Louie DonowaBeckham & Gary Neville have bought out the other Man Utd squad members to take control of Salford.
Beckham
The progress of Wrexham and Birmingham City under their own big-name backers serve as examples of what it is possible to achieve.
“Tom Wagner and Tom Brady have done an incredible job with Birmingham. I went to a game a few months back and the atmosphere in the stadium was one of the best I’ve seen for a long time. That’s what we want to create. We want to create that community, add to the community and fan base we’ve already got — and then lift it.
“When you see what the Toms are doing, there is investment, there is a plan and it would be the dream to talk about the growth of Salford City.
“It’s not only growth on the field, which is what we care most about, but we want success. Because if we’re having success then we’re also having the opportunity to say: ‘Now we we’re going to invest, now we’re going to get a bigger stadium, now we’re going to get a bigger training facility and then it will go on. That is what we’re aiming for.
[www.nytimes.com]
Yeah Becks, whatever.
There might just be a tiny flaw in his Salford/Blues analogy, but he's far too dim to spot it.
Rab C NesbittOldhamTbf weren’t they basically Alvechurch of 7 years ago when they took over?SolihullBlueThrillhouseSalford just don’t have the potential imo. They’re a non-league club in all but name.
If he loved it so much, why doesn’t Becks jump aboard the Blue Machine?
He's got the Inter Miami ownership gig too.
I dare say his involvement with Salford is mainly to drive lucrative endorsement deals - but as you say, I think they've reached their ceiling given location & attendances
Having lived in and around Greater Manchester for 2 decades, I can honestly say I've never met a single Salford supporter, or even seen a shirt. Ever. their existence baffles me.
Alvechurch are step 3 - I just looked it up and Salford were actually Step 4 when the takeover went through - so yes, they were pretty low down the pyramid. They only got out of Step 5 in 2008 and that's real 1 man and his dog stuff.
They have done well but it is relatively easy to buy your way up the pyramid at that level. See also Mr R Savage at Macclesfield and Hednesford this season. And that Welsh team whose name I forget. Rectum or something like that.
In 2014 Salford were at Level 8 in the Northern Premier League and Alvechurch were in the now defunct Midland Alliance which was Level 9.
So there wasn't a great deal of difference between their status.
What I have noticed is that, compared with some other parts of the country, there is not much interest in non-league football in the Midlands.
Depends how they go about it. Wrexham are apparently generating big revenues now - midtier Championship levels - and have been for a couple of years now. A lot of that is the TV show, which is becoming a franchise with Welcome to Bogata on the way (no joke) and there will be more.
Globally, Wrexham FC is a TV show with a football club attached. Other owners will no doubt attempt similar as our owner is attempting to do. Personally, I don't think we have as good a story or as good a creator to sell the show as Wrexham do but it'll be interesting to see if it gets any traction.
One thing is for sure, with all those owners pouring in, there will be a fair few who will lose big.
Dirty BertieIn 2014 Salford were at Level 8 in the Northern Premier League and Alvechurch were in the now defunct Midland Alliance which was Level 9.
So there wasn't a great deal of difference between their status.
What I have noticed is that, compared with some other parts of the country, there is not much interest in non-league football in the Midlands.
I'm pretty sure that non league crowds here in the midlands are comparable to their equivalent clubs in other parts of the country.
I've been to see Halesowen V Sutton Coldfield Town twice in the last few years and both times there were 1500 there and that was at Step 4....
Yet there's only two Midlands clubs in the National League and three in National League North.
Just seems a little under represented relative to the size of the region East and West and when compared with the number of Midlands clubs in the 92.
Dirty BertieYet there's only two Midlands clubs in the National League and three in National League North.
Just seems a little under represented relative to the size of the region East and West and when compared with the number of Midlands clubs in the 92.
You've shifted from saying there's "no interest" in midlands non league to saying we're "underrepresented" which is a completely different thing. And also highly debatable!
National league - we've got 2. Greater Manchester has 3 (2 of which are ex league teams). London 3. London & SE 7. Northeast 2. Yorkshire 2. The midlands isn't "under represented" here.
TBF we do have a dearth of step 2 teams compared to the north west, but that equals out when you look at step 3 where the midlands has about 14 or 15 teams out of the 88 nationally.
Depends upon your definition of the Midlands.
I was referring to both East and West. Notts, Derbys, Leics, Staffs, Warwicks,Worcs, West Midlands.
I appreciate that it is a rather crude metric but the above contains slightly more than 15% of England's population.
On that basis the region would seem to be under represented at the higher levels of non-league football.
This is nothing more than an observation.
I saw a stat saying that other than Bristol, Doncaster, and Milton Keynes, Salford is the city with the biggest population (around 280k) that's not experienced Premier League football to date.
With Bristol City's result last night, they will probably remain the biggest.
Watching a non league game is like watching your mates play on a Sunday when you are injured
bluer than bluesDepends how they go about it. Wrexham are apparently generating big revenues now - midtier Championship levels - and have been for a couple of years now. A lot of that is the TV show, which is becoming a franchise with Welcome to Bogata on the way (no joke) and there will be more.
Globally, Wrexham FC is a TV show with a football club attached. Other owners will no doubt attempt similar as our owner is attempting to do. Personally, I don't think we have as good a story or as good a creator to sell the show as Wrexham do but it'll be interesting to see if it gets any traction.
One thing is for sure, with all those owners pouring in, there will be a fair few who will lose big.
I agree with this but the key thing is like everybody and everything we have a story, so it’ll just be about telling it correctly.