Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:08 pm  

SaleSlim wrote:

Lots of innacuracies here being posted as usual from the likes of Donny and an embarrassing lack of local knowledge from someone who has apparently lived and worked in Manchester for almost 20 years. So (as a Salfordian and a fan of both the Red Devils and Salford City) I'm sure I'm in a better place to comment than trolls like Donny. I'll even make it easier for some of the less intellectual on here by bullet pointing.

- Salford City will be BUYING the AJ Bell stadium, not renting it so the current extortionate rental costs are irrelevant as they won't exist

- Contrary to our local expert Murphy's claims... The Peninsula Stadium won't actually be easier to get to for the majority of Salford Red Devils core support which comes from Weaste, Eccles, Swinton, Walkden etc. There are no direct bus services to the ground apart from the 1 or 2 that go from Salford Precinct. The majority of direct bus services are from Manchester or Prestwich/Whitefield and they aren't exactly hotbeds for the Salford fan base. The AJ Bell actually is (although not ideal) actually better served by bus services for the majority of Salford fans.

- For any Yorkshire based away fans, the Peninsula Stadium is actually easier to get to being barely a mile and a half off Junction 17 (Prestwich/Whitefield). The lame excuses of "Friday night traffic" will no doubt still be rolled out by away fans not wanting to make the effort to attend away games (I regularly commuted from Salford to Halifax so I'm fully aware of the M62 btw)

- Feel free to mock Salford's new ground but please feel free to show me photos of how Wakey & Cas's new ground are coming along. I mean that was one of the criteria of getting a SL license was it not all those years ago and the reason Salford were forced out of The Willows?

- Any crowds of 4500-5000 at the Peninsula Stadium will be far more financially viable for Salford than similar crowds at the AJ Bell. The club will have far lower overheads and they will also get all the proceeds from food/beverage sales etc. Is the location ideal or the ground perfect for SL rugby? No. But it will at least be a financially viable option until a longer term solution can be found (that's assuming land can be found to potentially build another community stadium and that the council don't just keep selling it off to to$$ers like Fred Done to build overpriced/poorly built new build homes on )

- Please bore off with the continual drivel about Leigh/Widnes/Feb being a better SL option that Salford. If they were then they'd be playing in SL already. However, they aren't and I'm sorry that little old Salford pi$$ you off so much. I suggest you just learn to live with it and it might not bother you so much.

Anyway, I look forward to listening to the further waffle you guys can come up with as it's always entertaining listening to people who generally have no idea what they're talking about.

Top Post!
I'd rather see Salford with a 4k average but making money rather than a 4k average and haemorrhaging cash paying landlord and not getting a bean from the matchday. I really hope they do well next year.....I suspect a few yorkshire sides will be looking over their shoulders at the drop into the abyss come next September. Anyone who thinks SL neds Fev to join Cas and Wakey in SL needs their bumps felt!

EDIT.
According to google maps, the journey between the old site of The Willows and Moor Ln is 20 minutes by push-bike or half that by car. Perish the though to a short walk, a bus, a trainn and another short walk taking 30 minutes.....because it's a well known fact that ALL MANCHESTER UNITED FANS live 3 minutes from Old Trafford

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:17 pm  

SaleSlim wrote:

Lots of innacuracies here being posted as usual from the likes of Donny - Feel free to mock Salford's new ground but please feel free to show me photos of how Wakey & Cas's new ground are coming along. I mean that was one of the criteria of getting a SL license was it not all those years ago and the reason Salford were forced out of The Willows? :

"Plans to build Salford City Reds' new stadium at Barton have been given the go-ahead by Salford City Council. The Reds aim to move into the 20,000-seater stadium by 2012 and are hopeful that it will mean they do not lose their Super League licence. Chairman John Wilkinson told BBC Radio Manchester: "It will put us on the same playing field as the clubs around us. Wilkinson said: "The new stadium is a huge part of our licence bid. We have to tick so many boxes and the old stadium doesn't really comply with Super League standards. If all goes well we will have a stadium that is compliant with Super League criteria. Look at where Manchester city were at Maine Road and now where they are at Eastlands he said The move attracted new investment and helped put them in the position they are in today. The new stadium at Barton is an opportunity for us to increase our fan base, sponsorship and commercial activities The stadium opens doors for us that were closed previously."....................."

