs should be helping him do this.
Ryan Sparks was originally hired by Edin Rahic for his communication expertise. It also helped him get the CEO role (one of the reasons why many fans didn’t want Julian Rhodes to stay as interim CEO was his communication failings). For a time, Sparks was great at fronting up to the media and fans. But his populist tone let him down. He made statements that just didn’t age well, and lacked the humility to admit mistakes. Now he has retreated, barely speaking to fans or press. Scarred no doubt by the backlashes.
But this shouldn’t be about one person. Sparks should be advising Rupp on a communication strategy. The club should have a long-term plan for when and how they communicate to fans, and who fronts them up. That way, in time you have a chance of winning back trust. And you can start to disprove one of the biggest charges that many supporters hold against Rupp – that he doesn’t care.
It’s just astonishing to me that we’ve not been doing those things. Rupp promised to be more present, and he simply hasn’t been. Of course, he will get stick every time he speaks from some people who have long made up their minds. But 20-30 people shouting on Twitter should be a minor consideration against the bigger picture of having an audience of 15,054 season ticket holders. 15,054 season ticket holders who you’ll soon be asking to spend money renewing, when they’re currently experiencing their own hellish version of Groundhog Day, with the club unable to escape League Two.
The point is that Rupp and the club promised a great deal in March. It’s difficult to make a case that he’s living up to what he vowed to do. (If we’re judging it on results and the current league table, it doesn’t look clever.) Evidence those who run the club have learned lessons from the past is severely lacking. And maybe if City get promoted this season, they’ll get away with it. The ends will justify the means. But they missed the chance to really reset things, when enough people were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. And if results don’t improve quickly they are putting themselves at huge risk of another supporter backlash, one that this time won’t be appeased by another open letter.
Above all else – the club and Rupp need to understand they are not wrong for issuing Friday’s communication, they are wrong for not doing it often enough.
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I agree, a good read Jason. Cheers
I started off disagreeing with you but you’ve made your case well. I don’t think Rupp needs to communicate that often, but I suppose the old couple of paragraphs in the match program no longer exists and is what needs replacing. Sparks – well you can’t blame him for not speaking, the abuse he gets, but agreed the phone charge was odd – I just assumed it was a parody account!
I think Rupp did invest, Evans, Sarcevic, Byrne, Smallwood, Walker, Cook won’t be cheap. Unfortunately we have a manager with zero tactical nous. At first it was kick and rush and now it’s just nothing really. We have so many defenders on the pitch we can’t attack.
I would love to hear from Adams as to how much new prep he had to do on City for yesterday’s game. We play the same system, the same tactics evey game, regardless of who we have available. We have some excellent players who can’t get in the side because we play 6 defenders and the oppo have the run of the midfield every game!
Under Hughes it was underwhelming but you could see the aim, he’d bought pace and creativity in Tulloch, Wilson, Chapman and Pattison. Although he has been cruelly hamstrung by injuries, Alexander plays the same without pace – unfortunately we are going nowhere. And my heart sank when I heard Sharpe say we are signing players for Graham’s formation.
We might get there because this league is crap but like before the game yesterday, I just can’t see us winning.
Evans, Sarcevic, Byrne, Smallwood, Walker, Cook won’t have come from Rupp’s investment. We roughly earn 2 million each year from season ticket sales with sposorship and shirt sales on top of that. That’s our budget, and they’ll have come from that
The inference from Rupp in the summer statement was of increased investment. Most fans (not me) took that to mean in the player budget.
Season ticket sales have historically always dictated the size of the budget.
So many fans thought Rupp was promising additional funding for players to.have ‘a right go’ this term.
i think its fair to say that has not materialised but we do.now not have a leak in the roof!!!
Other promises were imcreased communication and in attendance at games. This too has not happened.
Fridays statement was ill timed as many fans almost knew what would happen at Morecambe.
As Jason.says contact from Rupp should be a more regular thing.
