Salford Red Devils Liquidated Over £4M Debts

London's Insolvency and Companies Court ordered the liquidation of the Salford Red Devils on Wednesday, ending the 152-year history of the storied rugby league club amid mounting debts exceeding £4 million.

The one-minute hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice finalized a winding-up petition initially filed in June by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs over an unpaid tax bill of approximately £700,000. The case had been adjourned four times previously to allow the club time to settle its obligations, but no payment was made, and the club was not represented in court. Officials confirmed the debts included broader financial liabilities that had plagued the organization for months.

The Salford Red Devils, based at the council-owned Salford Community Stadium which they shared with Premiership rugby union side Sale Sharks, had faced severe financial distress throughout the year. A consortium led by Swiss businessman Dario Berta, chief executive of investment bank Matanel, took over the club in February in an effort to stabilize it. However, the new ownership struggled to meet payroll deadlines on multiple occasions, leading to the resignation of several senior figures and a mass...