On the eve of what could be one the most historic days in Salford's recent history I've found myself thinking back to how I felt less than 12 months ago. We were gone at christmas. The club's future looked very bleak indeed and the real possibility of there being no more Salford was around the corner. Fast forward 9 months and i'm like a kid on xmas eve waiting for the signings to be announced and the new future for Salford being mapped out.

I'm sure there will always be fans of other teams waiting to put us down for our poor fan base or proclaim Koukash as some sort of fraud. We don't know what the future holds and where we'll be in 5 - 10 years time but one things for certain, if it wasn't for Koukash, we wouldn't be here at all. Words can't really express our gratitude to him for keeping the club alive. Yes, he's gone off at the deep end a few times and said a few things which were frankly pretty silly but I can live with that if it means I have a Salford to follow. Look at what the Wakey fans are going through again now, i wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone & hopefully they'll pull through the other side as well.

Whatever happens tomorrow, players not what you expected, the badge not quite up to what you expect etc. let's just remember where we were 12 months ago. Hopefully, everything will be brillant and we'll have nothing to whinge about (this is Salford were talking about though....) I'll certainly be enjoying the ride whilst it lasts!

Nice one Dr K!

Well said Tommo lad!

Exactly right

If the Dr just stays around for a couple of years facilitating a CC or GF appearance then hey-ho it’ll be a damn sight better than what’s been served up for many a year.

Enjoy tomorrow, the off season & the exciting times next year

.

Spot on mate - RED ARMY!!! Roll on tomorrow,Friday and 2014

Brilliantly put Mike.

It was around about this point last year that I started to have serious concerns that the club wouldn't be around this season and it hurt like Hell. This club has given me so much to be thankful for (mainly off the field of course). It's where I've met more friends than I could care to even count, it's where I met my partner & without it our beautiful, wonderful daughter would not be in this world. By December & that infamous night in Pendleton church it was hard to imagine ever seeing a Salford side take the field again, then at the beginning of January I remember my heart racing as I sat in the court through our 2nd winding-up order. Thankfully that was as low as it got.

I'd never heard of Dr Marwan Koukash when the news broke that night of his intentions to save the club, however, the more I found out over the coming weeks leading up to the takeover being finalised, the more I liked him and now we're less than 24 hours away from him announcing the future of this club to us and I cannot wait.

I will never truly be able to express my gratitude to him for giving this club 1 more life. I don't care if we never get to Wembley or to a grand final, I don't care if we never get relegated again in my lifetime (though I believe that Dr Koukash does care about these things & I believe that the keyboard warriors who tell him he hasn't got a hope of acheiving these things seriously underestimate his resolve). He's kept alive a club that means so much to me, my family & my friends and that to me is 100 times more valuable than any piece of silverware.

He has always said that this season is a celebration of the fact that we still exist, well regardless of who's signed, who's not signed or the font of the website or anything, let's really celebrate these last 48 hours of the season because I honestly believe that there's plenty more celebrating to do in the coming years. Let's face it, after the last few years we're a little bit out of practice at being optimistic about the future.

Well said, many of us couldnt have dreamt in our wildest dreams of an outcome like this over 12 months ago.

Marwan Koukash deserves every bit of credit for taking on a challenge that even the most die hard of Salford fans thought would be too much. Those who have been in his company will tell you how visible and genuine his love for the club and the sport in general has become over the last 8 months, nobody wants us to succeed more than Marwan.

I'm always envious when I hear the older generation talking about the glory days of the 70's watching players like Watkins, Charlton, Coulman, Dixon, Hesketh, Gill etc infront of big crowds and the buzz that surrounding the club around the City and now we're on the cusp of announcing our best Salford team since those days.

Bloody hell Chris - brought a lump to my throat did that. My feelings exactly (apart the bit about having a daughter)

Utterly brillant post. It's more than just a club to us and this sums it up perfectly. Very well said indeed.

I guess we all have our memories of those dark days when emotions were like a yoyo.....up and down, up and down. I helped out at the club for a short time during the darkest hours, and believe me if ever the term crisis management could be used, it was, every time pay day approached, and would the wages be paid or would we enter administration. I was aware that there was a potential investor/saviour, but did not know who it was, or indeed if it would come to fruition. Whatever happens going forward, it is indeed much rosier than the future looked 9to 12 months ago. So onwards and upwards.

