SUPER LEAGUE rugby stars Salford Red Devils have championed the launch of Greater Manchester’s biggest ever sponsored walk – set to be staged in September to tackle homelessness in the region.

The team blew the starting whistle on the launch of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s brand new campaign, Circle Home, announcing that they are dedicating their home game against Warrington Wolves on Friday 8th September (7.45pm) for the cause. It furthers the Super League team’s involvement in the annual ‘Tackle the Tough Stuff’ campaign.

Circle Home will take place from Friday 8th September to Monday 11th September, with everyone in Greater Manchester invited to complete one or more stages of the GM Ringway- Greater Manchester’s Walking Trail.  The 300km trail is broken down into 20 stages, circling the whole of the city region, with every leg accessible by public transport. The fundraising event is being led by the charity in partnership with GM Moving, the Business Growth Hub, and JCI Manchester.

With every mile covered, the pounds raised will change lives. Would-be walkers are encouraging to find out more and start fundraising by visiting: https://www.tinyurl.com/circle-home

On Friday 8th September, one of the many walks over the weekend will end at Salford Stadium, with the opportunity to watch the game and be part of a united effort to tackle homelessness. Salford Red Devils are a community owned club showcasing just how to give back to their local community, hosting Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity at the game, spreading awareness of the incredible work across Greater Manchester to end homelessness, and sharing details about how to get involved.

Paul King, Managing Director of Salford Red Devils said: 

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“We are so proud to give our support to this campaign and to be working with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity in spotlighting and tackling one of our region’s most urgent of social issues.

“We are committed to being there for our community - just as our community are so often there for us - and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the Salford Stadium in September.”

 

There’s lots of ways people can get involved in the Circle Home weekender, whether a business taking your team or clients out to explore what Greater Manchester has to offer, or spending time with family and friends in the great outdoors.

Circle Home is aimed at getting people out enjoying Greater Manchester’s stunning natural spaces, all while raising money for a good cause.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity said:

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“I am always inspired by the community of Greater Manchester coming out in droves to support Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity in their mission to end rough sleeping and homelessness across our city-region. What we’re doing is working. But we cannot stop now.

“Circle Home offers everyone in Greater Manchester the opportunity to reap the benefits of exploring the great outdoors whilst raising money for an important cause. It’s great to launch this event in partnership with Salford Red Devils, a community club doing their bit for the community. Their support means a lot to the charity.”

 

Dr Fran Darlington-Pollock, Head of Strategic Development at Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity said:

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”People connect with sport. We are delighted that we can work with community owned Salford Red Devils to champion efforts to tackle homelessness across Greater Manchester, spreading awareness at one of their home games and launching our exciting active campaign, Circle Home.

“Circle Home brings together many organisations across Greater Manchester, and connects with the people and places of our city region in such a powerful way. We’re excited to bring the people of Greater Manchester an event to return to year-on-year, raising funds to end homelessness while connecting with the wonderful place that we call home.”

 

The home stadium of Salford Red Devils and Sale Sharks rugby clubs  is a step closer to being under the full ownership of the local city council.

This follows a Salford city council cabinet meeting today which agreed on a ‘statement of strategic intent’ for buying 100 per cent of what would become the City of Salford Community Stadium (CoSCoS).

What is currently the AJ Bell Stadium is jointly owned by the authority and Peel, but the land and property giant wants to sell its share.

A report from city mayor Paul Dennett to the meeting says that outstanding debt on the stadium currently stands at £37m, but the council has been paid back £11m since it was built and that money is being held back as a ‘contingency’ in case further work is needed.

But Conservative opposition leader Robin Garrido has objected strongly to the plan and has claimed the city council’s bid for full ownership may be ‘illegal’. He does not sit on the cabinet but attended the meeting as a member of the public.

Mr Dennett told the cabinet that the stadium was ‘part of what we are delivering in that part of the city [in Eccles]’.

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“We had huge land challenges when it was being built because it was a brownfield site.

“Peel have been keen to pursue a sale [of their 50pc share] of the stadium for some time to remove themselves as a joint venture partner.”

 

But he went on:

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“This isn’t a decision to purchase the stadium, it’s a decision around the direction of travel in terms of where Salford city council is moving and going.

“This is about delivering social value in accordance with our economic strategy. We do believe that local authorities should be owning assets, rather than what’s been going on over the 13 years where councils up and down the country have had to sell off assets to balance their budgets. Local authorities should be asset-owning entities.”

