Bradford Bulls CEO reveals need to sell season tickets early

It is not just a gimmick to get fans onside, but rather a crucial cog in their off-season operations.

He said: “It’s vital for all rugby league teams that season tickets are bought in the off-season.

“We still have to pay our players throughout all 12 months of the year and staff still need their wages, so it’s important as many people as possible get their season tickets now, which is why we’ve got the Early Bird offer running until the end of November.

The numbers are looking good for now, with Hirst saying: “Sales were up by 40 per cent in the first week of them going on sale.

“That could be down to a whole range of factors, such as Friday night games, increased confidence in what the club’s doing or wanting to watch Franklin Pele every other week.

“I think it’s a combination of all of those, but we know we’re putting together a highly-competitive, top-class Championship squad for 2025.

“IMG takes you into a different territory with TV gantries and directors’ boxes, but by and large, fans don’t give two hoots about either of those.

“What they want to see is Bradford Bulls performing well, winning and players playing for the badge on their shirt.

“Fans need hope and to buy into what you’re doing as a club, and I believe they have done over these last two years.

“The results speak for themselves and if you’d said to people back in 2022 that we’d now be signing the likes of Franklin, Jayden Okunbor and James Donaldson, they wouldn’t have believed you.

Franklin Pele was a big name signing and he terrorised Championship defences in the second half of the season. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“We’ve come a long way, and I think the fans are excited and trust what’s going on here.

“I think they should have that trust based on what we’ve done over the last two and a half years and our recruitment is not finished for next season either.”

Hirst is still determined to see improvement, saying: “Coming third and reaching the play-off semi-final in consecutive seasons would have been a pipe dream two years ago.

“Most of the fans I spoke to in-person out in Toulouse were happy with the season we’ve had, but I’m not.

“I want us to be finishing top and winning finals, that’s our ultimate aim, and with the squad we’re putting together, the expectations will rise for the incoming head coach.

“We’ll only ever set realistic goals, but I don’t think there’ll be many, if any, better Championship squads next year that we’re assembling at the Bulls.”

It felt like rather unfortunate timing for Eamon O’Carroll to depart the club two days after season tickets went on sale, while less than a week later, the IMG rankings revealed Bulls to be a way off reaching Super League as it stands.

Hirst said: “There are always bumps in the road, like the fact we’re looking for a new coach and that we’ve dropped down the IMG rankings to 16th.

“That might make some people have doubts, but I think most of the fans will look at the bigger picture.

“Look at how far we’ve come over the last couple of years, look at the squad we’ve already assembled, trust us that we’ll bring the right head coach in and trust me that our recruitment is not yet finished for 2025.

“We’ve got a really strong squad at the moment, particularly in the forwards, but there are some backs we need to recruit.

James Meadows (in black) is one of two new halves signed by Bulls, but they have not brought in a new winger, centre or full back as yet. (Image: PA.)

“In the absence of a head coach at the moment, I’m keeping some of the conversations going with some of the backs we’re currently in discussion with about joining Bulls in 2025.

“If you are having any doubts at the moment, just give us a week or two, as we’ll have a new man in place as head coach and we’ll have more new signings in.

“Get your Early Bird Season Ticket bought before the end of November because we’re in for a good season next year, I’ve no doubt about that.”

Junior season tickets cost just £12, meaning children from the ages of five to 17 will get to come to Odsal for just £1 per game.

Family deals are also among the Season Ticket options and it is no coincidence that Hirst has pushed for both.

He said: “I started coming here as a seven-year-old in 1976 and 48 years later I’m still coming to Odsal every other week to watch the first team.

“It’s massive to get kids in the ground, because they’re the next generation of supporters.

“We have a fan zone here before every home match, so it’s not just about watching rugby, it’s kids getting their faces painted for free, playing on bouncy castles and listening to muscle.

“I read one fan put something about social media saying about how if he went to a funfair, it’d cost him £1 to send his kid on a bouncy castle for five minutes, whereas he knows he can bring his kid here for £1 to play on a bouncy castle for two hours and get to watch a top-class Championship team win games.

A young Bulls fans takes part in a fan zone activity at Odsal ahead of Bradford's 1895 Cup semi-final with Wakefield in May. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“It’s great value and there’ll be lots to do at Odsal for kids next year, with a good Championship side that will win the vast majority of games it plays here.”

