Activites, Sport and Leisure

Rugby league

Salford's very own Super League rugby league team, Salford Red Devils, outgrew their home at The Willows and have moved to the new state of the art AJ Bell Stadium. Salford is also home to Swinton Lions, they play their home games at Heywood Road, in Sale.

Rugby union

The stadium is now also home to the region's premier rugby union side, Sale Sharks so there's plenty of sporting action whichever code you favour. Rugby is a real family sport so why not bring everyone down to cheer on our local sides? 

More than this, the AJ Bell Stadium is also a community stadium designed to be used by residents and visitors alike. There are two community outdoor pitches, one grass and one artificial surface, changing rooms, and 600 spaces for car parking. A banqueting suite that can accommodate 750 people means that the stadium is the perfect choice for events, conferences and even weddings. 

Salford City Football Club

Salford City Football Club are our professional football club. They are famously owned by the former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and David Beckham, known as the Class of '92. They play at the Peninsula Stadium in Salford.

Salford has it's very own collection of leisure centres across the city. With a choice of eight leisure centres and six swimming pools you've no excuse not to get active!

The city has centres at Broughton, Irlam and Cadishead, Clarendon, Eccles, Swinton and Pendlebury, Ordsall, Worsley and in Kersal at the Salford Sports Village. They all offer a wide range of facilities, including state of the art health and fitness suites with the best resistance and cardio-vascular gym equipment available.

There's a massive choice of activities available to participate in at the leisure centres, with great courts, pitches and facilities. Choose from squash, basketball, football, badminton and karate to name just a few.

Trained instructors can also put you through your paces, with some great fitness classes on offer for all ages and abilities. Classes include spinning, aerobics, boxercise, circuit training as well as more slow paced work outs such as tai-chi or yoga.

Find your nearest leisure centre and discover what's on offer.

If you're looking for some 'me' time and fancy a bit of well-earned rest and relaxation, then Salford is well equipped to meet all your needs. Whether it's a couple of hours or a weekend break, a spa visit is the perfect way to unwind.

There are some great spas in the city, offering some relaxing and unique treatments and the very best in pampering techniques from head to toe. So leave your cares at the door and step inside one of Salford's tranquil spas.

Spa of Senses

Why not visit the luxurious Spa of Senses at Marriott Worsley Park Hotel & Country Club and enjoy blissful relaxation in this country oasis? There are classes available, plus a range of treatments including body scrub & wraps, facial treatments, fitness counselling, manicures/pedicures and massages, plus try out the lap pool and steam room.

The Lowry Hotel

The exclusive spa at The Lowry Hotel offers rejuvenation of  your body and soul in an innovative urban spa right in the heart of the city. It combines the highest quality products with expert service and offers highly exclusive and unique therapies. Take time out with a drink in the relaxation rooms and sauna and enjoy signature treatments and beauty essentials.

La Bonita Spa

The new La Bonita Spa in Walkden has professional and friendly staff offering a wide range of holistic and beauty treatments in a warm and inviting environment where you can relax. There's a luxurious lounge area to accommodate customers enjoying pamper days and half pamper days. Treatments on offer include reflexology, aromatherapy massages, hot stone therapy and hopi ear candles.

If you are looking to tee off and enjoy a round of golf, you'll have to go a fairway to beat the great range of courses on offer in Salford.

Salford has six golf courses to drive, chip, putt or even hack your way around, perfect for a leisurely game, improving your handicap or spoiling a good walk, whichever your preference.

The Marriott Worsley Park Hotel & Country Club course, is the city's premier course and a great challenge for all abilities. With 18 holes, over 6,611 yards with a course par of 71 it is a well designed, picturesque course of challenge tour standard. There's also a driving range and putting green.

Ellesmere Golf Club 
A members club course measuring 6238 yards and a testing par 70 providing some interesting holes through mature trees. There's also great practice facilities, with a 330 yard practice ground, pitching area, chipping / bunker green, practice net and putting green.

Worsley Golf Club
Plays over 6235 yards and a par 71 through picturesque countryside settings close to the Bridgewater Canal. This members club has a long tradition stretching back to 1894 and is still very popular with locals. The club house features dining rooms, a pro shop and a balcony overlooking the 18^th green.

The Salford Watersports Centre at The Quays is a unique sporting venue which is well placed and perfect for taking to the water. Whether it's for fun or serious competition, Salford Watersports Centre is the place to head for.

Located on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, in Ontario Basin, a closed off, secure water space purposely created for the centre. This modern, purpose built building brings the best possible watersports coaching to the heart of Salford.

