So, the fallout then.

[SelimNiai]

Already things are changing at The Mem, Luke Eves has already left others will follow, including defense coach John Brain. Out chairman made a statement today.

"I am sure we all share the disappointment of last Wednesday evening. I still cannot believe we fluffed our lines on the big stage, but that is the emotional roller coaster of sport. The board had made available every resource we could to secure promotion and realistically this season was our best chance to get back into the Premiership. Next season we will lose the parachute payment we had this year, and missing out on promotion has punched a £2-£2.5m hole in our finances.

Bristol Rugby - along with the vast majority of professional clubs - lose a significant sum of money, and again I want to thank the small and loyal band of benefactors whose generosity has kept the club afloat. In the 7 years I have been involved on the board of Bristol, with the last 18 months as Chairman, this group have spent £5m meeting the gap between our income and expenditure.

I have always made it clear that we will not jeopardise our future by making commitments we cannot meet, and on Thursday night the board approved a new budget for the forthcoming season, a budget that has been reduced significantly to reflect where we are now. We will need to make dramatic savings if we are to survive but with the support of everyone involved, we will achieve this. The biggest overhead we have is staff, and over this last year we have cut back to the bone all other areas to maximise the playing budget. We will have to cut this budget now to reflect the income we are forecasting. Players will be leaving the club - I know the message boards and the pub talk will speculate as to who is going and who is staying but we have not agreed next season's squad and all the playing staff are being spoken to over the next week or so. This is a process made more difficult as many have now gone away for the post season break. We will make a further announcement on this in due course once the decisions have been made. John Brain, whose contract expires in June, will leave the club and I want to thank him for his efforts and wish him well.

We will be competitive next year, we will ensure a squad of players who are committed and will represent the club with passion and commitment, and we will continue to spend all we can on the playing budget. Now is the time for us to take stock and really plan for our future - the stadium and the funding we need, must be addressed before we can attract the serious investment required to re-establish ourselves in the top flight. For now, we are making the tough decisions that need to be made and I want to thank everyone for the loyalty and passion they have shown across the season".

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ouch, that really sucks =/
Hopefully they can get back on their feet, to lose 2.5mil last season is shocking.

 

[SelimNiai]

Just wrote this on http://iaindrmiles.wordpress.com/

"One game can make or break a season they say. Well, the game at the Memorial Ground on May 26th could make or break Bristol's near future.

Exeter won promotion to the Premiership that evening and the future looks bright for the and good luck to the for next season. The defeat has hit Bristol harder, harder even than the relegation a season before hand.

With the gap in wages and income between the Championship and Premiership being so vast sides who come down can't afford the inevitable drop in income matched between high wage bills for very long, a season or two at the longest. So for most sides, and it often turns out this way, their Championship experience is only for a season.

The extra season Bristol are destined to spend in the Championship are expected to cost the club in excess of £2.5 million, that is what all the extra TV money, gate and merchandising sales and corporate sponsorship brings in. So in an effort to keep themselves as close to liquidation as possible there would be the inevitable departures.

Seven players have already departed and with the rest of the squad told that if they want to stay at the Mem they will need to take a pay-cut, as much as 60% in some cases there will inevitably be more departures for other clubs. This is before the management can begin to try to bring players in to play for the Club in 2010-2011. For the moment however there is no knowing how the summer will pan out, there have been talks of linking up with Bath in a player loaning agreement and the desperate rumours of a mysterious rich businessman coming in with his cheque book to save the day.

Hopefully the situation will rectify itself and in a few years Bristol can be back where it belongs, back in English Rugby's top tier. A club with a history as big as theirs should not be allowed to go the way of sides like Richmond, dissolved and having to start from the lowest divisions. For the time being it is a case of standing by your team through the next few years as the upcoming few seasons could be some of the biggest in Bristols 132 year existence

Remember everyone,

The Futures Bright, The Future is Blue and White"