Salford Red Devils have been wound up following their HMRC hearing, bringing an end to the club’s 152-year history in its current form.
The company which owns the team, Salford City Reds (2013) Limited, was issued with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs in May.
They received four adjournments, with the court repeatedly granting them time to show proof of funds in order to pay off all of their creditors.
Alexander Bunzl, for Salford City Reds, told the hearing back in October that “more than adequate” funding was due to become available so the matter could be “settled promptly”.
However, no funds have since materialised.
Salford Red Devils: A timeline of events
January:
Sustainability cap introduced
February:
Takeover by consortium approved
February:
The 82-0 drubbing vs St Helens
February:
Failure to pay leaves Salford staff left with financial uncertainty
March:
Marc Sneyd signs for Warrington Wolves
March:
Wages paid late again
April:
Ryan Brierley speaks out on ‘deteriorating mental health’ of players
May:
CEO Chris Irwin reportedly resigns
June:
Players continue to leave
July:
Senior Salford players threaten not to play
August:
Ryan Brierley and Jack Ormondroyd depart as RFL defends takeover
August:
COO resigns and alleges she was told to ‘sleep with individual’ at RFL
August:
Match against Wakefield cancelled but protest goes ahead
September:
Assistant coach Kurt Haggerty leaves the club
September:
HMRC give club further adjournment in case
October:
Paul Rowley joins St Helens as head coach
October:
HMRC hearing adjourned for two more weeks
November:
HMRC hearing adjourned again until December 3
December:
Club wound up
On Wednesday December 3, the club was officially wound up as Salford City Reds (2013) was ordered to be liquidated with debts believed to be around £4m.
The decision means that those debts will be written off and Curtiz Brown and Sire Kailahi, who had become the faces of the takeover, will no longer be owners of the club.
Decisions will be made about attempting to build a phoenix club that can be ready in time for the 2026 season in the Championship. Salford were supposed to start the Championship season in January against Oldham.
Salford Red Devils had just one player remaining on their books in Jack Walker.
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Fan supporter group, The 1873, released an official statement following the news saying: “Let us be honest with ourselves. This outcome has been coming. It is long overdue.
“It is what the club needs to survive.
“For months, we have watched uncertainty grow around unpaid debts, unclear leadership, and crumbling trust between ownership and supporters.
“The writing was on the wall, and today – it was finally read aloud in court.
“It is, without question, a dark day.”
The RFL has been contacted for comment.
Salford’s troubled season
Salford were beset by financial problems explicitly for over 12 months, operating under strict salary cap restrictions after failing to pay players and staff on time, and seeing all their star players leave throughout a campaign in which they finished bottom of the Betfred Super League standings.
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Hull FC and their fans showed solidarity with Salford amidst the Red Devils’ financial crisis
In October it was confirmed they had lost their place in next season’s expanded top flight on the club gradings and were provisionally relegated to the Championship for the 2026 campaign, with head coach Paul Rowley subsequently leaving to join St Helens.
Their troubled season came after a consortium led by Swiss businessman Dario Berta completed a takeover in February this year.
This led to wages being paid by WeDo Finance after their accounts were frozen.
The Rugby Football League (RFL) said Salford’s financial woes are “damaging and draining for the sport” but insisted that the “only alternative” to approving a takeover earlier this year was the “very probable and immediate demise of the club”.
