Salford stadium firm collapses and Widnes pay price for past woes

Fans of Widnes and Leigh, who can boast modern facilities but not a Super League licence alas, may have something to say about the news emerging from Salford that the company developing their new £35 million 22,000-seat stadium (left) went into administration on Thursday, 48 hours after the City Reds were awarded one of the 14 three-year licences from next season.  No problem, according to the club - Super League will still be kicking off at Barton in time for the 2010 season. Even so, it is an embarrassment for a club whose application hinged on their proposed shiny new citadel next to the M60.

In an official statement, Salford said: "Due to the changing needs, requirements and restructuring of the development company, we at Salford City Reds look forward to the stadium being delivered to Salford and its supporters on time for 2010.  We look forward to working with Peel to deliver this stadium and count on their expertise and know how to build an iconic stadium we can all be proud of."

At a meeting today with RFL executive chairman Richard Lewis, Widnes chairman Steve O'Connor was told that the previous owners taking the club into administration was a highly significant factor in the club not being awarded a Super League licence. "For the supporters it is understandably disappointing for them that the club is still paying the price of its previous owners," Lewis said. "They should, though, be reassured and confident that with the current management team Widnes will be in a far stronger position in two years time, when the club can apply again for a licence."

O'Connor said: "The RFL has recognised that in the period since my management team and I took over the operation, our organisational performance rates amongst the best in the league.  Unfortunately, our impressive track record is only eight months old and we are still suffering from the points-penalty of the former organisation going into administration. It would appear the Super League Licence process came just too early for our new set-up and there was not an appropriate length of time in the RFL's opinion to be satisfied of our long-term stability."

Comments

[Peter...]

Re: Salford free shirts:
Well, a Friday night derby game against Leigh in the same week Salford were awarded a Super League "franchise", and with knowledge of a cup being displayed couldn't have provided more incentive to prove something, supporter-wise.
And what was the official attendance? Just over 4,500 assuming no Leigh fans bothered.
Seeing as the shirts were dished out on entrance why wouldn't there be "thousands" worn? And, wow, a few were seen later being worn around Salford and Manchester.
None of this, particularly the gate, is bragging material now, is it?
Though a Super League franchise, via a now laughing-stock (if it wasn't before that shambles of a presentation/announcement on July 22nd) of a licensing system, is highly likely to be more a burden than a bonus longer-term.
It's so discredited already we'll probably see the usual fairy tales in the future. The odd straw of a "positive" clutched at to claim the whole thing is a resounding success.

[Chris Irvine]

Salford City Reds supporters wore ‘Super Salford’ T-shirts with pride at The Willows last Friday (25 July) courtesy of the Reds’ new 2009 short sponsor hdcable.co.uk.

Celebrating the Reds return to engage Super League in 2009, hdcable.co.uk gave away thousands of FREE commemorative “Super Salford!” T-shirts, proving so popular that stocks were cleared out in the first 45mins as supporters came through the gates.

The rapidly growing Salford-based company and has quickly become the UK’s leading online retailer of high-definition TV connectivity products www.hdcable.co.uk and MD, Chris Pinder was clearly delighted with the reaction from the Reds fans to his companies generosity, commenting:

"It really was a great feeling to see so many fans wearing their T-shirts at the game on Friday and we've also spotted a few being worn out and about in Salford & Manchester which is fantastic. We felt it was a great success and went down well with the supporters, so we will definitely be looking to do similar free giveaways in the future."

The club were delighted to see fans join in the celebrations and wear their T-shirts to mark the win of the Northern Rail Cup and a return to Super League and thrilled as the Shed displayed a sea of Reds throughout the match.

[Rugby League Fan]

Wakefield allegedly going into Administration by the end of next week. Apparently banking on a Wembley place didn't pay off......please discuss!!!

[Peter...]

