Salford Red Devils Liquidated After 152 Years, Phoenix Club Effort Begins for 2026 Championship

The Salford Red Devils, one of rugby league’s oldest and most storied clubs, were officially liquidated after a hearing at the High Court in late 2025, ending a 152-year legacy that began in 1873. The Rugby Football League confirmed the club’s relegation from the Super League on October 16, 2025, after failing to meet IMG Grading standards — a decision sealed by Bradford Bulls’ promotion. But the real death knell came not from on-field performance, but from a financial collapse that left players unpaid, staff in limbo, and the club’s future hanging by a thread. Now, with the club’s assets seized and its name erased from the professional register, local leaders are racing to build a phoenix club ready for the 2026 Championship season.

A Slow Burn to Collapse

The Red Devils didn’t crash overnight. It was a years-long unraveling, visible to anyone who watched the team’s dwindling crowds and heard the quiet whispers in the stands. By May 2025, CEO Chris Irwin had resigned, citing irreconcilable financial pressures. Players began leaving in droves — Ryan Brierley and Jack Ormondroyd departed in August after months of delayed wages. The COO quit that same month, alleging she’d been pressured to violate financial regulations. By July, senior players threatened to boycott training unless back pay was cleared. The club’s accounts had been frozen since February, when Swiss businessman Dario Berta led a consortium to take control. But instead of salvation, Berta’s involvement brought WeDo Finance into the picture — a third-party payroll service that kept the lights on, barely, while deeper rot set in.

The Rugby Football League had warned for months that Salford’s financial instability was "damaging and draining for the sport." Yet they allowed the takeover to proceed, fearing immediate extinction. "The only alternative to approving the February 2025 takeover was the very probable and immediate demise of the club," the RFL admitted. It was a heartbreaking calculus: keep the club alive in name, even if hollowed out, or let it vanish entirely.

The Final Season: A Shadow of Its Former Self

The 2025 season was a tragedy in slow motion. Paul King served as head coach twice — first until February, then again after Irwin’s departure — while Paul Rowley, the man who steadied the ship through chaos, was named head coach for the season. Kallum Watkins, the club’s captain and former England international, led a squad that looked increasingly like a patchwork of unpaid volunteers. The low point came on a cold afternoon in February, when Salford lost 82-0 to an unnamed opponent on BBC Two — the heaviest defeat in Super League since 2000. The RFL launched a compliance probe and deducted two league points, reducing Salford’s total from six to four. They finished dead last.

Even their one bright moment — a 26-16 win over Bradford Bulls in front of 3,066 fans in March — felt like a farewell. By April, they were out of the Challenge Cup, beaten 12-20 by Catalans Dragons. The players who remained were ghosts: Nene Macdonald, Joe Shorrocks, Joe Mellor, and Esan Marsters. All were unconfirmed for 2026. Macdonald was linked with London Broncos. Mellor was expected to join Bradford under Kurt Haggerty. Shorrocks had already moved to Leeds Rhinos. And the wages? Still unpaid as of October 2025. "It’s not just about money," one former staff member told Total Rugby League. "It’s about trust. And that’s gone."

What Happens to the 2026 Championship?

The RFL’s new Championship format for 2026 remains locked in limbo — and Salford’s liquidation is the reason. "Whether Salford Red Devils are ranked number one or number 21 appears to be one of the reasons holding up the release of the new Championship format," reported Total Rugby League on December 19, 2025. Logically, Salford should have been placed at the top of the demoted teams. But without a legal entity, without a bank account, without a board — how do you assign them a position? The league is stuck. The season was scheduled to open January 16, 2026, against Oldham. Now? That fixture may never happen.

Local leaders in Salford aren’t waiting for permission. A group of community activists, former players, and small business owners have formed the Salford Rugby Revival Initiative. Their goal: launch a phoenix club under a new name — still based at the Salford Community Stadium — and enter the Championship in 2026. They’re targeting a January 2026 launch, with plans to recruit local academy players, retain the Red Devils’ colors, and rebuild from the grassroots up. "We’re not trying to resurrect a bankrupt company," said local councilor Lisa Tennyson. "We’re trying to save a community heartbeat."

The Human Cost

Behind the headlines and league tables are the people who made the club. Groundskeepers who arrived at 5 a.m. to prep the pitch. Volunteers who ran the ticket booths. Kids who wore Red Devils jerseys to school every Friday. One 12-year-old fan, Liam Carter, told the Salford Star: "I’ve got my grandad’s 1991 match program. I thought I’d see them win the Grand Final one day. Now I don’t even know if I can go to a game."

Hull FC fans, known for their fierce rivalry, showed solidarity throughout 2025, donating equipment and hosting Salford players for training sessions. "We may be rivals on the field," said Hull captain Ryan Hall. "But we’re brothers in the sport. When one of us falls, we all feel it."

What’s Next?

The RFL has pledged to support the phoenix club effort, but won’t guarantee entry into the 2026 Championship until a formal application is submitted and vetted. The deadline for submissions is January 10, 2026. Meanwhile, HMRC is still pursuing £2.3 million in unpaid taxes and pension contributions. The club’s historic trophy cabinet — including the 1938 Challenge Cup — remains in storage, its future uncertain.

For now, the Red Devils’ name is gone. But their spirit? That’s still alive. In the stands. In the schools. In the hearts of everyone who remembers what it meant to wear that red jersey.