RED DEVILS IN DEPTH: SALFORD V HULL FC

After the excitement of several recent games, Salford supporters must surely be becoming used to being kept on the edge of their seats with the closely run encounters that have become almost regular occurrences, at least at the Salford Stadium.

From the Golden Point extra time victory over Wakefield, back in March, to last week’s progression to the next round of the Challenge Cup at the expense of Huddersfield when time was really the Red Devils’ greatest ally, the Salford players have had to hang on in, on a number of occasions, and this weekend’s clinching of the double over Hull was of very similar ilk.

The major issue nowadays is that the Reds are quite regularly winning this sort of game, which has not been the case on so many previous occasions, and that is something worth celebrating in itself.

Once again, on Sunday afternoon there were many teeth-clenching moments, particularly as the last quarter of the game wore on, because the visitors had shown themselves quite capable of scoring when they had the opportunity.Β  Indeed, they had done so as early as the fourth minute, when they broke from deep in their own half to go the remaining length of the field with impressive handling and support play, to score in manner reminiscent of many a Salford try.

And thereby possibly hangs the reason for the closeness of so many matches.Β  It would seem that a number of other sides, for whom wide expansive rugby has hitherto been kept to a premium, are now chancing their arm by embracing this style of attacking play to suit their own strengths.Β  Such slick, well-rehearsed ploys are extremely difficult to defend against, as Super League teams in abundance discovered last season, and now the Red Devils are having to contend with such, themselves.

There is no gainsaying the originals, however, as Salford players continue to increase their armoury with even more options, as shown by their third and possibly decisive try, three minutes before the interval.  That final spell of ten minutes had proved to be a purple patch for the home side, when they overturned the second of two, Hull, four-point leads both of which they held for eleven minutes, this one being with a scoreline of 6-10.

A number of repeated, short sets then enabled the Red Devils to build pressure before a Brodie Croft kick-through was taken by Deon Cross for a converted try, which restored their dominance.Β  It was their second score of this period, however, which, for we spectators, stood out from everything else.Β  What we saw was a seventy-metre kick downfield, followed by a thrilling and closely contested chase.

What we had to reflect upon before appreciating it fully was the skill, talent and understanding among the players.Β  Few of us, probably, were expecting anything along these lines when the ball was passed to Marc Sneyd direct from the base of the scrum. Yet everyone of those involved knew exactly what was about to happen; everyone was on the same page.Β  With all of the defending Hull players lined up at the scrum, the opportunity was wide open for the attempt.

Our number seven’s kicking game is much admired, and feared, throughout the league, but to place the ball so impeccably for it to slow almost to a standstill between the Hull try and dead-ball lines from such a distance took incredible skill, not to mention hours of practice.

The undoubted strength of the Salford team is the pace they have in the backs, and it was the ability of the two chasers, Ryan Brierley and Joe Burgess both, to outpace the sole Hull covering defender, showed that off to the hilt. Β Brierley it was, perhaps for some, surprisingly so, who was first to the ball, but it still needed grounding cleanly, and doing that at such speed required even more from the fullback.Β  It would have been so easy to have scotched the chance, going at such a pace.

That try, and how it came about, put a whole different perspective on the game, and on Salford’s ability to score from a variety of means.  Short, kick-chase tries often seem a little innocuous when compared to skilful handling moves and cleverly angled running.  The thrill and excitement, talent and skill, as a result of the distance involved in this one, however, made it comparable to any score, by whatever means.  It will certainly cause a few more headaches among opposing defences.

Being involved in so many close games is certainly honing the Red Devils’ talent for managing the game in the final quarter, and it is this, which, despite our anxieties in the stands, enables them to concentrate on nullifying their opponents’ further opportunities, something that they were far better at, this week, than the previous one.

Consequently, two second half tries kept them ahead, albeit on a couple of occasions by only two points, after a worrying start to the half, and then, after twice missing his first goalkicks in five games Sneyd calmly slotted over a drop-goal to give the side a two score cushioning, which kept them comfortable to the final whistle.

