Ok, last night wasn't a great start to life in the new ground and I, like most fans, have some serious concerns regarding our club and some of the playing personnel. Having said that.......

....... some of the f***ing idiots stood behind the sticks in the south stand should be ashamed of yourselves. You know who you are, the same clowns (that look like the Bash St Kids!) that stood behind the dugout at The Willows with fat geordie bloke. What benefit does singing (amongst other things) "same old Salford, always losing" achieve? If you don't like what you're seeing either keep quiet, or better still don't bother attending at all. Your constant abuse of the players only has a detrimental affect on them and probably gives them the impression that the whole crowd is against them. Do you intentionally stand at the front of the terrace for this purpose? I've stood in The Shed for over 20 years and I've never known our "fans" to be so bad as the last few seasons. Don't get me wrong, we've had enough reasons to be downhearted over the years, bad mismanagement, players stealing a living etc but the move to Barton is our last chance to get this right before we fade into oblivion. Unfortunately, last night didn't go to plan but we have to believe that things will improve and get behind the players.

We know that our "hardcore" support is around 2500-3000. By hardcore I mean the fans that turn up regardless of how the team is playing because they love the club and rugby league is in their blood. The "floating" fans are those that are going to make our crowds. The fans that have lapsed due to years of underachievement or the new breed of fans that will only support a winning team in a shiny new stadium (see MCFC for prime example). I know 4/5 people that chose not to attend due to the weather or prior arrangements last night. There are people out there we just need to get it right on the pitch. If we get ahead of ourselves and start spouting top 8 nonsense we're setting ourselves up for a fall. I honestly believe 9th/10th place is achievable given that most of the teams around the bottom are much of a muchness. We lost last night to a decent Cas team who should be in and around the top 8. Had DJ's try in the first half been given it MAY have been a different story. Considering our lack of go forward in the pack (Feka aside) it was amazing how long we were actually in the game. We are going to need to have to punch way above our weight this season to turn things round. Our pack is lightweight but our backline, IMO, has the potential to score tries. We're going to have to play an expansive brand of rugby to utilise the pace we've got which will ultimately result in more dropped ball than normal. Cas played the conditions better last night (bar Ashurst's try which I thought was superb btw) and it was always going to be the team that adapted to the conditions that was going to win.

I don't see last night as the death knell of our club as some on here obviously do, however, I'm not blinkered enough to suggest all is rosy. All I'm asking for is for some perspective. This is a long term project and we're not going to be attracting 10,000 crowds overnight. The club has to play their part (and internal changes do have to be made, marketing etc) as do the players and just as importantly the fans have to stand up and be counted. Saints may hand us a beating next week but Widnes is winnable and Hull and Broncos at home are again games we have a chance in. If we can come out of the first 5 games with 2/3 wins and avoid a pummelling at Saints then we've got something to build on. We've got to stand united though and the last thing the players need right now is a public execution by their own so called "fans".

Apologies for the rant but I needed to get it off my chest and I never want to see our fans turning on our players. To end on a positive note a massive shout needs to go out to Feka who shone again last night . He put in a couple of huge hits and ran the ball in with plenty of fire in his (slimmed down ) belly. If the rest of the pack can emulate his improvement we may, just may, find a way to compete up front.

Cone on you Reds!!!

Bore off and take a look from outside the box looking in! It is same old Salford, new ground, same people running the asylum! As for having ago at fan, end of the day they pay the monies so they are free to cheer, moan, jesture as they please! One would suggest if YOU don't like it get some ear plugs! As for the game didn't attend as new it would be a damp squid, which it proved to be! From the "fireworks" display to the man and his wheel barrow then to the the games tatics, only once they started bringing Patten into the line and giving the ball some air did the team look remotely like troubling Cas. I know... we being dominated by the forwards, no go-forwards, oppostion getting over the meter line every tackle.... lets keep these tatics and hope for a penatly or error from the opposition. Then again even when we get a penatly there is no gaurentee it's going to be kicked into touch! Open your eyes sweet cheeks, people having been going on for a long time how bad it is at SCR yet the same group on indenial cronies refuse to see it! Comical

At last, sanity on this board.



oops too soon

thats what I like about Salford "fans" the ones that don't go blame the club for the poor players we have, perhaps if the ones on here did attend and put their money where their mouth is we might be able to afford better players, or as one non-attender states make John Wilkinson richer, YCNMIU, fan sof other clubs must come on here and wonder about some Salford "fans" and what sort of world they live in.