The centre offers a range of watersports and outdoor activities. From single taster sessions and weekend courses to six week sports specific courses for schools and youth groups which are all endorsed by national governing bodies. All equipment is provided where necessary, there are high quality showering and changing facilities with lockers. The venue also has a fully equipped conference room that is available for hire for meetings, training courses or conferences.

On the water, choose from sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, raftbuilding, wowballing or head indoors to test your strength on the climbing wall or crate challenge.

If you are coming to visit Salford, you can book in as a family or a group in advance at a session time to suit you.  Or you can come to one of our drop in sessions that run on a Saturday morning or Wednesday evening May to October.  See our website for details A number of watersports clubs are based at the centre and run year round programmes.

The Quays regularly hosts great events for all the family, including the Dragon Boat Race, the Two Cities University Boat Race between Salford and Manchester. The Quays also holds the annual British Gas Great Salford Swim and in the past has been the site of the national Aquathlon and Biathle Championships.

Contact details

15 The Quays
Salford
M50 3SQ

Telephone: 0161 877 7252

Salford Watersports Centre website

Facebook page.

If life on two wheels is your thing, then you'll find Salford is geared up to cater for cyclists of all ages and abilities. For ease, for the environment or for health issues, cycling is a great way to get around and perfect for discovering the city.

Explore West Salford on a bike with this cycle routes map:

• Cycle routes map for West Salford

You can now access interactive cycle maps for Salford and all the Greater Manchester region online at the TFGM Cycle website.

Looplines

Salford offers a network of paths and cycle routes throughout the city on the 'looplines'. These former railway lines have been transformed into public footpaths and cycle routes, perfect for leisure, enjoying the wildlife or even a traffic-free way of getting to work. The very gentle gradients make them ideal for cyclists, with many safe points of access. Once on the network of looplines, it is possible to travel for miles through Salford and on to neighbouring districts too. The loopline network links Worsley Woods, the Bridgewater Canal and Blackleach Country Park and runs through Little Hulton, Walkden, Worsley, Monton and Eccles.

Country Parks

As well as the looplines, there are also great cycling opportunities to enjoy at Salford's country parks. Both Blackleach and Clifton Country Park have a variety of cycle paths and routes around the parks, perfect for seeing the whole of the sites and getting a bit of exercise in the process.

Wheels for All

Cleavely athletic track in Winton is also a great place to head for if you're a keen cyclist as it is home to the Wheels for All centre. Offering the largest range of adapted cycles in the region which are available for use by disabled people of all ages. The centre is a safe area for groups and individuals to enjoy cycling, with staff on hand to provide instruction if necessary on how to use the bikes and free taster sessions.

In Town Without My Car

As well as all the designated cycle routes, Salford is also a city committed to developing cycle lanes along the major roads in the city to improve safety and access for all cyclists. Salford also actively supports 'In Town Without my Car', an annual event which takes place every September and promotes environmentally friendly commuting.

If fishing is your game and you're angling for a great catch, then get your tackle together and settle on the banks of one Salford's best fishing spots - but don't forget to buy a licence from the environment agency or from your local post office.

• Blackleach Country Park, John Street, Walkden.
  Tel: 0161-790 7746 or email [email protected]
• Boothstown Marina, Boothstown, Worsley.
• Brindleheath Lagoons, next to Cobden Street Tip, Salford.
• Clifton Country Park, Clifton House Road, Clifton.
  Tel: 0161-793 4219 or email [email protected]
• Salford Watersports Centre, Salford Quays.

If you know of any other great places to fish in Salford let us know.

Angling clubs

Boathouse Angling Society fish at The Old River Course in Irlam.

Contact: Bob Morris on 01204 796278 email: [email protected]

Broughton Angling Club (Juniors) use Bowker Dale, Ashenhurst Reservoir, Middlewood Scout Camp (Boothstown), Sinnester and Roach View.
Contact: Dave Pickard on 07799 305141 email: [email protected]

Swinton & Pendlebury Anglers Club use Queensmere Lodge in Clifton.
Contact: Bob Docherty  Tel: 0161 727 8913

The above clubs are affiliated to Salford Sports Council. 

Fishing tackle and bait suppliers

Fishing Republic
19, Rutland St, Swinton, M27 6AU 
Tel: 0161 794 8001

Freshwater Angling Suppliers
415 Chorley Road, Swinton, M27 9UQ
Tel: 0161 793 6805

Swinton Angling Centre
57, Worsley Rd, Swinton, M27 5NE 
Tel: 0161 7942784

Worsley Angling Centre
40 Worsley Road North, Worsley, M28 3GW
Tel: 0161 799 9248

British Bait Supplies 
Sterling House, 692, Bolton Rd, Pendlebury, M27 6EL 
Tel: 0161 7284400