Salford Red Devils have announced their new community share offer scheme in a bid to place fans at the heart of the game.
The move, named ‘Reds Rise Together’, allows individuals to purchase a share offer in the club’s holding company, now a community benefit society (CBS). All shareholders are subsequently granted the right to stand for election to the CBS board, a feature that the club deemed ‘a meaningful addition, adding value to its communities’.
The club will become the first from the Northern Hemisphere to take the plunge into a fan-led model, hoping to establish an alternative to millionaire owners.
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As well as giving fans greater benefits, Salford have sought to entrench their place in Rugby League’s elite division by adhering to new proposals from the ‘Reimagining Rugby League Consultation Project’ which can see clubs earn their Super League place through off-pitch behaviours. The criterion for a guaranteed top-flight place includes community performance and financial stability, two principles that Salford will hope they thrive on under a more inclusive ownership model.
Despite the lack of an owner since 2018, Salford reached the Super League final in 2019 and the Challenge Cup final in 2020, all while maintaining the lowest salary spend in the league. Paul King, the club's executive chairman, told Tribune that winning the league feels close.
Talking to the Manchester Evening News, executive director of The Red Devils Paul Trainor says the club has been at the heart of the community for 150 years and now the community will be at the heart of the club.
Almost 24 hours after its launch earlier this week, Paul said the donations so far had been encouraging and he is expectant of success.
The Mayor of Salford urged people to get involved, tweeting: ‘Please consider buying shares to become part of the club’, showing his support for the scheme.
Paul told the MEN that the club understands that not every team can operate this way but are determined to blaze a trail with this structure, giving fans a greater role, one that they believe will benefit the city. Paul believes there is a ‘different way, not only in Rugby league, but in all of sport’ as the debate around unscrupulous owners and their acceptance into clubs with age-long heritage rages on.
On the pitch, Paul attributes Salford’s success to the ‘hard work of the entire club’ but particularly credits the club foundation, a registered charity who deliver activities across Salford, Greater Manchester and beyond, especially for those who face barriers in the way of accessing sport. Paul says Salford are ‘growing as a club, not just a team’.
He also encouraged donations from people with no previous ties to Salford. He said: "Anyone in the world can be part of this community... we want to make sure that stays the case for a long time."
Stewart Shields, a lifelong Red Devils fan, said: "It’s great to be part of something which could become very special." Stewart went to games with his father in the 60s and 70s and added: "If he was still here, he would be the first to sign up."
The numbers:
The club are offering four options for community ownership. They are as follows:
Owner - £100
One share, one vote.
A certificate to show you are a shareholder (download only).
Eligibility for the club’s board elections.
Match ticket priority.
Owner+ - £250
One share, one vote.
A certificate to show you are a shareholder (physical).
Eligibility for the club’s board elections.
Club partner offers.
One-year RDTV subscription.
Founder’s club - £1,000
One share, one vote.
A certificate to show you are a shareholder (physical).
Eligibility for the club’s board elections.
Exclusive founder’s events.
Discount on function room hire.
President’s club - £10,000
One share, one vote.
A certificate to show you are a shareholder (physical).
Eligibility for the club’s board election.
Tailored package.
The Salford RLFC Supporters Trust have encouraged people to give what they can. If 2500 members donate the minimum contribution, the club’s £250,000 target will be reached.
Salford, in the coming days and weeks will seek to make history, by becoming the first elite Rugby League club in the world to be wholly community owned through donations.
