Manchester set to get rugby league club – but Swinton likely to disappear

MANCHESTER is set to get a rugby league team it can call its own – but Swinton will disappear from the landscape.

But the man behind the scheme insists he is not throwing away more than 150 years of history.

Andy Mazey believes changing the team’s name to Manchester Lions for 2020 is the only way of stopping the club withering and dying.

SunSport has learned the Championship side will adopt their new title from next season.

And Mazey insists the fans he has spoken to back the rebrand – as they know the consequences if they do not.

Confirmation is expected in the next fortnight and talks with Rugby Football League chiefs have cleared the way. They will still play at Sale RU’s Heywood Road ground.

“It’s pretty much pushing an open door,” said Mazey. “Manchester is an opportunity for the sport that it’s never really tapped into.

“It’s a massive opportunity in the area and towns which are untapped by rugby league.

“There’s also the new TV deal coming up in 2021. We have to be in a good position and we’ll be able to start looking at bigger and better things.

“Existing sponsors say we can do a lot more as a Manchester club and even previous sponsors say we would be much more attractive.

“We spoke to the RFL about where the sport is heading and the general feeling is that if you’re not contributing, you’re going to be left behind.

“We’re a historic club but that doesn’t pay the bills.

“The feedback was surprisingly positive, about 80 per cent would go for it as they understand where we are.”

Swinton were formed in 1866 and have won the championship six times – the last in 1963-64 – and the Challenge Cup three times, the last coming in 1928.

But they have had a nomadic existence since selling their Station Road ground in 1992.

And Mazey is adamant they will not lose links with the area they call home, a suburb of Salford next to Manchester, despite their forthcoming name change.

He added: “The Swinton name will not be completely vanishing.

“There’s no way the board will let the history and heritage go and we’re working on enhancing that in the area.

“But Swintonians identify themselves as Mancunians more than as Salfordians and we’ve not played in Swinton for 27 years now.

“Of course there will be some resistance and we’ve resisted a number of people looking to merge us with other clubs but the club has to be able to move forward.”