Whilst Wilkinson did see Barton as a way to "comply" with Superleague criteria, clearly Wakefield and Castleford were not going to be railroaded into new grounds they could not afford due to the intransigence of Wakefield District Council. Salford took Barton on but history shows they clearly didn't have to. Not if they had stood their ground with Cas and Wakey

Indeed as the piece above shows Wilkinson was not actually scared of being thrown out of Superleague if he stayed at the Willows. His thinking was that the move to Barton would attract...

New Fans
More Sponsorship money
More money from commercial activities

He got this idea from Manchester City's relocation from Maine Road to Eastlands, and he copied this move with Salford. However the new fans didn't come (nor did many old fans ) The sponsorship money didn't come, and the commercial activities didn't come........

Your the one who is "inaccurate" with the idea Salford were forced out of the Willows, the facts show Wilkinson thought the move would make Salford the "Manchester City of Rugby League"...................

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:24 pm  

Donnyman wrote:

Your the one who is "inaccurate" with the idea Salford were forced out of the Willows, the facts show Wilkinson thought the move would make Salford the "Manchester City of Rugby League"

Mind reading now, or just window dressing your skewed opinion as usual?

Salford did what was asked of them by the SL Franchise regulations...applauding Wakey and Castleford for not is hardly "the high ground".....both clubs should have been fined for non compliance along with other clubs including my own, for not doing what they said they would.

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:39 pm  

orangeman wrote:

Top Post!

It's not is it. Not now I've posted the real reason Wilkinson made the move, he was going to make Salford the Manchester City of Rugby League

Once Wilkinson realised his massive mistake he could not get out of Salford City Reds fast enough.......

"John Wilkinson is finally getting a good night’s sleep again.After a turbulent and troubled final 12 months of his 31-year reign as chairman and owner of the Salford City Reds, Wilkinson is now genuinely delighted and relieved to see the club rescued and saved from going under. Wilkinson believes Salford is in safe hands under the stewardship of the multi-millionaire race horse owner Marwan Koukash, who intends to transform Reds’ fortunes on and off the field.And he believes the future is bright for Salford in Super League. Wilkinson told M.E.N. Sport: “I really do like the way Marwan is going about his business. He wants to be a winner and I am there for him.


And so the fact is Wilkinson dumped his white elephant on Koukash and was far from "there for him"

Koukash obviously realised his mistake, and quit. But now he has Derek to hold his hand he may feel a bit more confident going back into club ownership with Degsy. No need to reply as I don't believe your a genuine poster who wants a serious discussion shall we say.....It's game set and match anyway

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:27 pm  

Donnyman wrote:

Not now I've posted the real reason Wilkinson made the move, he was going to make Salford the Manchester City of Rugby League

Nope. You've posted your opinion....wrapped it up in drivel and then claimed it to be fact......as usual.

The only reference I can find to Salford becoming Manchester City of RL was from well after Wilkinson left and reported in the daily star.....is that your daily oracle?

as for Marwan. Hmm....like plenty of other well intentioned owners, he knows SFA about RL as does Del Boy at Leigh...who dummy spits almost as regularly as a two year old not getting its way. Marwan ran for the hills citing not being allowed to buy what he wanted.....him and argyle gave it the "big i am" then bolted when the bill arrived....

...I have no idea what "game set and match" in terms of RL means BTW?...

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Mon Oct 18, 2021 4:31 am  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

Weaste and Swinton are closer to Kersal than Barton. Eccles obviously isn't, granted. I commented on away fans travelling by train which would obviously mean alighting in Manchester. It takes nearly an hour to get the bus from Shudehill to the AJ Bell. It would probably cost about £15 at least to do it by taxi. It will take half the time by bus and cost half the fare by taxi to Moor Lane won't it? I never once said central Manchester was a hotbed of Salford fans. It obviously isn't. I said it was easier to get to for people getting off trains from other places, and also closer to Salford Precinct and the Willows as well as Manchester city centre. What part of any of that isn't true? Does no one in Ordsall or Broughton support Salford? If they don't then being in a more local ground might encourage them to

Sorry but very few away fans travel ever travelled to Salford by train. I remember match days at The Willows and the vast majority drove to the ground or used club coaches. You might get a couple of hundred away fans getting off the tram at Weaste back in the day but that was about it.

