A little under two miles south of Salford City’s Moor Lane ground stands the imposing and iconic Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, and for many years these two clubs were neighbours with no consequence.
Inhabiting very different worlds, the Ammies secured promotion to the Northern Premier League in the 2000s, then fought to remain there, while the Red Devils won the actual Premier League many times over, with a couple of Champions League triumphs thrown in for good measure.
Then in March 2014 all that changed, and dramatically so, when five United legends formed a company called Project 92 Limited and secured a controlling share in the non-league outfit.
From that day forward the recent glorious past of one club has been indelibly linked to the future of the other, and Salford City’s fortunes have been utterly transformed.
Naturally, when Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers – five prominent members of United’s famed ‘Class of 92’, hence the name of their company – purchase a football club it’s going to make headlines, and certainly there has been interest to spare ever since.
Who are the richest owners in world football?
— Stephen Tudor (@SteTudor123) January 10, 2023
My latest for @888sport https://t.co/9KR4PJApNE
In addition to a welter of articles, there have been two separate behind-the-scenes documentaries aired, on Sky and the BBC, and not only has this provided valuable income for the small club, it has raised their profile considerably.
But if a quintet of household names investing in little Salford was newsworthy, the story gained further traction in November of 2014 when Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim bought a 50% stake, reducing the former footballer’s stakes to 10% each.
A long-term friend of the players and already an owner of Valencia in Spain, Lim’s financial backing has ensured that Salford can spend aggressively in the transfer market, buying the best players at that level and subsequently – and inevitably – they have climbed up through the footballing pyramid.
In 2017, the club turned professional. Two years later they were promoted to the football league.
With five high-profile legends and an uber-rich backer at the helm, what’s the betting that Salford’s rise continues, but this engaging tale doesn’t simply end with success on the pitch.
At the beginning of their promotion-season, along came the final piece to the jigsaw, the last – and by some distance wealthiest and most famous – of the Class of 92. Buying 10% of Lim’s shares, entering into proceedings came David Beckham.
A look at David Beckham's CV for @888sporthttps://t.co/P0Odpqvyzk
— Stephen Tudor (@SteTudor123) January 9, 2023
With a superstar-laden board and Gary Neville as their CEO – a position he recently relinquished to Butt – Salford City have garnered all manner of coverage since their unlikeliest of takeovers and not all of it has been positive.
There has been criticism of the club’s propensity to chop and change managers while for some it leaves a sour taste in the mouth how they have essentially bought their way through the divisions.
Yet in an era where small clubs typically flounder, and even go bust, it’s unquestionably refreshing to see the polar opposite occurring and that brings us to the supporters, arguably the only individuals who ultimately matter.
Presently, Salford City are short-priced in the betting odds to reach the giddy heights of the third tier next term, competing against the likes of Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday.
For those who watched them back in the day, they are living a dream played out in real time.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th January 2023