Far out, Man:

Having read earlier today, Martyn Sadler's effort in League Express at justifying Widnes's short-lived experience in administration last year as reason alone to be denied a Super League licence (how you see a moral equivalence, Martyn, between an individual anguished at the sight of a personal debtor driving a brand new car, and creditors of the previous administration being in similar agony at seeing Steve O'Connor's pilotage of the Widnes club now, is beyond me - as if Steve O'Connor is guilty of something he simply cannot be), I then read the other-world semantics of the RFL's club-by-club lowdown to us mere mortals, on the whys and wherefores of who got a licence and who didn't.
I've never read such a murky and evasive load of ballcocks in decades - on any subject, anywhere. It was like reading the horoscopes in that rag, The Sun. Which I never have but no doubt would have made more sense of if I had.
Can't wait to see what gem Zager & Evans (aka Lewis and Wood) will come up with next.

[mike hunt]

Jealous of Salford.....you gotta be kidding, your just a small suburb of Manchester.

[Sensible Salford]

Extraordinary over reaction by Salford fans on here. This was a simple telling of a factual story with an inbedded link from the MEN news story about the firm building Reds stadium going into adminstration.

[CityRedGirl]

Terrible shock tactics here from Mr Irvine, Instead of sticking to the relatively unimportant facts Mr irvine is happy to assist the poor old Widnes Brigade in demeaning Salford RLFC And its supportersover somethingso trivial a shareholder who owned 16% In THE RCD has pulled out due to financial constraints..So where does that mean that the stadium wont be delivered on time. Widnes Fans who are demanding to replace us in the SuperLeague well Tough Luck! Maybe your previous owners should have had more balls about them then you wouldnt be in the Predicament you find yourselves in!!. . Lazy, Poor attempt at Salford Slurs me thinks.

[Mike P]

How thick are Jurno's? no matter where you are in the country leave a laptop on display in a car and it goes, just ask all these senior civil servants and abnk workers in London who get them nicked all the time.
What you are describing Mr Irvine is a national problem not just to Salford, at Saints we have had two wing mirrors nicked, a window smashed and a parking ticket. at Cas two of us were attacked by a gang of ten or more a few years back and at Widnes we have often been spat at and had teh car damaged. At Leigh we nearly drowned, whilst at Celtic the apathy nearly killed us.

[Yisraelee]

Why are the jealous crowd out of their Kindergartens? Who let you all out?

Some good news; Salford will be getting a nice new stadium, far better than Leigh's, Widnes's, Warrington's, Leeds', certainly St Helens', and Bradford's.

I'm so excited by this and cannot wait to see the Reds finally in their place in RL, where they belong.

Enjoy. ;)

[Mrs Norma Rowley]

I have every faith in the Chairman of Salford City Reds, He said our new Stadium at Barton will be ready for the 2010 Super League season and thats good enough for me.

I don't give a monkleys who builds it all I'm bothered about is seeing the Reds playing in the Engage Super League inside it.

I wish all these people who keep having a dig at Salford would back off because in my opinion your are all just jealous....But I know one thing when our stadium is up and running you will have every right then to be more than jealous..

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
THE FUTURE IS SALFORD CITY REDS

Can't wait to see Our Brand New Stadium built in 2009.

PS: And before you ask works starts in September 2008...COME ON PEEL HOLDINGS.

[harry sunderland]

eee naw then auld luvs alreet..I ope Cas'l be in theyrr stadium alreet, Wheldon road might be crappy but tha never gets thas radio nicked or owt. Of tot bath today to watch semi, rooting for trinity A dunt like cheaters ope Hull get trashed

see thee

[arthur snott]

Not a sarcastic comment I actually have had my radio nicked at the Willows and been threatened by thugs so shove it Pinder and join the real world

[Chris Pinder]

In addition to my comments earlier in the discussion, I appreciate the well-wishing from Widnes fans, and I have to admit I feel bitterly sorry for them.

I personally believe that the new management and money behind the club + the great new stadium and consistent gates should have equated to a license. I would say going into administration was both the best and worst thing for the club judging from O'Connor's statement.

Celtics fielding a team of 9 aussies when they came to Salford this year, hardly tapping into the wealth of weldh rugby talent! I don't care how long they've been operating. They're not ready and undeserving!