Rupp has now pushed himself into.a corner. If we have no contact from.him. then he faces criticism, and if he does give rare communication, the motives are questioned.
Meanwhile the club create PR disasters such as the £1.50 phone charge.
The main problem is that Rupp, Sparks and others do not ‘get’ what City are all about.
They are poor at reading a room and continually make the job harder for themselves.
Far from acting as a salve to apply to quell increasing unrest amongst the fans, the latest badly timed statement has only served to drive the club and fans further apart.
so where do the other bills come from?? Power, ground rates , upkeep , office staff, training ground etc etc , There’s no magic money tree and without Rupp continuing input into the club, we would be bankrupt
Great article.
If you look at our most successful, and enjoyable period in the club’s recent history, it is when everybody was working in lockstep with a clear direction of sense and purpose.
It is no coincidence that our cup runs and the Parkinson years (in League One especially) that we became such a strong outfit. We not only recruited well and had good characters at the club, but we took care of the infrastructure we had.
By that, I don’t mean replacing some seats or other small fixes now championed as massive steps forward. We did the basics right. We invested in fitness coaches and sports science, the club never took advantage of unique supported base we have – in fact, we harnessed it, to create an ethos and culture around the club that made Saturday’s enjoyable win or lose.
I miss having teams like Coventry, Sheffield United and Wolves coming to Valley Parade, who have been replaced with the likes of Crawley, Stevenage and Walsall over the past few years (two of which are now in the league above us).
It felt like there were relatable people either out on the pitch, or running the club on a day-to-day basis who were visible. That simply doesn’t exist anymore.
If the club wants to actually progress, it will take more than a few wins on the pitch for me now. It requires an entire rewiring about who we are, what we do, and how we all work together.
At present, I think the very fabric of the club is too frayed for that to be possible under current leadership. But there is always a way back, should people want to invest the time, effort and care to make it happen.
This doesn’t have to be another wasted season; but it feels it’s already going that way. We all saw this result a mile away.
I feel desperately sad about the state of our club. I said in my most recent article I feel like more of a sufferer than a supporter. I’m sure many of you feel the same.
This is not on us as fans. But it will fall to us to be there for whatever comes next. Custodians of the club come and go. Fans are meant to be here forever, until they aren’t. And if that happens, we are in a very dangerous place indeed.
In the adman’s world they call it a weasel. Persil washes whiter! Whiter than what? Daz, you might think, is implied but it might just as well have been no washing up powder at all – or dirty water. This dated example always comes to mind when I read Herr Rupp’s carefully-scripted ‘open letters’. What does ‘more investment’ mean if it is not known what figures are being referred to? And do Germans use idioms like ‘putting your body on the line’? Of course not. This is all cliché, jargon and eyewash. The fact that there is widespread unrest among supporters and that we have a load of Christmas merchandise to shift has presumably motivated the letter and dictated its timing. If we were really going to make substantial funds available for transfers we would be silly to draw attention to it and inflate the fees. Losing to Morecambe yesterday just cost us a cool £75k and the chance of a lucrative third round tie. I’m more bothered about that than platitudinous promises signifying nothing.
just think if Rupps latest letter had been sent today – 10th in a very poor League 2, only still in the Mickey Mouse Cup with a difficult away game to come, dreadful dull football from a nice guy but dreadful dull manager, and the club still being run abysmally by people who should no longer be with us! Different perspective.
They are failing the loyal supporters in the most pathetic way and deserve every criticism coming at their doors
I think you simply sum it up. The tv games I’ve seen this season have been dreary. My grandson predicted yesterday’s result as soon as he saw City’s line up. You’ve got the best striker in the league so you don’t give him the ball.
What gets to me is the depression and lack of genuine ambition and positivity in the whole club management.
