If as is believed, Marwan Koukash does buy Swinton Lions who can you see helping him make them a success from Salford? As much as I would love Alan Hunte to remain doing an outstanding job with us, Swinton would present him with the ideal opportunity to get a head coach job yet remain under the Koukash umbrella. I personally see him as a future Salford head coach and would hate to lose him entirely, but by putting him into the Swinton role it would benefit us in allowing Hunte to gain the necessary experience.

You would think a number of our younger players could be loaned out for 12 month spells, particularly the likes of Niall Evalds, Gareth Owen, Alex Davidson, Jordan Davies, Will Hope etc. Without wanting to dismantle the excellent foundations Alan Hunte has laid within our academy set-up, you would have to look at the bigger and wider picture. If 12-24 months at Swinton aids these players and coaches development for the betterment of Salford RLFC, I’d be more than happy to see this happen.

I can't see the Swinton fans being too happy with such an arrangement. It would be good for us, and it may give Swinton a stronger squad and coaching set up than they would otherwise have, but I really don't think they'd take kindly to being Salford's bitch.

I'd much rather he bought into Leigh, based purely on the amount and quality of youngsters in the Leigh catchment area it makes much more sense to me.

If he does buy Swinton I'd hope he made it very clear straight away that they are to be Salfords feeder team, sure invest but remember their lower league status and use the infrastructure to blood or test younger players or those recovering from injury.

Will hopefully buy Swinton with the intention of making them a decent outfit rather than merely a feeder club for Salford. Would breathe a bit of life back into RL within the city I reckon.

I think it's pretty clear that MK has only one priority and that's the success of Salford in Superleague.
All his plans are geared to that.
If he does take over Swinton,it will be somehow connected with helping Salford.
If I'm right,then I can understand Swinton fans having mixed feelings

What choice do they have, go to the wall or welcome Koukash's ownership with open arms? As you say, the arrangement would not only benefit us but also Swinton. It's also similar to the arrangement they had with Warrington this season, only under Koukash's management they'd have one of the best young British coaches in the game at the helm as well as a host of promising youngsters available week in week out for a season or two. Throw in a couple of decent Championship level players and you've got potentially a promotion chasing outfit.

Salford Red Devils v Swinton Lions, first game of the 2015 season infront of a sell out crowd anyone

If he makes it known that he intends to use Swinton as a feeder club then he will have wasted his money because nobody from Swinton would go!

You mean like you were Warrington's feeder club this season?

What's the point in the man owning two RL clubs within a stones throw of each other, unless he can utilise resources from one to help another, particularly when the resources from one are a huge improvement on the ones the other is use to.

My initial post wasnt intended to come across as a "lets use Swinton as a feeder club" more of how we can assist them with the personnel we have at our disposal. Anyway, lets face it the majority of Championship clubs are feeder clubs for Super League teams regardless, with any half decent talent being snapped up at the first opportunity.

Every club in a "lower" division in all sports (bar county cricket) is a feeder club. Your better players move on upwards and older players come out down to complete their careers.

If we had failed and restarted as semi-pro, do you not think players such as Fages would prove themselves and then move to SL? It happens.

Also, just because we have links does not mean that they work for every player. Imagine Swinton had a very good half-back. For once, we had several to cover this area so the feed could have been to Warrington.

Finally, unless the good doctor wants to throw money away, Swinton would have to become a viable (if not profitable) business. This would mean developing it as a club in its own right, not as an adjunct to another business. I see you being worried about the Australian model being put in place but I feel we are moving, as a game, in that direction.

Don't take this thread the wrong way.
I'm not sure I agree with the possible takeover anyway.
I guess it wouldn't cost him too much and the crowd receipts don't affect the deal.
He has no desire to own anything for the sake of it and,listening to him last night,it's all about Salford becoming huge.
I hope he can achieve that.
Sorry but he wouldn't be buying Swinton for any other reason than he sees that his Salford project will gain from it.
I repeat that I'm not sure that's fair to Swinton .
I'd be happy if it didn't happen,provided Swinton could find a way to continue operating.

Well he was prepared to build a new ground for Oldham Athletic and Oldham Roughyeds ,to make Swinton viable he will probably have to do likewise for the Lions.

Hi DF as an ' older ' supporter more steeped in the M27/M5 politics I appreciate the sentiments , however I remember similar comments when the ground share at the Willows was 1st muted , yet in fact more Swinton Fans turned up .?

If not Koukash is there an alternative business plan to keep going ?
Apart from 1 season at the Willows in 2011 It's now 20 years in exile , last year effectively playing as a Dual Reg Feeder for Warrington in Leigh.
Is this not just a gut reaction to the marraige of convenience or are you truely saying you would rather cut you own throats rather than be run by the old enemy ...?

The Ambrose Barlow stadium?

Not familiar with that?

If you've read any of my other posts regarding Koukash and Swinton you'll see I am behind the Doctor building Swinton a new stadium. Nothing major, maybe 5,000 capacity with room for expansion around the four corners. It needs to be a community facility though, perhaps shared by Salford City FC and there needs to be pitches available for Folly Lane ARLFC at least (other local clubs too if they wished), there also needs to be learning facilities on site for those seeking re-employment etc (see Hull KR's new North Stand development for further information).

You're going to have to accept moving into Barton for a little first though, as any ideas like the above wont happen for a good few years.