Leading sports lawyer queries Salford takeover as ‘terrible look’ claim made

The ongoing saga surrounding Salford Red Devils has been branded a “terrible look for the sport” by a top legal expert, who has queried the process of their drawn-out takeover.

The Super League outfit endured a financial crisis during the off-season which saw them given a whopping £500,000 advance in central distribution.

Then came a change of ownership which saw an overseas consortium take control but they failed to pay wages on time at the end of February, raising fears that Paul Rowley’s men could go on strike.

Rowley’s squad has now been paid – albeit a week late – ahead of tonight’s trip to fellow strugglers Castleford Tigers but Richard Cramer said the long-running situation raised serious concerns over how the takeover has been handled by the Rugby Football League.

Cramer, who has worked as a rugby league agent and lawyer for over 30 years, told Love Rugby League: “Failure by Salford’s new owners to pay the players’ wages for the month of February was unforgivable.

“The most fundamental principle of any employer is to pay the wages.

“Salford’s players appear to have been paid a whole week late and that’s bad for the image of the club, absolutely awful for the players and a terrible look for the sport.

“It shouldn’t have happened because the one thing you get with rugby league players is honesty and dedication. They’re not prima donnas and as a collective they always fulfil their obligations and work very hard.

“In this instance at Salford, they have been very badly let down – the game has let them down. There has to be accountability for the way it has happened and you’ve got to question the process of the takeover.

“The biggest thing the RFL must do before granting approval to new owners is to see proof of funds. Those funds should have properly lodged and available immediately after the transaction was completed.

“You wouldn’t be allowed to buy a house without the money being in the bank from day one.”

Cramer believes that players will look to leave Salford if they are not paid on time again on the basis that it would be a breach of contract.

He also said that players, as free agents, could then look to join rival clubs who are up to the salary cap.

Cramer said: “If I was representing a Salford player – and a non-payment of wages happens again – I would immediately be putting procedures in place to get that player a free agent status on the basis that the club have breached contract.

“I would be going further and asking an RFL tribunal to give me dispensation on salary cap to allow him to sign for another Super League club because otherwise it’s a restraint of trade on a player.

“It potentially leads the RFL wide open at an employment tribunal as the salary cap rules are unnecessarily prohibitive and a restraint of trade.

“One of the reasons why I was relatively successful as an agent was because I was lawyer as well as an agent.

“I had the legal brain and used it to good effect when I was representing players at clubs experiencing financial crises, most infamously at Bradford Bulls when they went bust and ended up being liquidated.”

Little is known of Salford’s new owners and Cramer said their reputation was already severely damaged by the late payment of wages.

“Their credibility has come under attack and the PR has been disastrous with how they have started off,” he said.

“In any sport, this would never have been allowed to happen. You would never have a transfer of ownership and then a cash crisis in day one.

“The golden share – which is membership of the RFL – should not have been granted until the funds have been lodged and finalised.”

Cramer said the Salford shambles highlighted the weakness at union level in representing players.

He explained: “This kind of thing (wages being paid late) does happen in football but there is usually an emergency fund available – usually through a Professional Footballers’ Association loan.

“The condition of any takeover is that immediately funds are available to repay that PFA loan.

“But Salford’s players should not have been put into this situation where their wages were a whole week late. It’s so damaging for the image of the sport.”