 

He said that the intention to buy the stadium was about ‘the future development and regeneration in that area of the city’. 

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“This is about securing a home for Salford Red Devils. It’s fair to acknowledge the cultural contribution they make to the city as they prepare to celebrate 150 years as a club, supporting mental health and people with disabilities [in the community].”

However, speaking after the meeting, Coun Garrido told the Local Democracy Service he had ‘no doubt’ the stadium would end up in the full ownership of the city council but added: 

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"We’ve got to make it as uncomfortable as possible. I’ve already received dozens of emails from people who are aghast that they are going to spend millions on the stadium. 

“If this was a viable situation, why do Peel want to sell their share of the stadium? Why are they desperate to get rid of it? Because it’s a white elephant hanging around their neck.

“Peel don’t get rid of anything that makes money, and I understand that.”

 

Photo ©: Nick Jackson

Kallum Watkins has been named Salford Red Devils captain for the 2023 Betfred Super League campaign, with Brodie Croft and Marc Sneyd to continue their role as vice-captains.

The England international returned from a long-term knee injury earlier last season and enjoyed a stellar campaign. Despite being a natural centre, Watkins’ move to the second-row has added a new dimension to his game and gave Paul Rowley’s side another deadly threat.

Watkins began his junior career at Salford after playing for his local team, Langworthy Reds. After winning multiple major honours – including six Super League titles – with Leeds Rhinos, he moved back to the Red Devils and instantly became a fan favourite.

The 31-year-old has gone on to make 30 appearances for the Club and played a major role in our run to the playoff semi-final during 2022.

Like the previous campaign, Brodie Croft and Marc Sneyd will continue their roles as vice-captain. Our half-back pairing were in electric form last season, with Sneyd scoring a Super League Club record number of points and Croft becoming only the second player in Salford’s history to win the Man of Steel award.

Reacting to becoming Club captain, Watkins said:

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“It’s a massive honour and I’m truly grateful to the coaching staff, the team and the Club for giving me this opportunity to be captain. It’s something I’ll take with both hands.

“For me, it’s just about being myself. I’ve got the opportunity to lead the team and now I’ve got to lead by my actions and get the team where they need to be.”

Head Coach, Paul Rowley has also explained why Watkins is the perfect fit. He said: “Choosing the right man to lead our team in 2023 was a process that proved fulfilling and enjoyable.

“Over the last 12 months, our players have developed and matured to the point where we were encouraged to have several options to choose from.

“Our vice-captains will remain the same, as both were fantastic on and off the field last year – and if it’s not broken, then I won’t try to fix it.

“The privilege of leading our group has been given to Kallum Watkins, who is quite simply everything you would want from a leader.

“He drives standards and is held in the upmost respect by his teammates and all our staff. It was a privilege to inform Kal and I’m looking forward to seeing him lead out the team.”

 

Listen to Watkins’ full reaction on RDTV now: https://bit.ly/3ZJ8RZV

Link Back: https://www.salfordreddevils.net/kallum-watkins-named-salford-red-devils-captain-brodie-croft-and-marc-sneyd-continue-as-vice-captains/

Salford Red Devils' Women's squad will face Wigan Warriors, Featherstone Rovers and Cardiff Demons in the Group Stage of the 2023 Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup.

After winning the League Cup and League Leaders Shield in their inaugural year, the girls earned promotion and will compete in Super League 2 across 2023.

Consequently, their efforts have landed them a chance to compete in the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup for the first time in the Club’s history.

The Group Stage draw was conducted this evening at Wembley Stadium and the team now know what tasks await them soon.

Salford will face Wigan Warriors from Pot 1, Featherstone Rovers from Pot 2 and Cardiff Demons from Pot 4.

Confirmed dates and times of these fixtures will be confirmed soon.

Link Back: https://www.salfordreddevils.net/salford-red-devils-women-to-face-wigan-featherstone-and-cardiff-in-betfred-challenge-cup-group-stage/

Photo: Salford Red Devils

Swinton's roaring Lions are in the process of offering a trial to Joe Lowe who is set to get some game time in their upcoming pre-season friendlies which start soon with a match against Salford's Red Devils.

Although a Wiganer by birth, 21 year-old Joe has spent the latter half of his life growing up in Australia, and for the past three years has been playing his rugby league with the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

The Falcons compete in the Queensland Cup and have an affiliation with Melbourne Storm.

Joe still has family that live in the Wigan area, and was looking to develop his immediate rugby career back here in his native England, and having done his research he felt that the Lions were a potential fit for both himself and the club.

