Owner Marwan Koukash rejects offer to re-locate Salford
Salford owner Marwan Koukash has rejected an offer to re-locate the club.
Koukash, who sought a wide-ranging review to combat dwindling attendances at the AJ Bell Stadium, said he considered radical proposals to either re-brand the club as Manchester or move out of the city but opted to maintain its tradition and heritage and says a new crest will have Salford at the top.
"I was presented with a number of alternatives, including financial incentives to move to other cities," Koukash said.
"But I bought the club as Salford and I have no authority to change it.
"I am only the custodian of the club and the club will always belong to the fans and the community."
Koukash, who saved the Super League strugglers from financial ruin in 2013 and shortly afterwards added the name Red Devils, has revealed the club lost £1.8million in 2014 but says the losses for this year dropped to just £300,000 and he confidently expects the club to break even in 2018.
"The losses are 15 per cent of what they were in 2014 so we have come a long way from those dark days," said Koukash.
"The new access road to the stadium will be open soon and there are sponsorship deals in the pipeline which will mean the club will not lose money next year as long as we can average crowds of around 4,500.
"If that happens, (head coach) Ian Watson will be able to spend the full salary cap and we will be able to build on this season's progress."
After avoiding relegation by the skin of their teeth in 2016, the Red Devils secured a top-eight finish this year and reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.
Second in the table to Castleford in June, Salford were unable to last the pace and they drew a Super League season-low attendance of 1,405 for their last match against Huddersfield but Koukash is hoping Wednesday's announcement will bring back the disillusioned fans, many of whom reacted angrily to suggestions of a name change.
"I hope keeping the name Salford will bring back the people who have deserted us," he added.
"The fans will definitely see a much better effort at marketing the club in future."