Salford Red Devils made history last night by beating Wigan to win a place in Saturday October 12ths rugby league grand final at Old Trafford. This will be the first appearance in a Super League final for Eccles based Salford who are the first team apart from the illustrous Wigan from Greater Manchester to make it this far. This caps off a fairytale season for Australian captain Jackson Hastings in his final appearance before a transfer to Yorkshire rivals Castleford. Salford were the original Red Devils, dubbed ‘Les Diablos Rouges’ after a 1930s tour of France, with Manchester United borrowing the nickname in later years.
Rugby League was formed along class lines in 1895 when northern pit and mill town players demanded compensation for the time needed off work to train – amateurism was a virtue reserved only for those that could afford it in well heeled areas of the south.
Tickets are on sale now and fans of all clubs will attend and mix freely.