By Steven Hamilton, Bradford City Fans Independent Group
FAO – Stefan Rupp, Ryan Sparks
We, the Bradford City Fans Independent Group, on behalf of our membership, write this letter in direct response to Stefan Rupp’s open letter to supporters in March 2024. As lifelong supporters of this club, we feel it is imperative to share our collective thoughts, concerns, and hopes for the future of Bradford City AFC.
First and foremost, we acknowledge Mr. Rupp’s recognition of the challenges facing the club, both on and off the pitch. However, we believe actions must speak louder than words, and we are seeking tangible commitments and strategies to move the club forward.
March 2024 Protest – Good Friday vs Tranmere Rovers
The protest was organised to ensure that the hierarchy within the club was made aware of the feeling of disappointment supporters had for the direction of the club. The protest delivered that message, and was carried by local and national media.
It was interesting that Mr. Rupp’s open letter arrived just before that protest was completed. A decision was then reached by our group to pause protest activity to allow a reasonable amount of time for Mr. Rupp, Mr. Sparks, and the other important members of the Bradford City team to deliver on the promises made within the response from Stefan Rupp. This, we believe, was the correct decision to make on behalf of our members.
A reminder
Stefan Rupp, along with his business partner Edin Rahic, purchased Bradford City in May 2016. At that time, Bradford City were competing in League One, The club had just reached the play off semi-final in the 2015/16 season but lost to Millwall, thus remaining in League One for the upcoming season.
Rahic left the club in December 2018, with our club sitting at the bottom of League One with four wins from twenty games. At the time, Mr. Rupp promised to “wash away the dreadful memories of the previous 12 months”. He emphasised that the people of Bradford deserved much better and committed to doing everything within his power to improve the situation and steer the club in a better direction. Mr. Rupp called for unity among our supporters, players, staff and partners as the club moved forward.
Fast forward to December 2024 and the club is in League Two, sitting in 12th position with seven wins from twenty games. The statement from Stefan Rupp was the first promise made, and it failed as the club slid back down to League Two. Some will argue that Mr. Rupp has not washed away the memories.
Stephen Gent & Recruitment
The recruitment strategy at Bradford City during the tenure of Head of Recruitment Stephen Gent has been a topic of significant debate among supporters. While there have been occasional flashes of promise, many fans are voicing concerns about the long term planning and sustainability of the club’s recruitment policies, particularly in relation to squad depth and reliance on key players.
Over-Reliance on Andy Cook
One of the most pressing concerns revolves around the immense pressure placed on our talismanic striker, Andy Cook. At 34 years old, Cook remains the club’s most prolific goal scorer and a vital figure in our attacking setup. However, supporters are increasingly worried about the lack of a viable plan to both support and eventually replace him.
Despite Cook’s continued excellence, age and the physical demands of professional football make it unrealistic to expect him to sustain his current output indefinitely. Yet the recruitment team has failed to secure adequate depth in the forward line. The absence of a reliable alternative to share the goal-scoring burden not only risks overworking Cook, but also leaves the team dangerously exposed should he face injury or a decline in form.
Short-Termism vs. Long-Term Planning
The apparent short term focus of the recruitment strategy is a recurring theme under Gent’s leadership. The club’s transfer activity often seems reactive rather than proactive, addressing immediate needs without laying the groundwork for future success. For a club with ambitions of promotion, this lack of foresight is concerning.
For instance, rather than identifying and nurturing younger players who can grow into key roles, the recruitment policy has leaned heavily on bringing in experienced players with limited resale value. While experience is undoubtedly valuable, it must be balanced with an eye toward the future. The absence of younger forwards being integrated into the squad to eventually replace Cook highlights a glaring oversight in this approach.
Ryan Sparks
Ryan was appointed as CEO on 26th November 2020. While his stewardship has been marked by ambition and an apparent commitment to progress, it has also been characterised by turbulence, inconsistency, and questionable decision making.
Managerial Instability
One of the most glaring issues under Sparks’ leadership has been the revolving door of managerial appointments. Since taking on the role of CEO, Sparks has overseen the hiring and firing of eight managers – a number that reflects a lack of strategic planning and long term vision. Each managerial change brings disruption, resetting the club’s progress and alienating supporters who yearn for stability and a clear sense of direction.
Moreover, there is a growing lack of confidence in Sparks’ ability to identify and appoint the right calibre of managers to succeed. The repeated failure of his hires to deliver meaningful progress on the pitch has left supporters questioning his judgement in such crucial decisions.
Without a track record of successful managerial appointments, there is little assurance that Sparks can choose a manager capable of meeting the club’s ambitions. This persistent uncertainty continues to erode trust among the fanbase.
