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Brain Kennedy vows to support Sale Sharks

BK's Vow To Sale Sharks

Tuesday, March 9th 2010

SALE SHARKS owner Brian Kennedy has reassured the club he will continue to bankroll them if they suffer what he terms the `catastrophe' of relegation from the Guinness Premiership.

Sunday's 15-7 defeat to Northampton pushed the Sharks to the foot of the table for the first time in their history with just seven games left.

However, Kennedy who oversaw Sale's dramatic rise to being crowned English champions four years ago, reiterated his long-term commitment and backing would remain even if they were to drop into the Guinness Championship.

"If the worst was to happen and we did go down, my commitment to the club would not change," Kennedy insisted. "We've got to do everything in our power to avoid that as it would be a financial catastrophe.

"But if it did happen - and we don't want to even think about such a possibility - we need to all get together and say `How can we deal with it.'

How did Northampton deal with it? How did Leeds deal with it. And how can we deal with it?

"And then we would move on and fight another day.”

Aside from the huge financial implications of relegation, the fear for many fans is that next season's new stadium criteria for the Guinness Premiership stipulate grounds need to have a 12,000 capacity – 1,800 above Edgeley Park's current ceiling.

The Wilmslow-based multi-millionaire businessman hinted Sale were already working on a blueprint to meet that challenge.

“The stadium capacity would be another concern if we got relegated,” Kennedy conceded. “If we want to be here long-term, we need better facilities. So perhaps it would just accelerate the need to address that situation.”

This exclusive interview by Neil Leigh was featured in the Manchester Evening News on Tuesday 9th March 2010.