Marwan on Mersey mission

FORMER Salford owner Marwan Koukash believes he can launch a professional club in Liverpool by 2021. Koukash is part of a three-man consortium looking to form the new club, along with Widnes businessman Luke Backhouse – who had been linked with a takeover of the Vikings – and St Helens-based Andrew Mikhail, who has managed boxer Martin Murray. Koukash handed over control of the Red Devils in January last year after an eventful five seasons in charge of the Super League club, writing off the debts that it owed him.

The trio say they are in talks with the local council about building a stadium in the Sefton area of the city.

Koukash said: “I’m a great believer in big brands and I think it would be fantastic to have a team like Liverpool playing a team like Leeds on television. That would have a massive influence on people because, while St Helens v Wigan was a fantastic game, people automatically think it’s a town sport.

“There is a lot of groundwork to be done but we intend to do it from ground zero.

“We’re open to starting in League One, or the alternative maybe is we are told by the Rugby Football League that it might be easier to buy an existing club and re-brand it.”

Koukash has previously expressed an interest in launching a new team in Cumbria, but those plans were dropped.