This is not good. www.skysports.com/rugby-league/n ... sfer-funds If they get relegated can only see them going the way of Bradford.

This is not good. www.skysports.com/rugby-league/n ... sfer-funds If they get relegated can only see them going the way of Bradford.

18 people have donated £1,100 so far. Wouldn’t cover a lot of people’s monthly wage, never mind a player.

Why are the RFL sanctioning these signings though? Surely the fact that they openly admitted that as it stands they can not currently afford the players on there wage bill earlier this season and have had to rely heavily on the charitable donations of a previous owner to stay afloat should really ring alarm bells.

I never thought I'd see the day when the prospect of a team from Toronto was more appealing and (apparently) sustainable than teams from Salford & Widnes but here we are.

At the risk of sounding harsh, Salford have scored more own goals than a pub football team after a lock-in. They moved to a stadium no-one could get to, attracted a benefactor then spent his money on Gareth Hock and now, the final death throes of blameless management, out comes the begging bowl to the hard up fans.

I certainly son't wany to see them out of business but they don't belong in SL.

The doctor strikes again.
Koucash took Salford out of Salford and ripped the identity out of the club with rebrandings.

The willows had a good amount of support. Atleast 5-7 thousand attendances.
Now it's 1-3 thousand attendances. It's simple when the club move away from Salford and takes them 10 or so years down the road.
Take the club out of Salford. Salford will die.

Really?

Avg Salford attendances

2000 - 2011 (Willows) - Avg of 4400
2012 - Current (AJ Bell) - Avg of 4100

In no way did Koucash take Salford out of Salford, they were already playing in their new home when he took them over.

The talk of a Manchester rebrand (He'd already brought back the Red Devils' branding previously which I assume went down well) probably didn't help his cause in terms of his and the clubs popularity with the fanbase, but in a way he's being proven right. There doesn't seem to be a viable club at Salford and big changes are needed.

This isn't the same call for financial support we saw from Bradford a few years back, it's to bring players to the club - a type of Squadbuilder initiative I think - but it seems ominous at present for Salford. Bradford have shown that there can be life outside of SL, and they seem to be developing nicely, winning back some of their latent support. Could Salford survive out of SL? I'm not sure that enough of the Salford public care whether there is a RL club in Salford, which is a real shame.

Sorry 2004 as others have stated you are wrong on almost every level including Salford ever attracting a decent support. They had a Champion team in the 70's with decent investment, what were the crowds like then?

It was Wilkinson that took Salford to their new home on the back of the RFL's/SL's dictum about ground quality and the misguided notion that the move would attract a new audience or reengage with 'lost souls'. It was Wilkinson's optimism that this new start would generate crowds of 8,000 and release them from the money pit that was the Willows.

In hindsight staying put and following Wakefield's/Castleford's example might have worked out better, but, I'm not convinced sadly

Moving outside your core area?
There but for the grace of God (and SJM and Tesco) go us.
Remember our [iproposed[/imove to Lime Kiln, Burtonwood.?
That would've [imore than likely[/i killed us.
We'd've practically been in St Helens, and were very successful. We were struggling, and every home game would've almost been an away match.
The move hasn't helped Salford (imo)

Although the move was only 2 miles or so, it was out of walking distance from the residential area that was all around the Willows. Coupled with a general downturn in the quality of the game it was too much. It was a gamble that has not paid off and the club, like the game, is dying.

When are the RFL going to take notice if clubs like Salford (est 1873) and Widnes (est 1875) are going to the wall? All hopes on Toronto hey? Let's hope they are not a flash in the pan SL side like Gateshead, Paris St German, Crusaders, London Broncos etc.

Yes lefty I totally agree with you. The Willows had a certain charm ... so long as you kept your wits about you.
In Union: Wasps moved from London to Coventry and with apparent success???

i quite liked the willows, it was a good away end with big chunky steps for a good view and you weren't penned in.

For all that the Willows was on a housing estate in Weaste, it was much easier to get to & from than the A.J. Bell stadium. After taking nearly an hour to get off last time i went ,i won't go again, & to top it all my cucumber sandwiches were rock hard when i arrived home for tea.