Salford City will travel to the Etihad on Saturday as they prepare to face Manchester City – but under the covers, this is really a Manchester Derby
Salford City and Manchester City will go head-to-head in their FA Cup clash on Saturday in a unique rivalry.
On the surface, this looks like a classic FA Cup match. A League Two side getting the opportunity to play at a big Premier League stadium like the Etihad. But take a closer look, and glimpses of a Manchester derby will begin to show.
This is because in the 2013/14 season, Project 92 had completed a takeover of Salford City. Project 92 consists of members from the famous Class of ’92 which included Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. Now over a decade later, who from this prestigious class is still with Salford?
Gary Neville is one of the more prominent voices for The Ammies. During his career at Sky Sports as a pundit, he has often brought up Salford in conversation.
Gary was the Chief Executive Officer of Salford City for eight years as well as being a co-owner. In 2022, the former right-back stepped down from CEO and was replaced by Nicky Butt. Gary still remains as a co-owner.
Butt was CEO for two years before he stepped down last October. The midfielder who made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils couldn’t dedicate the time to the position. He is still an active shareholder and board director.
Gary’s brother Phil is still a co-owner. He did take a more hands-on position briefly as he and Paul Scholes took charge of the club following the sacking of manager Phil Power.
They won their one game together 2-1 against Kendal Town. Phil is now managing Portland Timbers having been sacked from David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
Scholes has actually been part-time manager on more than one occasion. In 2020, the 50-year-old was interim manager for five games where he took seven points from a possible 15.
In a recent fan debate on The Overlap, Scholes co-hosted it whilst wearing a Salford jumper. He still remains a co-owner.
Out of the five members of the Class of ’92, it’s Ryan Giggs who has the most hands on role with Salford. As well as being a co-owner, Giggs is working as the director of football at the club. He has been spotted many times in the Salford dugout.
Although Beckham wasn’t part of the original group to purchase Salford, he joined in in 2019 when he purchased a 10% stake from Singaporean businessman Peter Lim. Lim owned 50% of the club at the time.
In August 2024, Gary Neville bought Lim’s remaining 40% stake to “pave the way for a new strategic partner.”
So, now in their 12th year of ownership, all original members are still involved with their beloved Salford City. Even though they all have duties outside the club, they can often be seen at games in the stands.