There's no actual evidence that Salford are in any trouble at all. KR have some (reasonably) wealthy backers and aren't in any immediate danger. London is a rather special case and has been the victim of serial mismanagement, particularly in terms of marketing, over a number of years.

In fact a close look at the clubs in trouble shows that it's pretty much all down to poor decision making over a period of years.

I really can't comprehend how clubs can get into such dire circumstances.

Sheffield have posted a profit of around £10,000 for the last two years and Halifax have done the same for the last financial year.

Work within your means, if you don't have the money don't do it. If that means not performing as well on field and taking smaller steps compared to other clubs then so be it.

Is it not the problem with all clubs super league or not super league their is no diffrence when it comes to the people in charge most are plonkers and should not be in charge i would not put some in charge of a luney bin

The winding up petition in April?

Would you not think that could be the precursor for stormy waters?

Fax got told years ago to move out of Thrum Hall because of a wooden stand and all round sub standard facilities.

We did, straight away.

Why has it taken so long for the RFL to act on Cas?!

What do you mean "act on Cas"? In what way did they "act" on Fax?

Of itself and without knowing the details? No. For a start, whatever triggered it has clearly been resolved as Salford have neither been wound up nor entered administration.

Looking at the financials I posted in another thread it is clear that 80% of SL clubs are operating at significant loss. Some clubs can sustain this due to financial backers. Others will be caught up in the not too distant future. Reality is it is no ones faults other than the clubs. They know what they can earn and should budget accordingly.

I'm not sure where people are sourcing all this info on Club accounts and financial status from; links anyone?

The original post is a worrying predicament and the not so long ago run in with the Revenue is a warning sign (as we at Wakefield know). It is always sad to hear of such plight and irrespective of the politics, you have to feel for the respective fans of the clubs involved as they are the innocents yet also have to suffer.

Salford have never been a team I got excited about, but they have certainly been improving on the field and relatively speaking are having a successful season. Their player development/rosta has been good in recent years with the likes of Myler, Ratchford, Holdsworth and Smith. Good work on the team is finally paying off.

Off the field, rumours have been rife for a while over Salford and others. With what is happening at Bradford, if the RFL think Salford are vulnerable then it may be an influencing factor on any decisions finally made over the Bulls.

I fear we may soon enter another major milestone in our game, a new Super League moment/era. From a financial point of view major restructuring is needed at many clubs.

I've sensed for a while that whilst plush new grounds with seats are nice, they are far from a priority for fans. The are a priority for the RFL and this is not the economic climate to be so extravagant with limited funds. Remember that not so long ago we weren't a full time professional sport. It is a massive sea change and many need deep pockets of a sugar daddy to keep going. Just imagine what would happen if the main funders of Huddersfield, Salford, Hull KR, Hull FC, Wakefield, Castleford etc came to an untimely end.

Whilst RL is a sport and leisure activity our clubs are businesses and should be run as such, aiming to make profits.

Salford were hit with a £50,000 tax bill earlier in the season. The Salford forum went into one of its all too regular Chicken Licken phases (it's in one now, courtesy of the OP) while the club just got on and paid it. The winding up petition may have related to that.

Entirely possible. These orders get issued against companies more frequently than many people suppose.

Very easily obtained records at Companies House or several company search websites.

The info is all out there for these companies:

Bradford Bulls (Holdings) Ltd
Castleford Rugby League Football Club Ltd
Huddersfield Giants Ltd
Hull Kingston Rovers Football Club Ltd
Hull Super League Ltd
Leeds Cricket Football & Athletic Club Ltd
London Rugby League Ltd
Salford Football Club (1914) Ltd
St Helens Rugby League Football Club Ltd
Wakefield Trinity Rugby League Football Club Ltd (the old co)
Warrington Sports Holdings Ltd
Widnes Sport Ltd
Wigan Rugby League Club Ltd

There's a lot of hearsay and conjecture involved with this. Most of us know the club's not exactly in a rosy position, but considering the club's creditors are Wilkinson and the other directors then it all seems a little odd.

The stuff about going back to the Willows makes no sense either, considering the cost involved to get it back to anywhere near habitable and the general state of the ground alongside the fact that the directors are under immense pressure to get it sold for housing as promised.

I certainly don't think we're financially well off but this sort of mud-slinging and rumour mongering is a bit much.

GT we need to return to our own board as Red John states.

For other readers of the posts: there are serious differences of opinion over on the Reds site, not, as suggested, a consensus that the world is coming to an end.

I am wondering why Cavendish Street opened this here not on Scarlet Turkey. Spreading discord?

True mate. Was just trying to counter some of the knee-jerking going on. Heading back into the bunker now...

Clubs are living beyond their means because they have to attract talent to bring people through the gates. No people through the gates means no cash, no cash means mediocre players and mediocre players have no chance of winning trophies.

Players want to win trophies, they can't do that in garbage teams. Is it worth over spending and hopefully getting the magic players needed? Probably not, but its a gamble people have to take.

Another team looking down the barrel. Cannot give teams like these sympathy though, sweeping things under the carpet will only make it worse.

[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18953119[/url

for anyone who didn't get to hear John Wilkinsons comments on BBC Radio Manchester yesterday

The OP has apologised on the Salford forum, although, to be honest, I couldn't work out if he was telling us that what he said was wrong, or if he was telling us he was wrong to say what he said.

In any event, it's beginning to look like a case of 'Move along. Nothing to see here.'

strange how when someone who claims to know a man who
has a dog that chased a cat that caught a mouse that lived in the boardroom at salford and told him salford would be going into administration, and we get six pages of postings most of which are happy to believe it, but nearly 72 hours after the chaiman has explained the position we only get a few commentsis and the thred dies
it any wonder our sport gets so much negative media coverage.

I blame the club board. They're forever handing over information to any passing muppet, and that information is invariably wrong.

Tell that to Portsmouth FC.

If it quacks like a duck....

I really hope Salford sort themselves out, it may not be terminal yet, but planning for 8k crowds whilst getting <6k does not sound good.

Another thing to bear in mind is that, irrespective of whether the rumours are true or not, as far as the fans' forums are concerned, it's now an iron clad truth, and Salford's name will appear in the list of clubs who have been in administration or close to administration when there's (yet another) 'debate' on here about franchising.

So, thanks for that Cavendish Street. Well played, that man.

Portsmouth were passed from one owner with a complicated name to another over a short period of time, with one rumour being that one of those owners had won the club in a card game. Many of those owners went on mini spending sprees.

John Wilkinson has been chairman of Salford since the days of unlimited tackles and baggy shorts, and has always run the club very tightly, so I don't see what happened at Portsmouth FC as really being of any relevance here.

It's a sad day when a RL club in our heartlands is looking to survive by leeching of RU! Good to hear Salford are not in crisis but sounds like they need to find some extra income streams as the likelihood meeting crowd expectations is low. I would have though with the better facilities corporate attraction would be greater and they would be selling more sponsorships and boxes?

[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18577880[/url
More RL clubs need to think like this:


It really is about investing in attracting fans.....I am stunned that a few clubs and one in particular, continue to fail to see this