Just read the home truths on Salford. In a nutshell.....

When they moved into the AJ Bell break even was an average of 8000 fans, actual average has been 3365.....

Salford are let off the actual rental costs of the stadium and pay a much lower price but now face paying the actual full price if they were to stay from 2023.

2022 will however see central distributions to Salford (sky money) drop considerably. Staying means a massive increase in costs and debt.

All those interested in moving into the AJ Bell like Sale and the soccer club are committed to ensuring Salford's survival, they don't want to kill the club..

So Mr. Neville is keen to offer Moor Lane as an (well the only) option for Salford who say that if they play there (so it's not a "no"icon_wink.gif it will have to be part time.

Meanwhile a certain Mr, Beaumont may have a very very big smile on his face..................

It's not about league positions but more about stadiums.....

And dont forget the money.
Without enough of it, nobody can survive.

i was reading that as it was tweeted last night, i nearly fainted, its amazing that they've survived this long after moving there.

how the hell they "expected" 8k fans to just start turning up,

I tell you what, from the first plans that came out for their new stadium (remember that?) it has just slid from worse to worse.

Yet there are strong rumours around that they have signed one of your players, how do they afford him?

Oh I dunno.... weren't Wire averaging something like 4000 at Wilderspool before they moved to the shiny new HJ? It's amazing how winning multiple Grand Finals can add another 5-6000 to your fanbase.

You mean the lad on loan? Hardly gonna cost a packet if he's a fringe squad player and he'd partially be replacing Darcy Lussick who has left the club and won't have been on minimum wage.

And?



It's fine for "massive" clubs like Wire to mock Salford but let's be honest, without Mr Moneybags backing you you'd be in as much doo doo as clubs like Salford & Wakey are (sorry Wakey fans, not a dig!).

The fact you're dragging out news articles from the Salford Star pretty much sums you up..... it's a poxy rag with about as much credibility as the Sun or the Star.

I think we are talking about a different player here.

Not privvy to the financial side of our club, but I don't thing that we are financially in the doo doo as a lot of people outside of the club think, that's according to our CEO anyway apart from serviceable running costs, because we don't live above our means, the downside to that is we don't get to have any marquee players that's all.

i appreciate your need to defend your club, like a third rate vastman, but defending them blindly isn't correct.

however, i'll deal with your rebuttles in my next post. cos i think this deserves its own.

*clears throat*

WHAT GRAND FINALS?????

i get reminded on a daily basis on here, on facebook, on twitter that we've never won a (sl) grand final, so bit of a weird flex.

So, taking this at face value, in the final season at Wilderspool,2003 we averaged 6904,the year before was probably about 4k, if not less due to the state we were in, we didn't get to and win the challenge cup until 2009. 5 years later. our first play off win was in 2006, so you it had nothing to do with success.

In 2004, the first year at the halliwell jones, the average was 9880, and halfway through that year is when simon moran became majority shareholder. He Pays for the nice things, the extras but the stadium is self sufficient with plenty of non matchday income, that was crucial to the design of it, it had to pay for itself.

Why did that attendance increase? a combination of reasons, mainly the location of the stadium was within walking distance of about 60% of our season ticket holders (and lapsed members at that point) with good motorway links and close to a trains station, to make it easier for away fans, and we went down the family angle. Since the stadium plans went to planning enquiry we ramped up our community projects and were in schools all over warrington practically every day, building a new fan base, kids and their parents, we won the SL community club of the year award something like 4 times in a row over those 4/5 years, we put a lot of effort in.

We didn't just build a stadium and expect people to turn up.

Salford moved away from their walk up/hardcore supporter base, to a location thats a ballache to get to.


The location of the article is neither here nor there, the picture, the artist impression, was released by Salford City reds, this was there grand design, its a fantastic design, almost iconic, and at the time that's admirable, you couldn't possibly tell me with a straight face that you weren't disappointed with what you ended up with.

But hey, it's easier to hit out, then admit faults of our loved ones.

Whilst it was a grim night in February 2012, Salford only managed to attract 5424 to their first game at the new stadium, almost half the 10146 that attended their last game at The Willows - so never a good starting point.

Also, didn't you have a moneybags person as well? how did that end up?

Looking back a bit, Salford's average attendances upto 2012, at The Willows were nearer to 4000, so an assumption of doubling that purely down to a new location seemed wildly optimistic.

i seem to recall thinking at the time, being disappointed that they didn't get teh last season influx, lapsed fans coming back for one last look,

Warrington were lucky with their stadium.
The luxury of political help - is he now Lord Hoyle,the former Labour politician,plus the Tesco link.
Salford were unlucky,2008/9 the banking crash.
Some councils want stadia - some don't.

Perhaps Super League will reject clubs,like Wigan who have to share stadia owned by an outside sport.
Or clubs like Leigh,who don't own the Sports Village.
Newcastle won't get into Super League,nor York,as their stadia owned by Union and soccer clubs,respectively.

IIRC I don't recall much "luck & luxury" in Wires rough & rocky journey to a new stadium.

I do recall 7-10 yrs of planning & financial wranglings and uncertainty of whether the club had a viable future.

Hull's average went from 7k in the final season at the Boulevard to 11.5k in the first season at the KC. But a big factor is we had a lot of fans who had drifted away during our dreary 90s where we played on division2, struggled financially and became the Sharks etc we also improved on the field around that time and winning the Cup in 2005 and then reaching a Grand Final in 2006 probably converted those 'new' fans into lifetime ones.

Salford have been in the doldrums for years and sadly due to Covid the boost from their afinals appearances has been muted, and a lot of the team have moved on rather than containing to build.

You are right that location is a big factor, luckily in Hull we moved to pretty much a centre spot between The Boulevard and Boothferry Park to suit both fanbases with good train and bus links. Moving to an out of town retail park hasn't been good for many teams in Football. Fans are hard to win back when they have got out of a habit, and for some being able to wander from the Pub, or meet their mate at a bus stop etc is part of the day out.

Indeed, as i say, Winwick road link to the motorway is fantastic (apart from the traffic) and having central a stones throw away as well is a massive help.

All the town centre parking as well.

One thing that does get forgotten about, is removing Bridge Foot aka spaghetti junction from the traffic equation, coming from the north it was virtually impossible to miss if you were heading to wilderspool.

I think you missed the irony of my post.

Yeah I was there. It was about minus 5 IIRC.

And let's be honest half of those who turned uo at The Willows for the Catalans game did it to say I was there (exactly as they did at the Grand Final). I'm under no illusion we get small crowds.

BTW, you and Mr DogPlop are conveniently missing the point that we were forced out of the Willows by Super League who said the ground wasn't up to scratch but have since allowed Wakey and Cas to remain in their ultra modern abodes. Those s are every bit as much to blame for the shambles.

Edit: To clarify I'm referring to those s as in SL and not Wakey or Cas.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and perhaps you should have held your ground (pun intended) and redeveloped the Willows. The 8k average attendance to support your move to the new ground was a club figure as I understand it and was always a big ask.

A triumvirate of you Cas and Wakey would be better placed to resist the mandate of new ground requirements if you worked that ticket together

Btw the previous poster saying that some local authorities should support stadiums like we Wire were lucky well yes we are but Salford's stadium is owned jointly by Salford City Council and came at a cost. The location although not as central as the Willows is there such a thing in Salford, wasn't a big surprise either I just think that you the supporters were victims of a combination of desperation and pipedreams

I miss the willows, it had character none of this breeze block plastic seat e they knock out these days