[urlhttp://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/rugby_league/s/1593251_neil-barker-why-no-news-is-bad-news-for-silent-salford[/url

Well said Neil Barker, you get some unnecessary flack sometimes but you've stated really what we're all thinking. The silence is deafening.

It's true typical Wilky fashion to keep the fans in the dark

I agree with barkers comment Wilky should walk .....

"International rugby league takes centre stage at Barton this Sunday for what should be a milestone occasion.

What better time to herald the dawn of a new era."

Could this be why it is so silent? A big announcement on the day for maximum impact and media attention? I seriously doubt it but you never know.

I’ve followed this subject closely now for some time and this is how I see the current situation. I could be completely wrong but I'll share my thoughts with you.

The Salford board speculated two years ago by increasing the player budget in an attempt to gain some momentum going into the new stadium. As we all know this didn’t make one iota of difference to increasing the clubs finances. As a result of this and less revenue streams at the new ground the club have got into a mess.

The Council and Peel having invested millions in a new stadium can’t afford Salford as a tenant to go bust and more importantly lose the SL licence. In my view all the stadium management’s calculations would have been based on two tenants that included Sale playing top flight rugby from day one.

It has been made very clear the existing board have offered to stand down and give away all their shares in return for investment that will keep the club alive. The problem I see is that Peel/council are not interested in owning or taking Salford Reds forward, but need Salford as a Superleague tenant to contribute over many years to pay back the multi million pound loan. Peel and the council will be well aware that if Salford lose the licence then television income, attendances, sponsorship and hospitality revenue will drop significantly and it just won’t be viable for Salford to pay the rent the SMC need to pay back the loan.

The silence I believe is due to the stadium owner’s reluctance to commit to investing in a club that has historically relied on benefactors for decades. The delays I think could be due to the stadium owners stalling in the hope another Investor will step forward.

The comment about the existing board just walking away now is nonsensical because that would inevitably lead to administration and a very long road back (if ever) for Salford City Reds. Surely the existing shareholders have to hold in there whilst there is hope and ongoing takeover talks?

The ball would appear to be very firmly in the court of the stadium management company owners from where I’m sitting.

On the subject of Neil Barker. Could his strong views be a result of him being made to look a bit silly due to him continually predicting announcements that never seem to materialise?

I saw this on MEN website this morning. Well said - but who is Neil Barker ?

Strange article.

Most of the time Barker's ramblings are just tired title tattle from off here. This article looks like a set of bullet points written by one of our language-challenged misanthropes who will undoubtedly re-appear on the forums once they read the article. It looks like someone else other than Barker wrote it. It's all over the place. In fact, if it was littered with mind-numbing spelling/grammar errors I'd have sworn it was one of our heroes off here who'd written it.

As for the subject, well I can't disagree with it too much. The Club should have either kept us all in the loop (As far as possible) or not said a thing. Drip-feeding us hints like 'Imminent', or 'ongoing talks' just makes fans focus on conjecture when nothing seems to materialize.

Getting a little bored of all of it to be honest...

It' me they are waiting for, I'm the new investor.

Iv'e just got to win the euro lottery, done it again for this Friday

Sorry about the delay

Barker's ability to repeat one very simple point cannot be questioned.

As you rightly said most of his articles are taken from gossip off here, and one thing we all must remember, anything that he writes, he does as a Journalist without establishing proper facts and therefore I think he has just built himself up for a fall.

I wont believe anything until it is set in stone and published on the clubs official website. (I know, which is always the last place to find anything out)

Journos are always frightened by a lack of comment:
look at the statements -

"Other clubs are again shaking their heads in disbelief at the latest Salford soap opera, starring the usual suspects."
Can he prove this? No

Note the inflammatory way it has been put. He's upset he cannot get the story he's being paid for . Tough

"The on-going delay in announcing details of the new investment is ridiculous."
In other words, "How dare they not make a statement so I can send in a story and so keep my job... it's so unfair!"

As for "And it seems Reds never do anything either easily or without self-enforced drama.

They are masters when it comes to self-destructing and equally good when it comes to being both insular and secretive."




If he has written this article, and I believe The butcher is correct as for the author, then I put it down to frustration at not being the prophet announcing Salford's new Messiah
(and if I owned Salford, I'd tell the RL papers and the Independent a day before the MEN)

The 'people' the butcher refers to would not praise in any way shape or form Wilky for keeping the club alive.

I personally think the Manchester Evening Comic isn't beyond stirring with some of articles in an effort to get more story lines from contributors to the Turkey.

I tend to put more stock on a twitter comment from a different journalist that it awaits nothing more than a signature.

Manchester Evening News' rugby league correspondant.

You must be related to Neil Barker in some way if you think that this recent excuse for an article was of any use to anybody.

He started the rumour's with assistance from his "friends" on the various forums,coupled with possible input from his "friends" who may be or used to be working for the club and he has continued to push his rubbish several times each week.

Just compare his output with any other sports journalist for content,actual new news stories and accuracy, don't forget that towards the end of last season the club did a real good deal in selling Dean Holdsworth to Hull FC.

His sports editor should be hauled up before the board of Trinity Newspaper Group and be asked to explain why he gets away with continually re-hashing the same story.