SAVE OUR SALFORD SUPPORT GROWS

"Whether you love Rugby League or not, we cannot afford to lose another piece of Salford heritage…"

Save Our Salford Fundraiser
Friday 4th January 7pm
St Boniface Social Club £5

Supporters of Salford City Reds have organised an almost sold out fundraiser to try and help rescue the rugby club which is in danger of going into administration if it fails to sort out a £60,000 winding up petition due to be heard on January 7th. Proceeds from the night will be going, not to the club's directors, but to the independent supporters group, Forever Reds.

Goole A.F.C 0 Salford City 0

DISAPPOINTING AMMIES MAKE GOOLE'S CHRISTMAS

Goole provided the stage for Salford City's second draw of the Christmas period, after keeper Ritchie Branagan pulled off a penalty save in the first half and a 90th minute block in the second half to preserve the Ammies unbeaten run.  Match report and photos by Gareth Lyons.

GOVERNMENT TO MAKE DECISION ON CARGO CRANES WITHIN THE WEEK

A report by English Heritage on whether to nationally list the blue Salford Quays Cargo Cranes and save them from demolition is now with the Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport and a decision is expected within the next week.

Here Alice Darlington gives a bit of a history on the Docks and explains why the one legged Cranes are so unique.

OVER 100 VICTIMS OF NAZI SALFORD BLITZ REMEMBERED AT AGECROFT AND PEEL GREEN

Members of the Friends of Salford Cemeteries Trust remembered the victims of German bombing during the Second World War at two events at Agecroft and Peel Green cemeteries on Sunday 23rd December.

During 2013 the Friends will be undertaking a twelve month research project to prepare for the centenary of the start of the First World War and are looking for people to get involved.

SALFORD FANS LEFT WITH MORE QUESTIONS AFTER FOREVER REDS MEETING

Salford City Reds fans met in Pendlebury last night to try and help save the ailing club but came away with more questions than answers about the way that Chairman John Wilkinson has handled the financial crisis.

Meanwhile, the Salford Star can reveal that the Mayor and his Deputy, plus the Chief Executive and Strategic Director resigned from the City of Salford Community Stadium Ltd days before the decision to give the Reds a further £750,000 loan was to be made.

DYLAN TAKES ON THE WORLD FOR SALFORD 

Twelve year old Thai Boxing champion Dylan Bowen-Booth, who has been training at the Evolve Gym in Ordsall, is already well on his way to becoming a world champion. Steven Speed meets the potential combat king…

Radcliffe Borough 1 Salford City 1

SALFORD GRAB DERBY POINT

For the first time in six matches, Salford City's game wasn't weather postponed and a pulsating derby against Radcliffe ended with the points being shared. The ring rusty Ammies are now back in business and hopefully will start moving up the league, with a zillion games in hand.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE SALFORD STAR

The Salford Star would like to wish all its readers a very happy holidays...

...may your 2013 burst with attitude and love xxx

THE SALFORD LOT ARE BACK AS HOOKY DOES JOY DIVISION

Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division
By Peter Hook £20 (Hardback)

`No. We're not fucking Nazis. We're from Salford'

If Peter Hook's first book, The Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club, was a total page turning clubbing and financial car crash, the follow up book, Unknown Pleasures, is the story of the emotional car crash that was Joy Division.

It comes complete with Salford roots, the un-deified Ian Curtis and real car crashes. Plus, the return of the Salford lot. Not be missed!

BEXLEY SQUARE TOWN HALL AND MANCHESTER AIRPORT FLOGGED OFF

The end of Salford's world is nigh as more and more of the city gets sold off or demolished. This week, in secret, Salford Council has agreed to `dispose' of the listed former Town Hall building at Bexley Square, while joining nine other Greater Manchester councils in flogging off some of its stake in Manchester Airport - to Australian finance speculators, we believe…

SALFORD STAR MAGNIFICENT MUGS ONLY SIX QUID

The Salford Star has just received a small batch of shiny new mugs, in stunning Salford City tangerine. Now anyone can have a morning brew `with attitude and love xxx'…

1% CUT IN SALFORD COUNCIL SPENDING FROM ERIC PICKLES

Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, announced that Salford City Council is to get a 1% cut in its funding for 2013/14 – the lowest in Greater Manchester, which averaged around 2%.

