There is a subtle difference between Bradfords adminstration and Salford going down the same route. Bradford were mid-season and to demote them would have meant a major upheaval of the fixtures and table. Admin for Salford at this stage is easier for the RL to handle, a straight swap for example with say Leigh or Fev.It may not seem fair and in essence a precident was set but since when has the RL cared.

I think at some point we need to start acquainting ourselves with the possibility that there isn't a rich new owner waiting in the wings with a plan to turn water into wine.

It's not like Wilky hasn't tried to offload the club enough times in the past.

Sadly, this is obviously the case. The reality is that even as a lifelong Salford fan, even I wouldn't invest in the club (if I had the money!) in it's current state, just to pay off the existing creditors, so for us to expect any local businessman with only a passing interest to do so, is beyond ludicrous.

I feel our best option is to reform as a newco, albeit in one of the lower divisions. I will always admire John Wilky for what he has done, and the money he has put in to keep us going all these years, but unfortunately as much as he will always be a Salford legend, he is completely out of his depth as our current predicament demonstrates.

My understanding of the situation (being in NZ its hard to be privy to everything that goes on!) is that if we were to reform as a newco we wouldn't be able to play at SCC, but I'm not sure that's necessarily a bad thing, SL is not the be all and end all. As hard as it would be to take, I feel a step back would enable us to take a step forward in the long term.

The club under its current guise is simply 'unpopular' with most Salfordians, as we are seen as a club who is generally amongst the cellar dwellers and has a losing culture. However, some of the best times I've ever had as a Salford fan were in the lower divisions, and I bet that if most of you really thought about it, for the majority of fans in a similar age bracket to myself (im not old enough to remember the halcyon days of Fielding, Watkins et al!) it would be the same, as this is when the club had a 'feel good factor' about it, as we won the majority of our games!

Over the past 18 months or so, (even way before all the financial problems became public knowledge) there has been so much negativity, bickering, and general ill feeling on these boards that the only conclusion I can draw from afar (I may well be wrong), is that this is the general 'feeling' amongst the majority of Salford fans, and it's hard to see how the club can go any further with how the club is perceived- by it's own fans, in RL circles, and the general public, unless something drastic happens.

Maybe being so far away in NZ means im slightly detached from the emotion of it all, but for me, the only sensible and realistic option, is for the club in it's current form to be wound up, and a new 'debt free' club start up from scratch, probably playing out of somewhere like Moor Lane initially. I'm sure the legalities of it all are more complex than that, but there are obviously a number of precedents in RL and other sports in recent years.

To me this seems the only way we can recreate the 'feel good factor' again amongst our fans, which in the long term, could enable us to then gain a sound financial footing, the support of the general public of Salford, and challenge for a place in SL again a few years from now.

Just my two cents, Merry Xmas and here’s hoping for some good news in the new year. ☺

The best thing Wilky could do now would be to reimburse all fans who were hoodwinked into purchasing five year season tickets before the pin is inevitably pulled.

I totally agree with Red C though, I'd sooner watch a reformed club playing at Moor Lane in CC1 for a few years than endure any more of this soap opera.

If you were to reform as a newco and play away from the SCS in a lower division where would you go?
Are there grounds are in Salford that could accomodate, say, between 2000 and 4500 fans.
I do hope that even if you survive then you stay in SL.
A new investor may allow PV to sign new players and build a new and competitive squad within a couple of years.
Best of Luck!

Cant be done can it? Bank Account is frozen. Maybe any new Company should honour the 5 year ticket holders as a one off goodwill gesture. What about the Box Holders who paid up front? Similar situation maybe. Its not JAWs liability though.

Johns gesture of converting loans to Equity though is indeed magnanimous and maybe the Council could be persuaded to take shares/loan stock too which would have a big effect on the Company`s solvency and maybe then the Bank account could be unfrozen.

`Inevitably pulled`. Thats not necessarily so just yet is it? Over 2 weeks to the Hearing & I would be surprised if the parties didn't come to a compromise and Repayment Plan for monies they would have NO hope of collecting if the Company goes into Admin etc.

