Salford City

1940 to 1982: The Ammies in amateur football

The club was founded in 1940 as Salford Central, named after a Salford church where the club was founded. The club competed in local leagues until 1963, when they were promoted to the Manchester Football League and changed the club name to Salford Amateurs. Now nicknamed "The Ammies", Salford won the Lancashire County Football Association (LFA) Amateur Cup for the first time in 1971, beating Aintree Villa 4–0 at Old Trafford, with all four goals arriving in extra time. They won a second LFA Amateur Cup in 1973, defeating Langton 3–1 at Old Trafford. and won a third in 1975 by beating Waterloo Dock 2–1 at Maine Road. Salford came close to a fourth cup success in 1977, reaching the semi-finals before losing to Blackpool Rangers.

Further success arrived for Salford later in the decade in the form of the Manchester Premier Cup, which the club lifted in 1978 and 1979. The club changed their name once more, dropping the Amateurs moniker to become known simply as Salford, and moved into their current home Moor Lane in 1978. In the 1980–81 season, Salford reached the fourth round of the FA Vase, losing 2–0 to eventual winners Whickham. Following restoration of the ground and a merger with Anson Villa, Salford entered the Cheshire County League in the same season, finishing 15th and 16th in Division 2, before the league amalgamated with the Lancashire Combination to form the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL).

1982 to 2008: North West Counties League

Salford started off in the second division of the NWCFL, and were promoted to the first division in 1986 despite finishing 18th, due to a reshuffling of the pyramid. The club would adopt its current name of Salford City in 1989 and, the following season, they returned to the final of the Manchester Premier Cup, losing to Curzon Ashton. Later in 1990, they entered the FA Cup for the first time to mark the club's 50th anniversary, losing 3–0 to Warrington Town. Brief highlights of the game were included in the BBC's coverage of the buildup to the 1991 FA Cup final. Salford would later be relegated out of Division One into Division Two at the end of the 1990–91 season, though a league restructuring saw them immediately promoted the following season. The 2001–02 saw Salford narrowly miss out on major success; despite amassing 97 points, they missed out on promotion to Prescot Cables on goal difference, and also made another appearance in the final of the Manchester Premier Cup in 2002, but lost 3–1 to Ashton United at Boundary Park. Manager Andy Brown resigned in March of the next season, with their title challenge collapsing following a post-Christmas run of one win in 10, culminating in a 4–0 defeat to Skelmersdale United.

In the 2003–04 season, with the team 16 points behind Mossley despite being again considered amongst the favourites for the league, the club sacked Chris Wilcock and replaced him with former player Mark Molyneaux. He lasted less than a year before resigning, citing financial restrictions placed on him by the club. He was replaced by Darren Lyons. In the 2004–05 season, Salford reached the third round of the FA Vase before losing 2–1 to West Allotment Celtic In March, they appointed John Foster as manager to replace Darren Lyons, with his first game being a 5–1 victory over Atherton Collieries. At the end of the season, Foster left his role as manager, and was replaced by Irlam manager Gary Fellows. Fellows began his reign with a 4–2 win against Glossop North End, followed by a 4–2 loss to title favourites Cammell Laird.

In January 2006, Salford pulled off a coup by signing former Manchester United starlet Ben Thornley, with the hopes of boosting matchday attendance. Having defeated Ramsbottom United 2–1, Salford reached the NWCFL League Challenge Cup semi-finals for the first time, where they overcome a first leg loss to beat Oldham Town 2–1 over two legs. In May, Salford won the final, overcoming holders Cammell Laird 3–2 in the final; goals from Jamie Baguley, John Robinson and Callum Higginbottom gave Salford a 3–0 lead which eventually won Salford the trophy, the first time they had achieved silverware in their 24 years as a semi-professional team. However, the club would miss out on promotion on the last day of the season, with a 1–0 loss to Cammell Laird dropping them to fifth, with restructuring of the league meaning only three teams would be promoted.