Inexperience and Its Impact
It is important to acknowledge that Ryan Sparks entered the CEO role with limited football management experience at this level. While his enthusiasm and drive are evident, his inexperience has often manifested in decisions that lack the foresight and nuance required to navigate the complexities of leading a professional football club.
This inexperience has had a tangible impact on the club’s results. Managerial instability, coupled with inconsistent recruitment and a lack of coherent strategic direction, has contributed to the team’s struggles on the pitch. Supporters have witnessed missed opportunities to build momentum and a seeming inability to learn from past mistakes.
The lack of seasoned guidance in the boardroom has left the club vulnerable to repeated missteps, undermining both short-term performance and long term aspirations.
Communication and Fan Relations
Communication has been another contentious area during Sparks’ tenure. While he has often engaged with fans through social media and club statements, these efforts have at times felt more performative than substantive. Transparency is vital in building trust between the club and its supporters, but the tone and timing of Sparks’ communications have occasionally raised eyebrows.
For example, statements addressing managerial sackings or poor performances have often been perceived as defensive or lacking accountability. Supporters want more than just words; they want actions that reflect an understanding of their concerns and a genuine commitment to improvement. Engagement with fans must be more than a PR exercise – it should foster a sense of unity and shared purpose.
It is now the case that Sparks rarely communicates with supporters.
Ambition vs. Execution
Sparks has frequently spoken of his ambition to return Bradford City to its former glory. However, ambition must be matched by effective execution, and this is where the club has fallen short.
From recruitment missteps to a failure to capitalise on opportunities to strengthen the squad, there is a growing sense that the promises made during his tenure have often lacked follow-through.
There is not a long-term plan, or at least one that is regularly relayed to supporters to get behind. Areas such as youth progression, promotion and ambition are all areas of significant interest to the fanbase. Yet the club do not give any indication of their ambition for the club and how it aims to get there. With no vision evident, our fanbase is asked to financially support our club without any clear strategic plan to progress the club.
Moreover, while Sparks has made strides in areas such as commercial partnerships and community outreach, these achievements are overshadowed by the club’s lack of tangible progress on the pitch. Fans are deeply invested in the success of the team, and without results to back up his vision, Sparks is losing the goodwill of the very people he seeks to inspire. A high percentage of fans would argue that he has already lost the goodwill and that they have no confidence in his ability to continue leading the club.
We believe that Ryan Sparks is not capable of continuing to oversee the strategic progress of the club, and as such issue a vote of no confidence in him continuing within his role. With David Sharpe already in the building, a natural migration can be implemented. We are falling behind other clubs in terms of progression on and off the field.
The need for key performance indicators and a strategic long term plan has never been clearer. Bradford, a large city with a large population has the potential to be a hotbed for football, attracting the best young talent and nurturing good relationships to progress. However, the change needs to happen with urgency. Give the supporters something to get behind their club and they will come, support and help drive that vision.
Dear Stefan Rupp
First and foremost, we acknowledge Mr. Rupp’s recognition of the challenges facing the club, both on and off the pitch. It is heartening to see an acknowledgement of the difficulties we’ve endured and the passion that continues to drive our support for the Bantams.
However, while we appreciate the sentiment in finally communicating with supporters, confidence in Mr. Rupp’s ownership is at an all-time low. Serious questions remain about the level of investment being made and the tangible progress of the club since he purchased it. Remember, Mr. Rupp, you purchased a buoyant, high-flying League One club who had just missed out on play-off promotion. The club currently resides in League Two
Communication and Transparency
One of the key themes in Mr. Rupp’s letter was the importance of unity and communication. While the sentiment is appreciated, we feel there has been a disconnect between the club’s leadership and its supporters. To foster genuine unity, there must be consistent, transparent communication from the boardroom to the stands. Supporters’ forums, financial updates, and regular engagement with fan groups can bridge this gap.
We ask for a renewed commitment to open dialogue, where fans’ voices are genuinely heard and valued.
The Question of Ownership
Rumours persist that any potential interest in purchasing the club from Mr. Rupp is being quashed by an unreasonable asking price. If true, this raises significant concerns about whether the best interests of the club are being prioritised.
Supporters deserve clarity on this matter. Is Mr. Rupp genuinely committed to the club’s future, or is he holding out for personal gain at the expense of potential progress? Transparency on this issue is essential to restoring trust and ensuring that the club can move forward, whether under his ownership or new stewardship.
The Big Question
As supporters of Bradford City AFC, we write to you not as adversaries but as lifelong custodians of this great club. While owners and leadership come and go, the fans remain – through the highs and the lows, through triumph and heartache. You, Mr. Rupp, are the current custodian of our beloved club, and with that role comes both immense responsibility and opportunity.
