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Brian Kennedy at Edgeley Park, home of Sale Sharks

BK Interview In The Daily Telegraph: 'My Commitment To Sale Is Inscribed In Stone'

Wednesday, March 3rd 2010

In an exclusive interview with Mick Cleary of The Daily Telegraph, Sale Sharks owner Brian Kennedy said his commitment to Sale Sharks is 'Inscribed In Stone'.

Brian Kennedy, the Sale owner, has admitted that his faith in establishing rugby in the North West had been shaken by recent experiences and that the prospect of relegation had given him sleepless nights.

Kennedy, though, pledged his continuing commitment to the club despite seven successive losses.

Kennedy, who has spent £13 million of his own money in backing Sale and Stockport County Football Club, cut short a skiing holiday in the United States to address coaches and players on Monday after their most recent setback, a whopping 47-3 defeat at Gloucester.

The 2006 Premiership champions are now level on points with the league's bottom club, Leeds, to whom they lost at home 12 days ago.

"Of course, you have doubts," Kennedy said. "It's very difficult to continue to pour money into an organisation that continues to lose money. We're in a bit of a trough and it would be disingenuous to say that you weren't disappointed by results and a bit disenchanted about the amount of money you're pumping in.

"Relegation would create an issue. Relegation has never made sense to me in terms of trying to build a side from academy roots. These are tough times. Every club goes through them. Now it's our turn."

Kennedy has been a vibrant, involved, hard-nosed backer of Sale. The great push to bring rugby to the masses of Cheshire and beyond has had limited success. Those who have put up with the spartan surroundings of Edgeley Park, with its gluepot pitch, have been tremendously loyal. Crowds hover around 7-8,000, a long way below the break-even benchmark of 12,000.

Kennedy, for all the hardship and heartache, will stay loyal to the cause. He has no intention either of ditching head coach Kingsley Jones, who was promoted from assistant when Philippe Saint-André headed to Toulon at the end of last season.

"Our results and performances do not currently reflect the fact that Kingsley is a good man and a rugby scholar who I believe will be a top director of rugby," Kennedy said.

"I gathered everyone together on Monday and told them that I just want to see us playing decent rugby and competing. If we play like we have in the last few games then we will go down.

"I'd be very surprised if Kingsley does not manage to turn it round, so too this group of players. The squad is as harmonious as it's ever been. This is a formative year for us and we've got to gird loins and work our way through it."

Sale are in a tailspin. On Sunday they entertain the Premiership's form side, Northampton, and their coach Jim Mallinder, who was deemed too nice a guy to get homely Sale achieving the top honours achieved quickly by his successor, Saint-André.

When the Frenchman packed his bags, so did several other high-profile players such as France forward Sébastien Chabal, who left for Racing Métro, and All Black centre Luke McAlister, who returned to New Zealand. Club captain Dean Schofield is following Saint-Andre to Toulon. Jones has had to make do and mend.

"Philippe is an honourable man," Kennedy said. "We couldn't afford the players. If we could, we would. We've spent every penny of the £4 million salary cap. My commitment to Sale, though, is inscribed in stone."