Joe mainly plays as a full-back, but is also effective elsewhere in the backs.

Swinton Lions Head Coach Allan Coleman, said, 

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“Joe approached the club last month from where he was based in Australia to ask about an opportunity for 2023. We did some research on Joe and then asked him to join us for pre-season training.

"He has since proved to be a popular lad amongst the squad, and has demonstrated that he’s got the potential as well as the skills and temperament to play both full-back or half-back.

"We will see how things go during the remainder of our pre-season and then sit down with Joe ahead of the start of our league campaign.”

Salford Red Devils  are set to take on Swinton Lions at the Salford Stadium on Sunday, January 29th, in their first pre-season friendly of 2023.

The Red Devils last faced Swinton almost a year ago in January 2022, where a new-look Salford earned a hard-fought 48-12 victory during Paul Rowley’s first game in charge.

This particular fixture will kick-off at 1pm, with an array of first-team stars set to gain valuable game time ahead of the Betfred Super League campaign.

This game will also act as the first opportunity for supporters to see some of the clubs new recruits in action.

Adam Sidlow, Ben Hellewell and Andrew Dixon are familiar faces in Red and White, but Oliver Partington, Sam Stone and Ellis Longstaff are three exciting new additions for the upcoming season.

The last meeting between the sides was the first time we saw now-Man of Steel, Brodie Croft in action for the Reds, with a number of other first-team regulars also making their full debuts.

https://www.salfordreddevils.net/salford-red-devils-to-host-swinton-lions-in-pre-season-friendly/

By Harry Siddall

Salford's Red Devils put in an outstanding performance against Huddersfield on Saturday with a stunning 28-0 win over the Giants, securing them a Super League play-off semi-final spot against St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium in the Betfred Super League this coming Saturday 17th September.

Last week's sensational match saw Huddersfield totally annihilated, with Tries from Burgess, Watkins, Brierly and Ackers, coupled with two goals from Sneyd (One from a penalty), resulting in the opposition taking a 'Giant' tumble on their home turf.

The Devils are now just 80 minutes away from a possible Grand Final and need all the support from the Salford Faithful that they can muster. 

The game kicks off at 1pm and tickets are available from the club's online store or via phone on 0161 786 1570 or 01671 786 1574.

Salford Red Devils were beaten 34-14 by Leeds Rhinos this afternoon, in Round 22 of the Betfred Super League.

Despite a battling display, Paul Rowley’s men were on the losing side at Headingley, bringing their excellent three-match winning run to an end.

The hosts struck first with a quick counter-attack down the right. Quick hands allowed David Fusitu’a to race away from his man and slip in Harry Newman for an easy try.

Leeds quickly extended their advantage when Rhyse Martin sent a kick high into the sky on the last. Richie Myler chased it down and beat Dan Sarginson to the ball, dummied his man, and slid over in the left corner.

Salford were struggling to maintain possession and Rhyse Martin was the next to power over after shrugging off multiple Red Devils’ bodies to the left of the sticks  – converting his own try.

Rowley’s men did get themselves on the board minutes later. Brodie Croft sent a kick towards the posts on the last, Kallum Watkins flicked it backward and some quick passing created an overload on the left for Joe Burgess to charge into the corner and cut the deficit.

The Red Devils were starting to find their groove and some incredible persistence earned their next try. Lafai kept the ball alive on the left and ran across the line to find Alex Gerrard who, under immense pressure, produced a neat offload to Brodie Croft. The Aussie fired a high pass over to Ken Sio in the right corner and our top scorer did the rest.

HALF-TIME: Leeds Rhinos 18-8 Salford Red Devils

Taking massive momentum into the break, Salford continued to apply pressure at the start of the second forty and got their just-reward on the 49th minute. After multiple Leeds penalties, Croft weaved a gap underneath the sticks and Marc Sneyd’s conversion edged the visitors within four.

Salford were penalised for obstructing the play-the-ball moments later and Leeds opted for two – converted by Martin. The game was turning into a huge tussle, with both sides conceding penalties and wasting valuable opportunities.

In the 65th minute, the Reds were trying to burst through on the right, but a loose pass was intercepted by Ashley Handley, who ran the length of the field to extend Leeds’ advantage.

It went from bad to worse for Salford with ten minutes to go. Sitaleki Akauola was sent to the sin bin for holding down at the play-the-ball and Martin added two points from the resulting penalty.