Since your arrival, Bradford City has seen moments of promise but far too many of stagnation and disappointment. Your recent communication with supporters was a welcome step, but words must translate into actions that inspire confidence.
Today, we pose a direct challenge: Are you committed to driving Bradford City forward, or will you step aside for someone who can?
The Case for Investment
Football is a results-driven business, but it is also a business of passion. For supporters, success is measured in moments of glory, promotion campaigns, and the pride of seeing our team compete at higher levels. For an owner, success is reflected in the increased value of the club, a stronger brand, and a return on investment that far outweighs the cost of delivering success.
We urge you to consider this: The more success Bradford City achieves, the more valuable the club becomes. Strategic investment in the playing squad, infrastructure, and leadership can not only propel the club toward its rightful place in the football pyramid but also deliver significant returns for you as an owner.
This is not just about spending money; it is about spending wisely, with a clear vision and ambition that matches the aspirations of the supporters.
The Supporters’ Perspective
From the terraces of Valley Parade to away days across the country, Bradford City supporters live and breathe this club. We are not merely consumers of a product; we are its lifeblood. We remember the glory days of Premier League football, the heroics of the League Cup final, and the resilience shown in the face of adversity. But we also endure the frustration of watching our club languish without a clear plan for progress.
Your tenure has, at times, felt detached from this reality. The perceived lack of substantial investment and a coherent long-term strategy has left many questioning your commitment to the club’s success. As custodians of Bradford City’s legacy, we demand more than survival – we demand ambition.
A Call to Action
Mr. Rupp, the question before you is simple: Are you with us in delivering success, or will you sell the club to someone who can take it forward?
If you choose to invest, it must be with the intent to build a club that competes, inspires, and grows. This means:
- Backing the manager and recruitment team with resources to assemble a squad capable of promotion.
- Improving the matchday experience for fans, ensuring that Valley Parade remains a fortress and a hub of community pride.
- Positioning the people in the correct roles for success. Bring staff to roles that will enhance a vision for the club with the relevant experience to deliver success.
- Fostering transparency and communication, so supporters understand and align with the vision for the club’s future.
If you cannot or will not make this commitment, then it is your duty to step aside. Rumours persist about an inflated asking price deterring potential buyers. If true, this suggests a prioritisation of personal gain over the club’s progress. We urge you to reconsider this approach. Allow Bradford City to flourish under ownership that shares the passion, ambition, and vision needed to achieve greatness.
The Legacy You Leave
History will remember you, Mr. Rupp, not for your words but for your actions. Will you be remembered as the owner who reignited Bradford City’s fortunes, or as the custodian who held the club back? The choice is yours, but know this: The fans will remain steadfast in their love for Bradford City, long after any owner has moved on.
Our challenge to you is clear: Invest in success, or enable it by passing the baton to someone who will. This is not just about your legacy – it is about the future of Bradford City AFC.
For and on behalf of our members,
Steven Hamilton
Chairman – Bradford City Fans Independent Group
Categories: Opinion
Brad Halliday and the price of progress 
Saying goodbye to Andy Cook, a modern-day Bradford City icon 
A fond farewell to a Bradford City promotion hero as Alex Pattison moves to Walsall 
Let’s get ambition back on the table 
widthofapost.com 
An excellent letter making a welter of relevant points clearly, fairly and without rancour. Refreshingly it is not couched in the twittering management speak of letters issued by the club. Whether it will mark a turning point – ein gestaltswitch, in Herr Rupp’s language – who can say? One of the problems is that the current CEO is not busily looking for buyers any more than turkeys are opening advent calendars. He would be the first casualty of any regime change. I often wonder if our German owner has any idea of the parlous state of the club or the despair of so many faithful long-time supporters. He will get an idea if he troubles to read this heartfelt letter. It might precipitate action.
Since Rupp took over the club the people in positions of power at the club have been inexperienced and appear questionable to absolutely no one, and work in an environment where their decisions aren’t scrutinised by others with experience or expertise due to no proper board setup being in place.
Examples of this can been seen everywhere, from telling the fans they are being done a favour by having am additional booking fee added to tickets to Ryan Sparks throwing others under the bus and accepting no responsibility for the B Block move in a recent supporters meetings minutes.
it is therefore no surprise that this club continues to slide backwards, as past mistakes are not learnt from, they are ignored and repeated.
This club needs wholesale changes, and usually it’s those at the bottom who get the boot in order to save those at the top of the tree, but nothing will change until those at the top are replaced and we start to act like a professional club, not like a club run by a bunch of amateurs.
I don’t think this letter goes far enough – full of words and requests just as Rupp open letter is simply full of meaningless words!
