Reds Back in Action

The Reds are back in action after their winter break this Sunday with the derby fixture against local rivals Swinton Lions.

Karl Harrison’s men will be looking to dust off the cobwebs before they jet off to the USA for their warm-weather training camp.

Harrison had initially planned to name a young squad to take on the Lions but now concedes it may be difficult not to play some of his more senior stars.

“They’re chomping at the bit to get going so my line-up may well be more experienced than I initially expected”, he said.

Fans will be looking forward to see former Wigan starlets Luke Robinson and David Hodgson for the first time, while Ian Sibbitt and Stuart Dickens could well play some part.

The Reds’ Down Under contingent are due to arrive on these shores on New Year’s Eve so Harrison will assess their fitness before making any decisions, but it is unlikely they will be risked.

Young starlet Tim Hartley is also set to miss out after damaging a hamstring in pre-season training. Football Director Steve Simms said: “We won’t be risking players carrying knocks at this stage of things.”

Fans are advised that admission is £10 (£5 conc) and all seating is unreserved and is on a first come first served basis.

Recruit and Be Rewarded

And you thought Find-A-Fan was just for during the season? Shame on you! Here’s the deal, if you are a Salford City Reds Season Ticket holder (or will be for 2005!) we want you to do a bit of recruiting!

If you introduce a new Season Ticket holder (ie someone who is verified by the club database as not having a season ticket in 2004) we’re offering you a special “Money Can’t Buy” reward for your stirling work on our behalf.

The first 100 Season Ticket holders who introduce a new purchaser will earn the chance to have their photograph taken with the 2005 squad at the official team photograph session.

Normally, this event is of course closed to the public and only open to invited members of the press and media, but we reckon we can allow our “Top 100” sales staff the chance to attend and get a special memento for their efforts.

Are you up to the challenge? We’ll need all the relevant contact information for you and your recruit (Name, Address, Telephone, E-mail, Date of Birth etc) at the time of purchase and providing you are amongst the first 100 to respond (regardless of ticket type – adult, junior, concessionary etc) we’ll be inviting you down to our pre-season photo call.

Still reading this? What are you waiting for? Get out there and persuade your friends and family to get their tickets NOW!

Reds face Tough Opener

Salford City Reds will open their 2005 Super League campaign with a tough trip to the JJB to face the Wigan Warriors on Friday 11 February.

The Reds open their season at The Willows a week later with a Round 2 clash against the Broncos before making the short-trip to former NL1 rivals the Leigh Centurions to round off the Month.

March starts with a difficult run against Hull FC, St Helens and Leeds Rhinos before concluding against the Wolves and the Giants.

For the first time April will see Round 4 of the Powergen Challenge Cup which this year culminates at the end of August.

Reds fans will also be anticipating their second away visit to the Centurions to conclude the regular season on 18 September – a game which may well be vital to both team’s fortunes and final league position

Reds Smash Season Ticket Record

Salford City Reds have announced that sales of Season Tickets are up an astounding 300% on the same week last year.

Last week saw the biggest ever week of sales of Season Tickets in the club’s history and last Saturday was the single best ever day for sales by a huge margin.

CEO David Tarry said: “We’d like to thank our supporter’s for their amazing loyalty this season. It seems our Early Bird offer has really hit a chord with the fans and been a huge success. We can’t wait to see them when Friday Night Football starts once more at The Willows.

“We have sold as many Season Tickets now now as by the start of last season and we hope to carry these sales on right up to Super League X.”

Tarry also revealed that retail sales in the club’s popular shop were up by 25% on last season.

Meanwhile, there are only a few days left on the Season Ticket early bird discount offer, so make sure you don’t miss out!

We’re in the process of putting together our media launch day for next year, and if you want to sneak a peak behind the scenes as to exactly what goes on, AS WELL as having your photo taken with the 2005 squad, don’t forget there’s still chance to introduce a new season ticket holder and become one of only 100 people to earn this “Money Can’t Buy” offer.

Places are beginning to dwindle and we suspect a little healthy competition is emerging with some people managing to introduce 2 or 3 new ticket holders – you know who you are – and don’t be surprised if we do something extra special to thank you for your efforts!

New Shirt on Sale Now

The new Salford City Reds away kit is now available for purchase in the club shop.

New signings Luke Robinson and David Hodgson were on hand to sign shirts and balls as the Reds launched their 2005 Alternative strip.

From Wednesday we will have a full range of sizes available from 0-2 years to 4XL* – but if you want to be sure to get your shirt before then, why not pop into the Reds’ retail outlet or give us a call on 0161-736-6564.

The first new shirt was sold at 9.01am and by 10 o’clock the players were busy signing merchandise for fans old and young alike.

Remember, if you’re looking for Christmas presents we also have a full range of 2005 Season training gear now available, featuring the new main club sponsor – The Trafford Centre.

*Please note: Children’s sizes are unavailable until Wednesday due to the shipment being held up at customs.