Theres a few rumours flying round on other boards that a big Yorkshire club may fall into liquidation soon.



Not sure who this is but I can't see it been Bradford considering how our finances are getting better, Leeds aren't poor and Huddersfield have always done ok. So perhaps Castleford or Halifax?

Wakefield board seem to think its us due to the possible image rights fiasco.....

No, it's probably not us. But that won't stop the idiots from coming on here and telling us how we're going out of business.



I wouldn't be surprised if it was Wakefield.

What image rights fiasco??

Only seen a bit of rumour-mongering on the Wakey forum? Hardly rumours flying round the boards?



That said, if Leeds lose the image rights case, of if anyway the eventual settlement with HMRC is not good, I would expect most SL club entities to go straight into Administration. Most are either technically insolvent (as entities) or are solvent (like Bulls) but lack the resources to fund a substantial tax settlement. That, btw, is one reason why I can't help but think there are other motives behind the HMRC actions.



Leeds - the entity - would be one of the very few that could probably take a big hit and survive.



Clubs like Wire and Hudds have sugar daddies and parent companies with net assets - e.g. through coming heir to a stadium cheap. But the actual RL club entity is seriously badly insolvent, and would go immediately if the parent/sugar daddy withdrew support. So their route looks simple - let the entity go and transfer franchise and players to parent or Newco.



If all this happens, what happens next? Easy. With the RFL's blessing, a load of phoenix clubs spring up overnight, to which the franchises, players and everything else that can be kept out of the hands of the administrators is assigned. And no points deductions since this would be a game-wide calamity.



The biggest losers through such actions would likely be HMRC and (very unfairly) Leeds.



The above is a very simplistic summary, but write it down someplace, just in case.



As for whether Bradford are especially vulnerable as an entity? With no sugar daddy and no subsidiary RL club entity that could be allowed to go, then yes quite possibly IMO. But is it likely the RFL would have awarded Bradford a Licence, and a B grade at that, unless they fully expected a Bradford club to be playing in SL for the next three years?

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the Leeds' image rights case all about?

Thanks, I was going to ask exactly that question but was too embarrassed to admit I had no idea what Adey was on about

[urlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/apr/01/super-league-inland-revenue-offshore-payments[/url



[urlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/sep/27/rugby-union-guinness-premiership[/url



I'm sure there is a mamoth post coming from someone but my understanding of it is:



Clubs were paying (or third parties) what was effectively salary as image rights.



This avoided the clubs having to pay employers NI and were a tax avoidance scam, albeit one the clubs thought was legal.



Revenue have challenged that, said they should have been paying class 1 National Insurance (Employers NI) on it and want to back date it to shortly after the big bang.



Leeds are in court on it at the moment arguing against the back dating. Various other clubs also have exposure to it.



Basically we are all in the unenviable position of supporting Leeds on this one! Oh and it wasn't just us, football was using this aswell which is where it got picked up from. If you google that you will get loads of football references but the issue is the same.

Karma's a bitch, isn't it?

Good old Leeds. As much as we are hated we do think about RL as a whole not just ourselves

Not just the Wakefield fans but total RL board too.



leeds are fighting becuasr RU only pay I think 15% so Leeds are taking the Court action as a RUGBY club, apparently the HMRC do not recognise RL as a national game and theres the problem.



I have only heard rumours but some clubs owe in excess of a million pounds, if leeds win then then this will be reduced to 15% of the sum. Its looking unlikely based on rumours but there are some clubs with rather large tax bills apparently if this comes off.



Talk on RL fans is mass administration.



With regard to Wakefield we owe nothing due to administration our tax debt was sorted.



HTH

Adey, I thought we had Bradford Bulls (holdings) tied in with Bradford Northern (1964) Ltd? Is this not the same as the others, a holding company with a subsidiary?