Local rugby league side Salford Red Devils have been ordered to sell players by the RFL in an effort to meet financial sustainability regulations amid speculation over new investment.
The RFL (Rugby Football League) has declared that the Red Devils must reduce their salary cap after already putting them under special measures late last year, as doubts surrounding commercial revenue streams and gaps in their finances led to them being given an advance to cover their costs.
With their books having been under a microscope, the club have now been told they have to trim £800,000 from their total overheads, meaning players must be let go as soon as possible ahead of the new Super League season.
Squad members Marc Sneyd, Tim Lafai, Deon Cross and Kallum Watkins have all been linked with moves away and Salford had already made five new off-season signings; they also revealed that they received offers for players before anyone had to be sold. Safe to say their future is as uncertain as the club’s.
With a group of Australian investors said to be in talks to be brought into the club, it is believed the takeover will happen but sustainability issues must be resolved first. Salford Red Devils have been fan-owned since 2018 but a lot of criticism has been levelled at CEO Paul King in recent years.
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The RFL order to sell players has understandably sparked frustration among an already concerned fan base. Subsequently, the Devils have now shared a lengthy statement responding to reports.
“Over recent months, there has been repeated media speculation on the Club’s financial position”, it begins. “We have purposefully maintained a level of silence since our last statement, not out of avoidance, but out of necessity due to the sensitive nature of our ongoing discussions with potential investors.
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“Our discretion has been to maintain and ensure the integrity of those discussions, bound by Non-Disclosure Agreements, and to protect our Club, players and staff.”
It goes on to explain that the takeover prospects are still alive and well, though many details are still unable to be disclosed. One thing that is clear is that the club must sell players “without delay” in order to fall under the issued sustainability cap of £1.2 million, adding, “Until we reach that, we are now prohibited from registering players for the upcoming season
They also clarified that advance funds were handled solely by the RFL themselves, not misspent or directed to specific areas by the club. Regardless, there is a lot of frustration and disappointment among the supporters, with many simply questioning, “Where has all the money gone?”.
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Another person wrote: “Not one bit of accountability from yourselves, seems like it’s everyone else’s fault. I do hope you survive for your fans, but your club has been mismanaged now for nearly a decade.”
Also the board, which is made up of good people that will be genuinely devastated that on their watch and management the club is going through this.
Salford Community Stadium is also now operated by the City Council as of 13 December 2024 and they are hoping to discuss ways to help it drive revenue soon now the new year is well underway. It is also shared by fellow Super League side, Sale Sharks.
On the other hand, a subsidy grant from the Council was expected to arrive and assist with funding for the year ahead, but it was ultimately deemed to be unavailable back in November, adding yet further financial pressure.
The club go on to add that they “empathise and understand the frustration of our fans and are deeply sorry to reach this position” but for many the worry won’t subside until the takeover is complete.
It is believed that a total of three different bidders had come in to potentially buy the club by the end of last year, but the current consortium is now seemingly waiting for the current setup to remedy the present situation before pulling the trigger.
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Put simply, it’s all a bit messy but the club have assured a light is at the end of the tunnel.
Erling Haaland sets another Premier League record with new Manchester City contract
Danny Jones
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has signed a new long-term contract with the English champions and set another Premier League record in the process.
Haaland only joined City back in 2022 on a lucrative five-year deal and it took no time at all for him to hit the ground running and become a Golden Boot winner in his debut season and smash numerous records in the process, but the club are clearly looking to lock down the generational forward even further.
The prolific Scandinavian striker has already scored 111 goals in 125 games for the Blues, so it’s just common sense to tie him down for as long as they possibly can – and when we say long…
Putting pen to paper on a new nine-and-a-half-year deal revealed on Friday, 17 January, Haaland has now committed to his future at the Etihad until 2034, which is a record for the lengthiest contract in Premier League history.
Man City may have rounded up to 10 in their official announcement but either way, a seven-year extension on an existing contract which is unquestionably already one of if not the highest-paying in the division is quite the statement from both parties.