It should have some clear, measurable and timed targets in this letter!!
To be honest the time for timed targets has gone.
If Rupp isn’t interested he should sell up and move along. He should accept the value of the club as it is now, which is not what it was when he bought it and that 100% down to him and the people he has let loose running the club.
promotion was the target
Here here, as mentioned in the letter, Key Product Indicators are a necessary requirement and should be published openly and transparently in the local press. To start with, the club needs to carve the join clean to a state of lean where no one and nothing happens at the club that doesn’t add value to the cause.
A very good, and very sad, letter.
Will it do any good?
I doubt it.
Despair is the word that comes to mind.
what a load of waffle
it is clear that Rupp will keep us in zombie mode til he can buy the ground at a knock down price
we will have to wait 2 to 3 seasons
I have nowhere else to go
Correct, Massive commitment or National League is calling. Then the club will be worth even less peanuts than now. Thats the real choice.
This “open letter” reeks of entitlement and a complete lack of understanding about the realities of football club ownership.
Has he not backed every manager that’s come into the club? Do we not have an abundance of dead wood as a result of that backing that we now need to clear? Has he not brought in David Sharpe in the last 12 months?
The common claim that we’re a “big club” destined for the Championship is laughable. We have a large stadium, yes, but it’s rarely full and we don’t even own it! The high rent alone would scare off any serious investor. There are plenty of more attractive clubs out there, and these armchair critics seem oblivious to that fact.
Frankly, this letter is nothing more than a childish temper tantrum because the team isn’t dominating the league. It’s a classic case of “tell me you know nothing about business without telling me you know nothing about business.”
No one is asking for us to take up a place in the Championship, to be honest we would like to think we can compete against Morecambe, Harrogate and Grimsby.
As we sit in the league now we are 1 point above Bromley, is this where you see where our club should be.
You are just one of those apologists. I tell you who knows nothing about business, Ryan Sparks, his background suggests he was never in any way capable of become CEO and that had been proven in the 4 years he has had the job.
As per usual you drag out the “stadium rent” as a reason for failure, yet nothing has changed rent wise since we were rubbing shoulders at the top of league 1. The only thing that has changed is the owner and the people making the decisions, so how is Stadium rent holding us back now when it wasn’t then.
You say apologist I say realist.
I’m not insinuating the rent is the sole reason, but it’s a contributing factor in both being an attractive to a perspective owner and to suggest otherwise in nonsensical, in my opinion anyway.
I completely agree when it comes to Sparks his football acumen is none existent, but isn’t that why Sharpe was brought in?
Rupp has invested has he not? Given every manager what they wanted? Only to cower to fan pressure and sack a manager and start all over again?
I’m in no way suggesting he’s a perfect owner. He’s not, he needs to be more present for one. But he isn’t the anti Christ he’s often portrayed to be.
Wayne, you aren’t a realist you are simply an apologist.
8 years ago we were knocking on the door to the championship with your red herring for progression the rent still the same as it was then.
now we are about 30 places down the league tables a point ahead of Bromley and people like you talk of this entitlement when people are simply looking back to getting to where we were before these clowns took over.
in 8 years we have done nothing but go backwards and even seem to suggest Sparks fires managers on the fans say so, that’s no leader and nothing in 4 years suggests he knows the way forward.
As for Rupp putting money into the club, as per the accounts he put £1.7m in during the Edin experiment and the accounts show that nothing had been put in since.
No, pretty sure a realist.
Again, yes we were knocking on the door to the Championship, but we were also flirting with the National League a few years before that.
Yes I agree on the Sparks front I’ve said as much already.
I’m not blind to the fact that the club needs to make better decisions, in a number of areas. I just don’t agree that it all lies at the foot of the owner. If you’re asking me if I would rather have Rupp or an unknown quantity as owner then I would go with Rupp everyday of the week. That said if an investment consortium (with credibility) expressed an interest then I’d encourage him to sell.
We all want the same thing. We just have differing views on how to achieve it. Not a bad thing.
Wayne, I’ve commented several times before that owners can take a back seat if they employ the expertise and correct people to run the club for them.
well 8 years later and we have had no one placed at the top of the tree with any kind of credibility and that is all on Rupps shoulders.
if we had some like Baldwin running the club we would be in a far better position and since Baldwin left us he had been at Burnley, Huddersfield and running the EFL.
We continue with Sparks who knows once this gig is up he won’t get another job like it and that tells its own story.
If you were a realist you would be asking for someone competent and with a history in the running of a football club to be at the top of the tree. But as an apologist you just claim it could be worse as we stumble on.
@wayne, you say you’re a realist, so you’re saying it’s realistic that we should constantly be lower than the likes of Lincoln, Accrington, Morecambe etc?