2006 to 2008: Push for promotion

In June, local businessman and former Salford player Darren Quick became the new Salford chairman, taking over from Ged Carter, and was being quoted as saying that he was targeting Conference football within six years, while promising Fellows a bigger budget to help the club fulfil their potential. The season began with a 3–1 home loss to Curzon Ashton, despite having gone a goal up after 15 minutes, but followed with five wins on the bounce to move into third in the table. On 3 October, Salford played a home league game against F.C. United of Manchester at The Willows, previous home of rugby league side Salford City Reds; Salford won the game 2–1 in front of a crowd of 4,058, leaving Fellows to be confident of a title challenge. After consecutively beating Stone Dominoes and Squires Gate 5–0 and 4–0 respectively, Salford moved level on points with FC United in December, and then became sole league-leaders at Christmas having picked up four points from games against Newcastle Town and Maine Road, with Fellows restating his belief the club could go on to win the league.

In the 2007–08 season, Salford were again amongst the favourites for promotion, and began their campaign with back-to-back 2–1 victories against Formby and Winsford United. They went unbeaten in nine games before suffering a 1–0 defeat to Silsden in late October. They ended their campaign by defeating league champions Trafford 3–0 followed two days later by a 2–1 win against Runcorn Linnets, meaning the club finished second in Division One of the North West Counties League, and after weeks of uncertainty, the FA confirmed that the club had been promoted to Division One North of the NPL, the eighth tier of the English football league system and what would be the highest level the club had ever played at. Salford would also enter the FA Vase for the final time in this season, achieving their joint-best run after beating Hallam 3–0, before suffering a surprise 3–1 defeat to Coventry Sphinx.

2008–2009: The Great Escape

The club suffered a difficult start in the NPL, losing six of their first seven matches, including shipping four goals in three consecutive games to Clitheroe, Mossley, and Bamber Bridge, a run of form which resulted in Fellows being relieved of his managerial duties in October 2008. In the two fixtures following his departure, the team picked up their second point of the season against Colwyn Bay, followed by a victory in the FA Trophy preliminary stage against Gresley Rovers. Salford moved to appoint former Bridlington Town and Stockport Sports manager Ashley Berry as the new manager, with Greg Challender as his assistant, and he quickly made experienced midfielder Neil Redfearn their first signing. His first game in charge did not bring about a change in fortunes, losing 6–2 at home to Trafford. Berry's first win in charge, and the club's first league win of the season, came on 15 November, when they defeated Mossley despite going behind in the 19th minute.

After only two months and with results still not improving, Berry was sacked, with chairman Darren Quick citing the club's desperation to not be relegated after only one season in the division. Berry was replaced the following month by former Flixton manager Paul Wright; however, Salford were unaware of a pre-existing suspension he had received from the Football Association for a "serious touchline breach", meaning Wright was unable to start work until March and thus forcing the club to appoint their fourth manager of the season, Neil Hall, who deputised for the first two months of 2009. By the time Wright took up his position, Salford were languishing at the bottom of the league, having achieved one win and a total of eight points from their first 26 games, leaving them 15 points adrift from safety.

A second win of the season finally came in March, when new signing Steve Foster scored all five goals in a 5–3 away win at Lancaster City. This was followed three days later by Salford's worst ever defeat, an 8–1 shellacking from Wakefield, a game where Salford went into the break level before conceding seven second-half goals. Their first victory of the season at Moor Lane came at the end of March, a 1–0 win against Bamber Bridge also marking Salford's first clean sheet of the season, and meant they had more than halved the points deficit to their closest relegation rival. The club's form continued to improve, and they achieved an important 3–1 victory over relegation rivals Rossendale United at the beginning of April, a game dubbed "The Game of Death". Over the Easter weekend, Salford picked up a further four points with a 2–2 draw with Chorley followed by a 3–1 win over Warrington Town, meaning they now sat only four points behind Rossendale with a game in hand. Salford won their game in hand against Harrogate Railway Athletic, but lost 4–1 to Skelmersdale United, meaning the relegation battle would be decided in the last round of fixtures.