EB - given that the biggest creditor by far now is the Council (~£1.5m out of £2m in total after the director's loans are wiped out) how much flexibility does a public body have in law to negotiate?

Simple truth is, anyone coming in at this point has to take on £2m of debt

To buy the club out of administration, if it ends up there, then normally a deal would be done with the creditors (a la Bradford I think) - as I say can that be done with the council?

Failing that then it's winding up !! Is there then any organisation willing & able to start Salford Reds (2013) ?

On the assumption that its the rfl who will be paying the wages out of advanced tv money, whoever is running the club in the future will have to do it with reduced funding from that major source. With the carried debt its difficult to see anyone who would want it as a going concern. Yet i imagine that the hope of raising significant money for the current regime to continue is slim. So it appears that administration is the only real option in order to make it a remotely attractive proposition for a buyer.

Barton

I think that the Council would rather have £1 rather than £0. So I dont think its beyond the bounds of reality that a deal could be struck on the restructuring of the Capital of the club including the Council`s Loan.

Maybe the issue of some Convertible Loan stock with a date of say 2020-25 bearing a small Interest rate but geared somehow to future profitability.

Administration means the Council get nought so surely SCR in a strong negotiating position.

I don`t think all is lost personally - we just have to see some balanced thinking and sensible long term negotiation taking in a sensible financial budget geared to a crowd of 5,000. Remember the Sky Income is a HUGE hidden asset.

I really do admire you defence of your hero,he is not mine,as you already know EB. The council, in my opinion,would of passed this money over to the club if it had not leaked into the press and the Salford public had not got wind of it.So do you not think that the same people will not complain if they are told that they are now going to have to stump up some more money to buy shares in the club.The mayor as said i believe that the council can no longer help Salford money wise any more.Which i agree with ,why should Salford folk bail out a failing private company.Admin,c.v.a,do we need anymore of this digging up who`s done what and whos had this and so on.Lets bite the bullet,accept what we have not got ,get organised as a group of supporters and have a go at getting our club back on its feet and playing again,against who,I DON`T CARE,as long as they play in red and are known as Salford RFL.Where there is hope,there is always a tomorrow,where there is sorrow there will be no tomorrow.

Highly unlikely that the council will move on their position now. It seems they are prepared to lose what they are already owed, but will not put anymore at risk. I think an external investor will be the only way forward. Where one of those is found is anybodies guess.

MM - I think its fair to say that I am a loyal follower of JAW for the simple reason that without him last Mondays meeting would have taken place 31 years ago. So lets move on please for the good of the club.

I am not suggesting any more money comes from the Council though it would be welcome of course. I am suggesting that the existing loan is re negotiated and `capitalised ` in order to dress up the Balance Sheet in a similar way to that of the Board capitalising their loans.

If the `debt` is expunged it will make it easier for new partners/investors to come on board. Just needs some clever heads to get round the table and plan the way forward.

Exactly,why has he waited until the last minute for assistance off the fans,apparently he seen this happening a long time ago,so why not act then.....Eggs in one basket summising that it was a done deal with peel and the council,8500 turning up every home game,merchandise flying out of an unstocked store,season tickets selling like hotcakes,corporate sold out,jesus we all dream but come on,hotels, richest club in Rugby League,Simms signing the best players in the world,...oh yeah he does not sign players,it goes on and on.

Of co you are a loyal follower,i`ve no complaints with that in fact good on yer.How can you say that would of taken place 31 yrs ago,who knows, i don`t,what i do know is that Salford would of carried on in some shape or form. Dress up the balance sheet would worry me EB,that sounds like your not telling the actual reality of what is going on. Yes it needs clever heads to plan the way forward,but in my opinion we havent had a clever head on our board to take us forward and there it is in a nutshell,our leaders have failed,accept it,get rid.

MM I think you will get your wish re a new Board - certainly JAW & HC want away and their gesture to capitalise their loans is quite fantastic. We are talking millions not a few quid. Now if we can get the Council to follow suit then we just may get the scent of survival.

Its all really down to them - their loan has to be renegotiated to a long term equity arrangement then a new investor has a clear playing field.