Salford City have been taken over by a nine-member consortium headed by Gary Neville and David Beckham, who has said the ambition is to take the League Two club into the Premier League.
The former Manchester United players were already co-owners but their fellow Class of 92 members Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville have sold the respective 10% share they bought, alongside Gary Neville, in March 2014. Peter Lim, who bought the remaining 50% that September, sold 10% to Beckham in January 2019 and his remaining 40% to Gary Neville last August.
Beckham stated high ambitions for Salford, who last weekend finished eighth in the fourth tier, one point behind the last playoff spot. “I always dream big so I’m always going to want us to get to the pinnacle of football and be in the Premier League,” he told the Athletic. “But there’s a lot of hard work and a lot of investment to be done up until that point.”
Gary Neville said: “This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football. Football will come first, however it’s critical that we drive the club towards sustainability in the next four-to-five years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
The other consortium members are Lord Davies of Abersoch and the US-based businessman Declan Kelly – who will be co-chairs – plus Dream Sports Group, Colin Ryan, Frank Ryan, Nick Woodhouse and Shravin Mittal. Each will hold a 5-10% share, with the remaining 20% yet to be sold.
A Salford statement said: “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the club, the team and its facilities.” The ownership group is thought to have raised about $15m to $20m (£11.2 to £15m) to invest in the team and infrastructure over the next five years, with promotion to the Championship targeted in this span.
Kelly and Davies said: “We have been close friends and partners for more than a decade and we look forward to partnering with David, Gary, this phenomenal new ownership group, the Class of 92 and everyone at SCFC to take this project to the next level and hopefully bring more success to Salford City’s wonderful fanbase, players and everyone associated with the club.”
