"Why Salford's First Championship Match After Relegation Deserves a Celebration"

RYAN Brierley knows it may sound weird, but Salford’s match after relegation should be a celebration.

One of having a club after the Red Devils were wound up, of the city coming together, of fans showing ne’er-do-well owners can be overcome.

Ryan Brierley believes Salford’s first Championship match should be a celebration – of just being here.Credit: SWPIX.COM

To say the off-season has been traumatic is an understatement, December 3 saw the old club folded over unpaid tax – and many other bills after the actions, or rather inactions, of hated Isiosaia Kailahi and Curtiz Brown.

A group fronted by ex-winger Mason Caton-Brown was given the membership rights to restart as a part-time entity in the Championship three days before Christmas – and three weeks, including the festive period, to get a club together.

But with 21 players signed, plus loans from nearby Super League clubs, Salford RLFC has made it to the start line against Oldham tonight , with fan and former captain Brierley as its chief executive.

Not bad considering the despicable duo before erased any semblance of goodwill towards 2019’s Super League Grand Finalists and 2020’s Challenge Cup finalists.

When coach companies and laundry firms will not deal with you, you know it is serious.

“I’d love to explain in detail how much damage has been caused,” Brierley said. “It’s unbelievable.

“It’s little things like credit companies that won’t deal with you. Laundry companies, coach companies. They’re all low-money guys, but it’s just a mess and it’s something I’ve committed to fixing.

“It’s important to treat people right, first and foremost, but it’s really difficult trying to explain to people that it wasn’t us.

“I thought I had four players signed from one agent, then they pulled them off me because they were owed money from last year.

“We said we weren’t paying money from last year – and they pulled the players from me. I lost four players.”

To say Brierley has been putting the hours in is an understatement – he even worked on Christmas Day.

But getting a club together is not easy, with all manner of jobs to do.

The fan and former player is now the new club’s chief executive.Credit: SWPIX.COM

He added: “As well as getting players, there’s been trying to sort a doctor, a physio, player welfare, coaching staff, ticket sales, hospitality, training kit and the women’s team.

“I’ve been doing hospitality, sponsorship, sorting the playing kit, even trying to find out what medical strapping we’ve got available.

“You say, ‘Get a physio,’ but you might speak to five before you get one. Likewise players, likewise doctors. Then you think you’ve got one and they let you down and say, ‘it’s not for me.’

“After that you’ve got your communications with your staff, trying to get registration forms for players, new starter forms, getting a passport ID, getting all that sorted.

“I even worked on Christmas Day, which my wife wasn’t happy about. I signed a player at 11.30 that night!”

Now Salford, coached by Mike Grady, have made the start line, the focus can finally turn on the pitch.

Brierley left tonight’s opponents Oldham to take up his new role.Credit: SWPIX.COM

Expectations are non-existent – just having something to cheer is enough.

And Brierley, who stood on the terraces at their former Willows home, believes that mood will reverberate around the CorpAcq Stadium.

He told SunSport: “The biggest payback and the biggest revenge we can show the previous ownership is to turn up at a celebration and show ultimately what a support base Salford has.

“Hopefully the events of last year never happen again and I’ll make sure they don’t.

“It’s not about Salford, it’s about a celebration of saving a club. The tagline is ‘Salford rugby will never die.’ But it nearly did. It was that close.”