Andy Burnham gives Salford Red Devils ‘positive’ verdict and lifts lid on RFL talks

The Mayors of Greater Manchester and Salford have reacted to news of the Red Devils’ liquidation, calling it a “positive decision” and confirming that they have held meetings with the RFL about the future ownership of the club.

That club likely won’t be known under the Red Devils moniker as it is that company that has been wound up by HMRC, but numerous reports of phoenix clubs have already emerged.

Prominent fan group The 1873 have reported on that, whilst former Red Devils’ CEO Chris Irwin took to social media to release a statement and confirm that he was involved with a consortium looking at future ownership.

More details on the fight to form a new phoenix club from the Red Devils that will compete in next year’s Championship is expected to filter out in the coming hours and days, and there could well be involvement from the Mayors of Greater Manchester and Salford.

Andy Burnham “optimistic” that Salford will play in January as Red Devils’ liquidation labelled a “positive decision”

A statement co-authored by both Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford, reacted to Wednesday morning’s decision by HMRC that resulted in the club being liquidated.

“Today’s decision by the courts to liquidate Salford Red Devils (2013) Limted marks the end of a painful chapter in the club’s 152-year history,” the statement began.

“We understand that today will be concerning for those who are connected to the club, however, we believe that this is a positive decision and is a step in the right direction for securing the future of this proud institution of rugby league.”

The pair applauded the fan groups for engaging throughout the process with The 1873 the most prominent of those in their fight for the club and the search for truth.

An RFL Board meeting will happen today (December 4th) to discuss the future of rugby league in Salford with Burnham and Dennett confirming that they had previously held “constructive conversations” about future ownership.

They said: “Earlier this week, we had constructive conversations about the future ownership of the club. It is now entirely for the RFL to determine who is best placed to take forward a new Salford club.

“We believe that the RFL now has the correct governance procedures and leadership in place to make this decision, and we are optimistic that there will be a Salford team playing in the Championship in January 2026.”

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Andy and @Salford_Mayor have reacted to the ‘positive’ decision to liquidate Salford Red Devils (2013) Limited

👇 Read the full joint statement below pic.twitter.com/ur6MvPaUm1

— Mayor of Greater Manchester (@MayorofGM) December 3, 2025