Dewsbury Rams chairman Mark Sawyer hopes to allay suspicions over Bradford Bulls takeover

Dewsbury Rams chairman Mark Sawyer is one of two new main shareholders at Bradford Bulls alongside Nigel Wood.

DEWSBURY Rams chairman Mark Sawyer admits he understands why fellow chairmen may find his new involvement with Bradford Bulls as “suspicious” and warned Nigel Wood that he would face fire, too.

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The unlikely duo are now the two main shareholders of Bradford after taking over the cash-strapped club from Andrew Chalmers.

Sawyer, who has just under 25 per cent of the shares, has reiterated to Dewsbury fans the deal will not diminish his commitment to the Rams who are Bulls’ Championship rivals.

Wood, meanwhile, is the former RFL chief executive who was at the helm of the governing body as Bulls lurched from one financial disaster to another, giving the go-ahead to various new owners who each failed to turn them around.

He left the RFL last year and is now the International Rugby League chief executive so will be leaving the day-to-day running of the club to others with Sawyer looking to assist in setting up a new board with help from interim chairman Eric Perez.

Bradford, of course, are due to play at Dewsbury’s Tetley’s Stadium in 2020 as one of Chalmers’ last acts as Bulls owner was to make the decision to leave their Odsal home.

“We’re not on a wing and a prayer here; the club’s in debt but we’re not dreamboats,” said Sawyer, with Bulls thought to owe creditors over £750,000.