I think most Salford supporters are united on this argument. Very few see many positives, and most, rightly so, are highly suspicious of anything Sale related. Unfortunately, there's little we can do. Salford as a Club have no say in what the stadium company want. If someone like Kennedy can dangle a carrot, my worry is what he and Sale intend to do about their annoying working class co-tenant?

There's little argument about the product on the pitch. Rugby curious neutrals will just be bored and baffled by RU and RL fanatics wouldn't touch it with a very long stick. It's how Sale and its minions see Salford as an annoying itch they'd like to scratch off the surface which worries me. What would they be willing to try to become sole operators at SCS?

So if Salford and Sale are splitting Salford's existing costs then you're saying that the SMC don't get any more income from an extra tenant other than their cut of catering from 16 more home games? I still don't get why there would have been so much stalling by Sale if they were being offered Half our current deal. Don't get me wrong, I'd happily see us have enough money knocked off our rent to let us sign a few quality players, but I'm very wary about giving a competitor a platform to expand from.

If Pev is correct would this mean that the stadium company will be forking extra out on stewards/running costs etc for however many games Sale play, yet not getting anymore income from stadium rent?

is it too late to go back to the willows?

So where do we go from here? The club need to come out and give us some clarity of what's going on and where we stand in terms the joint deal obviously they cant do that until its all official but you can guarantee they will keep quiet and not say anything. If they do give a statement they will probably tell us the decision to move our youngsters to Sale is nothing to do with them and they had no control over it.

The club cannot come out and say ... as most of it is nothing to do with them AS YET. They are as a boarder who could could to his landlord about the unsavoury habits of a co-tenant in the shared bathroom or kitchen, or that they play different music at night.

But there is one issue: why are we putting our young players into Sale's ground? That does need explaining. Stage 1 of a more formal coming together?

[size=200SOS[/size

Save Our Salford

If it mirrors the way in which these contracts are handled in other stadiums then the contract money will go to the SMC and Azure will keep all the profits from match day sales.



Pretty much what I thought as well.

Well we all knew this was going to happen,and we all know who`s responsible,but like everything else it will soon be forgotten.The youngsters going to Heywood Rd,whats the attraction of that i wonder,just goes from bad to worse.

[urlhttp://www.reds.co.uk/rugby-news/reds-youngsters-in-demand-but-no-sale-deal-in-place[/url Salford hit back

I think some need to get real! I am Salford through & through I have my own business & the economics are quite simple, fans don't buy its product it will go out of business or be sold to save!
We were dead at the willows with no prospect, we have a fighting chance at Barton we need to see the small print before we condemn every word said! From where I sit we are not in a strong position to dictate who comes & who goes?
We have an hard core fan base of no more than 3000 & unless we have deep pockets the stadium company will not put up with this long term, surely we understand this, if Sale or whoever can tempt 10000 fans to each game whether we like it or not we will become second best unless we can attract a new fan base.
We do not own the stadium but we are in the box seat having had Salford council put around £10million of tax payers funds into making this happen. If we believe we have a product then the club & us need to sell it, the Salford public do not seem to care enough that's part of the problem.

Boom!mate that's too much like a reasonable post for on here. You should know only doom and gloom need apply for scarlet turkey. Also love the response from Hunte! Nice dig!

The Salford response to Diamond's remarks should tell those of you who don't see this as an issue exactly why we need to be wary of Sale and everything they do.

I agree KMT! I am sure like the rest, you agree we need to move on but too many on here press the doom button before seeing the fine print. We need investment if we are to survive, we are sinking & before I condemn what has been suggested I would welcome investment if it meant we could also grow. We will not survive being the only tenant & for me I will take rugby 12 months of the year. I am not saying we should roll over but show me the long line of investors waiting to put a bid in.

[size=200I TOLD YOU SO[/size

Who's talking poop now. But still the wats remain gods. These cowboys stole your hard earned Lyrad Red that makes you a bigger one.

The club is in a stadium we don't own, can't afford and have no say over with a proven predatory rival on the verge of trampling all over us with our club appearing periless and unable to resist. Point me to the sunlit uplands, please?

Why do you love the response from Hunte if you don't think this is a problem?

I wish some of our fans would follow the logic backwards and see why we our so poorly supported and in such a poor position as opposed to saying 'Wilky is brilliant, the club do a marvellous job - why don't the people of Salford flock to watch such a consistently underperforming and poorly run organisation.'

People aren't kicking off about investment. Read Steve Diamond's comments again and see why people are worried for the future of a club that has represented the people of Salford for 133 years.

Well said redgunner. Hearts ruling heads on here. IF the club had a decent marketing set up we should be excited that 10,000 Sale fans will be treading their paths to Barton to watch a much inferior game played by much inferior players. Salford have opportunities galore should the Sharks come to capitalise on a much wider audience. We have a better product so lets earn out of it.

You have to ask yourself how have we ended up in this situation? It is the 'becoming second best' part that people are worried about. Despite the Salford council money it seems that Sale already have primary tenancy so will have first choice on fixtures etc and thats before they have even moved in. How exactly are we in the box seat? What 'small print' are you expecting to be in there that will turn this into a good deal for us? There are no positives in this for Salford from what I can see.

Can you list some of these opportunities?

Considering Sale are likely to drop the 'Sale' tag from their name to appeal to a wider audience, can't see why these people would then attach themselves to a team called Salford?

Supporting League or Union is not just about watching inferior/superior products as we all wish it would be, it is about many social factors and the history of both sports feeds into that. There is a large amount of people who simply prefer Rugby Union over League come what may and vice versa. On a simpler level many people prefer to watch good teams. There is little doubt over the last decade who has had more success between us and Sale and in the decade to come that is unlikely to change.

Nothing is more unlikely than Sale coming to Barton leading to a large influx of new Salford supporters coming from the Union ranks. Salford don't have the skill, resources or nous to do it. The much more likely outcome is any wavering supporters who are not particularly wedded to one code will be attracted to Sale by their superior off the field operation coupled with a decent side and their crowds will be blossom while we continue to stagnate.

Taken from the union thread (yes, there is one),

Interesting stuff - Sale must feel confident they can withstand any loss of supporters by attracting enough news one with the move. They are probably right.

[url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/301256-rangers-crisis-rugby-club-owner-brian-kennedy-at-ibrox-for-administrator-talks/They're After World Domination[/url

Lots of blue seats at Ibrox and Scottish rugby league players coached by McCormack to poach.

Walshy I rarely disagree with your posts but I do on this as I think there are boundless opportunities especially IF the two clubs can bury hatchets and work together. Plenty of opportunities to increase our fan base.

Sorry EB. Don't agree, please tell me a successful union / league combination that works and exists today.