With three minutes to go, Leeds made the extra man count and Martin crashed over again in the left corner after an offload from Zane Tetevano.

FULL-TIME: Leeds Rhinos 34- 14 Salford Red Devils

Leeds: Hardaker, Fusitu’a, Newman, Sutcliffe, Handley, Sezer, Myler, Oledzki, O’Connor, Thompson, Bentley, Martin, Smith, Dwyer, Tetevano, Walters, Gannon.

Salford: Sarginson, Sio, Cross, Lafai, Burgess, Croft, Sneyd, Ormondroyd, Ackers, Akauola, Taylor, Watkins, Gerrard, Brierley, Wright, Atkin, Luckley.

Leeds tries: Newman (1′), Myler (7′), Martin (15′, 77′), Handley (65′)

Leeds goals: Martin (5/5)

Leeds penalty goal: Martin (2/2)

Salford tries: Burgess (20′), Sio (29′), Croft (49′)

Salford goals: Sneyd (1/3)

Referee: Ben Thaler

Source: MATCH REPORT | LEEDS RHINOS 34-14 SALFORD RED DEVILS | SUNDAY 7TH AUGUST 2022 - Salford Red Devils

Salford Red Devils say they have been saddened to learn of the passing of former, back row forward, John Corcoran, on the 2nd August, following a short illness.

John (pictured second from left, above) joined Salford from Wigan St Patrick’s, in 1974, and, although he might have appeared to have been lacking in size for a position in the pack, he more than compensated for this with his energy and endeavour; his hard running and zealous tackling ensured that he played well above his weight.

He made his first appearance from the bench, on the 13 August 1974, in the annual, pre-season charity match against Swinton, for the Red Rose Cup, which he followed up, a few weeks later on 8th September, once again as a substitute, in a home game against Huyton, in the Lancashire Cup.

Although he remained with the club for four years, because of the intensity of competition for places in the team, at that time, John played most of his rugby in the A team.  Nevertheless, he turned out in the first team for a total of forty games, starting in eighteen of them, coming off the bench in the remaining twenty-two, and scoring three tries.  In addition, in September 1975, he went on loan to Leigh, for whom he played a further three games.

His final first team match was against Dewsbury, at The Willows, on the 11th January, 1978, and later that year, during the close season, he transferred to Blackpool Borough, where he became a mainstay, and later captain, of their team.  He featured most regularly at loose forward, making the starting line-up on seventy-five occasions, with a further four as a substitute, and scoring five tries.

His final move came in September 1981 to Rochdale Hornets, and during this, his last season, he played a further fourteen games, starting in thirteen of these, and scoring a try.

Our sincere sympathy and condolences go out from everyone connected with Salford Red Devils, to his family and friends, at this particularly sad time.

His funeral will be held on Tuesday, 16th August, at St Saviour’s Church, Preston, PR5 6EP, at 2..00 pm.

Acknowledgement:  Graham Morris, Club Historian

Photo: Salford Red Devils

Source: TRIBUTE TO JOHN CORCORAN - Salford Red Devils

Salford's Detysha Harper has been called up to England Red Roses pre-season training squad.

The Loughborough Lightening forward, who began playing Rugby at Eccles Rugby Club aged just  15, has rocketed through the ranks but then what do you expect when she has Rugby running through her veins.

Both her older brother and younger brother played for league team Eccles Roosters and her younger brother played union at Eccles RFC, so it was only inevitable that she would chart her own course into women's rugby, and what a course that has been, being called up for England aged just 19.

Now aged-23, Harper, has already been part of the six nations team for England, winning the championship twice in succession against Ireland in 2019 and France in 2020.

The forward placed a lot of credit for her success on her former Eccles RFC coach Trevor Parrott, whom she said was instrumental in her time at Eccles.

Parrot said that he knew from the moment she walked into the club aged 15 that she had a special quality about her, she was a natural athlete and a joy to coach. He is not surprised that she has gone on to become the star she has.

Currently studying for a degree in Psychology at Loughborough University, the formidable young woman is still inspiring young girls back home to get into the sport.

Meanwhile, England prepare for internationals against the USA and then Wales this September, followed a month later with their World Cup opener against Fiji at Eden Park in Auckland.

The team is then set to play the formidable France and South Africa in group C.

Salford Red Devils are proud to announce a partnership in the US, with the The Southwest Florida Copperheads.

The North American club were formed in 2018 as part of USA Rugby League.