The ConDem Government cut still represents around £2.5million wiped off next year's budget, on top of £38million that will be slashed over the next two financial years 2013-2015, and at a time when, with recession and the forthcoming universal credits, public services are needed more than ever…

FOR THE BBC MEDIA CITY WORKER WHO HAS EVERYTHING…

Multi-Media
By Mike Scantlebury

Salford's MediaCityUK features in its first crime mystery novel, as real locations, real attitudes and real people (names changed, like BBC head honcho `David Fish') interweave in a plot that creeps from Media City and the Quays, to Salford Lads Club to The Crescent, and sees its denouement at The Lowry.

A perfect gift for the BBC worker who has everything – and a perfect prezzy for loads of Salfordians and culture pseuds who might just recognise themselves breezing, screaming, stabbing and shooting their way through its pages…

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR SALFORD STAR MARY BURNS AWARDS

Salford Mayor Ian Stewart, outgoing Salford Council Leader John Merry, Peel Holdings, Urban Splash, Salford City Reds…the nominations are now open for the Salford Star Mary Burns Awards 2012.

These prized annual awards, now in their sixth year, are given out to honour the most deserving individuals and organisations in the city for their stupid statements, dodgy dealings and iffy activities over the past 12 months. With the online ceremony set for January get your nominations in now!

REDS NEED £600K BEFORE SEASON KICKS OFF – AND PRIMARY SCHOOL AND HEALTH CENTRE TO BE BUILT ON THE WILLOWS

`I came out of that meeting like I had just been to a funeral and gone to a wake' Reds supporter

SALFORD PEOPLE CAN NOW NOMINATE `ASSETS OF COMMUNITY VALUE'

Salford Mayor, Ian Stewart, will today rubber stamp a new government Act that will mean groups in Salford will be able to nominate virtually any land or building in the city as `assets of community value'.

While the Act is absolutely toothless, except for groups with access to loads of money, it might at least stop deals to sell off heritage happening behind closed doors. Buile Hill Park Mansion, anyone?

NIGEL WALKER SALFORD ART – ORIGINALS AND PRINTS

Available from Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Prices £10 - £6000

Looking for something totally unique for a Christmas present? Get down to the Salford Museum and Art Gallery on the Crescent, where, as part of Nigel Walker's brilliant exhibition of Salford art, virtually every painting is on sale as either an original, limited edition print or poster, to suit everyone's pocket…

FIVE SALFORD STAR T-SHIRTS FOR SALE

Despite being completely sold out of Salford Star t-shirts, our supplier has found five specimens in his bottom draw, which we're putting up for Christmas sale on a first come first serve basis. They're only £6 plus £1 postage or free delivery in Central Salford.

LONG TERM UNEMPLOYED GET FREE TRAVEL IN JANUARY

Long term unemployed people in Greater Manchester are to get free travel on certain bus routes and trams throughout January `in a bid to help them find work or access training'.  All they have to do is produce a Job Centre Plus Travel Discount Card. But Salford Council Assistant Mayor for Transport, Roger Jones, believes that scheme should be made permanent.

CYCLING AROUND SALFORD  

Bikeability
January and February 2013 free

Breeze is a national programme to get more women cycling for fun and it's about to start up in Salford in the New Year with free courses in Winton Park, and rides happening all over the city. If Santa brings you a bike this could well change your life for the better…

SALFORD iPHONE, iPAD and iPOD NET REPAIR BUSINESS GOES NATIONAL

A web business begun in Salford for people looking for a local repair service to sort broken iPads, iPhones, iPods and Macs has gone national. The iTechnician site specialises in Apple devices and puts users in instant touch with someone who can fix anything from broken screens to knackered batteries and headphone jacks.

