Sport

The latest on Salford Red Devils’ financial situation as ‘winding-up’ petition is adjourned

Their monetary struggles will be revisited in September, but here's what we know so far.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 26th June 2025

The current situation at Salford Red Devils is far from ideal, with the rugby league team currently owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt, not to mention facing further stress over finances with players owed wages, key personnel leaving and remaining uncertainty over future ownership.

So, why is the board expressing reassurance among supporters following the recent adjournment of a ‘winding-up’ petition, and what exactly does this mean?

It is no doubt a complex issue, but with the season concluding in October and the Greater Manchester club essentially being given a stay of execution, for lack of a better phrase, it’s possible that a corner could hopefully be turned soon.

Here’s everything we know so far about the situation in Salford and where the Red Devils’ finances are currently at.

Salford Red Devils’ finances and more – explained

For a start, they’re late on payroll again this month.

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How much do Salford Red Devils owe and why?

According to recent reports, Salford Red Devils owe more than half a million pounds to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at present, with current estimates said to be in the region of £600,000.

The Super League side has fallen into debt due to a number of factors: their own performance as a business, cuts to local funding and a period of spending in terms of recruitment and pre-season preparation under the assumption of a subsidy from Salford City Council (SCC).

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However, this would-be uplift – despite it being promised late last year – never came as the Council (having already provided £315k in ‘immediate’ financial aid back in March 2024) U-turned on the decision after it was revealed further backing was not in the budget.

SCC ended up owing around £2 million itself after stepping in to save both SRD and fellow rugby league outfit Swinton Lions, handing out loans to both clubs even prior to purchasing Salford Community Stadium and the surrounding area.

The Council ultimately shelled out north of £7.7m to buy the ground and sever commercial ties with previous owners, Peel. They had hoped to further alleviate pressure on the club, but Salford Red Devils (SRD) had already spent the money they were expecting to receive on new players, training and more.

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SRD were then told to sell off a number of players by the league.

Salford Red Devils issue statement after being ordered to sell players by Rugby Football League
Former CEO Paul King was also parachuted back in to try and save the club after his predecessor left almost as quickly as he came.

What is the ‘winding-up’ petition?

With all this in mind, something called a ‘winding-up’ petition – basically a document sent by creditors that demands the immediate liquidation of a company/organisation that owes them money – was filed by HMRC back in May, with the tax authorities demanding payment of the outstanding sum.

However, special dispensation appears to have been made not only due to the complicated and unforeseen circumstances Salford have faced along the way, but also for the sake of the Rugby Football League (RFL) itself, with the Red Devils still seen as a valuable sporting and community asset.

One of those unexpected twists was the takeover by a new consortium led by Dario Berta, whose investment failed to clear in time and resulted in the club being hit with the financial sustainability problem that saw them cutbacks.

In a small bit of good fortune, it has now been decided that the petition to liquidate the SRD has been postponed, though not indefinitely.

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What could happen next?

The date for coughing up what debt they owe to the tax authorities has now been pushed back to September, meaning they have until then to find the finances, or else they could very well be made insolvent in a matter of months.

However, as per BBC Radio Manchester, those involved in the ongoing process are “confident” that bridging loans will be put in place over the coming days to keep HMRC at bay.

And, nevertheless, head coach Paul Rowley has insisted that he can see “green shoots” starting to emerge around the club, despite still sitting bottom of the table with just one win to their name.

What’s for sure is that the local area isn’t giving up on them, with numerous fundraisers and charity events being set up to help support the club via the official Salford Red Devils Foundation.

Fingers firmly crossed that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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Featured Images — Antony Parkes (via Geograph)/Salford Red Devils (via website)

Sport

A Harry Styles-themed running event is coming to Manchester

Lydia Mastrolonardo Lydia Mastrolonardo A Harry Styles-themed running event is coming to Manchester

A Harry Styles-themed running event, ‘Styles-Athon,’ is coming to Manchester later this year.

Styles-Athon is set to be an action packed event, centring around all things Harry Styles – there’ll even be a live tribute performance and DJs blasting some of our favourite songs.

This event is brought to us by Run Fanatics, a group that focuses on creating memorable, themed running events, maintaining that ‘it’s not about how far or fast you run, it’s about how much fun you have.’

Styles-Athon is open to all abilities, with Run Fanatics priding themselves on inclusivity and their welcoming sense of community, offering both 5k and 10k routes to either walk, dance or run around. No matter what the running ability, this is a great day out for all Harry lovers.