This partnership will support the development of Rugby League in Florida and North America in general. The partnership will see Salford Red Devils work with the Copperheads to support both on and off field aspects such as marketing, media, player recruitment and coaching development. This latest announcement follows successful partnerships in Australia, Ghana and Wales as we continue to promote and help grow the popularity of Rugby League.

Salford Red Devils executive director, Paul Trainor, commented:

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“We are delighted to announce the partnership with the Southwest Florida Copperheads.

As a club, we look forward to contributing to the ongoing development of the club, both on and off the field. From our initial discussions with Curtis, it is very clear to see the ambition of the Copperheads and we are excited to be support them on their journey.”

 

Curtis Goddard of the Southwest Florida Copperheads commented:

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“I’m excited because this partnership means a great deal to us. An opportunity for our game across all departments of our club in one of the most athletically gifted states in the US.

‘This partnership will help us develop the quality of our player pool. With the potential for top players each season to train with the Red Devils side, which creates competition within our side and an actual pathway for this player to get to England and develop.

The partnership will help us develop our coaching staff by creating a Mentor/Mentee relationship, giving access to Salford’s Coaching staff.”

 

We look forward to bringing further updates on this later in the year and wish the best of luck to the team at the Southwest Florida Copperheads for the coming season.

Salford Red Devils have announced that Marc Darcy have become their first ever formal-wear sponsor.

Established in 1989, Marc Darcy have been providing high quality designer tailoring at affordable prices for over three decades.

A multi-award-winning tailor, Marc Darcy work with a number of professional sports clubs and will be kitting out the Red Devils in style, for our trips on the road in 2022.

Speaking on the sponsorship, Salford Red Devils partnerships manager Hannah Kilby commented:

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"Marc Darcy are a highly professional and highly recognised brand that we are really pleased to now be associated with.

"The experience they have, accompanied by the awards they have achieved and the fact that they work with multiple professional sports teams across three different sports, speaks volumes, and we’re really looking forward to building on this sponsorship with Marc Darcy."

 

Karen Johal Creative Director and Head of Partnerships at Marc Darcy said:

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"We are extremely happy to be announced as Formalwear Partner to Salford Red Devils.

"Strengthening local partnerships is important to us and we felt that this one in particular, reflected our Salford roots perfectly. We have been based in Salford for over 30 years and have forged some fantastic relationships along the way, with this now being one of them."

 

In a statement Salford Red Devil's have revealed the departure of Marwan Koukash as owner of the club, instead it will now be ran by a new not-for-profit holding company to be known as Salford RD Holdings, which has taken over the ownership and control of the club. Koukash stepped back from running the club in late 2017, shortly after the Reds re-branded their image.

The latest move comes after it was revealed fellow tenants Sale Sharks have threatened to quit the stadium if it is not sold to them, a move which has split opinion across Salford with some thinking it would be for the better and some arguing that the reds would effectively be tenants in a Salford stadium owned and operated by a Manchester club.

An offer by the Sharks was put forward but was later rejected, with john Merry saying the offer was "Unacceptable".

In a press release Salford Reds revealed that....

The Rugby Football League (RFL) has approved the deal which sees ownership pass to the ambitious consortium, which has been established to represent fans and the Salford community.

The four members of the board of Salford RD Holdings are all long-standing supporters of the club and bring commercial experience and a clear vision to return the club to financial sustainability, building on its historical links to the city and community of Salford.

The board members are:

Andrew Rosler – Owner of Ideal Corporate Solutions Limited.

Andrew grew up in the Salford area and played for many of the local rugby League Clubs. He’s been a Salford Red Devils Season Ticket holder for over three decades and is a long term sponsor of the club.

Asif Latief – Marketing Director at A-Plant

Asif has over 20 years of experience in senior sales and marketing roles. He has positively influenced and led strategic and operational change in fast moving environments and is involved in sponsorship for multiple sports including golf, rugby league, motorsport, football and hockey. Asif is also a trustee on the board of the Salford Red Devils Foundation.

Hannah Fendall – Senior Associate at Williamson & Croft LLP

Hannah is a tax specialist working for a city centre professional services practice. She became an avid fan of the Salford Red Devils when she met her partner who is a life-long supporter and is actively involved with local community club Cadishead Rhinos.

Dawn Fidler –  Founder & CEO of The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity #SuperJosh 

Dawn has a strong corporate background in sales & marketing and has been fundraising for various charities, including for her late son Josh and now for other families through Josh’s Charity for over 20 years. Josh was both a fan and mascot for the club and SuperJosh now sponsor Red Devils’ star George Griffin in his legacy.