BELOW STRENGTH SALFORD SUCCUMB TO RIVALS LEIGH

Salford Red Devils 10  Leigh Leopards 58                  Match Report

The toll taken by their recent Cup encounter with Wigan, on the Salford players, was laid bare in the team sheet circulated ahead of kick-off, with the number of significant absentees, predominantly through injury, not significantly less than those in the starting line-up.Β  Not only were the injured missed considerably in themselves for their contribution, their absences also caused some notable adjustments within the side, with a number of players being required to play in positions unfamiliar to them.

This particularly affected the three-quarter line, where the loss of pace was evident from the outset, with the visiting Leopards seemingly fresh as daisies, as they cut through the Red Devils’ defensive line with most unusual, comparative ease.Β  Once the home line had been broken, the support play of the visitors was sufficient to finish off the majority of their breaks with tries, most of which were converted from goals taken from very easy positions.

Whilst the writing was on the wall from the very outset, with the Leopards making their first clean break and crossing for a try to end their first set in the second minute, and then repeating the whole operation again three minutes later, the Red Devils did respond as they adjusted to the circumstances in which they found themselves, and, most creditably, managed to stem the flow of scores for increasingly lengthy periods, until eventually fatigue set in.

One really positive aspect for the home side was the performance and contribution of new recruit, second-rower, Jessica Panayiotou, who, in her very first game of rugby league acquitted herself extremely well in both defence and attack, all of which promises much for her future time with the club.  Replacement prop, Darcey Price and half-backs, Louise Fellingham and Demi Jones, were among others who worked tirelessly throughout the whole contest to aid the Salford cause.

With the odds so heavily stacked against them, it would not have been surprising had they failed to make any inroads of their own into Leigh’s mounting scoreline, but it owes much to their commitment as a team that there were periods in which they not only thwarted the visitors’ attacks, but also mounted their own spells of pressure, which brought two tries, both just over a minute from the end of each half.

In the first half it was winger, Lauren Ellison, who was put in at the left corner, after the Reds’ handling had worked an overlap for her, in the 38th minute, and then Demi Jones had the final say in the game, when she forced her way over, in the 78th minute close enough to add the goal and put them into double figures, all of which was an achievement in itself, all things considered.

SALFORD

Stephanie Gray, Alexandra Simpson, Samantha Evans, Victoria Kini, Lauren Ellison, Louise Fellingham, Demi-Lea Jones, Hannah Wicks, Brogan Evans, Emerald Hickey, Jessica Panayiotou, Megan Condliffe

Substitutes

Laura Bent, Darcy Price, Yasmin Parton Sotomayor, Casey Naylor

RED DEVILS IN DEPTH: SALFORD V HUDDERSFIELD CHALLENGE CUP TIE

The one thing about cup ties, as far as we supporters are concerned, is not to be distracted by such aspects of the game as performances and winning or losing margins.  In a cup tie the only thing that matters is winning, because winning determines your whole future as far as that competition is concerned.

So, as far as last Saturday evening’s sixth round Challenge Cup tie, against the Huddersfield Giants, is concerned, the important thing is that Salford’s name went forward into the bag for the draw for the quarter-final.  That they might, possibly even should, have won by a bigger score, in the greater scheme of things matters not at all.  Huddersfield would have given anything to have had that very two-point winning scoreline be in their favour.

As a form of entertainment, however, you would have had to travel a considerable distance to witness anything as admirable and riveting, with both sides committed to wide, expansive, fast-flowing, open rugby, and each of them having their quite lengthy periods of dominance, in which to put their skills on display, with the most favourable of playing conditions assisting with this.

The switches in momentum, however, seemed, at times, to come completely out of the blue.  How many Salford supporters, for example, when the Giants, after twenty-five minutes, for the fourth time, kicked off after, on this occasion, Rhys Williams’s converted try, sat back expecting to enjoy an avalanche of Reds’ tries for the remainder of the half, and probably beyond?

And the next change after that did not even come, as we had all hoped, upon the second-half resumption, with the visitors, in fact, continuing where they had left off, by crossing for their fourth try, in the 45th minute.  Indeed, it was twelve minutes into the half before the Red Devils restored their dominance, for what we had all then expected to be the remainder of the match.