Very sad and depressing.
well ?The best part of the day at Morecambe were the superb Fish & ships we had for our lunch , Then at 3 o clock it all went downhill , city s football to sum it up was Dire left back playing out of position and it showed . Midfield very poor Songo our ex player was superb running the show for Adam’s in midfield , Yes we spurned 3 or 4 good chances to score but there goalie had it easy in the end I and 1400 true city supporters came away Angry and very disappointed .yes the sending off in my opinion was harsh but in the end morecambe were the better team . I have noticed that our manager has not got a plan B no wingers no speed in any players and vitally no goals being scored tactics wise G A you have been out witted by grant mccann and now derick Adam’s . For me that is it for travelling to away games to watch this type of football on offer I went in hope But and it’s a big But I expected at least a decent performance from city. Not to be Adam’s has got morecambe playing well with players he signed late in the season on the other side of the coin we had a decent side that ended the season well now it’s worse and we’re struggling to get to January .
The magical panacea for all our current ills is……..’investment’!
Rupp was ‘apparently’ going to ‘invest’ March 2024 onwards.
What actually is this investment? The devil is in the details. Nothing has been announced.
Why didn’t the efficient and effective running of the club, generate sufficient funds, so the club achieved ‘self sufficiency’.
Where has the ‘investment’ been spent, on who, on what?
How has the squad been significantly improved since last season (I see injured, aged, journeymen, arguably poorer than last season).
If the squad has been improved by the ‘investment’, how come the club is treading water, 10th in the division.
If you ‘invest’ then the improvement should be evident. The performances are mediocre and often dour.
I can see no tangible evidence of the heralded ’investment’. Once again let’s have some breakdown of the numbers.
Talk is relatively easy. There is a total lack of obvious ‘investment’ in the squad.
’Investment’ is in deeds, not hollow rhetoric.
If further ‘investment’ in January 2025, is as effective in improving the situation as the one earlier this year, then Rupp may as well save his Euro’s (even then I guess it will be the ubiquitous ‘loan’)
’Investing’ £250/300,000 over two seasons could have dramatically improved the quality of the squad. I see zero evidence of any additional funds having been made available.
Time to be honest, transparent, not distant hollow and unsubstantiated/unverifiable remarks.
A team in mid table of the bottom division, a team managed by a mid table bottom division manager.
I would like nothing better than to say at the end of the season ‘well I got that wrong’, we are devoid of ideas and at times passion, sad times.
I stopped going midway last year, couldn’t take anymore. Rupps open letters just don’t wash with me, things have not changed and are not likely to any time soon. 6 years speak for themselves .
I’m not trying to be the guy that says McCall is / was / has to be the answer. I’m genuinely not.
but. This current situation all stems from February 2018 when they sacked McCall. But it could have been any manager. The name doesn’t matter. What it represented more than anything was a wayward charlatan in charge clearing out the characters and voices that were putting club first and gave us supporters a chance of hope for progression. That’s where all this started from. Since then there have been large failings constantly. The last two years as Jason rightly points out haven’t been the worst by any stretch. But tag them onto the five years prior and that’s why the failure of promotion feels so heavy
December is a great time to turn things around Graham!! Just saying. If you get a run together from now through January who knows what might be achieved. But on the last months showings I can’t see it and I don’t think many other fans can either
CTID
It would be truly fascinating to know how much money has been spent in Sparks’s time paying off or easing out managers, McCall (possibly twice), Bowyer, Sellars, Adams and, not least, Hughes. Similarly, a long list of players on fat and wholly undeserved contacts paid to leave permanently or play for someone else on loan could and should be compiled. It must all told be a staggering sum, quite unprecedented in previous regimes and at this level – one which very likely far, far exceeds any increased revenue made available for January.
As someone who has been watching City probably since before you were born, I would be interested to know which seasons you thought were worse than last season and this one so far? I do agree with you that the communication has been woeful at best, but this is like watching a family member slowly die.
RIP BCFC
Some seasons may have been worse in terms of football, but the overall direction and strategy of the club is beyond awful.
‘Stay in the the league and don’t go bust’ – basically our strategy every year along with don’t look further than the next transfer window.