One thing that I will pick you up on. You talk about Rupp’s investment. I’m assuming you’re talking about financially because he invests very little time or effort. You have agreed that Sparks isn’t cut out for the role, yet his boss (the owner) continues with him. He hasn’t even threatened to sack him for poor performance. It wasn’t Rupp’s idea to bring in Sharpe. He is simply not bothered about us bobbing around in L2, so long as he doesn’t have to spend lots of his money.
It’s well documented we’re to be self-sustainable, as directed by Mr Rupp
This abundance of ‘deadwood’ is a clear manifestation of a poor recruitment policy in recent seasons.
The team only needs to put a bit of a run together and the fans flock back, they’re desperate for a bit of success, 20k+ crowds would be realistic if we got to L1.
Championship football is not unrealistic and laughable, we were on the cusp of it before Rupp’s arrival.
The ‘armchair’ critics are well within their rights to vent their frustrations.
Of course the dream Championship football isn’t unrealistic, but we don’t have an inherent right to be there. We have to earn it like every other team.
Yes we were on the brink of it before his arrival, but only a few years before that we were on the brink of going down to the National League so let’s not be selective with history.
A lot of the ‘deadwood’ was seen as a coup at announcement though wasn’t it? We’ve just chopped and changed managers so much and they’ve been on longer deals, something that’s been rectified over the last 6 months it would seem.
Again not an apologist. We’re having a good natured debate, let’s not resort to petty name calling just to try and make a point.
I’d love nothing more to have Baldwin back, I’ve said do on here before.
As for competency, if Ryan was still calling the shots in terms of football operations I’d be with you. I’ve already said he doesn’t have any nuance when it comes to football, but to give him credit where it’s due he is good on the commercial side and we all know that football relies on business.
Yes the season isn’t going to plan at the moment, for a number of reasons. That said, personally, I’m more optimistic than I have been in a few years. I’m a fan of GA, I think Sharpe may be the one get a grip of the footballing side. For me personally, we finally seem to have a bit of stability. Something we’ve lacked, pretty much the entirety of Rupps stewardship. I’m not sure about you but personally I think stability is key to success.
Good debate on Christmas Eve 😃
Rupp seemingly hasn’t put anything into the club since Rahic left, 6 years ago. This was mentioned on the message boards by someone who went through the public accounts we publish, also in conjunction with Sparks’ comments last year or the year before about ‘investment from the owner has been nothing in my time at the club’ (not verbatim).
So no, apparently he hasn’t backed the managers. The fans have.
This is true, the director loans account (monies introduced by the director) hasn’t increased from the 1.7m investment from the Edin era and it’s shown on the accounts as other creditors over 1 year on the CH filed accounts.
You obviously know nothing about the current.situation and the running of a football club.
The very existence of the club is under threat.
Fans buy into the promise of advancement in their league.
We are told that sustainability whilst surviving in League Two is THE only plan going forward.
Thats not the way a fan of Bradford City or any club works.
The club continue to make PR disasters further distancing them from the fanbase.
Now we have had enough of being treat with contempt and many are voting with their feet.
When season tickets go on sale in Spring the fall off will be massive.
No longer will the fans finance the actions of a wealthy man who shows little responsibility for owning a club that means so much to so many people.
It has become so serious that desperate means are needed.
The existence of the club is at risk.
So in response to your question.
Has Rupp given the backing and support to managers and brought in people in key positions.
To some extent he has, but only from a disinterested standpoint allowing inexperienced localised management to run, or ruin, this great club.
Ah yes, the annual season tickets will fall off a cliff statement.
If you choose to vote with your feet then that’s your right. I and I suspect the majority of others won’t.
Hello Ryan. Nice to see the article (open letter) got a bite from you…!
You talk about entitlement. Really? We are the biggest club in the bottom tier. That isn’t coming from us, but from fans and management of every other L2 club. Why are we wrong to expect better and to have some success like the Accrington’s, Lincoln’s, Morecambe’s of this world?
You also refer to the “high rent”. What is this please and how does it compare to others? More importantly, what is our turnover in comparison to other clubs? Sorry, but we are a big club and we shouldn’t be sat in mid-table in the bottom league.
Finally, if you think this is just a “childish temper tantrum” then you really don’t have a grasp on the feelings from the majority of our fanbase.
I have 2 questions for you. Firstly, do you believe we are where this club should be? Nobody is to blame and there is no hope for better? Secondly, what do you think BCFIG aims are here? What’s in it for them? You don’t think they are hurting and simply want a little of what other clubs are managing.