Survival was secured on the final day of the season with a 5–2 win away at Garforth Town. It was a turnaround in fortunes dubbed "The Great Escape"; the club had been bottom of the table since August, were relying on Rossendale losing to Mossley, and were losing their own game 1–0 at half-time.

2009 to 2014: Northern Premier League

The 2009–10 season saw strong performances in the FA Cup and the FA Trophy, with the club reaching the third qualification stage of both competitions, eventually losing in extra time to Blyth Spartans in the FA Cup in October, before succumbing to a last minute defeat to King's Lynn. In October, arsonists burned down Salford's clubhouse, destroying memorabilia and photographs collected for over 20 years. In February 2010, having lost four of their last five home matches, Salford parted company with Wright. Chairman Darren Quick took the unusual step of taking on the role of caretaker manager, to be assisted by the club's former manager Mark Molyneaux, with the pair taking four points of a possible six after beating Garforth Town 1–0 and drawing with Wakefield. A few weeks later, it was revealed the pair would be in charge until the end of the season. Under the pair, the team again enjoyed a strong finish to the season, taking 36 points from the remaining games and finishing 11th in the table, their highest ever league finish.

Salford started the 2010–11 season in similar form to the end of the previous; a last minute equaliser earned a 2–2 draw with Trafford which was followed with a 2–1 away to Prescot Cables, meaning they sat in eighth place, their highest league position since promotion two years earlier. But their form soon took a downturn; following two heavy home defeats in the league in four days, 4–0 to Chester and 5–0 to Skelmersdale United, and a 4–1 defeat in the FA Trophy qualification to Ossett Albion, Quick decided to end his tenure as caretaker manager having lost six games in a row. He quickly replaced himself with Rhodri Giggs, who would act as player-manager, and he began his reign with a 4–0 win against Durham City. Results continued to improve under Giggs, managing to win his first six games in charge which resulted in Salford being just outside the promotion places. However, after losing star striker Steve Foster to Chorley in March, Salford lost 6–2 to Durham. It was Foster's replacement Jack Redshaw who would help Salford rediscover their form, scoring the second in a 2–1 win against Wakefield for the club's first win in seven games, before taking his tally to five goals in four games by scoring both goals in a 2–0 win over struggling Leigh Genesis. After picking up four points from six against during the Easter weekend against Prescot Cables and Warrington Town, Salford moved into the top ten, and eventually finished the season in 12th position.

The club began well in 2011–12, with hopes of a playoff push, but a poor run of form at the start of 2012, combined with the frequent departure of the club's top players, including Player of the Year Matty Cross to Warrington, resulted in a mid-table finish. After the final home game of the season, Giggs announced he was resigning from the post with immediate effect, with club captain Darren Hockenhull taking over the final two games against AFC Fylde and Ossett Albion.

In May 2012, the club appointed Darren Sheridan as the new manager. The 2012–13 league season started well, and the club also enjoyed a local derby in the preliminary round of the FA Cup against FC United of Manchester. Over 1,300 fans were in attendance at Moor Lane to watch a narrow loss in a five-goal thriller. Sheridan's tenure lasted only eight months, resigning in January 2013 following a review of the club's budget, with his final game being a 5–2 win against Wakefield despite being down to 8 players. Salford appointed Andy Heald as caretaker manager, before announcing his permanent appointment a month later. Before his first game, club captain Jimmy Holden departed, defender Jameel Ibe left for York City, and striker Danny Heffernan returned to Australia; Heald managed the team to a 2–2 draw with Mossley. Under his leadership, Salford finished a disappointing 16th place, which included a 6–0 battering by Trafford, but enjoyed a run to the final of the Manchester Premier Cup where they faced Mossley at Edgeley Park; despite a rousing late comeback to level the game at 2–2, Salford lost 4–2 in the resulting penalty shoot-out. At the end of the season, Heald and his assistant Chris Thompson left the club by mutual consent, citing business and family commitments.

