Is this true?

Still, should get a boost in crowds at the new stadium, more merchandise sold etc.

I hear all this talk about how a new stadium will boost crowds but surely you have to factor in the lost spectators who maybe just can't get to Irlam, you know the kind the old guy who would maybe walk to the Willows. Also earlier in the thread someone stated that your club offers a try before you buy scheme...very admirable but in reality those people are going because it's free and that scenario will continue as people will go just to have a nosey. The only real way that your club will benefit is to get the on field product right, I was speaking to a mate who is /was a reds regular he hasn't been this season since he was charged £20 to watch the Warrington game.He prior to two seasons ago had always been a season ticket holder, those fans will only return when they feel they get value for money and with respect no amount of shiney new stadia will offer that, only a winning team that is challenging the top teams.

The finances are 100% dependent on Mr Wilkinson,as we know,so what happened to the Myler or Willows monies is irrelevant.
I would guess it went into the gaping hole that exists because of poor crowds and heavy investment in players.
The idea that we have a right to be told is ridiculous.
At some point JW will cease supporting the club,even if that's in 10 years,it's still inevitable.
If we were still at the Willows when that happened the Club would be dead as a dodo.
At least with the new stadium there is a modern franchise to be acquired.

So that's possibly around 5 fans. No big loss at all and definitely NOT a factor.
On another thread the 'theredshed' highlighted the volume of traffic annually passing the stadium on the M60. If just 0.025 of these people show an interest and perhaps even decide to attend, the stadium will be full for each game. (I know things don't actually work that way, the results of any marketing campaign would prove that), but you just never know.
As many have stated, the product on the pitch is the main selling point, the new facilities are just an added extra, although definitely necessary in the modern era.
And as for the finances, I'm pretty certain that both the club and the council have discussed/studied this at length, and are satisfied with the projected returns for each.

I would not worry about finances. You could look at it from both angles. If they don't own the ground all the overheads associated with owning one disappear. Think about the potential off-field revenue generated by the Club with regards to conference facilities, Club sponsored entertainment etc. If you look at, as an example, Penrith Panthers Leagues Club. I realise that Salford's ambitions are somewhat smaller in scale but it is a good example of what Salford can aim for in the long term. At Penrith you have a 4* hotel, sports, entertainment, restaurants etc. The Club is at the heart of its community and becomes the focal point, not just for RL supporters, but the community in general.

Salford have an amazing opportunity to do something similar from next year. The Club already earns more money from Corporate sponsorship and off-field activities, it's the reason we play Friday nights after all. The new ground will bring in even more due to its fantastic facilities, dare I say it, designed for this in mind.

If Salford can make itself a massive part of the community in its new ground, encourage the youth and amateur players to be involved with the new facilities and become part of a new hub. Attract in more corporate money and hopefully bring in new support, curious as to what Salford City Reds do, we will have little to fear from financial issues.

Ok. So it's a bit pie in the sky. But the Club has a blank canvass to work with when it moves to Barton and I just hope they intend to hit the floor running and not miss the opportunity that is presenting itself.

A rumour is hearsay,gossip,common talk,not based on definite knowledge;an unconfirmed report or story.Need I say any more?

It was the same as "He is coming"

This annoys me greatly when people say this, the amount of arguments I have had with our fans this season saying the same thing. The fact remains we average around 3,000 home fans a game and have been at the Willows for long enough for this to change, personally I couldn't give a fu*k if a few of the local residents wont come when we move, if they class themselves as a fan they would be there no matter what. Maybe a few local residents of Irlam/Peel green will take an interest and come instead.

A few locals around Weaste not coming to the games and then moaning that the new stadium isn't in "proper Salford" as I have had said to me on more occasions than I care to remember this season is ,i have managed fine coming in from walkden & now Eccles over the past 19 years. Let face it the weaste public and surrounding areas have had long enough to get to the games and looking at our attendances proves the majority just don't give toss about us. SO I couldn't give a toss about them if they decide not to come.

Of course I will be sad to see the back of the willows it has been my second home for many years and ideally I would love to stay but we all know rugby is a business these days and we need a change quick our attendances cant get any worse!

Totally agree

The idea of the try before you buy scheme was (is) an attempt to get new fans before the move to Barton. If normal fans want to use this to save themselves £20 you can hardly blame them, however if every Salford fan sent the link on to 10 people who have never been before we might get a few new people going to games. Sadly no-one will do this and would rather come on here and moan about low attendances instead.




Interesting how it made the RL press on Monday yet doesn't appear to have been denied by the club?

Interesting how it made the RL press on Monday yet doesn't appear to have been denied by the club?'"

Ok cheers haven't seen todays MEN yet.

The on field product is a key element in increasing your crowd base although I have heard of some regular fans who have stopped coming and when I asked when they last came it was 15 years ago, they cannot be classed as a regular fan in my opinion.

