Class of 92 follow League dreams by transforming Salford City’s ground into 5,000 all-seater stadium

RYAN GIGGS, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have taken their backing of non-League club Salford City a step further with the announcement that they are to build a 5,000-plus all-seater stadium at the Moor Lane ground.

After two promotions in two years which have League so they have opted to build a ground suitable for their dream of playing in the EFL.

Giggs said: ‘We had a decision to make: do we keep extending every time we go up or do we do it properly from the start? We felt this was the right thing to do.

‘The momentum is there and it will give an lifted the club in to Conference North, the former Manchester United players who own Salford with billionaire Peter Lim will now make improvements to the 2,100 capacity stadium.

The club are just two tiers below the Football

extra boost to everyone involved — fans, players, managers — if they see the stadium. Hopefully it has an effect on the opposition and says: “These mean business.” We’re glad we can stay here and I think it’s right.

‘Moor Lane is the home, slap bang, right in the middle of Salford. It’s right to stay where we are. It looks a proper ground and somewhere where we can accommodate families and work on building up support over the generations, where people have supported Salford from a young age.’

Gary Neville added: ‘It’s a big step for us, a big leap. If we can pull it off, and get planning and deliver it, it will change and transform the club. We really want to make it a ground so that people will say we love going to Salford City.

‘In a dream scenario we would get into the League in two years but the chance of that is one per cent. It would be a miracle. It wouldn’t surprise me if it took us four, five, six, seven, eight years. In the first two years we’ve done fantastically well, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we struggled for the next two or three years.

‘We’re humble about that and understand there are other good clubs that have the same ambition.’