Shock joint bid for Super League stadium mounted

Premiership Rugby Union club Sale Sharks chief executive Sid Sutton has outlined a joint bid with English Football League side Salford City to buy the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford.

The Salford Red Devils also play their home games there which has thrown into question where that leaves the rugby league side.

Salford City have been introduced purely because the Red Devils cannot afford to jointly bid for the AJ Bell, though the football and rugby union clubs will wait until the Red Devils sort out their stadium future first.

Sale Sharks wanted to build their own stadium, but that has since been scrapped.

“One of the options we looked at was building a new stadium at the Crossford Bridge Playing Fields, in Sale, but as was well documented last year, the Trafford Council withdrew its support for that plan in September,” Sutton said.

“That was really disappointing for everyone at the club, partly because an awful lot of time, money and effort had gone into the process, but mostly because we believe that taking the club back to its roots in Sale was the best way to grow the club and secure our future.”

Sutton was also adamant that no plans would be pursued until the Red Devils make their own move, with Salford City’s Moor Lane likely to be the most probably destination.

“During the due diligence process, it became apparent that financially remaining at the AJ Bell Stadium wasn’t an option for Salford Red Devils.

“In addition, they openly said that they couldn’t afford to either buy the AJ Bell Stadium or stay there as a tenant so we actively sought a second party to buy the stadium with us.”