Look I go to United and there are idiots who sit near me who for the last 5 years have spent most of the game saying how crap United are how crap SAF is how crap the players are and that is despite in that time United winning the league 4 times, League cup twice, European cup once, world club cup once and the Charity shield 4 times. So it is just not Salford fans, unless these are the selfsame people who will never be happy, I can see them winning £6m on the lottery and moaning because the week before somebody won £6.1m.

Couldn't agree more, don't actually see what it achieves myself. Silence would be more more apt if you don't like what you see.
I'd say that up until say 3 or 4 minutes from the end there was still a game to be won and motivating the players would have helped much more than slagging indivuals off, one particular person is always having a pop at Patton who for me was one of our best attacking options last night yet still he slated him at every possible oppertunity.

Why am I not surprised...

Oh, and it's 'damp squib', not 'damp squid'.

Good post SaleSlim. I said last night that the game wouldn't be an indicator of what we're actually capable of this season (or perhaps not - we may have been worse in normal conditions!) but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Some of the knee-jerking is ridiculous. To be honest, I really don't know why some people bother going. We all get annoyed and frustrated, but some people seem to speak with such vitriol about the club that they come across as literally hating this team.

It was disappointing that the weather put paid to what should have been a landmark event for the club, but they've got to move on and try to attract people to the next fixture.

Was talking about this after the game last night. 12-4 down with 30 mins to play was apparently a 'disgrace' according to some of our fans. I remember when we used to get behind the team in these sort of situations. Not sure when it all changed? Maybe we are still suffering from the slumber of the Mcrae factor.

PT, by your response I can only assume that, when you decide to attend games, the numpties I mention in my previous post are the ones that you like to associate with? It defeats the object slating the players for 80 minutes. I'm giving the players the benefit of the doubt after last night and I actually thought that the first 40 minutes we coped admirably with the conditions (bar the kicking). I don't think we dropped the ball for the first half hour even if we did struggle to make yards down the middle. 2 or 3 players had a 'mare and I doubt Gleeson will drop the ball more all season than he did last night. We defended a couple of the tries poorly but still had our chances to win despite all the negatives.

One final point.... is there any chance we can co-ordinate the singing? Assuming the south stand is to be the "new shed" we need to get it up and running asap. There were signs last night that this could be achieved but still far too much singing over each other to make a collective racket. I don't belong to any of The Shed "cliques" so will happily join in with any singing as long as it's getting behind the team. Let's drop the us & them attitude and start working together!

"One heart, one soul, one voice" That should be our motto

Why give him you're hard earned....He'd only mismanage it...Give him £5 million and we'd still be wooden spoon contenders

These same people also go to away matches and slag the players off at every opportunity. We may not be the best but abusing the team never achieves anything.

As some one mentioned we have a core following of about 3000 that are used to the performances that we get but as the club and rugby league like to advertise its a a family game if you paid £50-70 to watch that and some of our games over the last few seasons you would be very ed off.

Especially when we get into the last 20 muinets of the game and the players are just going through the motions and looking disinterested and showing a lack of passion.

Everyone talks about advertising the club well the best way to do that is on the pitch with good preformences but I can't see that happening for quite some time to be honest.