Those two spells, when things appeared to be going so well for the Red Devils were most reminiscent of last season, when one try just led, almost immediately in some cases, to another.  It is the hallmark of summer rugby – what was intended when the game changed season, back in 1995.  With the dry conditions, handling becomes easier and errors fewer, which is fine for the team in possession.  Back-to-back tries become far more commonplace.

It is, however, for the opposing side a quite thankless task, endeavouring to defend against the continuous onslaught of attacking plays, and sooner or later energy, to stem this, disappears.  Things then can only change when eventually possession becomes the prerogative of the other side, and they are in the position of calling all the shots.

It was two poor end-of-set kicks immediately after Williams’s try, the first of which went directly over the dead-ball line thus instigating a seven-tackle set bringing the Giants good field position.  The second came at the end of Salford’s subsequent set, which was collected on the half way line giving Huddersfield the opportunity to set up their first really threatening attack and gain the first of their tries which proved to be a tonic to the visitors.

Suddenly, the Red Devils found themselves defending against a team throwing the ball around, under the direction of Fages, in a similar manner to their own.  Defence against recent opponents has been on wet surfaces, which slows down the attack, meaning that the defence has that little more time to make its decisions.  The faster the game, the harder it is for defenders.

Thankfully, the half time interval kept eight of the Red Devils’ original twenty-four points intact to provide some cushioning for the second forty.  Having outscored the visitors by one try in the first half, it turned out to be Huddersfield who were to cross for the extra try in the second period.

Once they did regain control again, on fifty-two minutes, the Red Devils carried on from where they had left off in the second quarter, and once again built up a seemingly impregnable twenty-point lead with only fifteen minutes left.  It is generally accepted that eighteen points is insufficient a margin, at half time, to securely win the match, but anyone would have thought that twenty would have been more than sufficient, fifteen minutes from the end.

That thought seems to have been there in the Salford players’ minds, but most clearly was not in the minds of the Giants.  The Salford players must surely have believed that they could comfortably outscore their opponents, which they both did, and did not.

They did not because their seven-try feast was matched by their opponents.  It eventually came down to the one hundred percent goal-kicking fete of Marc Sneyd, whilst Huddersfield’s Connor fell short of that target, albeit by one, but that one attempt mattered greatly.

SALFORD RED DEVILS VS HULL FC – TICKET INFORMATION

Progression in the Betfred Challenge Cup means Hull KR await in the quarter-final.

However, it’s back to Super League business this weekend, with Tony Smith’s Hull FC the latest visitors to the Salford Stadium.

Back in March, Paul Rowley’s side romped to 14-60 victory over the Black and White’s at the MKM Stadium. There was some incredible team tries in that game, but the pick of the bunch was a full-length effort, finished off by Tim Lafai.

Tickets for this particular fixture are ON SALE NOW! Click HERE to secure your place now and join us at the Salford Stadium!

A reminder of our ticket office opening times can be found below:

MATCH PREVIEW – SALFORD RED DEVILS VS HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS (BETFRED CHALLENGE CUP ROUND 6)

Cup fever is in the air and our 2023 journey begins with the visit of Huddersfield Giants.

Our four-game winning streak was ended by St Helens last week, but all Betfred Super League plans are put on halt whilst the Challenge Cup rolls into town.

It’s only been three years since we last reached the final of this particular competition. In front of an eerie, empty Wembley Stadium, Leeds Rhinos edged a dramatic contest 17-16.

The first test for Paul Rowley’s side is Ian Watson’s Giants, who were the victors when we last met earlier this season. Although, in a cup competition, form goes out the window and a real battle is expected to book a spot in the quarter-final.

Here’s everything you need to know before we take on the Giants:


SQUAD NEWS

Paul Rowley named a 19-man squad for today’s clash.

The two big omissions are Andy Ackers and Shane Wright. The former – as everyone may be aware – suffered a suspected broken ankle against St Helens last Saturday and will be missing for an extended period of time.

Ackers also failed a HIA late into the contest and concussion protocols dictate that he will miss this one.

