Top lawyer issues ‘very bleak’ warning on Salford future after latest court hearing

Salford Red Devils have been warned their future is “very bleak” with the winding-up petition against them highly unlikely to be adjourned again.

On Wednesday, the winding-up petition filed against the crisis-torn Super League outfit – for an unpaid tax bill of more than £700,000 – was adjourned for a second time until October 29.

The petition was initially adjourned in June after Salford said they were confident of attaining a bridging loan in order to pay a tax bill to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Amid huge ongoing uncertainty over the club’s finances, leading sports lawyer Richard Cramer said the situation remained extremely precarious.

Salford’s final Super League fixture of the 2025 season is scheduled to be played on September 19.

Cramer, of Arch Law, told Love Rugby League: “I think the judge has exercised his discretion to adjourn it again because the impact on an immediate winding up order would have had a catastrophic impact and effectively closed the club down immediately.

“Salford wouldn’t have been able to fulfil the remaining fixtures and that would have had a big detrimental effect on the sport and in particular the Super League competition.

“Straight away, in any form of insolvency, all the players’ contracts would have been terminated by the liquidator. But Andy Burnham is on the scene now and that has brought added pressure, so I’m not surprised they have adjourned it.

“I suspect Salford’s owners are saying they are trying to raise funds but the season ends in a couple of weeks and after that they are highly susceptible – they won’t get another adjournment in my view.

“The courts can’t keep adjourning this and a lot will depend on HMRC’s approach as well. If they consented, there might just be a third opportunity but if HMRC were contesting the adjournment then that will be it – they will get no more reprieves.

“Then adjournment will allow the fixtures to be played in the month of September but players’ contracts run until November, so there is still a real risk that wages won’t be paid in October and November.”

Cramer, who has three decades of experience of working in rugby league’s legal circles, does not believe a solution is on the horizon to ease Salford’s financial woes.

He explained: “If there was a genuine rescue package then they would apply to put the club into administration – which then knocks out the winding up petition.

“But the fact there is no request for an administration order means that the club, or certainly the company, is perilously close to going under. It looks very bleak.”

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