Salford fan group slams ‘disgraceful’ RFL as ‘tone deaf’ after fresh owner delay

Leading Salford Red Devils fan group The 1873 have labelled the Rugby Football League ‘disgraceful’ over their fresh delay surrounding the race to become the club’s new owners, and insist CEO Abi Ekoku is failing in his duty.

The governing body had previously stated they would make a decision on which consortia would be given the Red Devils’ playing licence for 2026 on Wednesday, saying a decision would be made by the RFL board and then revealed to the world.

But they appear to have rowed back on that after admitting that they are continuing to do their due diligence to ensure any successful bid was financially sustainable.

However, that brief 51-word statement from the RFL has done little to appease The 1873, who have hit back in ferocious form to launch a scathing take-down of the governing body.

They said they were ‘utterly dismayed’ at the decision to push back the announcement – of which no new date has been released with just 30 days to go until the new Championship season begins for the Red Devils.

They wrote: “The 1873 is utterly dismayed by today’s RFL statement in delaying the selection of one of the three consortiums who have submitted bids to take over the vacant Salford Red Devils membership. Let us be absolutely clear: this represents yet another
staggering failure of governance from the RFL.

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“The bid process was launched with clearly defined timescales set by the RFL themselves. Those timescales were not imposed externally, nor were they unrealistic.

“They were the RFL’s own commitments and conceding that they may now be unable to adhere to them is a damning indictment of their competence and credibility as a governing body.”

The statement continued and took a clear focus at interim CEO Ekoku, with The 1873 saying that ‘specific responsibility’ rests on his shoulders for the delay before demanding an urgent update on timeframes.

They said: “Specific responsibility must sit with RFL Chief Executive Abi Ekoku. This is the first genuinely significant test of his leadership since taking up the interim role and on current evidence, he appears to be failing it.

“Salford’s future is not a theoretical exercise or an administrative inconvenience, it is a real club, with real supporters, whose livelihoods and loyalty are once again being taken for granted.

“We fully accept and support the need for thorough due diligence and for the right consortium to be selected. That has never been in question. However, due diligence is not an excuse for delay when it should have been built into the process from the outset.

“The RFL had ample opportunity to structure this correctly and within the timescales they publicly committed to. Failing
to do so now is simply not good enough.

“How can the governing body of rugby league seriously believe it is acceptable to inflict further uncertainty on Salford supporters after everything they have already endured?

“Fans have lived through repeated adjournments, delays, and a constant cloud hanging over the club’s existence. To now add another self-inflicted delay, in direct contradiction of the RFL’s own deadlines, is beyond tone deaf.”