However, one huge positive from last week was the return of Alex Gerrard. The prop has been struggling with a reoccurring injury, but a solid stint against the world champions has put him back in contention.


INU’S PREVIEW

Ahead of this one, Assistant Coach, Krisnan Inu was on media duties and spoke in the press for the first time since rejoining the club in late-2022.

It may be a new role, but Inu believes a teaching position was always on his horizon. When asked why he decided to hang up the boots and join the coaching staff, he said: “Bit of both. As a kid, if I wasn’t a footy player, I told my wife I’d be a teacher, so coaching is a bit of both really.

“It sort of caught me by surprise at first. I still had a few clubs looking to continue me on my journey; and then Rowls hit me up and offered me the role, so I took it with both hands!”

Click HERE to watch the press conference in full!


HOW TO BUY TICKETS

There is still time to join us at the Salford Stadium – click HERE to buy your tickets.

Alternatively, pay-on-the-day is an option for all supporters in both the West and East stands.

RED DEVILS IN DEPTH: ST HELENS V SALFORD

It had all looked so promising, and confidence was surely high among the Salford fans, as they travelled over to the Totally Wicked Stadium for their clash with the Saints, on the back of four successive Super League victories, including an extremely rare win over Leeds Rhinos, at Headingley.

The Saints, on the other hand, had had a rather less profitable couple of weeks, and were turning out after having undertaken the somewhat demanding sojourn to the south of France, for their away fixture with Catalans Dragons, all of which were most positive indications for everyone to be encouraged.

 In the end, however, it is all about what happens on the day, and that went contrary to these optimistic expectations, for the Saints had their own expectations and aspirations for the game – the expectations of the current World Club Champions to perform to that level – and took control in the second half to record a 26-12 home victory.

Not that anyone would have even thought that that would happen as the Red Devils turned on the style and swept into a twelve-point lead after only sixteen minutes, with two excellent tries.  The first came in the fifth minute when a totally unexpected, but magnificent, break by prop, King Vuniyayawa, left the Saints defence in his wake, and with the fleet-footed Brodie Croft in support, he fed the stand -off to go in, under the posts.

Andy Ackers it then was, who, eleven minutes later, put Kallum Watkins away down the right and his inside pass to Ryan Brierley saw, along with Marc Sneyd’s second successful conversion attempt, him double the Salford advantage to twelve, which was sufficient for the remaining twenty plus minutes to give them a 6-12 half time lead.

The second half turn around to the home team might lead anyone to regard this as a game of two halves but perhaps, on this occasion an over-simplification, because everything in a game leads on to what follows – more obviously to the more immediate, but also, to an extent, in the longer term.  The loss, for example, of Shane Wright, after a mere few minutes of his introduction denied the team all that he has brought to each game over recent weeks, and also meant that others had to play considerably more minutes, and therefore tired far more quickly as a result.

In fact the roots for this not inconsiderable half time turnaround had been planted during the first half.Β  There will have been few in attendance or watching tv, on the day, who would have thought, as Sneyd struck the ball to convert Brierley’s try that the Red Devils would fail to add to their score for the remainder of the match, but that was what happened and was something that fed into the St Helens game plan

The visitors had been put under spells of pressure from the outset right through to their first score, and then again between their two tries.  The Salford players had stood up well throughout each of these, as indeed they did throughout some rather more-lengthy spells thereafter, but the fact that these periods of Saints’ dominance became more protracted placed greater and greater demands on the players in terms of energy and concentration.

That these periods soaked up so much time was in part due to the St Helens players’ ability to complete their sets but aided by an increasing number of penalties and set restarts, which went the way of the home side.Β  Penalties are seldom awarded against teams in possession, the significant Β majority are against defenders and, as these defenders start to tire, so their tackling technique suffers and the penalties continue to accrue all the more.

By the time the second half had got underway, the continued Saints’ pressure had started to tell on the Reds, and they immediately conceded yet another penalty, this time whilst in possession, for an incorrect play-the-ball, as early as the third tackle of the half, with a St Helens try coming directly off the back of it.

