The next new signing......

Dear Red Devil,

November is almost upon us and once we have got past Halloween and Bonfire Night it can only mean one thing – the players are back in training and beginning their preparations for the 2016 Super League season. Under new Strength and Conditioning coach, Greg Brown previously of Huddersfield Giants, the first team squad will start back 2nd week of November as they start to build up for the new season ahead. We will have several new faces joining us – some of which haven’t been announced yet as deals are concluded, and some exciting Club announcements remain to be unveiled.

Tim Sheens and Ian Watson are continuing to work tirelessly across the globe to get the correct blend of players to make 2016 a memorable year for the Red Devils. Next year’s squad will very much be the sum of its parts with players working hard for opportunities to prove themselves and I believe there are no better men at the helm than we have to create a unique team atmosphere that will help get the pulses racing. We plan to have three friendly games, 2 away and an exciting fixture at home, on the eve of the season and these will be confirmed and announced by the end of next week.

Since my last email went out we listened to what the fans had to say and quickly reacted to issues you had and it was with some excitement that we, with the Stadium’s help, could announce that we could finally trial the much requested move to an atmosphere-generating East Stand with our most vocal supporters. So for the first three home games of 2016 – big ones against St Helens, Widnes and Warrington, our core support will be on the shoulders of the players, urging them on and helping to raise their game. I have received some negative feedback from fans who much prefer the South Stand experience, I would assure all our supporters that during and after the three games we will consult further and see if the experiment is worth continuing. If you are one of the few who remain unsure I ask you to approach it with an open mind and believe the experience will be an enjoyable one and may well be the making of a new era of atmosphere at the AJ Bell Stadium.

Season Tickets have seen good numbers renewed already and with the deal – again that you requested, of cheaper tickets for existing holders and a more flexible payment plan, in place until 15 November we expect that the vast majority of tickets will be renewed within the next two weeks.

With 10% off the face value price and the chance to spread your payments over nine months it is clearly the best way to minimise your cost. But remember, remember the 15th November!

Of course if you would rather pay upfront for your ticket and not have a monthly Direct Debit, you can do that too.

Next week our younger group of players return for training with the senior group hot on their heels the week after. We will be introducing our new faces to you in more detail and will soon have details of our annual pre-Christmas Open Day.

The close-season may not have the thrills and excitement we get from February onwards but the key to a successful campaign in preparation – and the winter of 2015 will not be found lacking in that respect.

So pop down and renew your season ticket and watch this space for a number of big announcements – both on field and off over the coming days and weeks.

I have been asked a lot recently about the new merchandise, the new kit including new supplier and many new kit sponsors will be available to pre order within the next couple of weeks and will be available for delivery before Xmas from approximately the 14th December 2015. We will have details of our new kit deal shortly but fans will be pleased to know that there will be several new features of our new arrangement with all first team kit being available for fans to purchase, the potential of a Magic Weekend shirt and new bespoke Club products such as a retro shirt line. More on that in forthcoming weeks…

The off field team is busy working at this moment in securing sponsorship deals which will bring vital income for the Club moving forward. Our ability to invest in players is now tightly controlled by the RFL and linked to how much income the Club brings in each year. If you have a business in Greater Manchester you might well be surprised about the value the Club can bring to you through its reach across TV, social media and other outlets so if you want to chat about a fairly diverse range of options including hospitality boxes, player sponsorship, advertising board/programme advertising, etc, just give me a shout!

Please feel free to circulate the newsletter to colleagues and friends. We currently have over 1,000 signed up to the newsletter but if people wish to be added to the list, just drop me a line on this email. Always pleased to hear your feedback and I do try to respond to all issues, so just email if there is anything else you wish to discuss

Martin Vickers