Beckham and Neville part of new ownership group at English soccer club Salford
LONDON: David Beckham and Gary Neville are part of a new consortium to have taken ownership of English fourth-tier soccer club Salford City.
The club were previously owned by Beckham, Neville and other former Manchester United teammates in their so-called 'Class of '92' — Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville — along with Singapore businessman Peter Lim.
A new ownership group, containing Beckham, Gary Neville and other shareholders from the United States, India and England, has bought Salford and have committed to 'invest significantly in the club, the team and their facilities,' Salford said on Thursday.
Salford City announces that the Club has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, and includes US-based businessman Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies who will both serve as new Co-Chairs of the Club's board.
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) May 8, 2025
Butt, Giggs, Scholes and Phil Neville are no longer shareholders but 'will continue to contribute to the next step of this journey with roles in the club,' Salford said.
Beckham grew up in Salford and said he had 'such fond memories of my time living there and the place and its people played such an important part in my early life in football.'
'Salford City is at the heart of its community ... it has a rich history and I am delighted to be a part of the next chapter.'
Beckham also is a co-owner of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
Neville said the consortium contains '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 toward sustainability in the next four, five years,' Neville said. 'I can't wait for the next part of this journey.'
Salford finished in eighth place — outside the playoff spots — in League Two this season.
Beckham said he has been inspired by Wrexham's rise through English soccer under the ownership of Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney since 2021.
'I'm not saying this is why we're doing it because it's not,' Beckham told The Athletic in an interview. 'But I've spoken to Ryan about it so many times now and he said the feeling around the city, the feeling around the club, is so exceptional. That's the kind of thing that we want to create.'
Beckham added that the dream was to take Salford to the Premier League.
'But there's a lot of hard work and a lot of investment to be done up until that point,' he said.
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