It's totally different getting to Wigan, Warrington, Hudds where the stadium is much more accessible by rail. Throw in the cost of rail travel these days and I doubt a move to Moor Lane will make much difference at all. Happy to be proved wrong though as & when the move takes place.

And yes Swinton & Ordsall are nearer to Moor Lane but again, there are no direct bus services.

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:48 am  

I travel to every away ground by train. I've walked from Hull station to Craven Park and back, used Burley Park station many times for Headingley, used to get the bus from Interchange to Odsal when we played Bradford, and always got the tram to Weaste for the Willows. I hate Barton despite it being geographically the nearest Super League ground to where I live, because that bus from Shudehill takes more than twice as long as the train from Oxford Road to a home game in Warrington, and roughly the same time as a train from Manchester to Leeds. It's absolutely miles away from anything!

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Mon Oct 18, 2021 10:18 am  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

I travel to every away ground by train. I've walked from Hull station to Craven Park and back, used Burley Park station many times for Headingley, used to get the bus from Interchange to Odsal when we played Bradford, and always got the tram to Weaste for the Willows. I hate Barton despite it being geographically the nearest Super League ground to where I live, because that bus from Shudehill takes more than twice as long as the train from Oxford Road to a home game in Warrington, and roughly the same time as a train from Manchester to Leeds. It's absolutely miles away from anything!

You're an exception then as most away fans never travelled to The Willows by train. I use the train for Warrington, Wigan, Hudds (on occasion) but it still means having to take half an hour getting into town (or to Salford Crescent) to catch said train. I don't disagree one bit that the bus takes forever from town to the AJ Bell..... however, I do disagree that it affects travelling numbers from that perspective.

The "it's a pain to get to" excuse is just trawled out every season by fans who are too lazy to make the effort tbh. (and this is coming from a guy that we from Belfast to Exeter, then caught a bus and a train to get to a League 2 football match on a Tuesday night! ).

When we move to Moor Lane it'll be "there's no parking" (which there isn't immediately surrounding the ground). You can park around 10 minutes away and walk to the ground though which will no doubt be too much effort for most people.

PS. Stop being a drama queen.... the AJ Bell isn't "miles from anything".

The Trafford Centre is a 20 minute walk away and it's right off a motorway junction. There is a pub barely 400 yards from the stadium and a few thousand local residents live nearby. What you mean is "the transport links are crap for anyone wishing to get the bus from town", which is correct.

PPS. Apparently it's 3.9 miles from Hull Interchange to Craven Park.... I think you're In a minority in walking to/from the ground as an away fan!

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:39 am  

SaleSlim wrote:

You're an exception then as most away fans never travelled to The Willows by train. I use the train for Warrington, Wigan, Hudds (on occasion) but it still means having to take half an hour getting into town (or to Salford Crescent) to catch said train. I don't disagree one bit that the bus takes forever from town to the AJ Bell..... however, I do disagree that it affects travelling numbers from that perspective.

The "it's a pain to get to" excuse is just trawled out every season by fans who are too lazy to make the effort tbh. (and this is coming from a guy that we from Belfast to Exeter, then caught a bus and a train to get to a League 2 football match on a Tuesday night! ).

When we move to Moor Lane it'll be "there's no parking" (which there isn't immediately surrounding the ground). You can park around 10 minutes away and walk to the ground though which will no doubt be too much effort for most people.

PS. Stop being a drama queen.... the AJ Bell isn't "miles from anything".

The Trafford Centre is a 20 minute walk away and it's right off a motorway junction. There is a pub barely 400 yards from the stadium and a few thousand local residents live nearby. What you mean is "the transport links are crap for anyone wishing to get the bus from town", which is correct.

PPS. Apparently it's 3.9 miles from Hull Interchange to Craven Park.... I think you're In a minority in walking to/from the ground as an away fan!

yes theres parking at the AJ bell, and a pub - but recall back to when the move was made and there was originally diddly squat. Although I managed to park and walk from the airport, and across some dodgy unlit wasteground, not everyone is able to do so - chuck in non cash turnstiles and long queues at the ticket office - in the intervening time people have found something else to do.
Its still a nightmare to get to queuing off the 62.

