Tasker 'staggered' by goodwill

Bradford Bulls' acting chief executive Gary Tasker 'staggered' by offers

Bradford's acting chief executive Gary Tasker says he has been "staggered" by the offers of help to stage Sunday's match against London Broncos.

The Bulls' Stobart Super League game at Odsal was in serious doubt at the start of the week when administrator Brendan Guilfoyle made 16 full-time staff members redundant.

"The staggering amount of support and the way people have reacted with offers of help has been tremendous."
Gary Tasker Quotes of the week

That figure came down to 15 when conditioner Geoff Evans was re-instated but still included chief executive Ryan Duckett and the entire coaching staff.

On Wednesday Tasker began his duties as an interim and unpaid chief executive, while Potter and his assistants Francis Cummins and Lee St Hilaire put the players through their paces at their first training session of the week after agreeing to work without pay.

Goodwill

Tasker, who spent two decades at the club before leaving to work for the game's governing bodies in 2000, revealed that most of the staff made redundant are still helping.

"They have offered their services and are preparing the stadium as we speak," commented Tasker. "It's a dreadful scenario with people losing their livelihoods and I never thought it would come to this.

"It's gone from being an iconic brand to a shambles but there is so much goodwill. We are determined to do the best we can.

"It's all hands on deck. The staggering amount of support and the way people have reacted with offers of help has been tremendous."

Programme

Tasker said the club were aiming to provide a reminder of the Bulls' glory days when they led the way in pre-match entertainment by organising a bumper family day which he hopes will produce a crowd of between 15,000 and 20,000.

"We are planning a big show," he continued. "We've got a strong entertainment programme lined up for all the family and it's a pound for kids.

"We've had a fantastic commitment from the coaching staff, the players played out of their skin at Wigan and now it's up to the fans to do the same.

"We have an opportunity to showcase the club to potential purchasers and there are some, although no deal is done until it's done."