Remember this. When Rupp took over, there was no Ryan Sparks and we were fighting at the top of L1. Fast forward all these years later, we’ve had decline on decline, promise after promise, manager after manager and yet NOTHING changes. What is our long-term plan???
Comment of the year. Well done sir!!
Let’s hope Google Translate doesn’t let us down!
The pressure needs to be kept on Rupp to act. He must see that Sparks is a liability to his investment and the club’s whole future. If Rupp is serious he needs to get serious people in the building. Sharpe as CEO would be an easy start, but a full board of experienced directors is a must. Would love to see David Baldwin back to be tasked to find a new buyer for BCAFC.
Anything else is just the same old same old.
Question is, if Rupp pays no notice and doesn’t make changes, what do we do next?
I am 72 been bradford city season ticket holder over 50 years can’t take no more to many promises year in year out enough is enough sad to say won’t be renewing next season
Likewise but 55 years. Goodbye. Sorry to see you go. I’ll keep the faith for you.
David Baldwin back? YES, YES, YES! There has been much talk of refusing to purchase season tickets next year to force Rupp’s hand to increase his investment but this doesn’t sit well with supporters who are already invested in the club albeit emotionally.
How about supporters refuse to spend any money beyond the cost of their season tickets? So no hospitality, no drinks and food sales on match days. No match day draw tickets. No shop sales for example. Some of these income streams may still be franchised so no immediate loss to the club but the hit would come when the terms are renegotiated.
letter is well intentioned but won’t hack it.
no question as to what the he’ll Whelan is doing, nothing around many individuals wasting his money, the wholesale lack of any non league signings says much as to a huge lack of knowledge or ability to think beyond aging league two cast offs.
actually protest that makes chancer Sparks, Gent, Whelan etc so unconformable, that implores Rupp to not lie (that’s what he did with all this investment bs in the summer)….only then will there be change.
it’s all about the stadium, the German bloater and his salaried men will have this club treading water till then and his inevitable sell on
I say make there lives as uncomfortable as possible, just like they’ve done to us for year on sorrowful year, taking advantage of our loyalty and profound love of the club. Protest and protest well city boys and girls.
”Whelan”? I think that’s the name of his Grandfather (Dave Whelan). You’re thinking of David Sharpe, right?
As I’ve said before if Rupp does not invest in the January transfer window on good young speedy talented players then the fans will know that he is a two bob millionaire , He say s he will try to buy the ground back…? Find new training facilities
Well the jury is out at the moment at the end of the season us supporters will know where we stand whether you as the Owner of Bradford City have made good your Promise.
If you fail to deliver then welcome some investors into the club and given a percentage of the ownership of the club with a seat in the board room Man United with Jim Ratc,iffe springs to mind .
If we cannot buy the ground find a place for Gordon Gibbs on the board also ground sharing with the Bulls could be the way forwards it’s soon to be 2025 let’s look to the future for our Great Football club.
“We are falling behind other clubs in terms of progression on and off the field.”
An excellent yet saddening read, Steve. I do however, think you are being kind with the above statement. We are not falling behind other clubs, we are already languishing behind so many other clubs.
This is the fault of Rupp and Sparks and there is no clear strategy from the two men to rectify it. Without that strategy, they are alienating the only genuine asset Bradford City Football Club has – its supporters.
Not to denegrate the letter or it’s motivations – it’s a finely written letter with lots to agree with, and it’s good to see Supporters’ Groups starting to stick their heads above – however the ask is the wrong one for me; the time to request ‘a bit of extra commitment’ from Rupp has now long passed.
Rupp had three big opportunities to show Bradford City supporters what he’s all about and what he wants to do as owner.
Each time we heard warm and positive words, in the latter two cases of ‘righting wrongs’ and what followed was next to no action. He has not shown an interest in putting any work into Bradford City after any of these occasions and he does not deserve the benefit of the doubt to ‘reset’ his approach again. He’s had multiple chances, how many more is he going to get? Five, six?
The best and most face-saving way for Rupp to now act is bow out graciously. Put the club up for sale at a reasonable price and state it’s availability publicly. Court potential buyers and put some urgency into ending the current situation.
I have said this on a previous post to a different article; whether City finished 3rd, 13th or 23rd, it should make no difference to whether Rupp should continue owning the club. Whatever happens on the pitch, he does not have my confidence as the owner of the club. He’s failed in his actions, and lack of actions, too many times already.
Go now, before you greviously damage the club.
My blind loyalty to the club made me buy a season ticket this season. Even if my brain was saying why bother.
Mr Rupp,
You either back GA in January and we push for promotion or that’s it for me and many others.
I started watching city in 1987, I’m starting to think it will end in 2025 if things continue as they are.
This huge city playing small towns and getting beat, by the likes of Harrogate etc, is too much to take again and again.