No-one could possibly question the Red Devils’ effort and commitment at any time during the encounter – without that there was no way they would have limited St Helens to only twenty-six points – but, in the second half, their execution was well below the standards we have become used to, with handling errors from some most wayward of passes seemingly prevalent, and each one presenting the home side with even more possession with which to challenge the Salford defence.

Forthcoming results may well show that in this match St Helens have turned a corner in their season, and that others will find themselves facing the same onslaught of pressure piled upon them, but for Salford players it is important to learn from the outing and fix the elements necessary for a Challenge Cup victory over visiting Huddersfield, next week.

REDS DEVILS IN DEPTH: LEEDS V SALFORD

In what was only the club’s fifth victory over Leeds at Headingley in seventy-eight years, the Salford Red Devils last Friday night, put that spectre to bed with an outstanding, winning performance, to take the spoils in an increasingly tightly fought battle to cement places in the Super League top six.

There had been an air of confidence and enthusiasm for the encounter, throughout the camp during the week, and on the night the players executed a game plan which drew on every strength within the side, leaving nothing to chance, and exposing any deficiency within their hosts’ ranks.

Whilst their attacking flair, as we knew it from last season, still lies awaiting the dry grounds, they have replaced it with an efficiency in defence of which Salford fans have not had experience for many a long year, and thereby rests a significant factor in the reasons for the paucity in post-war wins over there.

Looking back over the game without the anxieties which must have occasionally surfaced in some, whilst watching on the night, we can all appreciate just how good a game it was throughout, with both sides having their periods of ascendency.

Salford’s were probably the more prolonged, and certainly the more effective, because it was in these spells of dominance, with more than adequate possession in the Rhinos’ red zone, that their match winning twenty-two points were scored.  The effect on the home side of all this pressure was to force errors, particularly errors of discipline, leading to penalties and, consequently, even more pressure. 

The first of these came in the twelfth minute, when after an opening ten-minute arm wrestle, in which flaws in the home side’s handling started to become evident, Salford won, forcing a goal-line drop-out and a subsequent repeat set.

It was, however, the sin-binning in the 18th minute, of Leeds’s stand-off, Austin, for an obstruction on Kallum Watkins, which brought things to a head, with the Red Devils then tearing their opponents defence to shreds to notch two converted tries, through first, Rhys Williams, after they had got their attacking line in full flow, and then, five minutes later, the ball being moved to the left and Sam Stone showing great skill to avoid attempted tackles before going over to the left of the posts.

Their second period of dominance came in the third quarter, when they increased a six-point, half-time lead to what was to be a match-determining sixteen, courtesy of a converted try and two penalty goals.

The Rhinos, nevertheless, had their moments, though for somewhat shorter spells.  Their first came in the final ten minutes of the first half when they changed tactics by reverting to some daring, and some risky, offloads, which on the night stuck, none more than in the run up to their 38th minute try, under the posts.

Similarly, the Yorkshiremen gained the ascendency for the concluding fifteen minutes, when they were rejuvenated by a further six-pointer in the corner by getting on the end of a cross-field kick to set up, though as it turned out to be, an unnecessary nail-biting conclusion to the encounter – unnecessary, of course, because the Salford defence was equal to anything the Rhinos could thereafter muster to throw at it.

And that defence is now becoming a weapon in their armoury that no-one, outside the group, had probably expected.  It has, though,  been increasingly evident over a number of matches, culminating in that home victory over Catalans, which will have stood them in great stead in readiness for this encounter, for yet again the pack had to contend with, and actually subdue, a much larger and powerful opposing set.

Led by their opening middles, King Vuniyayawa, who must have relished every moment of facing up to his former club, Ollie Partington, who so noticeably showed the knack of putting himself in the right position to dictate plays, and Tyler Dupree, fresh from international duty.  They were ably replicated by the trustworthy Jack Ormondroyd, and Shane Wright, whose form this season has been absolute revelation.

Kallun Watkins made a captain’s contribution showing such strength and determination in his running, but mention also has to be made of the contribution of Ellis Longstaff, who had to be drafted into the unfamiliar role of centre, and acquitted himself well throughout, even going over the third of the visitors’ three tries.