Re: Salford Reds Being forced out of their home? : Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:05 pm  

Donnyman wrote: "Plans to build Salford City Reds' new stadium at Barton have been given the go-ahead by Salford City Council. The Reds aim to move into the 20,000-seater stadium by 2012 and are hopeful that it will mean they do not lose their Super League licence. Chairman John Wilkinson told BBC Radio Manchester: "It will put us on the same playing field as the clubs around us. Wilkinson said: "The new stadium is a huge part of our licence bid. We have to tick so many boxes and the old stadium doesn't really comply with Super League standards. If all goes well we will have a stadium that is compliant with Super League criteria. Look at where Manchester city were at Maine Road and now where they are at Eastlands he said The move attracted new investment and helped put them in the position they are in today. The new stadium at Barton is an opportunity for us to increase our fan base, sponsorship and commercial activities The stadium opens doors for us that were closed previously."....................." Whilst Wilkinson did see Barton as a way to "comply" with Superleague criteria, clearly Wakefield and Castleford were not going to be railroaded into new grounds they could not afford due to the intransigence of Wakefield District Council. Salford took Barton on but history shows they clearly didn't have to. Not if they had stood their ground with Cas and Wakey Indeed as the piece above shows Wilkinson was not actually scared of being thrown out of Superleague if he stayed at the Willows. His thinking was that the move to Barton would attract... New Fans More Sponsorship money More money from commercial activities He got this idea from Manchester City's relocation from Maine Road to Eastlands, and he copied this move with Salford. However the new fans didn't come (nor did many old fans ) The sponsorship money didn't come, and the commercial activities didn't come........ Your the one who is "inaccurate" with the idea Salford were forced out of the Willows, the facts show Wilkinson thought the move would make Salford the "Manchester City of Rugby League"................... You ain't very well informed on your favourite M62 clubs,are you? Salford made efforts for the very first Licensing period. Unfortunately the 2008 banking crash put paid to those plans https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... ure-994120 Check the date... The City of Manchester stadium was constructed at the start of the decade for the Commonwealth Games,which Man City obtained.Then there was the overseas investment from wealthy Arabs ....in 2008!

Donnyman wrote: "Plans to build Salford City Reds' new stadium at Barton have been given the go-ahead by Salford City Council. The Reds aim to move into the 20,000-seater stadium by 2012 and are hopeful that it will mean they do not lose their Super League licence. Chairman John Wilkinson told BBC Radio Manchester: "It will put us on the same playing field as the clubs around us. Wilkinson said: "The new stadium is a huge part of our licence bid. We have to tick so many boxes and the old stadium doesn't really comply with Super League standards. If all goes well we will have a stadium that is compliant with Super League criteria. Look at where Manchester city were at Maine Road and now where they are at Eastlands he said The move attracted new investment and helped put them in the position they are in today. The new stadium at Barton is an opportunity for us to increase our fan base, sponsorship and commercial activities The stadium opens doors for us that were closed previously."....................." Whilst Wilkinson did see Barton as a way to "comply" with Superleague criteria, clearly Wakefield and Castleford were not going to be railroaded into new grounds they could not afford due to the intransigence of Wakefield District Council. Salford took Barton on but history shows they clearly didn't have to. Not if they had stood their ground with Cas and Wakey Indeed as the piece above shows Wilkinson was not actually scared of being thrown out of Superleague if he stayed at the Willows. His thinking was that the move to Barton would attract... New Fans More Sponsorship money More money from commercial activities He got this idea from Manchester City's relocation from Maine Road to Eastlands, and he copied this move with Salford. However the new fans didn't come (nor did many old fans ) The sponsorship money didn't come, and the commercial activities didn't come........ Your the one who is "inaccurate" with the idea Salford were forced out of the Willows, the facts show Wilkinson thought the move would make Salford the "Manchester City of Rugby League"................... You ain't very well informed on your favourite M62 clubs,are you? Salford made efforts for the very first Licensing period. Unfortunately the 2008 banking crash put paid to those plans https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... ure-994120 Check the date... The City of Manchester stadium was constructed at the start of the decade for the Commonwealth Games,which Man City obtained.Then there was the overseas investment from wealthy Arabs ....in 2008!