Show ambition or leave!!!! Even under the Simpson/Docherty era we had ambition but now we are just stagnating. It is not acceptable.
Rupp is a business man not a City supporter and has no affinity with the club. If he’s not losing money and cannot sell for a profit he will stay. Once he starts losing money he will cut his losses and sell.
A copy of this should be sent to the sponsors
‘tis the season for miracles …. here’s hoping one will be delivered to Valley Parade !
Merry Christmas all.
It’s in Rupp’s best interest to act, both in order to protect his investment and attempt to quell further fan discontent.
I’m far from a business guru of any description, but I doubt that any module on any MBA course suggests seriously upsetting your customer base. Football might be different from any other business in that we can’t go anywhere else to support Bradford City and we’re unlikely to switch allegiances to another club. But it doesn’t stop people from just not buying any more tickets and stopping supporting City in any tangible way.
For those who are praising the work that Sparks and his team has done to bolster the commercial side of the club. I’ve no doubt that this is an important and valuable aspect of the club. Yet, without a product on the field that’s getting the fans into VP every game in large numbers. This commercial side of the business is destined to fail and is ultimately pointless. No business will pay to be associated with a club that’s consistently failing on the field, where the numbers in the ground is falling rather than growing.
They’re putting the cart before the horse in my estimation. Concentrate on creating a team on the pitch that everyone is talking about, that they’re proud to support, where people can’t wait to go to Valley Parade once a fortnight. And you’ll have businesses banging on the door and wanting to spend their money to become involved.
We will never attract serious investors as long as we are tenants in our own stadium. Hence no end of other FL and Non-League teams have courted multi-millions of pounds of investment while we stagnate. Even in the great Parkie era FL Final, amazing cup runs, international front page news couldn’t attract a serious buyer or investor for Lawn, just these two absolute jokers.
I couldn’t care less about our league position this season or next, it will be mid table that’s for sure.
If however, we fail to escape the VP lease when it is up for renewal in 3 or so years we are finished.
If we face another contracted 25 years as tenants at VP, even on a peppercorn rent we are dead as a viable investment opportunity.
Dead.
Yet, we as fans need to drive that threat of action as Gibb is over a barrel if BCFC seek other premises but no, I can’t see us not renewing STs in large numbers or credibly threatening to leave VP as nobody is interested in the Plan B.
Until we grow some balls and seriously put some pressure on, nothing will change and before you knownit we will be signed up to another 1/4 century of stagnation, pumping up Gibbs pension fund.
Gibb holds all the cards, you are daft if you think otherwise.
There is no alternative within the City, there isn’t even any alternative in a nearby Town or City.
I would advise Mr Rupp, to google Blackpool FC, The Oystons and their supporters actions.
Nor is there an alternative for the Gibbs family pension. There is no alternative use whatsoever. It’s a landfill site.
I’m clueless why we paid so much rent in the first place, oh wait a minute, he was chairman and he sold it to his vested interest.
If you’re looking for a chairman to blame perhaps Rupps not the man in the chair.
What does Gibb do if City withhold rent if he doesn’t successfully renegotiate? As much as anything this is the club’s biggest mistake ever since Gibb was involved.
There are plenty of examples of clubs being locked out of their grounds and it not ending well. Coventry were in Northampton not long since.
The pension fund has made its money back, anything else is a bonus.
Why was the deal.done about the stadium ownership?
ir waa the onlybway to save the club in the time available.
We were desperate to save the club. We literaly had 15 minutes.
Can I suggest that you read the Administrators report?
Maguire, you are right to request no name calling on Christmas Eve – its now Christmas Day and you are a muppet!
No mention of the bizarre team selections , tactics , no plan B . The buck stops with the manager . Simply he’s not good enough .
its about much more than results, performances, managers and players.
Keep up.
On a positive note the playoffs are still within touching distance but on a negative we’re 12th! I’m sure the club would point to the latter but it’s fair to say any club with real promotion ambitions should be higher up the league table at this stage of the season?
I’ve never really understood the club’s logic when it comes to promotion. It always seems the playoffs are the aim? As long as they’re in sight we’re content. Wrexham and Stockport didn’t come into this league thinking we’re going for the playoffs. They came in thinking we’re going up and the only way to guarantee that is by either winning the damn thing or going up automatically.
Even during the Hughes era I couldn’t help but feel the club felt the job was done once we’d guaranteed a playoff spot. The 2 performances that followed certainly suggested that.
Of course there a number of variables required to be successful, but 15 teams have managed to do it since we arrived in league 2! (Excluding playoff winners) Many of whom I’m sure have smaller budgets than ours. Different players, different managers, same result.