A chronic cycle of short termism, just hoping that one time everything clicks.
I would opine watching Docherty’s teams in the 90s were worse….
…but it’s a very low bar.
Many passionate words and opinions are posted here expressing great concerns about the current state of our club and posing the obvious question –why and how do we find ourselves in such a worrying time for the club.
Bradford is well into the top ten in size of local authorities in the Uk yet cannot attract a large enough board of directors recruited locally to support the city,s football club. It is the directors who provide the beating heart of any company and dictate the direction in which the organisation is heading and instructs the CEO to do the necessary admin. It is assumed that the board of a football club would have a love of the game and big ambitions for their club combined with enough business skills to ensure financial stability.
When I began supporting City Ivor Powell was player manager so I have ridden the Bradford City rollacoaster until vertigo has finally got the better of me but I cannot see an improvement at Valley Parade unless a viable board of directors is formed to take the club forward.
Please don’t thumbs David down.
He is as genuine and loyal City fan as it gets. And he is correct in what he says. Apart from Jack Tordoff there have been no Bradford businessmen. Bulls are the same.
My first City manager was David Steel.
Correct me if I am wrong but wasn’t Bob (Metro) Martin a Bradford businessman?
it’s because the city is a socioeconomic failure. The only big money Is dirty money. We have many successful and wealthy people. But the legitimate and legal source of that wealth and money is sometimes questionable.
on the one hand we can be proud of our city and the people in it. Wiley. Street smart. Successful. But it’s a different kind of success. one which doesn’t lend itself well to the kind of more transparent investment that is required for sports clubs in the modern era
so here we are
Yes Bob Martin was. As were Rhodes and Lawn.
Mr Richmond was not.
Steve Longbottom, Roger Owen, Simon Hartley Graham Jones and several others are all local businessmen with strong associations to the club and their input into the club is without question..RS has minimised their roles and surrounded himself with his own acolytes. Instead of drawing on their individual skills, loyalty and experience. In short they are an important part of the club. Together with a loyal supporter base good times will return.to City but not until the present bunch have gone.
Sparks should be advising Rupp on a communication strategy.
Like you Jason I too worked in marketing and understand that you need to get your message right to get the buy in of your intended audience.
What is apparent is that all the communication coming out of VP is either drafted by, or signed off by Ryan Sparks. I suspect Ryan wrote the letters from Rupp, which Rupp signed off on.
For someone from a communications background Sparks appears totally inept at it!
As soon as I received the letter from Rupp in my inbox on Friday I sensed this had been issued to quieten down the growing unhappiness of the supporter base.
It speaks volumes that the only time we seem to hear from Rupp it’s when things are going wrong and it’s a way to placate us.
And this tactic seems to come straight out of the Ryan Sparks playbook.
I would suggest that a big signing they need to make in January is to bring in a PR consultant because the current abysmal communication with the fans has left many of us jaded and cynical of anything the club says.
Jason sums it up really well. However, if we are producing on the field I believe the need for communication reduces. The reality is there is no measurable improvement since we sacked Hughes. So, what is Sharpe actually contributing? On the club having a VISION that’s fine but what’s fundamental is HOW you intend to deliver the vision. The club feels rudderless and seems to react at every turn. If there is a PLAN I suspect like me many of the fans can’t see it.
I’ve supported city for over 50 years and have seen worse teams and players but what worries me is the lack of passion enthusiasm and commitment of the players. There is no leader on the pitch. No one who motivates or leads by example. They players walk round after the game clapping the supporters as if to say ” well we gave it a go”. I can take losing games if I see players giving 100% commitment and effort – I’m not seeing that at present. Mid-table finish.
