Salford Red Devils wound up by High Court over debts

Troubled former Super League club Salford Red Devils have been wound up by the High Court over outstanding debts.

A winding-up petition filed against the 152-year-old club had been adjourned on four occasions prior to Wednesday's hearing.

The petition was initially adjourned in June after the club said they were confident of attaining a bridging loan in order to pay a tax bill to His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before it was adjourned again in early September, late October and again in November.

The Red Devils' demise comes at the end of a turbulent year for the club, with a mass player exodus, late wage payments, heavy defeats and ultimately the loss of their Super League status for 2026 in the end-of-year grading.

The court's decision brings down the curtain on a year to forget for Salford, their fortunes this past season in stark contrast to a successful 2024 campaign where they finished fourth in Super League and reached the end-of-season play-offs.

It was at the end of last season, however, that their financial troubles began to bite.

The club requested an advance of their 2025 distribution payments well before the start of the season and, on the eve of this year's campaign, a takeover from a consortium led by Swiss businessman Dario Berta was completed.

Matters gradually worsened despite that takeover, however, with financial issues continuing to plague the club over the course of the year.

A sustainability cap was imposed on Salford by the Rugby Football League which affected team selection, leading to the Red Devils fielding a youthful side for their record-breaking 82-0 season-opening defeat at St Helens.

Team selection and lack of player availability hampered Salford the entire season, with numerous departures - including high-profile players like Marc Sneyd, Nene Macdonald and Ryan Brierley - leaving a depleted side on the end of a succession of heavy defeats.

Their Super League game against Wakefield in August was called off because of "significant" welfare concerns, with the club having just two senior players available - leading to a fan protest.

Off the field, things were similarly chaotic, as chief executive Chris Irwin resigned less than three months into the job and Salford City Council pulled out of negotiations over the club's attempt to buy their Salford Community Stadium home in May.

Meanwhile, chief operating officer Claire Bradbury quit her role after she alleged the club's ownership suggested she "sleep with someone at the Rugby Football League" to ease their situation.

Shortly after October's court adjournment, the club's ownership claimed they had secured funding which would arrive "within 12 days" but ultimately that failed to materialise.