Salford City Reds now has until February 4th, or four weeks, to get its financial act together as the Winding Up Petition brought by ex players Luke Pattern and Vinnie Anderson, plus now the taxman, or HMRC, was again adjourned.
The players are owed £60,000, according to statements made at the Forever Reds Public Meeting last month (see here), while the HMRC is believed to be owed £291,000. The Petition was postponed to see if the latest investment talks surrounding the club are successful.
Salford City Reds has put out a statement confirming possible new owners…
"Salford City Reds can confirm that the result of this morning's court hearing was a further adjournment until Monday 4th February 2013" it read "This additional time has been granted following careful consideration of the current position regarding new investment into the business.
"All concerned parties agreed that there was a real possibility that a positive conclusion could be reached" it added "and that this would be preferable to the execution of the lodged winding up petition against Salford Football Club 1914 Ltd."
Reds Chairman John Wilkinson also confirmed `ongoing negotiations'…
"Everyone is working every available hour to ensure that the on-going negotiations progress forward into an outcome that secures the future success of the Salford Rugby League Club" he said "We appreciate what a stressful time this is for staff, players and supporters and thank you all for your patience and understanding.
"What today's ruling provides is the time needed to secure the investment and we are grateful for the opportunity to do so" he added "One thing is foremost in our minds - Salford's rugby club must continue for the fans of today to enjoy and for the generations of fans to come."
Yesterday, Salford Reds played the first friendly of the season, against local rivals Swinton Lions, and won 52-12 but on the Salford Reds fans forum, supporters have expressed disappointment with the turnout of only 1,811 people.
* Photo shows the Main Stand, which was the only side of the Salford City Stadium open when the Reds played Swinton Lions yesterday