I don’t blame Rupp with the current situation. He was cohearsed it joining with Rahic into buying the club. Rupp has the money and not interested in the football side of the club. Therefore, he does not have the passion we as supporters have for our club. To him it’s just an investment. I believe city were given a fair budget this season and were allowed to bring in decent players. This is where the problems lies. Differences in opinion on who is a good player for City and who is not. In my opinion we have a mixed quality. The players we have do not gel when playing as a team. We have weaknesses throughout the team. Clearly we play out of form players because of necessity (due to injuries). There is talk of the injured players are close to fitness and due to return. This will be a testing time for the club. If when they return, results do not improve, there will be consequences. It is no good shouting for Rupp to go! How is it his fault? He has provided the funds but seemly (in my view), the players are not good enough. That is purely down to the manager, recruitment manager Gent’s and Sharp. Fingers crossed, the injured players when fully fit will come good.
i blame hi. As he is the TOP man.
His disinterest permeates downward throughout the club, to the CEO, other staff, the players and now has reached the fans.
Does he not ‘get’ City and its supporters.
He admits he is not a fan of the game, and although he was duped into.buying us by Rahic, thats hardly our fault.
He promised various things early this year, non of which have been delivered.
Apart from a new roof on the shop!
Thats well worth 90 minutes of anyones time if you are in Manningham.
i am afraid we are stuck in this League abyss until something dramatic happens.
I’d argue there’s a higher chance of relegation than promotion
He did not provide investment. We were run as a self sustaining model, which means all money came from season ticket sales and sponsorships
Regardless of Rupp being misled , if he owns a business in another country, in a sport he’s not even interested in – and after being burned by Rahic – why on earth would he allow such a woefully inexperienced, junior member of staff to be CEO and oversee all day-to-day running of the club in his absence?
Rupp may not have the passion, but surely as a successful businessman he’s got to be responsible for that side of the club, including senior appointments.
I also don’t believe Rupp has put in anything more than the absolute minimum. Sparks let it slip on air that Rupp hadn’t invested anything in the time he’d been at the club – around 4 years at the time he said it?
“But you can influence the mood and confidence of fans by treating us with greater intelligence and respect.“
“… that was a communication that seemed to have been written with contempt for supporters, or from a viewpoint that we’re stupid. Maybe it’s both.“
Incisive points raised as always Jason, and these two statements really hit home.
When I suggested on a different thread that we are “the Manchester United of League 2” – in short, we can try all the players and managers we want, but it’s the environment that’s rotten and until that changes, nothing else will – I think these two statements get to the nub of it.
The club is awful at communicating with fans.
But this isn’t the problem. It’s the symptom of something deeper.
From your own professional vantage point, surely the starting point for good communication, internally with staff as much as externally with supporters, is to care about them because they are vital to your survival? They’re your reason to exist and without them you wouldn’t be in the jobs you are.
There is a fundamental lack of care for both the club and its supporters in what passes for the Boardroom at Bradford City.
I’d go further – I think the club treats us with absolute disdain.
Their starting point appears to be, as you say, that we’re stupid and so we are treated with contempt. Sure, we’ll get a shiny montage and a tug at the heart strings every 12 months when Season Tickets need renewing, but for the other 11 months of the year we are ignored, belittled and scoffed at.
We should just be grateful to have a club. We should be grateful prices aren’t higher. We should be grateful Sparks is running the show, because as fans we’re too thick and irrational to understand what a brilliant job he’s doing.
That’s the tone.
And it’s long passed worn thin.
Until the club changes the environment – truly, changes the culture to one that is “supporters-first and foremost” (instead of, “how does Ryan Sparks get to play CEO for another year?”) – literally nothing will change.
Let’s assume the miracle of escaping L2 this year. Does it offer any real comfort? To my mind, the environment at the club is so rotten right now, with no real sense of shared identity or community (as long-time supporters have found better things to do with their time), then what prospects – really – of staying in L1 the season after? What odds we’d just tumble back down here and start all over again?
Again, the woeful communication is not the problem. It’s the symptom of something deeper.