Haaland’s new terms see him surpass former City youth product Cole Palmer, whose switch to Chelsea on a nine-year deal was already groundbreaking for the league, having signed more than half a dozen players on contracts spanning seven years in 2023.
The big Norwegian number nine – who became a boyhood Blue during his dad’s playing days at the club – is set to earn a basic wage of approximately £500,000 a week, which is thought to make him the new highest earner after teammate Kevin De Bruyne (£400k).
This means that not only is the 24-year-old forward tacking on another seven years but also a further £125kpw reported figures are accurate.
City also shared multiple videos celebrating the news and the often humourous Haaland has certainly relished the pageantry of it all:
Reflecting on his new deal, Haaland said in an official statement: “I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great Club.
“Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.
“I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what.
“I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, who is set to leave at the end of this season, added: “Everyone at the Club is absolutely delighted that Erling has signed his new contract. The fact he signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player and his love of this club.
“He has made an incredible impact already in his time here and his amazing numbers and records speak for themselves. But in addition to his outstanding natural talent and ability, Erling’s dedication, professionalism, humility and desire to keep getting better sum up what we all strive to achieve at Manchester City.
“He is one of the finest strikers in world football, but Erling is still very young and will only continue to improve working under Pep and his coaching team. If he works hard, which I know he will, he will create an incredible legacy at this football club.”
Featured Images — Manchester City/Jacek Stanislawek (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Trafford FC appoint sports editor and journalist Andy Mitten as new honorary vice president
Danny Jones
Local non-league side Trafford FC have named revered Manchester author, editor and sports journalist Andy Mitten as their new vice president.
Founder of and chief editor of the long-standing fanzine, United We Stand (UWS), editor-at-large for FourFourTwo and a regular contributor in the likes of The Athletic and The National, he’s one of the foremost football writers in the country.
Best known for his coverage of Manchester United, having followed them all around the world from a young age and written about them in UWS since 1989 – one of if not the biggest fanzine of its kind in the country – he has been a regular face at Trafford FC for several seasons.
As a result of his continued support and advice over the years, club officials have decided to appoint Mitten as the new honorary VP.
I’ve been a regular at non-league matches since watching dad from the age of four. It’s important to support clubs like @FCTrafford who are at the heart of their communities and run by volunteers. Delighted to accept this…and will be pushing to triple ticket prices forthwith. https://t.co/5zSNmBDgQO
Although the position is an honorary one, his decades of experience as a match-goer, knowledge of the football industry at large and media pedigree will no doubt make him a valuable member of the team, providing key insight into how best to run a club from a fan perspective, most crucially.
Making an official announcement on the club site, a short statement on behalf of the board reads: “Trafford Football Club is delighted to announce that Andy Mitten has accepted an offer to become honorary vice-president of the club.
“Journalist and author Andy is often seen at our Shawe View Stadium whenever he is in Manchester, and in recent seasons has taken in a few away games too.
“He has been a great source of advice, ideas, and support for the club for several years now, and being from the locality, Andy wants to help Trafford FC grow in its community in the north of the Borough of Trafford. I’m sure everyone will wish Andy all the best as he takes on his latest role!”
As you can see, resharing to the official announcement on social media, the 51-year-old responded in typically dry wit with a quip regarding ticket prices – a subject he’s been decried very vocally following the recent concession saga at Old Trafford.
Safe to say ticket prices are considerably higher at Man United this season…
Based over in Flixton, Trafford FC has only been going since 1990, when they were originally known as North Trafford, being set up by fellow locals David Brown, John Harrison, David Law, and Bill Whitten.
Cut to 2025 and the Northern Premier League side has seen significant investment and development, with the stands being updated, a new perimeter wall, proper floodlighting and more facilities being installed/improved.
Director Dave Law, who was one of the founding members, is still helping out at the age of 72, selling golden goal tickets on matchdays, writing match reports and plastering posters around the local area, which has seen the club’s following steadily grow over time.
Trafford FC’s next fixtures are in the West Divison against Witton Albion at 3pm on Saturday, 18 January before they take on Avro FC the following Wednesday (22 Jan).
Danny Jones -
16th January 2025 