Best timed post.Best OP.
Tears started to rise YR,with the daughter bit,and an excellent addition from a Wakefield fan.

If the microphone starts off a Norman Collier impersonation tomorrow I will scream.



There again I have learned something new.


I thought time just flew when you were enjoying yourself...

The one man publicity machine has played a blinder

Very heartfelt words indeed and I sincerely hope what you wish for comes to fruition.

Some fantastic posts!!



Don't think there's anything I can add which hasn't already been said about how much the club means to me.

I'm so happy that the light at the end of tunnel wasn't a freight train heading our way as has been the case with Salford so many times in the past.

Thank you Dr K

MT Well said !,
I hadn't really thought of it in such epoch changing terms but I suppose it is .

I was lucky to catch the tail end of the Watkins Hesketh Era ,never dared dream we would be in a position to strive for those heights again .

the 2011 season push 'Bring out the Big Guns ' - Feka- Anderson - Patten-Wild -Gleeson -Bailey. and the promise of maybe a rational play-off position , well we all know what happened from there culminating in the meeting at St Thomas's last Dec , and the best prospects of a relaunched club starting off in CC1 . or worst not existing at all.
I remember joking to someone outside ' someone better win the Euro Lottery quick ' and in a way we have ..
Naff badge , dodgy coloured shirts , - off a ducks back.

will it last ? , don't know but after 25+ years of struggling ' I'll take the Koukash Rollercoaster thank you .

That's my philosophy on it all . Enjoy , revel , lap up and enjoy some more our period in the sun however long. Savour days like tomorrow .

Hopefully he gets full control of the stadium, and some decent performances start to put bums on seats. I'm sure he's got good marketing ideas in the pipeline, good luck Salford.

Some brilliant posts...

I watched the Watkins era but never thought of myself as part of the older generation (47) maybe I am


but my dad started taking me when I was 4 years old (1970).

Apart from the nostalga me and my mate are like two giddy school kids and have been waiting for tomorrow since my mates boss was emailed with an invite a few weeks back now.
Can't wait for it and I don't know about anyone else but we plan on having a few cheeky drinks to celebrate the gifts Dr.K bestows on us tomorrow.



Don't know if anyone else plans on celebrating but I guess it's a given ..

Aye good posts all around

. I wonder what we'll be saying this time next year.......

Theres a couple of us having a few cheeky ones in celebartion then heading down to the U20's grand final, what a day we have in store!

A few days after the church meeting, a few of us were having serious conversations about trying to take over the running of the club ourselves with a supporters' trust. Would we be able to raise the money needed? Keep sponsors? Keep the few fans we had left onside? Who would we appoint in various positions? Would we be able to maintain SL status?.. To come from that position, that worry about the very future of the club's existence, to what we're on the brink of... Well, it's one hell of a turnaround. Whatever happens over the next few years, the main thing is that Salford RLFC have been kept alive and we've all been given an opportunity to watch a competitive side take to the field. Whatever happens after that is a bonus.

Double post

Well, this year, I've been an absent supporter. Not through choice, but the commute from Bangkok seemed a little too long to undertake every fortnight! Last year, my family and I had 5 season tickets. This year, due to being overseas, none.

The church hall meeting was a depressing event, and I seriously thought the end was close. Having watched Watkins, Nash, Fielding, etc, I really thought the sun had set on the club I have supported since being 4 or 5 years old in the early 70s.

Fast forward to today: I'm sat here, in my office, waiting for the announcement of the arrival of what is hopefully the makings of a competitive team. My wife is taking the kids to the match on Friday night for the first time this season, and next year, I'll be back too. I really didn't think that we would be here, so I'm just over the moon that I have the 2014 season to look forward too.

I'll raise a glass of the cold stuff tomorrow night to thank Dr Koukash for all that he is doing, and in honour of the supporters who've stuck around during this tough 12 months. Just glad I'll be able to join you on the terraces again next season.