30% BLACK CAB INCREASE WITH NO NEW RANKS SAY DRIVERS

Since deregulation of Salford's hackney carriages three years ago, there's been a thirty per cent increase in cabs but no proper new ranks. Now, with the old Salford Precinct rank closed and an unsuitable replacement `horseshoe' rank in place, drivers are going public with their concerns…

MOCHA BULLDOZED AND NO SOCIAL HOUSING IN LATEST LOWER BROUGHTON PHASE

Countryside Properties' latest plans for Lower Broughton will see Mocha Parade and the Wrestling Academy bulldozed, and no social housing built.

In this latest phase of its partnership with Salford City Council, Countryside states in its planning application "It was a key aspiration of the Development Agreement to significantly reduce the proportion of affordable housing and this scheme will help achieve that aspiration".

SALFORD COUNCIL RUGBY RESCUE SHOCK!

Today, despite a rescue bid put together by Salford Council officers for Salford City Reds rugby club, Mayor Ian Stewart's Mayoral Team rejected the plan on the basis of its financial viability.

A Salford Star Exclusive

ENGLISH HERITAGE ASSESSES QUAYS CARGO CRANES

Despite Salford Mayor, Ian Stewart, passing a decision to demolish the blue Salford Quays Cargo Cranes recently, English Heritage is currently assessing the historic dock remnants as new evidence emerges on their unique value.

PICO THE COMEDY CAR WASH SPONGE PLUS DARK ANARCHY FROM DAVIES AND JOWETT AT THE BLACK LION

Davies and Jowett's Christmas Jumble Sale
18-21st December 7:45pm
Black Lion £8/£6 or 4 tickets for £25

Dark humour and puppets with mouths like sewers will please an audience who like their Christmas fun, dark, anarchic and alternative. With a new revue from Adam Davies and James Jowett, of Slaughterhouse infamy, plus female comedy duo Saints of Humour, and topped off with Pico the carwash sponge and friends, it's going to be a wicked three nights…

HALLELUJAH FOR SALFORD CHORAL

Salford Choral Society Christmas Concert
Saturday 22 December 7.30pm
Royal Northern College of Music £15/£10

Salford Choral Choir performs its annual Christmas Concert this year with music by Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Bach and Handel. For this special festive concert, the audience is invited to singalong with carols. Plus there's a once in a lifetime chance to join in the Hallelujah Chorus without messing up the Messiah…

SAVE OUR NHS MARCH HITS MANC CITY CENTRE

Hundreds of anti-austerity marchers took to the Manchester streets yesterday in protest against the ConDem Government's sell off of the NHS, and cuts to the health service and beyond.

Speakers included representatives of USUC – the Salford campaigners against cuts to mental health services.

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD COUNCIL SET TO TAKE RUGBY CLUB LOANS AND PAYMENTS TO OVER £3MILLION

Having finally forced Salford City Reds to reveal its accounts, the Salford Star now believes that if Tuesday's £750,000 loan to the rugby club goes ahead, it will take Salford Council's support to the club in loans and payments to well over £3million – at a time when the Council is being forced to make cuts to public services and jobs.

A Salford Star Exclusive

NOW COMPANIES HOUSE GIVES NOTICE THAT SALFORD REDS COMPANY WHICH OWES £1MILLION TO SALFORD COUNCIL WILL BE DISSOLVED

In the latest horror show to emanate from Barton, Companies House, the Government body which regulates all companies in the UK, has issued a `Proposal to Strike Off', ie dissolve, the parent company of Salford City Reds, Salford Football Club Company (1914) Ltd. This is the company to which Salford Council has given a £1million loan.

COUNCIL PREPARING SALFORD REDS RESCUE DEAL IN TANGLED WEB OF LOANS AND DEALS

"There appears to be some creative financial manoeuvres here" Salford City Council legal adviser

It looks like Salford Council is preparing to bail out Salford City Reds rugby club again, following notice of a confidential decision to be made on December 11th, details of which have been leaked.

Here, the Salford Star reveals the financial web spinning around Salford Council, the rugby club and its directors. And how public money has been central to it all.