Salford City’s journey from the eighth tier of English football to the verge of League Two promotion has been nothing short of remarkable, but the club’s ambitious owners knew that the time had come for a new direction.
Despite a disappointing finish to their season, missing out on a League Two play-off spot, Salford remains a club with big aspirations.
With a strong foundation in place, the challenge now lies in scaling up to the next level.
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The Class of ‘92—Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Phil Neville—have been at the forefront of this transformation, injecting passion and investment into the club since taking over in 2014.
However, after a decade of successful growth, the group realised that Salford’s continued success would require more than just their individual investments.
Gary Neville and David Beckham, two of Manchester United’s most famous alumni, have now taken the reins, leading a consortium that has officially bought out their former teammates.
The other members of the Class of ‘92—Giggs, Scholes, Butt, and Phil Neville—will step down as shareholders, though they will continue their involvement with the club in roles spanning technical, football, commercial, recruitment, and the SCFC foundation.
The need for change arose from the significant investment required to elevate Salford further—namely, constructing a new stadium and ensuring the club’s future in the Football League.
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Since purchasing Salford City in 2014, when the club was languishing in the eighth tier of English football, the Class of ’92 have each made personal financial contributions to support its growth.
However, they were shielded from the full extent of the investment required to push Salford into the Football League and construct a new stadium, thanks to the involvement of Singaporean businessman and Valencia owner Peter Lim.
After a decade of steady progress, some members of the Class of ’92 were eager to reduce their individual investments, prompting the need for a fresh ownership structure.
According to BBC Sport, full takeover options were on the table but came with drawbacks, including the potential for the Class of ’92 to be held responsible for decisions made without direct involvement in the process.
Gary Neville and David Beckham have decided it is better to retain a financial stake in the club than risk their reputations, and over the past few months, they have worked to form a new group of smaller investors, whom they believe have the necessary expertise to continue building on Salford’s achievements.
While missing out on the League Two play-offs last Saturday was a setback, the ambition at Moor Lane remains strong, and today’s announcement signals an exciting new phase for the club’s future.