Andrew Rosler said:

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“This is truly an historic day for our Club, as the new ownership structure puts the control of the Club into the hands of the supporters.

“As a new board we can’t wait to get down to business  – I am sure we are at the beginning of a really exciting period in the Club’s history and we look forward to working in collaboration with the supporters, businesses and the wider community of Salford to bring long overdue success to the Club.” 

 

Legal advice to the consortium was provided by the Sports team at national law firm Shoosmiths led by partner Richard Millington. Philip Stevenson of Law firm KBL acted for the consortium in respect of its agreements with Marwan Koukash and the RFL.

This arrangement will ensure that the Lions’ have access to the best facilities in the area as our preparations continue for what promises to be a tough but exciting season in the Championship.

Swinton players and coaching staff will have access to excellent outdoor training pitch facilities, as well as a well-equipped gym and meeting room.

Operations Director Steve Wild said,

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“Last season we centred our main training operations over at Fallowfield with Manchester University. Whilst those facilities were excellent they incurred a significant cost, plus it wasn’t the most convenient location for our players, the majority of whom are based on this side of the city.

"We wanted somewhere more local, but which offered the highest standards in training facilities. We are therefore delighted that we have been able to agree excellent terms with the AJ Bell Stadium. To that end we’d very much like to thank Salford City Council, Stadium Event Operations Manager Marcelle Locke, and gym manager Liam Connolly, for all their help in making this arrangement possible.”

Lions’ Head Coach Stuart Littler was also happy with the development. He added,

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“To have secured such a great training facility for our 2018 training campaign is a massive step forward for our club. The facilities at the AJ Bell will allow us to competently review our performances, as well as greatly enabling the development of our physical and technical activities either in their great gym or on the specialised playing surfaces.

We must also pay thanks to Wigan RLFC for the use of their Central Park facility prior to Christmas. The staff there have been exceptional with us and we greatly appreciate their support. We will also continue our relationship with our friends at Leigh Miners Rangers into 2018, so it’s great to have all our training and analysis requirements nailed down and fully catered for. The pre-season games are coming around fast, so to have the use of exceptional facilities can only assist in our preparations as we strive to develop as a team and as club.”

The news broke as a statement on the Salford Red Devils website....

The club has come a long way during my tenure since arriving in 2013 when it was in a perilous position. This year has seen the club have its most successful season in Super League, not just on the field but off it in the way it has shaped its business and financial position.

Under a young local coach, we have seen a team of quality, proven Super League players finish fourth in the regular season and take part in a closely fought semi-final of the Challenge Cup. Off-field, under the guidance of a former Club player as our CEO, we have managed to reduce the operating losses to 20 percent of those in 2014 which has stabilised the club at this time.

Moving forward I strongly believe that the additional investment in recruitment towards the end of last season, combined with an off season in which the coaches can prepare, we will see the team improve further and genuinely compete for a top four finish and an equally successful Cup run.

I further believe that commercial decisions I have recently taken, combined with the business partnerships and arrangements I have already secured will, with the strong support of the local community who buy season tickets and regularly attend games, means that the club can become self sufficient.

As I have always said, I am merely a custodian of the club, which will always be bigger than any individual who owns it, and will continue longer than any one person can run it. To this end the club, quite rightly, must always belong to the fans and the local community of Salford.  I will continue to hold very high regard for our fans and the wider community supporting us and because of this have rejected lucrative offers to relocate or rebrand the club because I have seen that there is an overwhelming passion from the fans to retain the Salford name.

I have now instructed my legal team, subject to RFL approval, to establish a trust to take ownership of the club for the benefit of the fans and the local community of Salford. I will appoint a board of trustees to include local Salford businessmen and a representative of the fans to be elected by the season ticket holders, which will ensure the fans have a prominent voice in the running of the club. I am confident that the new structure at the Club under the guidance of the Trustees will see the Club continue to make progress on and off the pitch.

During my time running the club I have faced many challenges which I have met head on and I, along with my family, have had many great times, creating very fond memories and friendships that will stay with us. I have genuinely grown to absolutely love the game of Rugby League and the Red Devils and still care deeply about it. My decision is nothing to do with the operation of the game or the RFL, with whom during my time I have challenged but also enjoyed a fantastic working relationship, especially during 2017 and they have my ongoing respect. I look forward to joining our loyal supporters and all my friends when i visit in the grandstands at the stadium next season.