BIG EXAM FOR CLASS OF ’92
BY JOHN RICHARDSON
IT MIGHT not be quite ‘promotion or bust’ for Salford – but without the financial backing of the Class of ’92 the dream would be turning into a nightmare now.
The original aim of securing Championship football within 10 years of taking over a rundown non-League club seems far-fetched.
But Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs,
David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, together with Singapore businessman Peter Lim, who, according to the latest financial figures has loaned the club £12.5million, remain unbowed.
Four promotions in five seasons took Salford from the Northern Premier League Division One North into the EFL, but since then they have hit the buffers.
A third season in League Two has hit them hard in the pocket, adding extra pressure on current manager Gary Bowyer to secure one of the promotion play-off spots.
It’s only the largesse of the former Manchester United stars which is keeping the club going.
And they are still trying to make good Scholes’ boast – shortly after the 2014 takeover – that they believed Championship football was attainable within the next decade.
The irony isn’t lost on Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville (above), who has been pushing for football to have an independent regulator “with teeth” to help ensure that the game doesn’t bankrupt itself and ensure that there is a fairer distribution of money for clubs further down the leagues.
“We need more financial control in football,” Neville said. “And that’s coming from an owner who spends fortunes at his club.”
Since the Class of ’92 came on board, they have suffered losses in excess of £15million, with total liabilities of more than £19m.
It has been a bone of contention with many League Two rivals that Salford’s playing budget is thought to be easily the biggest in the division.
Much of the Salford journey featuring their big-name backers has been played out in front of the TV cameras, with the highly acclaimed documentary Class of ‘92 bringing in some muchneeded revenue.
The next few weeks could prove vital both in terms of their ambition and their future finances. Their May 2 clash with promotion rivals Mansfield Town will be live on Sky Sports.
Neville admitted: “Our ambition has never changed. But we’re finding it more difficult in League Two.”
There are also welladvanced plans to move into the 12,000 capacity AJ Bell Stadium at the start of the 2022-23 season. The stadium is owned by Salford City Council and currently houses both Sale Sharks (rugby union) and Salford Reds (rubgy league).
Discussions are taking place about Salford Reds then using Salford’s current 5,100 capacity Moor Lane home, the Peninsula Stadium.