Red Devils prepare for all-new Super League season.

Super League’s new boys Salford City Reds can now begin planning for another bout in the top flight of Rugby League following the release of the newly formatted fixtures.

Last years National League champions, Salford, are back in the league following their successful application in June and are over the moon looking at Super League fixtures.

The Reds will be kicking off their campaign at home to fellow new comers Celtic Crusaders on Saturday the 14^th February 2009.

The fixture, set to be live on Sky, will be the first of 27 games under the new 13 home, 13 away, and 1 neutral game format.

It has also been confirmed that the Reds will be crossing the Northern border to play Harlequins for Rugby League's newly introduced Magic Weekend.

The match will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, on Saturday 2nd May at the world famous Murrayfield.

It will also be the first time Salford have ever played a competitive fixture that side of the border.

Following the announcement of the fixtures, on Monday 24^th November, the Red Devils wasted no time in preparing for the big kick-off just under three months away.

On hearing the fixtures chief executive David Tarry said: “It’s certainly going to be a busy three months preparing for the season.

“We’ll be preparing on and off the field. The manager can get the players in shape, they now have a focus to aim towards - and we’ll get all the nitty-gritty things sorted out behind the scenes.

“The fixtures give us an opportunity to win some games and gain some momentum so we’re happy with them.”

(Chief Executive - David Tarry)

The first four games against Celtic, Wakefield, Castleford and Harlequins give Reds fans plenty of hope and could get their season off to a flyer.

But the chief executive was quick to throw caution to the wind insisting he will give a better indication of where he thinks Salford will end up after the first eight games.

Tarry went on to say: “My favourite games are the ones that we win but we need to go out there and get that optimistic rash of maybe this is our year - but until eight games in it will be impossible to tell.”

“If they just happen go right then all of a sudden you’ve got a catalyst and things are going very well.

“But at the end of the day we are a professional sports club and we live or die on results.”

Elsewhere in the Willows and the sponsors were quick to pencil their names into the games they want with Wigan and Saint Helens just two of the big names coming to town.

Commercial Manager Andrew Bentham explained how the release of the fixtures means the Salford can now begin 2009’s sponsorship deals.

(Commercial Manager Andrew Bentham (left) and Bardon Aggregate area Manager Peter McClafferty (right))

He added: “Now that the fixtures have been set all last year’s sponsors and plenty of new ones will be keen to get their name re-associated with the club.

“From nine o’clock this morning the phone has never stopped ringing with some sponsors even coming to see me to get the big ties.”

It makes a massive difference for the Reds who now looking at Super League fixtures for at-least the next three years and they are back where one of rugby league’s arguably biggest clubs belongs.

And what is clear is from looking at the fixtures the Engage 2009 season could be one of the best in the history of rugby league.

So it will certainly be a busy Christmas behind the scenes at the Willows with the big kick-off just 72 days away.

To view Salford's Super League fixtures click here
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Additional Videos: Listen to Danny Huffman (left) head groundsman and Paul McNally (right) Marketing and Media Manager.