Having successfully hosted other music-led events such as a Swift-Athon and an ABBA themed run in Manchester, we’re excited to have them back and keep the energy in Heaton Park ‘Watermelon Sugar’ high.

Why not try something new and contribute to a good cause while you’re at it – runners are welcome to run in support of a charity of their choosing.

Finally, some real motivation – run like you’re chasing Harry Styles.

What you can expect from Styles-Athon:

  • Live Harry Styles tribute performance and warm-up
  • DJ and professional sound team
  • Music guides running the course to keep the energy high
  • Exclusively Harry Styles music throughout the event
  • 5K and 10K routes
  • Free professional event photos
  • Chip-timed race with official results
  • Exclusive Harry Styles finisher’s medal

Timings:

  • 9am – 10am – Harry Styles tribute performance in the event village as runners arrive
  • 10am – 10.10am – Harry Styles tribute to lead the warm-up hosted at the start area
  • 10.15am – 10.25am – Getting race ready and walk to the start line
  • 10.30am – 12pm – Race begins, with most runners finished by midday

Styles-Athon will be set up for around 1,000 attendees and is taking place in Heaton Park, on Saturday 19 September 2026.

Sign up HERE for either 5k and 10k options, tickets available from £29.99.

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Featured image: Run Fanatics

Sport

A documentary about Manchester’s famous homeless charity run has just dropped on YouTube

Danny Jones Danny Jones free documentary film about homeless charity run in Manchester on YouTube

An award-winning, short, and completely free documentary about Manchester’s famous annual homeless charity run is now available to watch in its entirety on YouTube.

Following a number of short snippets and teasers shared on social media over the last few months, the mini-doc by local moviemaker Gigi Shum was finally released on the streaming platform this past June.

Documenting not only the backstory of the inspiring Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness – now a much-loved annual tradition that has since spread to multiple other locations – it also gives a peek behind the curtain at those who organise it and the thousands of inspirational participants.

You can watch one of the most recent trailers here.

Capturing the sixth edition of the consecutive relay run, which spans the length of an entire day (which was another record-breaking year before being smashed in November 2025), Shum didn’t shy away from getting some laps done herself, but she also managed to shoot a truly important public access film.

A trail runner herself with a number of other works to her name already, including a well-supported Kickstarter revolving around neurodiversity, Gigi prides herself on “exploring the neglected truth in the world” through touching tales like The 24 Hour Run.

The adopted Manc and MetFilm School graduate’s roots may hail from Hong Kong, but she’s well and truly immersed and embedded herself in the Greater Manchester community through spotlighting local initiatives like this.

More importantly, this is much more than a student project: the bitesize 21:22 picture has been nominated and won at numerous festivals across the globe, including shortlists like the Florence Film Awards, a finalist in both the Independent Shorts and LEEDSflix competitions, among several others.

Aside from the obvious humanitarian and charitable angle of The 24 Hour Run‘s narrative, the talking heads with members of the team and numerous inspiring runners taking on incredible challenges on behalf of the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme make you proud to be from this part of the world.

You can watch it in full down below.

About the same run-time as most sitcom episodes – we’d argue this is a well more worthwhile watch.

Deeply moving stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree.

Speaking after a limited number of exclusive screenings, Gigi told The Manc: “What began as a question about why people run through the night transformed into an exploratory journey of human resilience, community, and active compassion on the streets of Manchester.”

It’s also worth mentioning that the young director and producer is doing lots more to contribute to the region, helping out as part of the Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN), supporting asylum seekers who may otherwise end up sleeping rough themselves.

They’ve raised hundreds of thousands for the likes of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity since the event’s inception back in 2019. Mayor Andy Burnham himself may be looking toward no.10 Downing Street moving forward, but fundraising on behalf of this organisation will always be a part of his legacy.

Better still, this dedicated crew of volunteers have also generated vital funds for similar causes in the likes of Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Hereford, and soon to be even more.

Set to debut in Liverpool later this year, another city renowned for backing themselves and looking after their own, we can’t wait to see how much more impact they make on the North West.

The Manchester 24 Hour Run raises over £70,000 for the region’s homeless community
Always honoured to play our part in this yearly endurance challenge – and we’re proud of all you, too.

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

Featured Images — The MCR 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness (supplied)

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