Sport

Salford Red Devils deducted points for breaching ‘RFL operational rules’

They've described the season as one of 'heartbreak.'

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 23rd September 2025

The situation at Salford Red Devils has once again gone from bad to even worse as the local rugby team has been deducted two points by the Super League due to breaking ‘operational rules’.

In short, following a full inquiry by the Rugby Football League (RFL), Salford Red Devils round one match against St Helens back in February was found to have breached multiple regulations – namely, fielding a weakened side.

Amid their ongoing ownership saga and financial crisis, this latest sanction sees Salford‘s total points tally drop from six to just four, and although it does not affect their final finishing place in the table (12th), it does also come with a hit to their IMG grading.

You can see the Betfred Super League statement in full down below.

As mentioned, their IMG grading – which takes into account on-field performance, finances, stadium facilities, community value and supportership in giving clubs an overall score – has also been reduced by 0.25, which, although not catastrophic, adds yet more pressure on the administration.

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IMG ranking replaced relegation and promotion at the start of the year, giving each team the chance of earning up to the maximum of 20 points, with the 12 highest-scoring clubs secured for the top tier. 

The Red Devils were awarded 13.97 in October last year, which was enough to seal their admittedly already likely place in the Super League, but as problems continue to pile up around the Salford Community Stadium.

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The 1873 supporter group rallied once again for another protest before the previous home game against Wakefield Trinity last week, going on to lose 52-16; meanwhile, with their already twice adjourned HMRC winding-up petition deadline now fast approaching, the period leading up to 29 October is crucial.

Acknowledging their serious test of resolve over the past 12 months or so, the club shared a post on social media on Monday night, writing: From all our players and staff to our amazing fans and the wider rugby league community, thank you!

“In a season of heartbreak, you gave us courage. Your support has meant everything.”

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With players and coaches leaving, wages being left unpaid, other sides from within the division having to loan members of the squad just to keep the lights on, it’s been a year to forget and then some.

Only time will tell whether they secure the necessary funds to keep going at the top level and/or survive, full stop, but it does feel like the fans have been left praying for a miracle.

Responding in the comments below, a rival fan said: “As a Wigan supporter, Salford has been fantastic this season [even in] the worst season in the club’s history. Get them owners out [of] your club, cut the dead wood […] Never stop fighting, all the very best next season…”

Greater Manchester Mayors Andy Burnham and Paul Dennett met with RFL to explore options that would not only ensure the “long-term future of the club” but also “implement a city-wide rugby strategy” across the region.

Put simply, all hope is not yet lost, and the fans are keeping the spirit of Salford alive.

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Featured Images — Anthony Parkes (via Geograph)

Sport

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva weighs in on growing fixture list congestion concerns

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bernardo Silva says fixture list congestion is unfair

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has become the latest Blue and high-profile Premier League player to weigh in on growing concerns around the increasingly congested fixture list.

Silva’s comments come after Man City ended up conceding an equaliser to walk away with a draw instead of three points in what was already tipped as a title-challenging clash between Pep Guardiola and his protégé, Mikel Arteta, whose Arsenal side managed to score in stoppage time.

The number of games was a big talking point after the game – as it has been on multiple ocassions over the past year or so – and captain Bernardo Silva was one of the most outspoken on the matter following the full-time whistle.

Addressing the media during his post-match duties, the ‘Cityzen’ and Portugal midfielder said the current playing schedule is “not right” and is simply untenable for footballers to keep up with. You can see the full clip down below.

He gave an extensive response to the ongoing debate.

Speaking with multiple media outlets, the 31-year-old began by clarifying that his statements were not because his team lost, but because “the reality is we cannot come to one of the most important games [against title rivals Arsenal] in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest.

“It’s not fair to play one of these games like this, it’s just not right”, says the Man City man. “[Arsenal] had five days, we had two and a half. In one of the most important games, this cannot happen.

“I wasn’t feeling in a perfect condition to play, and people who have not played at the highest level don’t know how it feels to play a game like this.”

Targeting his response at the likes of UEFA and those in charge of the current and undeniably full-on schedule, specifically, Silva said: “They don’t listen to us – it is what it is. We would like to change something, but it never changes.

“It doesn’t really matter, but for the fans, for the respect of the clubs, and for the fairness of the competition, I don’t think what happened was good…”

“The schedule is the schedule, and I understand you have different competitions and UEFA, the Premier League, and broadcasters want to make their money; we don’t mind playing every three or four days, and don’t mind playing 60 games – we’re used to that, but what we ask for is common sense.”