Finally, it would be remiss not to mention the significant role of Marc Sneyd, whose kicking, especially goal-kicking, week after week, can so significantly make the difference between winning and losing.  It seems now to be even falling into the dim and distant past, at Leigh actually, since he last missed a goalkick, and his two penalty successes against the Rhinos, were, points-wise, the equivalent of an additional try.

So, it is onwards, next week, to the Totally Wicked Stadium, where against the World Club Champions it will require everything on view from the Reds at Leeds, and who knows what more besides, to overcome the Saints.  After this latest victory, their fourth in a row, however, they certainly will not be short on confidence.

RED DEVILS IN DEPTH: SALFORD V CATALANS

Two extremely protracted and gruelling goal-line defensive efforts, in the final twenty minutes, each lasting over four minutes and comprising of three and even four sets of six with little respite, eventually saw the Salford Red Devils gain the spoils over a strong and physical Catalans side in last Sunday’s home Super League fixture, and thereby stretch their winning run to three, though not without the incredible, good fortune of the Dragons’ missed, final conversion, from almost in front of the posts.

They say that fortune favours the brave, and t was most certainly true for the Salford players last Sunday, as they wore themselves to frazzles, roared on by the magnificent, highly vocal home fans, in dealing with wave after wave of Catalans’ attacks, based upon the physical prowess that they possess, particularly in the forwards.

β€˜Praiseworthy’ is too mild a word for the valiant home pack who had, despite giving away size and weight advantage to their visitors, stood up to them throughout the encounter, and alongside the remainder of the side thwarted onslaught after onslaught, relentlessly hurled at them, particularly in the final half-hour of the game.

The necessity in their having to give so much to the Salford cause was the consequence of just how evenly matched the two sides were, and also the fact that there were only six points separating them, by the time the game was entering its final quarter.

Despite the ascendency, over the previous hour, swinging from one side to the other, with the Red Devils controlling the majority of the first half and Catalans picking up the gauntlet in the second, neither side was able to turn that dominance into sufficient points as to have much in the way of cushioning, even when in the lead.

The Dragons handling deteriorated rapidly, after having matched their hosts in the opening stanza, and it was their continual loss of possession that gave Salford opportunities to attack, the first coming from a penalty against the visitors, who then obliged by giving away an additional set-restart, ending with King Vuniyayawa’s surging over the line, close to the posts.

Clinical as this had been, the Reds were not able to reproduce anything similar for some considerable time, thereafter.  An excellent 40-20, from Andy Ackers, in the 16th minute, was squandered by possession being lost very early in the next tackle count, when the visitors might well have succumbed a second time, with this having come so quickly after the earlier try.

The Reds’ most clear-cut opportunity, though, came on 33 mins, with a break by Joe Burgess down the left, but his inside pass to the supporting Ellis Longstaff proved too difficult for the centre to take.  When they did eventually manage to cross the line again, it came from the most unlikely of positions.  A 20m restart saw a switch in direction to Burgess, who, having left his left-wing position, raced down the right side to use the utmost skill to ground the ball over the line despite having been overhauled by Johnstone, short of the line.

The sparsity of tries coming their way consequently twice prompted Marc Sneyd to take successful kicks at goal, one in each half, which were at the end to prove crucial in a two-point winning margin.  No-one could, however, have foreseen the unexpected outcomes from either, with Salford failing to take the ball from the kick-off, from the first, on 23 mins, and Johnstone then crossing in the corner, direct from the resultant scrum.

The second came on 46 mins, and yet again, on only the third play from the restart, Ackers lost his grip on the ball in a half break, and it was at this point that the change in moment came about.  The Frenchmen immediately went downfield to score close enough to the posts for the conversion to be successful, thereafter subjecting their hosts to that almost continual defensive effort, but significantly, without denying them the hearty end-of-match winning celebrations, they so richly deserved.

SALFORD RED DEVILS RAISE Β£50,000 IN FIRST DAY OF β€˜REDS RISE TOGETHER’ CAMPAIGN

Salford Red Devils have surpassed a total of Β£50,000 within the first day following the launch of β€˜Reds Rise Together’, the club’s community share offer scheme that will see the club transition into the first elite rugby league club to become a legally community owned entity.