I do have some sympathy for Rupp and Sparks. Rupp got duped, simple. Why else would you buy into a sport you have no interest in? That’s like me buying the Sheffield Steelers! (Although you’d probably see more passion on the ice!). It does make you question how Rupp has become so successful in the business world though!
As for Sparks, well he was like a kid in a candy shop when he got the job. All bravado, passionate, confident and enthusiastic. Roll on a few years and after some disastrous decision making we get a petulant child responding to Derek Adams criticism of the club! Now he’s still sulking and refusing to talk at all. Maybe he was too young after all?
Let’s be clear, Rupp is under no obligation to invest more than necessary. He’s the owner, he has little interest in football and lives far away from any crtisicm or abuse. However, I do believe he cares, just not enough.
As mentioned, numerous teams have gone up with less. That appears to me what the club is striving for. In other words doing it on a budget which is fine if you have the recipe for success which we clearly don’t.
Is GA working with one hand tied behind his back? Who knows. The next 2 games will tell us a lot about where we really are. Lose them and I can’t see him lasting much longer. Then we can look forward to more false promises and the so called vigorous manger search. But what if we win the next 2? …..
The club are not ‘striving’ for promotion.
RS stated on Radio Leeds tgat his remit was to be sustainable and stay in the league!!
Sustainabilty was the original objective under which Sparks had been directed to operate the football club. However, in March 2024, Rupp made the following statement:
“Ryan expressed his concerns around our budget and the relative budgets of other clubs that are likely to be on the table in League Two next season, including those of teams being relegated from League One, and being promoted from the National League.
“We began the summer ahead of this season with a competitive budget, based on the current model, which we hoped could deliver play-off football. However, as the better-resourced clubs continued to spend, it is clear our budget became less competitive.
“I pledge my support to ensure we are now able to compete in the transfer market, giving us a greater chance of having a closer fight with teams at the top end of the table next season. In the past, this has not always been the case.
“I gave Ryan clear direction to run our club as close to breakeven as possible, however I recognise this can have its limitations, and we must, to some degree, move away from an approach where our primary objective is sustainability, in order to achieve our goals, without placing financial strain on the business.”
I am presuming the Sparks statement that was made on Radio Leeds was prior to March 2024. It’s up to each individual as to whether they believe what he said amounts to either ”striving” for promotion or just aiming to ”stay in the league”.
Clarification regarding the last sentance of my last paragragh:
It’s up to each individual as to whether they believe what Rupp said amounts to either ”striving” for promotion or just aiming to ”stay in the league”.
@lonnie, “It’s up to each individual as to whether they believe what Rupp said amounts to either ”striving” for promotion or just aiming to ”stay in the league”
it’s also up to those same individuals as to whether they believe Rupp has delivered on his promise to “pledge (his) support to ensure we are now able to compete in the transfer market”. The signings we made and the ones we allowed to leave, suggests this was not the case…!!!
You all may grumble but think of people like me supporting the club since my first game in 1961 at Scarborough which of course was lost. We were in the old fourth division then so not much has changed. However at the end of last season I did decide to jump ship and not renew my season ticket. I took the view that City were lacking ambition because the hierarchy was too comfortable and therefore taking advantage of its massive supporter base. Sadly this still seems to be the case.
If we had the foresight, courage of our convictions and commitment that is required to change the narrative, perhaps things could be different. It would have taken a negligible financial commitment from our hardcore support to secure a stake in the club or buy the ground back. Even when liquidation was a very real possibility, it was someone else’s problem to solve.
I consider it gross hypocrisy for our fans to demand a random German bloke, flushes his money down the toilet. At the fans forum, I had the opportunity to suggest to Mr. Rupp that he should challenge the supporters to meet him halfway and propose a scheme to buy the ground back. Absurd I know.
I’ve suggested this on other forums and greeted with incredulity and derision but…….5000 supporters committing the cost of a latte a week for 5 years would generate over £5,000,000.
We simply don’t have that foresight.
Exactly, we should be starting a fan investment proposal right now in advance of the Stadium contract renewal so we can enter in a position of strength and actually negotiate an outright purchase of VP. A £100 excess on a Season Ticket for 3 years coupled with voluntary share options would easily get us into a strong position.
Fans wouldn’t like it but if we don’t get VP back we are dead as no credible investor will touch us with a barge pole without owning our own stadium or any other assets.
Who do you envisage buying an insolvent club that doesn’t even own its own ground? If Mr Rupp gets fed up with all you & your colleagues’ griping at him & pulls out don’t be surprised if the club finds itself in freefall. Non-League is only one step away. Start showing a little bit of appreciation of a man for whom there’s no apparent advantage of any kind in keeping it going.
WELL SAID!!