Salford Red Devils have been disbanded following an HMRC hearing, ending the club’s 152-year history in its current form.
The company that owns the team, Salford City Reds (2013) Limited, was issued a petition for winding up by Revenue and Customs in May.
They received four suspended sentences, and the court repeatedly gave them time to provide proof of funds to repay all creditors.
Salford City Reds’ Alexander Bunzle told a hearing in October that “more than enough” funding would be made available to “quickly resolve” the issue.
However, the funds have not materialized since then.
Salford City Reds (2013) were officially disbanded on Wednesday after a one-minute hearing saw them ordered into liquidation with debts believed to be around £4m.
The club was not represented in court. The decision means those debts will be written off and the faces of the takeover, Curtis Brown and Saire Kailahi, will no longer own the club.
In a statement, Salford Red Devils said: “We regret to inform all our stakeholders, supporters and partners that Salford Red Devils and their management company, Salford City Reds (2013) Limited, have become the subject of a liquidation application filed by HMRC and liquidation proceedings have begun.”
“We understand the gravity of this situation and the uncertainty this causes for everyone involved at the club. This is an incredibly emotional moment for the original club staff who have remained up to this point.
“While there is a sense of sadness that things have come to this point, there is also a sense of relief that what has been a very difficult period for the club is finally over.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our fans who have supported us through everything. Your passion and loyalty mean the world to us.
“Above all, I hope that the club’s proud name and history lives on and continues to represent the people of Salford.”
Supporters and businesses are understood to be interested in having the Red Devils reinstated as a ‘Phoenix Club’ immediately and potentially carrying out games for the old club. Salford were due to start the Championship season against Oldham on January 16th.
Salford Red Devils only had one player left – Jack Walker.
Fan supporter group The 1873 released an official statement following the news, saying: “Let’s be honest with ourselves: This result is already here. It’s long overdue.”
“That’s what the club needs to survive.
“For months, we have seen growing uncertainty around unpaid debt, opaque leadership, and crumbling trust between owners and supporters.
“The writing was on the wall and today it was finally read out in court.
“It’s definitely a dark day.”
An RFL spokesperson told Sky Sports: “Following today’s court decision, Salford Red Devils’ RFL membership has been terminated with immediate effect.
“The RFL Board will meet tomorrow (Thursday) and will then be informed of the details of the process leading to ownership of the new club.”
Salford’s difficult season
Salford have been plagued by obvious financial problems for more than 12 months, having failed to pay their players and staff on time, operating under strict salary cap restrictions and seeing all their star players leave during a campaign that saw them finish bottom of the Betfred Super League table.
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Hull FC and their fans show solidarity with Salford amid Red Devils financial crisis
In October, it was confirmed that the club would lose its spot in the expansion top flight next season and be provisionally relegated to the Championship for the 2026 season, following the departure of head coach Paul Lowry to join St Helens.
It has been a difficult season for them since a consortium led by Swiss businessman Dario Berta completed the takeover in February.
As a result, after his account was frozen, his wages were no longer paid by WeDo Finance.
The Rugby Football League (RFL) said Salford’s financial difficulties were “damaging and depleting the sport”, but insisted the “only option” to approve the takeover earlier this year was “very likely to result in the club’s immediate demise”.