It looks like City are putting up a united front on the matter, with Pep Guardiola sharing similar sentiments on Sky Sports (a question he quite clearly resented), stating that his squad were “incredibly tired” even going into the game.

As for the City skipper, he went on to reiterate: “This is one of the biggest games of the season. It’s not because of us, I don’t think they’re trying to make us lose – it could happen to Arsenal or Liverpool in a few months…

You need to have a bit of common sense and understanding of these situations, and in such an important game, players need to be in the same physical conditions; otherwise, I don’t think it’s fair.

In short, the senior City deputy and Portuguese international said he could tell the difference in the two teams’ fitness levels in the first half, adding: “If you play at the highest level, you know two days playing against one of the best teams in the league, away, with the travel, you need at least one more day to recover.

“It doesn’t matter if Arsenal had four, five or six days [to recover], just give us one more day, and that gives us three-and-a-half days, then you make it an even game. Two-and-a-half days is not enough to recover our bodies and perform at the highest level…”

Do you agree with Bernardo Silva and so many other players’ opinions on the fixture list congestion?

Manchester City star Rodri warns that players are ‘close’ to going on strike over too many games

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Featured Images — soccer.ru)/Sky Sports/NBC Sports (screenshot via YouTube)

Sport

Viral Manchester United fan attacked by fellow Red after ‘needless’ behaviour inside Old Trafford

Danny Jones Danny Jones Man U supporter attacks United Strand fan not pulling hair

A Manchester United fan who has gone viral for his haircut strike stunt was involved in an incident at Old Trafford this weekend after another supporter attacked him.

Known online as ‘The United Strand’, Man United fan Frank Ilett has famously vowed not to cut his hair until his team win five games in a row.

The 29-year-old was in attendance for United’s fiery clash against Chelsea, which not only saw a very unwelcoming reception for Alejandro Garnacho on his first return to the stadium, but also ended in two red cards and plenty of flare-ups on the pitch.

However, scrapping up in the concourse caught plenty of attention, too; Ilett was grabbed by another fan by the hair and yanked around for several seconds. You can see the clip down below:

As you can see, he remains remarkably calm throughout the entire unprovoked ordeal and looks to have been a very popular figure around the ground up until this moment.

Countless other Reds were chatting with him and grabbing selfies before the as-yet-unidentified male approached him and began grabbing him by the hair.

Frank initially looks like he thinks it’s nothing more than a jokey tug and bit of teasing, as do many others in the immediate vicinity, before it becomes abundantly clear that the aggressive individual intends to do him harm.

After being pulled apart, the attacker can be heard shouting, “F*** off, I’ll do what I f*****g want! He’s not a United f*****g fan…”

Luckily, plenty more right-minded supporters close by were on hand to help in the moment and keep him away from Frank; we only hope he was immediately reported to security soon following the altercation.

Now approaching nearly a full year of not cutting his hair until his team, he shared his most recent video update this morning, opting not to go into the ordeal at this time, adding instead: “I’ll talk about it a bit more some other time.”

Originally from Oxford but now living in Spain, Frank travelled back to England specifically to attend the match with fellow recognisable online fan and music artist, Humz – it’s just sad that an otherwise much-needed win was somewhat soured by the assault.

Unsurprisingly, his attacker has been quickly condemned by the majority of other fans who identified the behaviour as nothing short of unacceptable and nothing short of criminal.

One person commented: “The United Strand lad is such a lovely lad, this guy with the bald head is well out of order, and I suppose he is jealous of him because he is popular! What a f*****g w****r!”

It’s worth noting that Frank Ilett started the self-imposed challenge of refusing to cut his hair not only as just a silly bit of fun but as a unique way of generating funds for The Little Princess Trust, who help raise money and supply real-hair wigs to young people who have lost their hair through cancer.

He also helped raise money for the crucial mental health charity, Mind, and even appeared as a guest on The Last Leg to help raise further awareness.

Manchester United has yet to issue any kind of statement addressing the situation; in the meantime, we hope Frank isn’t too shaken up by the whole thing, and we’ll simply direct you to his JustGiving page, where you can donate to the charity HERE.

You can see the highlights from Man United’s much-needed win over Chelsea here.

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Featured Images — The United Strand/@StokeyyG2 (via X)/Humz (via Instagram)

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