The club is kept afloat, and has been for many years, through JW and the directors , with assistance in last couple of years from the council, who will recoup this once the retail elements are built. The costs of running the new ground will be in excess of a million pounds per annum, which would have been a huge drain on the club moving forward. The deal i believe is we pay a rent, we get money from gate admission and corporate hospitality, but get nothing from the bars or snack bars. Ideally if Sale move in , then logic would say that our rent would be halved. The key for the future is to try and bring new blood into the boardroom, {preferably with lots of money} and try and get new sposors, as obviously the more income we can get from off field activities helps with what we can spend on the salary cap. This in turn should mean we attract better players, play more attractive football and be more successful , which should bring more fans through the gates. Lets Hope!!!!

Barker picking out more stories off here i see !I Was informed during our game with quinns off a very reliable source regerding players not being paid!!

So where does this reliable source get info?!surely if there was stuff like that ratchford wud have said he's going wire?!why wud he stay with financial probs!the team spirit seems good for a team with financial problems!just bugs me,clubs trying to move forward, new coach,new ground,and people are on here saying were not paying players,show me proof and I will believe it!jeez!

Are you sure that you are not Neil Barker? His sources seem very like your own.

Now I heard from a very good source that Rob Parker was going on loan to Castleford and that was before Parker new about it.

Just playing devils advocate her, but there is an interesting article in the finance pages of tonights MEN, stating that Mr Wilkinsons company has sucessfully applied for a loan to "finance Expansion".
One wonders.!!!

Did anyone say they don't get paid? Sometimes the players get paid on time, sometimes they don't. They do get paid though!

Nothing wrong with businesses borrowing to expand if it is done for the right reasons,if you read the full article it is very complimentary towards Wilkinson Star Ltd.

Sounds identical to our situation at the LSV , one point about the corporate , at Hilton Park we filled the corporate ( 120 covers ) virtually every match and made good money from it as it was reasonably priced , better quality than the LSV and most importantly the drinks were ' normal ' prices .

We now struggle to get people into the corporate at the LSV because the price is more , the food worse and the drinks exorbitant ' relatively ' , we also make less per head out of it , you might well find something similar

Your main revenue stream will be numbers through the gates , you will need massive and long term investement to build your numbers , early doors extra away fans will bolster the numbers , but ultimately that is what will make or break the move to Barton

A statement like that makes me wonder if you are Malcolm White with all the financial knowledge that caused the sale of Station Road? either that, or being deliberately mischievous

The NWBF is a commercially operated fund that lends to businesses who want loans in what is often called the 'equity gap'. This is where a business wants an expansion/growth loan but because equity investors tend to not operate below a £2 - £2.5m investment threshold there is a gap in the market where the NWBF sub-funds step in. Hence, the NWBF is a good source of investment finance for any business able to present a growth/expansion business case.

A business receiving a loan for "finance expansion" is very good news for the business!!!! so wonder not.

Wash your mouth out with soap sir.!! Malcolm White indeed.

Time will tell if your assumption is correct or not after all would the companies own bank not be the first port of call. I do accept that the lending criteria of most banks is extremely rigid but one wonders that if the business is financially sound then they wouldn't have a problem.

I do take on board your comments regarding the NWBF being a good source of investment but the "financial expansion " can cover a multitude of sins.

There is that mischevious side comming out again. lol

The NWBF terms can be preferential to those of the bank when it comes to expansion/investment loans as opposed to just a general working capital loan. The point being you go the bank generally formore short-term loans whereas for a longer term loan (investment) then you'd want equity finance which is genarally not available below £2m. A bank judges you on your ability to re-pay and charges interest accordingly (using a rediculously mechanical approach these days but that is another story!), investment monies are offered based on a risk based judgement of an ability to expand/grow the business often meaning the terms are better. That's partly what would make me think it a good thing if looking at the business as an outsider - an ability to obtain investment capital over general cash loans shows a longer term confidence by the funding provider - it also makes commercial sense to the recipient as the terms will be better.

as for "Finance expansion" in explanation marks again. I'm guessing you don't know the funding rules and criteria of NWBF and the sub-funds (and why would anyone really unless they've had to?!). They are restricted from what I would call 'cash-flow' deals due to the nature of the NWBF and the the financial instrument mechanisms that established it (which is what I worked on).

Back to the thread...

The fact that Salford are still going when the likes of Oldham, Rochdale, Swinton, Widnes etc. have been through what they have over the years should give confidence to us that those running the club will do what uis right. It is a business - and hence, quite rightly it shouldnt be plastered all over our forums and we as just fans have no intrinsic 'right' to know the fine details. Being even more harsh - most of us wouldnt understand the fine details anyway! All this thread shows is that 'guessing' or 'insinuating' from scraps of information or even rumours is pointless.

I'm surprised this sort of poop stirring hadn't surfaced earlier, but we are a little over three weeks from the Franchise decision day so expect more.
Have a bit of faith.

I agree wholeheartedly that club business should be kept to the inner sanctum of the board room.

I do however draw your attention to your following quote "The fact that Salford are still going when the likes of Oldham, Rochdale, Swinton, Widnes etc. have been through what they have over the years should give confidence to us that those running the club will do what uis right" you are overlooking the fact that only last year Salford were bailed out by the council with a loan to assist day to day running of the club. So it seems as we all know that there are no Rugby clubs making money on a day to day basis.
It is enlightening to speak with someone who does however have o good reasoned knowledge of business matters.