Sport

Salford Red Devils confirm new owners after completing takeover

Relief for the Red Devils.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 7th February 2025

The takeover of Salford Red Devils has officially been completed with the club revealing their new owners this week.

Confirming a full change of ownership on Friday, 7 February, the Greater Manchester rugby league side has handed over 100% control to an investment bank.

Pending full ratification from the Rugby Football League (RFL), news of the buyout couldn’t have come at a better time as the Red Devils prepare to get their season underway in just a week’s time.

Sharing a lengthy statement on the club site, they informed supporters of the decision “that secures the future of the club.”

The update explains that following extensive talks with stakeholders, the Community Benefit Society (CBS) and Salford City Council, the purchase of the Super League rugby club has been approved.

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It has now been revealed that Salford has been taken over by a group of investors led by businessman Dario Berta, a Swiss banking insider, former director of the global UBS financial group and now CEO of Matanel, which specialises in real estate.

The update goes on to detail that Chris Irwin, the former Chief Commercial Officer at Salford Red Devils and more recently Exeter City Football Club, has rejoined the club as the new Chief Executive Officer.

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Most importantly for Salford Red Devils, Berta and co.’s first act following the takeover was to clear all of the club’s debts and put forward “additional significant investment for future growth.”

This will be music to fans’ ears, no doubt, especially given the less-than-ideal order handed down by the RFL given the state of Salford’s books and recently enacted financial regulations.

Salford Red Devils issue statement after being ordered to sell players by Rugby Football League
What a difference a few weeks can make.

The process of recruiting a new internal management structure is already said to be underway ahead of the final green light to the new owners, though it is understood to be merely a formality at this stage.

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CEO Irwin is said to have met with Paul Rowley, Kurt Haggerty and the current men’s first-team squad at the Salford Community Stadium in Eccles on Friday morning ahead of training.

Although squad reinforcement is inevitable as part of the investment, the statement goes on to clarify that “there will be a selection restriction for this weekend’s Challenge Cup Third Round fixture against the Midlands Hurricanes” but will be lifted ahead of their 2025 season opener.

Significant funds will also be allocated towards stadium redevelopment and the wider club infrastructure. New owner Berta went on to state: “This is the start of a very bright and successful future for Salford…

“I’m very proud to be involved, and with Chris at the helm, I feel like we have the perfect opportunity to build something special. Our focus and dedication now is to work together with stakeholders and fans to build sustainable success on and off the pitch for the long term.”

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Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, added: “I’m very happy to welcome Dario Berta to Salford and look forward to working closely together to see an exciting future for Salford Red Devils, building on the successes of the last five years.”

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The Red Devils are set to get their new domestic campaign underway against St Helens in their Super League opener on Saturday, 15 February.

Meanwhile, international rugby has returned to our screens and Manchester city centre has plenty of places to watch every second of the action.

Where to watch the 2025 Six Nations in Manchester city centre

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Salford Red Devils/Betfred Super League

Sport

Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following delays

Danny Jones Danny Jones Football Manager cancelled until 2026

Beloved videogame simulator Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following continued delays.

The long-standing game where players take control as virtual managers of football teams has been a mainstay of digital sporting entertainment for more than three decades.

Developed by London-based studio Sports Interactive and published by gaming giants SEGA, the game hasn’t missed a single season since it began life as Championship Manager back in 1992.

However, following two significant delays to this year’s title, Sports Interactive have confirmed that Football Manager 25 has now been cancelled, despite countless pre-orders having already been made.

While the news doesn’t come as a total surprise, with FM25 having first been delayed ahead of its initial November 2024 release date and then moved again to March 2025, many fans would

The statement reads: “Sports Interactive [SI] regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release.

“For the large numbers of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support – we’re very sorry to have let you down. Please see the FAQs below on obtaining your refund.

“We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision.

“Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.”

Insisting that they pride themselves on “delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment”, they simply didn’t feel like they were able to release the latest FM title to a good enough standard in its current state following playtesting.