Ahead of the 2013–14 campaign, the club experienced several major changes; club legend Barry Massay and Phil Power were appointed as joint managers, Salford based businesswoman Karen Baird took over as chairman from the long-serving Quick, and the first team squad now had a "Salford core", having retained only three players from the previous season. The new management team got off to a strong start, beginning with a first ever opening day victory in the division, a 1–0 victory over Harrogate Railway Athletic, and were unbeaten after the first six games of the season until a 2–0 defeat to Burscough. Form began to dip, winning just one of their next twelve games before a 2–1 away win against Ossett Albion in November. The decision was made to reshuffle the management team with Power assuming sole managerial responsibility and Massay dropping down to an assistant managerial role, before subsequently leaving the club completely a month later. In their next game, Salford scored their most ever goals in a game in the division when they defeated Kendal Town 6–3 at home.

2014 to 2017: Takeover by the Class of '92

On 27 March 2014, it was announced that, subject to FA and NPL approval, Salford would be taken over by the Project 92 Limited consortium, a group consisting of former Manchester United players Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes, known collectively as the Class of '92, expected to be completed by the summer. Chairman Karen Baird described it as "massive", saying it would secure the future of the club. At the following Salford games, a 3–2 win over Farsley Celtic and a 3–1 home loss to New Mills, fans chanted "We are Tangerine" in protest at rumours the club's colours would be changed. Fan unrest continued to grow until the final game of the season, a 3–1 loss to Prescot Cables, which meant Salford finished the season in 12th position.

With the proposed takeover of the club completed, the new ownership team were present at pre-season training in July 2014, at which Giggs suggested the consortium had ambitious aims for the non-league club, with a target of Championship level football within 15 years. It was confirmed that Baird would remain the club's chairman and Power would continue as manager. Prior to the start of the 2014–15 season, the club announced a showcase match against a "Class of '92 XI" featuring all five of the new owners which Salford City went on to win 5–1. The 2014–15 season began with a 4–1 win at Moor Lane against Scarborough Athletic, with several hardcore fans refusing to attend in protest to the changing of the club colours and badge, while the Salford Star dubbed the group The Class of Vincent Tan in reference to the Cardiff City owner who had also changed the club colours to red. The good start continued, with Salford unbeaten in the first 13 games. In September, the ownership team announced that they had agreed to sell a 50% stake in the club to Singapore–based billionaire Peter Lim, the owner of Valencia.

Despite the promising start, a dip in form during December resulted in only four wins from the following 11 matches, which saw the team fall behind Darlington at the top of the league. As a result, Power was sacked in January 2015 after 18 months in the role. Scholes and Phil Neville acted as caretaker managers for the subsequent match against Kendal Town, before announcing the arrival of the new managerial team of Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley. Johnson and Morley had led Ramsbottom United to promotion from the NPL Division One North during the previous season. The new managerial team went on to win 15 of the remaining 17 matches of the season, a feat which saw them regain their place at the top of the table. With Darlington failing to win their penultimate match of the season, Salford were crowned champions, guaranteeing promotion to the NPL Premier Division. The championship was celebrated with Salford recording their ninth consecutive win in a 5–0 victory over Ossett Town in front of a crowd of over 1,100.

Johnson and Morley's first full season at the club began with a 0–0 home draw with Marine. The club reached the 1st round of the FA Cup for the first time in their 25-year association with the competition, having defeated fellow league side Whitby Town, Curzon Ashton and Bradford (Park Avenue) from the National League North, and Southport from the National League in the qualifying rounds. In front of a sell-out crowd of 1,400 and airing on live the BBC, Salford scored a famous 2–0 win over League Two side Notts County at Moor Lane, with goals from Danny Webber and substitute Richie Allen. In the 2nd round, they were drawn at home to another League Two side, Hartlepool United, A 1–1 draw, again televised on the BBC, earned Salford a replay, this time aired on BT Sport, where they took Hartlepool to extra-time before succumbing 2–0.

