Salford Red Devils is in crisis again. The rugby league club has a history stretching back more than 150 years, but fans are worried it might not exist in the near future. Mounting debt; an exodus of senior players; reports of late payments of staff salaries; and a pending winding up petition by HMRC paint a bleak picture. To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE The team is stuck at the bottom of Super League - the sport’s elite domestic competition - and its owners are facing allegations of 'misogynistic, inappropriate language' from a senior chief who recently quit the club, sparking an internal investigation. When times get difficult, Salford Red Devils supporters turn up. Hundreds gathered at a protest against the club’s ownership on Sunday last weekend, an event organised by fan group The 1873, named in reference to the team’s founding year. They’ve followed the club home and away, and are lobbying MPs and political leaders for support. One loyal fan said the prospect of the club folding could be devastating for Salford. Connor Robinson, a member of the 1873 group, said: “Everybody’s really angry, disappointed and clearly wants to show that frustration in force, which they did on Sunday. “Losing the club would be a monumental loss to the city for a number of reasons. “People look on the face of it and say 'well Salford’s a city of 200,000 people, and we only get five or 6,000 fans on a good day'. “It’s a small amount as a percentage of the city, but it’s what the club does for the city, it’s not just those numbers you see in attendance on a Saturday afternoon. “It’s what it gives those fans that attend, there’s a women’s team, there’s a reserve team , an academy, two disabled teams, the work the foundation do, it’s not just a simple first team and 5,000 fans, it’s such a bigger picture. “If that was to be lost, the impact across the entire community would be massive.” At the end of last year things were looking more positive for the team. Salford council had just completed a £7.7m purchase of Salford Community Stadium where the Red Devils play as well as rugby union club Sale Sharks. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE This was seen as a lifeline for rugby in the city, and something that would help Salford Red Devils boost their income from matchdays. But the turbulence continued just months later. In January, the club released a statement about ongoing problems while a takeover process was taking place. It was given an advance payment of its distribution fund from the Rugby Football League. The terms were that the club be placed under ‘special measures’ requiring a reduction in overheads of £800,000. The club was also ‘directed to sell players without delay’, which issued a sustainability cap of £1.2m limiting the team’s spending. It was also banned from registering players for the current season. A potential breakthrough came in February when a takeover of the club by a consortium was announced, led by businessman Dario Berta alongside his business partner Kurt Graver and Saia Kailahi and Curtis Brown from Jacobsen Management Group. The new owners said they had cleared all current club debt, and would deliver ‘significant investment’ for future growth. Shirley Bradshaw, the chairperson of Salford Red Devils' supporters’ trust, said this month those promises were not kept . “We are at a crisis point, it's disgusting what they are doing to the club,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “I've been a fan for over 60 years, and I've gone through save our Salford things a number of times, over the years and I've always had hope, but I've got no hope now that we're going to be where we want to be in Super League. “If we fold it would be devastating for the fans, we’re the only professional sporting rugby league club in the city and we’re just being left to rot. We just don’t know what to do as fans now.” Last week, it was announced the club would launch a ‘thorough investigation’ into allegations from its former chief operating officer the ownership ‘suggested she sleep with an individual at the RFL to smooth things over’ for the club. The club says in response to the allegations it is ‘determined to establish the facts and take any necessary action’. Claire Bradbury posted on LinkedIn on August 14 announcing her resignation at the rugby league club, making claims that she faced misogynistic and unacceptable language while in post. In her statement, Ms Bradbury said the team has been left with 'a decimated squad and a historic club with its soul being ripped out'. Ms Bradbury claimed in her statement: "It's important to share something more personal as a senior woman in business. Misogynistic, inappropriate language from the ownership suggesting I sleep with an individual at the RFL to ‘smooth things over’ is not acceptable." The club said in a statement: “It has been alleged by a former member of the Salford Red Devils staff, who departed the club on August 12, 2025, that she was subjected to inappropriate verbal conduct by the owners of the club. “Salford Red Devils unequivocally condemns any and all forms of inappropriate language and behaviour. We treat such allegations with the utmost seriousness and are committed to ensuring that our club environment remains respectful, professional, and safe for all members of staff. “In response to these allegations, we will be conducting a thorough internal investigation. We are determined to establish the facts and take any necessary action to address the situation. We will provide a detailed report of our findings as soon as the investigation is concluded.” Where does all this leave the club now? Salford’s mayor Paul Dennett, along with MPs Michael Wheeler and Rebecca Long-Bailey, have rallied to support the team . Mr Wheeler said urgent action is needed to turn things around. “Reports that the club has not been making pension contributions for staff and players are deeply concerning, as is the level of debt the club is carrying, including to HMRC,” he said in a statement. He went on to say that the current situation is ‘untenable’ and ‘urged everyone involved to put the interests of the fans of this proud club first, they deserve better'. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has also got involved, saying he’s ready to ‘play his part’ in ‘changing the ownership’ at the crisis-hit club. Connor from the 1873 group said the club may have to deal with the immediate potential threat of losing Super League status. “Super League clubs get a huge amount of central destruction from the Sky TV deal and the RFL each year which ultimately props the club up in terms of it’s the biggest source of revenue the club gets, so if you take that off the table then it’s a real tricky situation financially. “Initially losing Super League status is a massive negative, but ultimately if the situation is managed correctly it allows the club to resolve its debt issue to some degree, to bring in owners with genuine interest and capital that want to help the club. “You can quickly see how many over a three to five year period it may end up being in the longer term being one of the best things that could happen to the club. “But it needs to be managed in the correct way, it can't be managed in the same way it has, otherwise the club will continue to spiral, there needs to be an intervention, but it needs to be the right intervention.” He also added that fan involvement in the potential future ownership of the club could help to prevent a situation like this from happening again. “Moving forward fan ownership is one thing to look at, personally I don’t think it would truly work, but there needs to be some element of fan representation, certainly on the board of the club, however that looks.” The ownership of Salford Red Devils released a statement earlier in August , saying they understand the frustration at the situation, and are working to turn things around. “We understand the frustration many fans feel. But we want to be clear: Salford Red Devils will not close,” they said. “We have consistently met wage obligations under difficult conditions and continue to tackle over £3m in inherited debt. “Your patience and support are deeply appreciated as we work to return SRD to its rightful position in the sport.” They added: “Chronic underfunding - exacerbated by average attendance figures of approximately 4,000 - has left the club in a state of prolonged financial stress. “This is not a reflection on any former ownership, but rather a systemic issue we are determined to resolve. Our focus remains firmly on long-term solvency and stability.”