Saint or Sinner?
As a young boy I could hear the noise from the Willows all the way to where we lived on Light Oaks Road. My Uncle George was the only person I know who attended the last final Salford were in, which was 1969.
Fast forward to 2019 and fifty years in which the club has been on the edge of financial cliff and for some strange reason not very popular with other clubs and we will be in the Grand Final on 12th October 2019, a date that will long stick in the Salford fans minds.
To be honest I have been fairly absent during recent seasons, mainly due to other comitments with the boys. What strikes me though about this group of professionals is the attention to detail, the desire to win and the willingness to go the extra mile. The last few years have seen a steady ship in terms of Ian Watson and Mr Koukash(even though he parted company a couple of seasons ago) and the supporters foundation.
What it proves is that good stewardship with finances, a determined Head Coach and a group of players looking to prove the World wrong is a recipe for success when co ordinated and driven.
If you take this sporting success(win or lose next week) into a business model, then there is a considerable amount that people can learn from this model. Not everyone has to be a superstar, but what keeps this working is the glue of comradeship, a willingness to put your body on the line for your teammates. In our industry people are more likely to throw you under a bus than see an opportunity to join"Their Brothers in Arms".
The example set by Salford has had a massive impact on the City, the people and most of all the RFL teams that play in our wonderful"Dirty Old Town". Bring on next week and a group of very proud Mums and Dads as they watch their boys participate in the greatest Final in the World as ballboys. Salford Junior Roosters Under 12's wont let us down, but its hard to see how they will deal with a win, but we can dream.
The boys are proudly sponsored by Franki Foundations and Goliath Tech and the investment has been worth every penny to see the boys develop every year. Plant the seeds and watch them grow, we will be the the team through thick and thin and hopefully one day we will see them appear in a Grand Final.