“I started at 10 years old…now I’m 72 and I’m still playing!” – Salford Red Devils exhibition opens at Ordsall Hall

A two-month pop up Salford Red Devils exhibition has opened at Ordsall Hall.

The Salford Red Devils exhibition has a range of memorabilia from the history of rugby in the city and is open for the public to see from Sunday-Thursday up until December 12th.

A range of old kits, trophies, photos and posters are on display for visitors to explore.

The project is being run by the Salford Red Devils Foundation, who will have a member present at all times to explain the memorabilia on show.

George Tapp, 72, is a trustee at the Foundation and is present to walk visitors around the hall, explaining the different pieces on show.

He said: “People should just come down and enjoy it. We have pieces dating back from the 1930’s and even some before that.

“The hall is a fantastic venue, we would have liked to do more outside with the Grand Final and World Cup and greatly involve the junior teams, but we’re proud of what we have produced.”

The exhibition is closed on Friday’s to allow visits from school children, who will be able to get their hands on ornaments such as a rainmaker all the way from New Zealand.

Tapp sees exhibitions like this one as important for getting the next generation involved in the sport, which he himself has been involved with for over 60 years.

He said: “Football’s all over the television, and rugby is a bit more isolated but when children get to know the rules and get involved in it they’re interested for life.

“I started at 10 years old and now I’m 72 and I’m still playing!”

The exhibition takes in a timeline feature, starting at the earliest pre-war era for the club moving on to the current day, even featuring kit from last year’s Challenge Cup Final against Leeds Rhinos.

A model of the old Red Devils ground The Willows is on display, which is entirely made of matchsticks and took seven years for a Red Devils fan to build.

The exhibition was originally scheduled to be about the Rugby World Cup, but due to this being cancelled it provided the opportunity for the hall to celebrate rugby in the city.