[lee churchman]

salford have 3 years to build the stadium. if thor the 2012e stadium is not built by the time of the next applications salford are out.
the same applies to saints, wakey, and cass. they will have to have them stadiums built before the next applications apply for the 2012 licence's.
put your money on though widnes being in super league BEFORE 2012.

[John B]

Like others have said I think I'll wait a bit longer before judging the situation. If it is just a case of re-structuring then, obviously Salford have nothing to worry about. If it does go a bit deeper than that and there has been facts hidden in order to obtain a licence, then action should be taken by the RFL.

[Interested Observer]

When the truth outs about this story, the directors at Red City will be shown to have acted in the most honourable way possible, even though it has given people not in the know the chance to have a pop at them.

All of this will come out in time, and I would expect the author of this blog to apologise to Mr. Wilkinson, the Salford club and even the RFL, but I'd bet that he won't.

A little more fact checking, and a little less gleeful muckraking wouldn't go amiss my friend.

[Viking Raider]

Crikey, John Marchant accused Chris Irvine of doing an assassination job on the game - in fact a story just telling facts. Mr Marchant then goes on to do a complete and utter assassination job of his own on Widnes and Leigh and I quote, "SuperLeague in (SIC) not viable and sustainable in Widnes and Leigh. Not this year, not next year, not ever." MreMarchant, you have brandished your machine gun and mown down those of us do think that Widnes can claim a SL place. Do you not get the irony of your own post ?

[John Marchant]

Paul Smith, you've got it all wrong, I'm sorry to say. The comment I posted was in the section reserved for comment on this issue and no other. The quality of Chris's writings on other issues on other days is not the issue.

In my opinion, Chris's piece conveys the impression that the "collapse" as you so dramatically put it, spells the end of Salford's's new stadium, which, with a little more thought and investigation, you can find out that it clearly does not.

[d noon]

going by the critera set out by the r/l on stadia salford castleford wakefield st/helens
should not be in if theese clubs had invested
as much money as widnes and leigh
they would have gone into admin also widnes and leigh should have saved there money and put a photo of a ground in.
like bullseye heres what you might have won.

[Peter...]

To John Marchant: The only truth you posited in your mumble was totally unintentional. It goes like this.

SuperLeague in (sic) not viable and sustainable. Not this year, not next year, not ever.

[davspurs]

OUR GRIPE IS NOT WITH SALFORD BUT THE WELSH INVADERS OR SHOULD I SAY AUSTRALIAN OR EX WIDNES PLAYERS THAT WERE WELSH INVADERS WE HAVE BEAN SHAFTED BUY EX PLAYERS THAT MADE LOADS OF MONEY AND MEDALS SHAME ON YOU GOOD LUCK DIRTY EX OLD TOWN FROM EX SMELLY WIDNES

[albert whittle]

Dont come on here much anymore, its garbage, this article is a kick in the goolies for the Salford Chairman after all the hard work he has put in.

[Paul Smith]

How is reporting the fact that the firm behind Salford's new stadium has gone into administration an assassination job by this blog's author ? Have you not read some of the highly positive, enlightening, amusing and downright good stuff on this blog. It's one of the best things to happen in terms of national media and rugby league. Too compare Irvine to the awful Stephen Jones is a slur on Chris Irvine's good name. Ignore him Chris, keep up the good work, which the majority of us fully appreciate.

[John Marchant]

Any wonder that the nation is so antipathetic to rugby league.

Firstly we have Christopher Irving doing Stephen Jones's game assasination job for him, creating a negative story out of nothing.

Then we have the usual bitter and twisted professional Northerners wearing permanent scowls 'neath their flat caps. Flat-earthers who daily see cheating, unfairness and conspiracy where there is none.

The fact are clear as the outcome of the licencing process shows. SuperLeague in not viable and sustainable in Widnes and Leigh. Not this year, not next year, not ever.

[SM08]

From a Widnes fans point of view, hope Salford get it sorted, we missed out down to Admin as it has been spelt out to us by the RFL, we did not miss out because of Salford.

Good luck Reds