In January, Salford beat Barwell 7–0 to move second in the table. Having been in the top five places for the majority of the season, Salford eventually finished third behind champions Darlington 1883 and runners-up Blyth Spartans to claim a playoff place. Ashton United were defeated 3–1 in the semi-final at Moor Lane, which was followed up four days later with a 3–2 win over Workington at the same venue in front of nearly 2,000 spectators. The Ammies' scored twice in the final eleven minutes to claim their place in the National League North for the 2016–17 season, the highest level the club had ever reached in their 76-year history.

Johnson and Morley celebrated their 100th game in charge on 19 November, with Salford picking up a 3–0 win against Worcester City.

2017 to 2019: Turning professional

In March 2017, Johnson and Morley both signed two-year full-time contracts, starting from 1 April. The club also announced that from 1 July, players with the club would become full-time professional players. Salford appointed Chris Casper, who was part of the Class of '92, as the club's sporting director in charge of Academy 92. Ahead of their first professional campaign, the owners outlined their target to eventually reach the Premier League. In May, Salford lost in the National League North playoff semi-final, being defeated on penalties by Halifax Town.

On 5 August, Salford-born Liam Hogan was announced as the new club captain. On 12 August, Mani Ogunrinde and Anointed Chukwu became the first Academy 92 players to represent the first team, when they came on as late substitutes in a 2–0 away win against Telford United. On 21 April 2018, with promotion rivals Harrogate Town losing away to Bradford P.A., the club were promoted as champions of the National League North with one game to play, despite a 2–1 home defeat to Boston United, and in the process secured promotion to National League, once again re-setting the bar for the highest level the club had ever attained. On 8 May, it was announced Johnson and Morley had left the club by mutual consent, due to irreconcilable differences regarding performance and contract length. On 14 May, Graham Alexander was appointed as the club's new manager after signing a four-year contract.

Ahead of the season, Salford were regarded as favourites to take the one automatic promotion place, but faced criticism for their spending and were accused of trying to "steal" a place in the Football League. In their first game in the National League on 4 August, they drew 1–1 with promotion rivals Leyton Orient, with their goal being scored by Rory Gaffney. Their first victory in the division was achieved on 14 August, with a 2–1 home win against Halifax Town. Salford reached the first round of the FA Cup for a second time; having defeated Marine 2–1 in the final qualifying round, they were drawn to play away at League One side Shrewsbury Town. An equaliser from Adam Rooney earned Salford a replay, in which Rooney would score again in a 3–1 defeat. Salford suffered three consecutive defeats in the Christmas period which left them in third place, five points behind Orient – a 2–1 loss to Dagenham & Redbridge was followed by a heavy 5–1 defeat to promotion rivals Wrexham on Boxing Day. Three days later, 10-man Salford conceded a 94th-minute goal in a 3–2 away loss to Barrow.

They quickly closed the gap on leaders Leyton Orient, winning 3–0 in the reverse fixture at Brisbane Road on 5 January. Later that month it was announced that David Beckham was set to join his Class of '92 teammates as part owner of the club, taking 10% of the club previously held by Peter Lim, with the deal being subject to FA approval. Salford would go on a 10 match unbeaten run, including a late comeback to beat Bromley 2–1, and an 88th-minute winner against Boreham Wood to win 3–2. They would finally miss out on the title, and automatic promotion, by losing their final games of the season to Fylde and Hartlepool, meaning the club finished third in the table behind champions Orient and Solihull Moors.

During the season, Salford played their first ever games in the FA Trophy proper, starting with a 3–1 win over Gateshead in the first round in December, followed by a 3–1 win against Dagenham & Redbridge. In the third round Salford faced Maidstone United where they were held to a 1–1 draw at home, meaning a replay was necessary, which Maidstone won 3–0 a week later.