A total lack of respect for Bradford City supporters as smart, dedicated and fair-minded Yorkshire folk who (brace yourself Ryan) have absolutely every reasonable right to be demanding far, far better from the current custodians of our once great football club.
If Rupp and Sparks are not capable of delivering that – of being capable of getting the parts of the business right that are entirely within their gift, like treating supporters with care and respect – then they need to go.
Because those they’re meant to care about are suffering.
And their indifference to that suffering, over too many years now, is the main message I see being communicated from the club.
One example that shows the total disdain for the fans – Kadima Sports
Dissolved in September, their website was still recently advertising our trip to Spain – still the only trip they ever offered – and going to the site now seems to bring up adult content.
The fact Sparks shut down the question when asked about it at a supporters group meeting speaks volumes about the man and his intentions.
It was a cash grab for his mate at the fans’ expense, and he must be called out for it. I can’t belive it was swept under the carpet in the way it was.
He is absolutely not fit to be a CEO anywhere but with the basic remit of ‘stay in the League and don’t go bust’, he’s allowed to operate in the charlatan way he does at times.
Is it possible to be a very rich and successful businessman and yet very naïve and gullible. I have to assume, given the evidence of my own eyes, that Stephan Rupp is one such man. The first part of this seeming conundrum is evidenced by his companies and accumulated wealth. I suppose I take that on trust. As for the naïveté, well falling for Rahic’s pitch and giving him carte blanche would be enough had this folly not been compounded by mistaking a raw and brash youth for a wunderkind and putting him in charge, lock, stock and leaking roof. I could go on but I’ve said enough for one thread. We are now so greatly fallen as to be hoping to grind out a win against Barrow.
Lokks like another converted to the realization that Rupp and Sparks are a problem.
I have not been averse to that view for some time, Woody. Certainly the owner is culpable in letting the apprentice run the works.
Great article Jason, again.
The storm clouds are gathering, which will be hard to dispel now.
I don’t think it’s just about the comms and Rupp – it’s something more. There seems to be some deeper malaise going on at our club and I can’t fathom why.
The results (which of course are the most important metric) is what a manager lives or dies by. None of us mind if we lose so long as we play well and give it a go. We walk out of the ground gutted about the result but proud of our boys. That just isn’t happening. I don’t think GA understands this, which is why he doesn’t understand Bradford City.
GA hasn’t helped himself with his questionable tactics, team selection and the type of football on display. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not here at the end of the season.
I hope Morecambe enjoy their trip to Stamford Bridge, they deserve it and the windfall it brings them. Can you imagine how much money we’ve lost out on, that could have been used in January? Gutted.
Sadly, sadly, sadly, it’s turning out to be a pretty expensive cup exit. And aside from the considerable money on offer what a boost to morale a draw like that would have made. The media would have been all over it, given our last trip to Stamford Bridge. If you subscribe to the view you make your own luck in sport – then we are not doing a particularly good job. I suppose these are the ‘fine margins’ I keep hearing about. Yes, Bantam Abroad, gutted is the word. Deep in the pit of the stomach.
The problem is not Alexander / Hughes / Trueman / Adams / McCall / Bowyer, the problem is uninterested ownership
A very interesting article that prompted me to write an alternative viewpoint. I suspect that this is going to be a minority view, but I feel that Rupp should not be blaimed for all the current ills of Bradford City. Let us not forget that he kept the club going through Covid.
There are some other “absentee” owners who rarely see their teams play and they are not doing too badly .. for eg Man City and Liverpool. So, there does not seem to be any correlation between an absent owner and failure. Equally, there are examples of “active”/interfering owners and ongoing failure – eg Cardiff City and Swindon Town
As has been stated by others, successful teams have a structure and competent executives. Bradford City might have the 1st but certainly do not have the 2nd. Perhaps it is too soon to assess Sharpe but Sparks does not impress at all as executive material. So, my criticism of Rupp is that he has persisted with Sparks for too long and needs to send him away with his P45 – and hopefully not a large payoff.