They go on to add that ahead of working on this, the studio undertook the “biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era”, hence why the significant delays. The news has been met with mixed reactions, to say the least.

You can read the statement in full HERE, in which they also rationalise that it simply no longer made sense or felt fair to expect people to buy FM25 when it was ready only to purchase the next instalment later in the year.

Fortunately, with regular updates as well as community mods and patches to the current Football Manager (FM24 was released back in November 2023), loyal fans have been more understanding about the delays and now the cancellation.

With the focus now shifting to FM26, which should still be released in the autumn window at the end of this year, regular players will just be hoping the get the major refresh and update to the annual release that many have been calling for. After all, this a game that die-hards take so seriously that they can get jobs at actual football clubs…

SI signed off by stating: “Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect. We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.  

“Thank you for reading, your patience and your continued support. Our full focus now returns to creating a new era for Football Manager.”

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Sports Interactive/SEGA

Sport

The Great Manchester Run is back for 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Sign up for the 2025 Great Manchester Run

Get your trainers at the ready, 0161, because the Great Manchester Run is back once again this year and you’ll be glad to hear nothing’s changed: it’s still one of the best days on the sporting calendar.

Taking place in its usual spring slot on Sunday, 18 May, the 2025 Great Manchester Run will once again see thousands of locals and people from all over take on two terrific distances, not to mention thousands raised for charity in what remains a day which shows us Mancs in our best light.

With more than 30,000 runners set to take part and more than 100k spectators expected to line the streets with their signs – and hopefully, some sugary sweets to keep the energy high – we can’t wait to see the crowds gathering throughout the city.

The question is, is this the year you join them?

Credit: Supplied (via AJ Bell)

Great Manchester Run 2025 – This is the one!

Starting on the long stretch of Portland Street for the half-marathon route and running past both Manchester City and Man United’s home grounds, passing through the likes of Trafford and near Salford Quays, it’s a route many regular racers will be familiar with.

Better still, if you’re running Manchester’s 10k course Great Run, you get to avoid the long incline over and Mancunian Way and back (thank the lord), although the entire race is largely considered to be fantastically flat compared to many others in the UK.

One thing that both the HM and 10k runs have in common, though, is the grandstand finish towards Deansgate and if you’ve never soaked in the glory and non-stop cheering in that moment before, it should be more than enough to convince you that this is your time.

Set to be televised on the BBC as it is every year, as well as music zones to keep the tunes and blood pumping throughout the day; multiple designated cheer squads along the route

You only have to take it from those who ran last year to hear how special a day it is:

It’s also a brilliant way to raise money for important causes — read more HERE.

Junior and Mini MCR Runs

But it doesn’t stop there…

Even more excitingly for the young ones who want to lace up their fastest pair of shoes, children can also get involved with this year’s Great Manchester Run as kids aged three and upwards can take part.

Offering both the mini 1.6km dash for 3 to 8-year-olds and a 2.5k supercharged sprint race available for the juniors (8-15), the 2025 event really is a weekend for everyone. Taking place on Saturday 17th May, the day before the main event, it’s the kids’ chance to take centre stage!

If the crowd cheering their names isn’t incentive enough, a shiny new medal and finishers t-shirt should do the trick.

Read more:

With the main event on Sunday, 18 May 2025 and with runners getting started from as early as 8:20am, it’s going to be an action-packed day and one you won’t forget. There are even training plans to help get you up to speed for race day.

Now into its 22nd year – with the likes of Eilish McColgan and Sir Mo Farah having taken part in the momentous 20th anniversary back in 2023 – the pedigree, support and all-round vibes surrounding this event only get bigger and better each time it returns.

We tend to find that many who come along watch from the sidelines inevitably get swept up in the spirit of it all and end up entering themselves the following year, so you might as well just take the plunge and join us this year.

You can sign up for the 2025 Great Manchester Run HERE – see you at the start line!

Credit: Supplied

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — AJ Bell Great Manchester Run (supplied)

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