THE Super League season is over for the Salford City Reds, but the biggest prize of all is still within their grasp.

Club bosses are now anxiously waiting to see if the Government will finally give the go-ahead to the Reds' é30m new stadium project at Barton.

Chairman John Wilkinson and his fellow directors are optimistic of a positive result, and could even hear something later this week.

To deny Salford such an opportunity would be a crushing blow. Not only would it harm rugby league, it would deny the city the chance to provide its community with a landmark sporting centre of excellence.

Under Wilkinson's guidance, the Reds have been and continue to be great ambassadors for the game, and much good has come from what has been a vital season.

Survival was everything to the City Reds. And while many believed that Karl Harrison would be embroiled in a relegation battle, the coach's own ambitious sights were fixed on a top six finish.

And the Reds made the play-offs for the first time by finishing fifth, a tremendous achievement in itself.

The so-called experts labelled the Reds cannon fodder, relegation certainties and, in some cases, no-hopers. But the players vowed to put their bodies on the line and they used the comments as the perfect motivational tool.

Honest

A crushing opening day win at Warrington sent out a warning, and the Reds gained even more local bragging rights with two emphatic victories over Wigan - including a Challenge Cup triumph.

They were also one of the few teams to push star-studded St Helens to the limit.

In Harrison, they have a fine coach who pulls no punches and is a honest as the day is long.

He can be tough and uncompromising but is the man who can continue the club's upward trend.

Football Director Steve Simms has also helped transform the club's fortunes, while Wilkinson's continued support is of paramount importance

Talented homegrown players are now coming through the ranks to make the future look even more rosy.

In David Hodgson, Andy Coley, Luke Robinson, Mal Alker and Karl Fitzpatrick, they have men who can match those in the ranks of wealthier rivals.

And with even more quality coming to the club in the off season, the club's loyal fans have plenty of reason to view the future in a positive light.

If the Reds do move to Barton, Super League literally becomes a whole new ball game, the club's status will be transformed and the stage will be set for Salford to be a major player.

Barton is not a fantasy on the part of Chairman Wilkinson. It is a reality for a lasting legacy of success.

And it is scheme that would guarantee Rugby League's survival in the area, at a time when too many of the sport's traditional heartlands have been allowed to fall by the wayside.

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