Salford Red Devils financial crisis update as payroll plans revealed and bleak admission made

Salford CEO Chris Irwin has admitted the club are ‘just about surviving at the moment’: but has delivered the positive news that the Red Devils’ players will be paid on time for March amid their ongoing financial crisis.

The Red Devils’ staff, including players, saw their February wages heavily delayed – owing to the funds needed to pay them being drip-fed through from abroad from the club’s new owners.

Those payments were so delayed that the RFL had to step in and contribute a significant chunk towards February’s payroll being fulfilled.

By that point, the game’s governing body had already put Salford back under special measures for the second time in a matter of months – leading to head coach Paul Rowley’s hands being somewhat tied in terms of team selection.

Salford Red Devils financial crisis update as payroll plans revealed and bleak admission made

Following up last week’s Challenge Cup victory against Championship outfit Bradford Bulls, Rowley’s side beat Huddersfield Giants 23-10 on home soil on Thursday night to claim a first Super League win of the year.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5Live during half-time of that clash with the Giants, chief executive Irwin provided a comprehensive update on the club’s finances.

He detailed: “I spoke to the owners and they’ve assured me that there will be a significant amount of money in the accounts to ensure that payroll gets through this month.

“We don’t want the same thing to happen, it was quite frankly embarrassing, and more so than that, it affects people’s lives.

“It’s important that the owners ensure that money is in our account on time this month and everyone gets paid on time.

“We’re just about surviving at the moment, it’s been an incredibly challenging time for everybody at the club.

“But movements are happening now with the ownership group, a number of meetings with Salford city council.

“A lot of the funds are tied in into the development of the land and the stadium.

“I think once we get to a point where terms are shared, we’re hopeful that the large and significant money will land with us and we can really move on and kick on, and do what I came here to do, and that’s to grow this club.”

‘They’ve started to trickle money through… it’s not the large funds that we wanted, so it puts us all back probably six weeks’

The Salford saga has been ongoing since November, and though an end is now in sight, when that end will be reached remains a question no one seems to be able to answer.

A £500,000 advance on their central distribution was received from the RFL in the off-season, and that must be paid back before the Sustainability Cap implanted under special measures can even begin to be lifted.

Irwin addressed that issue, saying: “Another reason why we’re still in the Sustainability Cap, the half a million needs to get paid back to the RFL.

“That’ll come once the significant money drops, and we can pay that back and kick on.

“We’ve had some in, they’ve started to trickle money through the week before last. It’s not the large funds that we wanted, so it puts us all back probably six weeks.

“I completely understand everyone’s frustrations, I’m one of those people that’s frustrated by it. But I’ve got faith in these owners.

“They’re here, they’re doing the right things and having the right meetings with the RFL, Super League and the city council, it’s just slower than what was expected.

“That’s a shame for everyone, but once the money does land, it’ll be forgotten quite quickly.”