Salford Red Devils CEO speaks out on financial situation as Super League meeting scheduled

Salford Red Devils have issued a statement following reports about their financial situation.

Wednesday saw Rugby League Live break the news that an emergency Super League meeting had been called with Salford finding themselves in a worrying financial hole. The Red Devils are in a holding pattern as they wait for clarity on their stadium ownership and the report claimed they had asked for an advance on their central distribution in order to make ends meet.

Salford dispute some parts of the report, but have confirmed that a lot of it was accurate, with a Super League meeting being pushed back until Monday to allow clubs more time to mull over their options regarding Salford’s proposals.

The Red Devils describe the issue as a ‘short-term cash flow’ problem, while they wait for Salford City Council’s acquisition of the Salford Community Stadium to be signed off. The club do not know when that the process will be finalised but it is hoped that as soon as clarity arrives, they will be able to bolster their sponsorship and commercial opportunities going into the 2025 Super League season and beyond.

A statement released on Salford Red Devils’ official channels read: “Disappointingly, yesterday, confidential information was leaked to the media and published with regards to Salford Red Devils financial position. Unfortunately, the context surrounding the report wasn’t entirely accurate and the club were not contacted for comment.

“With the continued uncertainty surrounding the stadium ownership we have found ourselves in a position where sponsorships and commercial opportunities have been prevented which has left us with a gap on our short-term cash flow. At this moment in time, we still have no clarity on the final timeline for the stadium which makes business forecasting challenging; we have business initiatives ready to implement but find ourselves forced into a holding pattern.

“The meeting today was at the request of CEO, Paul King, to apply for an advance on our 2025 distribution to bridge the gap, which requires a League-wide owner vote. We can confirm that the Super League clubs have met today and agreed to adjourn until Monday to allow more time to consider the documentation provided.

“Paul King, CEO, said: “We’re grateful that our fellow clubs are considering our request and we are hopeful for a positive outcome on Monday. Whilst rivalry on the pitch defines our competition, we sincerely appreciate the understanding and efforts to set these aside and empathise with us in a difficult moment. We extend our thanks to each club for taking the time to consider our request and look forward to competing in another exciting Super League season in 2025”.

“The club will issue a full statement following Mondays Super League meeting.”