2019 to 2021: Promotion to the Football League

On 5 May 2019, Salford reached the National League play-off final after overcoming Eastleigh in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw, meaning they would play at Wembley Stadium for the first time in their history. On 11 May, they beat Fylde 3–0 in the final, with goals from Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, Carl Piergianni, and Ibou Touray; this marked the first time Salford had ever reached the Football League. During the summer, the club appointed Warren Joyce to manage their first ever development squad, designed to be a stepping stone between the academy and the first team.

They began their first season in the league with a 2–0 win against Stevenage, with both goals coming from Dieseruvwe. Salford would take part in two competitions for the first time; they lost their first ever game in the League Cup 3–0 at home to Leeds United in front of 4,518 fans, a record attendance at Moor Lane. They achieved their first away victory in the Football League on 5 October, when goals from Luke Armstrong, Jake Jervis, and Touray gave the club a 3–0 win against Walsall. Later in the season, the club would reach the EFL Trophy Final after defeating Newport County via a penalty shootout, where they were due to play League One side Portsmouth; the game was postponed indefinitely following the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. In June, the league season was officially cut short after League Two clubs voted by an "overwhelmingly majority", with the league table to be decided on a points per game basis, meaning Salford finished their début season in the Football League in 11th. Later that month, Salford took the decision to scrap their under-18 team, deciding to focus exclusively on the development squad. Phil Neville said that the reason was both financial and because lower-league clubs could not attract the best youth players, and that the club would have a better chance developing 18 to 20 year olds under Warren Joyce.

Salford secured their first ever win in the League Cup in the first game of the following season, defeating Rotherham United on penalties after a 1–1 draw. A week later, it was announced that following a meeting held by the EFL with representatives from both Salford and Portsmouth, that the EFL Trophy Final would now take place in 2021. Alexander departed the club on 12 October following a 2–2 draw at home to Tranmere Rovers; the club were 5th in the league and unbeaten in the opening five games, and co-owner Scholes took the job on an interim basis. Alexander declared himself "disappointed" but said he hoped he gave everybody at the club "some great times to remember". Scholes' first game in charge was a 1–0 defeat to Port Vale on 17 October, and he quickly ruled out taking the position on a permanent basis, citing the need for a more experienced manager. His first win came three days later with a 3–0 win against struggling Southend United.

On 4 November, the club announced that former Salford player Richie Wellens, who was the manager of 2019–20 League Two champions Swindon Town, would be their new manager. In his first interview, Wellens revealed he had been hired get the team to play a more attacking style of football and to get them promoted to League One. The first game of his reign came on 7 November, with a 2–0 win against Hartlepool in the FA Cup first round courtesy of goals from Bruno Andrade and Dieseruvwe in extra-time. Wellens suffered his first loss as Salford manager in his first league game in charge, a 2–0 loss against Bolton Wanderers the following week, but won his first league game on 21 November against Bradford City, a 3–0 victory with two goals from Luke Burgess and another from Ian Henderson. On 13 March 2021, Wellens guided Salford to victory in the rescheduled EFL Trophy final; a 0–0 draw was followed by a penalty shootout, with Salford winning 4–2 after successful penalties by Burgess, Dieseruvwe, Brandon Thomas-Asante, and Jason Lowe. However, Wellens' time at the club came to an end on 22 March, departing Salford by mutual consent following a run of one win in eight games, with his final game in charge a 2–0 defeat to Cheltenham Town. Gary Bowyer was his replacement in charge, signing a deal until the end of the season.

2021 onwards

Bowyer was confirmed as Salford's permanent manager ahead of the club's third season in League Two, but managed the club's worst start to a campaign since the 2014 takeover, with no wins in the opening four games.

In October 2022, Gary Neville stepped down as the club's chief executive, being replaced by fellow co-owner Nicky Butt.