Individuals have each invested between Β£100 and Β£10,000 thus far in order to receive a share in the club’s holding company – now a Community Benefit Society (CBS) – which entitles them to a vote at the club’s annual general meeting, as well as to stand for election to the CBS board.

Paul King, Salford Red Devils Managing Director said;

β€œReaching this milestone within the first day of the campaign is a tremendous show of support from our community.”

β€œWe are already 20% of the way there to our initial target of raising Β£250,000 – but we cannot rest on our laurels. If we can reach towards our upper targets, we can do so much for our club and community. I implore every one of our supporters to get involved. Give what you can, spread the message, and let’s add another proud chapter in the story of our club’s long history.”

What is the campaign?

β€˜Reds Rise Together’ is a community share offer which allows an individual to purchase a share in the club’s holding company – entitling them to voting rights and eligibility to stand for election to the CBS board amongst a host of other benefits. The overriding benefit of which is a collective one, meaning that together, we can take better control over the future of our club and continue to add meaningful value to our communities.

Why are we doing it?

In the first instance, we are doing this to become the northern hemisphere’s first elite rugby league club that is truly community-owned and one that gives every member a voice – making history in the process. There are also further key reasons:

1) Maintain as competitive a playing squad as possible that compete at the highest level.

2) To unite our growing community behind a common-cause.

3) Fulfil IMG criteria ensuring Category A status within the top-flight of Super League through high level Commercial and Marketing growth.

How can you get involved?

It’s simple: buy a share and/or share the message far and wide!

To get involved or for further information, please view www.salfordreddevils.net/owntheclub, or to contribute directly, visit http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/salford-red-devils

Let’s make history. Together. #RedsRiseTogether

REDS RISE TOGETHER: COMMUNITY SHARE OFFER

SALFORD RED DEVILS TO BECOME FIRST COMMUNITY OWNED ELITE RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB IN HISTORIC COMMUNITY SHARE OFFER LAUNCH.

Salford Red Devils have today announced the launch of β€˜Reds Rise Together’, our community share offer scheme that will see the club transition wholly into the first elite rugby league club in the northern hemisphere to become a truly and legally community owned club.

We know that sports clubs are really owned by their communities of fans who care about them, but now we’re linking up that moral ownership with real, tangible, legal ownership.

Paul King, Managing Director of Salford Red Devils said;

β€œThis year we’re celebrating 150 years of a club at the heart of its community. Now we’re growing that community, as well as placing it at the heart of the club.”

β€œThe game has changed. IMG are in the business and with that comes a forward-thinking approach to how we move forward.”

β€œFor years, whenever we’ve been close to something, we have had to sell our best players. This year we opted to change that. Now by doing this, it allows to maintain a competitive playing squad and gives us a real chance to win the biggest prizes in the game.”

β€œWe have a fundamental belief that sport belongs to the people – not a sole person; and by doing this we’re creating the opportunity for such likeminded individuals to join us and do something really special.”

What is it?

β€˜Reds Rise Together’ is a community share offer which allows an individual to purchase a share in the club’s holding company – now a Community Benefit Society (CBS) – entitling them to a vote and eligibility to stand for election to the CBS board. Along with a host of other benefits, the overriding benefit is a collective one, meaning that together, we can take better control over the future of our club and continue to add meaningful value to our communities.

Why are we doing this?

In the first instance, we are doing this to become the northern hemisphere’s first elite rugby league club that is truly community-owned and one that gives every member a voice – making history in the process. There are also further key reasons:

1) Maintain as competitive a playing squad as possible that compete at the highest level.

2) To unite our growing community behind a common-cause.

3) Fulfil IMG criteria ensuring Category A status within the top-flight of Super League through high level Commercial and Marketing growth.

How can you get involved?

It’s simple: buy a share and/or share the message far and wide!

To get involved or for further information, please view www.salfordreddevils.net/owntheclub, or to contribute directly, visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/salford-red-devils.

Let’s make history. Together. #RedsRiseTogether

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