Good post SaleSlim,
The supporters are the worst part of the club and I consider them the worst set of so-called supporters of any sport I have encountered.
It is fully understandable why players would prefer to go to other clubs.
By time Matty Ashurst scored his try the majority of so-called supporters had left the stadium to heap more embarrassment on those of us who had to endure the Cas fans taking the micturition with their 'We can see you sneaking out' song.( It was interesting to read their website a few days ago where they had arranged for the players and Millward to meet the supporters before driving to Salford - they were all 'up' for the game and it brought the players and fans together.)
I have just read my dried-out programme and it informed me that Castleford currently have the hex over Salford,with last night making it 7 consecutive wins.
I was surprised when entering the stadium to see the covering of snow and I couldn't understand why the covers had been removed.Obviously,the compacted snow would have made the covers heavy to shift but a group of Salford fans would have volunteered to assist,I thought.Now I know all they are capable of doing is weeping,wailing,whinging and gnashing their teeth.( I ain't a psychologist but it must be nurture not nature that makes it an all male trend to be neither use nor ornament and spend an existence finding fault in other people while being abject failures themselves.)
I thought the best team won but losing 2 of the spine,and having the other 2 of the spine finding their long range kicking lacking in direction,while targeted by the opposition with contact long after the ball had gone,made it difficult and Cas were more effective with their chip and chase options.I didn't see anything which makes me think it impossible for Salford to win at their place.

In an effort to attract more fans,and because I was a bit hacked off,why don't the club take a competition into the schools to find a new nickname ? The Red Devils is old hat and not relevant to the youngsters of today.Why should the club take ideas from French journalists ? Why not think of something innovative,for the new stadium and new future,and get the idea from a Salford youngster ?
I mention this because the new shop has some dark coloured leisurewear,with KOOGA writ large in white.
Twenty two forty also embroidered into the clothing and a devil in what is a colour nearer purple than red.
There is no mention on the clothing of Salford City Reds.While I am in desperate need of track suits,sweatshirts,rainwear,etc.I have no intention of spending my money on something which doesn't show an allegiance to SCR and if worn would make me an advertising board for alternative interests and not spreading the word to a new audience,which after the performance of so-called supporters last night,and against Leigh,is urgently required.

So most people agree, booing the team does nobody any favours.

For crying out load though, we need to start concentrating on being physical and pushing up in a solid defensive line, meeting the opposition and preventing them making so many yards. Cas did nothing special to make their yardage in the first half, they purely timed their runs on to the ball, hitting it at pace and getting a quick play the ball. They never really dominated or got over physical, they just played at pace. The same thing Catalans did to us at the willows.

Take Salford on the other hand, our forwards were stuttering onto the ball and Cas were right on top of them from the second anyone in a red jersey got the ball. Even when we were winning the collusion, our players were still getting turned on their back or held up until the Cas Defensive line got set. Our poor line speed can be put down effort, but carrying the ball forward is just a lack pitch smarts.

We just need that extra tempo, the tempo that's required to win, in SL, on a regular basis. It's an out and out lack of direction at the top, somewhere. It's been the same for years, pre-season talk of playing attractive rugby falls apart, because we can't get possession in the right area. I want to hear talk of the aggressive nasty Salford defence. I'd even settle for, we're going to be too quick for opposition.

Not all doom and gloom though, we can throw the ball about.

As a teenager in the 60s I was taken by my Dad to both Salford and Swinton for he just enjoyed watching RL with no real allegiance to either side.

At the time Swinton had a great back division but forwards who were at best average but did punch above their weight.

Its similar to what we have on our plate currently BUT the difference was the style of Rugby played. Swinton threw the ball about from side to side and had some great attacking moves conjured up by Cliff Evans later to become the Salford coach.

I have seen a big improvement this season with the backs since Sean Long has been involved - they are getting deeper and running onto the ball but for us to be the Swinton of 2012 we have to get the forwards to be involved far less - cut the driving - maybe 2 at the most and lets have an expansive game and take games to the opposition.

Some hopes I suppose.

Does anyone think last night that we would have won with millward in charge?my worry last night was that was a castleford side with one reconized prop and yet our coach says they won the arm wrestle!I saw wilky after the game and to say he looked like a beaten man would be an understatement!I dnt know how many agree but I really want to help my club and help us move forward I think maybe it's time we helped wilky and try and galvanise this club with our togerthness,I dnt feel I'm being dramatic in saying this 3years is the make or break,we dnt move forward and we will be out of super league no doubt.