Hirst confirmed there would still be plenty of fan zone activities for children ahead of the Friday night summer games, not just the Sunday afternoon winter ones.

But is he not worried parents will keep their young children away in the summer, given games will not be finishing until close to 10pm?

He said: “If you’d have asked me that question two years ago, I’d have been extremely worried about the move to a Friday night and how that would affect the number of kids turning up.

“But two years on, I’m not worried, because while there’ll be some people who’ll say games are going to finish too late for them next summer to bring their kids along, the vast majority of people who’ve approached me or given me feedback have said Friday nights are great for their kids.

“They’ve talked about things like their kids not having to get up for school on Saturday morning, Sunday afternoons being their family time to go to the park or the cinema etc.

“Most people who’ve spoken to me believe Friday night is better for them and their children, but I respect and understand that everybody’s circumstances are different.

“There’ll be people reading this who’ll say they don’t want to take their kids to Odsal until 10pm on a Friday night.

“That’s everybody’s choice and, while I’m extremely confident Fridays will work, I could be wrong.

“There’s only one way to find out because no-one truly knows until we try it.

“When I’ve been questioned internally over the decision and people have asked me to show them the kind of crowds we get on Friday nights, I can show them when we used to get 10,000 people here.

“But they’ll rightly tell me that’s because we’re in Super League, so I can only use the Championship as a fair comparison.

“I’ve only really got Dewsbury and Halifax from earlier this year, and the latter might be skewed because it was Good Friday.

Bulls' win over Halifax in March was on a Friday, but because it was the Easter Weekend, kids had been off school and many adults attending had not been at work either. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“Two matches is not a big enough sample, so we need a bigger sample.

“If it doesn’t work, the move to Friday nights, we’ll go back to Sundays, if it does, we’ll stick with Fridays or perhaps continue with the hybrid model.

“No idea’s a bad idea, but you’ve got to move with the times and we’re doing this for the benefit of the club.

“We need more people through the turnstiles, an extra thousand fans per home game in 2025 will make us £250,000.”

And giving the T&A a unique exclusive, Hirst said: “This stadium isn’t just about Friday evenings or Sunday afternoons, we’ve got a great facility called the Southbank Stand that hosts parties and funerals etc.

“We’ve got the director’s box that’ll be completed in a few weeks’ time and that can hold parties during the day on an evening or on a weekend.

“It’s one thing we didn’t offer initially with the Early Bird Season Ticket, but we’ll now announce via the T&A, is that those who buy one will get reduced prices on hiring those facilities at Odsal from now until the end of 2025.”

Another incentive the Early Bird Season Ticket offers is that it allows buyers free access to academy, reserves, scholarship and women’s games.

Hirst is proud of the fact Bulls run nine teams, as a club that promotes inclusivity and opportunities for all, but attendances are sparse outside of first-team matches.

Asked if he hoped that aspect of the Early Bird offer would see those other sides get more eyes on them, he admitted: “I’m not overly confident if I’m being honest, just based on how many people watched those sides last year.

“It is a benefit of the Early Bird offer, because it is good watching different teams and styles.

“The women’s game isn’t as structured as the men’s, while the academy and scholarship games aren’t all about winning, they’re about developing players.

“I know when I watch those young lads, as a fan, I’m there looking at whether I can pick out who’s going to be the next Leon Pryce, Stuart Fielden or John Bateman and others can do the same.

“I think it’s entertaining and if you’re a rugby nerd like me, the Early Bird means you get to watch more matches for free.

“With the women, it’d be great for them to play in front of bigger crowds because they deserve and want that.

Bulls played this Challenge Cup game against Warrington earlier this year in front of a very small crowd at Odsal. (Image: Martin Taylor.)

“For the scholars and academy lads, it’s part of their development, because playing in front of a big crowd can affect people in different ways.

“If these guys are going to make it through into Bulls’ first team, they’re going to be playing in front of thousands, so the more they can get used to that, the better.

“I’d urge anybody to give it a go if they’re a season ticket holder, and even if you’re not, come down and pay a fiver to get in.

“Any money we take on the gate at academy matches goes back into the academy, any money at the women’s games goes back into their side.

“It’s all about the club and supporting one another, getting behind all those sides.

“Obviously the men’s first team is the focal point, and is likely to remain that for the foreseeable future, but I know how much the women and the youngsters value people coming along and creating a bit of an atmosphere.

“If you haven’t done that yet, please get yourself down, as I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”