Salford City are in the middle of their finest spell as a Football League club on the pitch as they prepare for the biggest game in their history.
The Ammies travel less than five miles tomorrow to face Manchester City in a pivotal spell that could shape their future.
Karl Robinson's side have won six matches in a row without conceding to thrust them into the League Two automatic promotion spots and have reached the FA Cup third round for the first time.
Salford won four promotions in five seasons in the aftermath of the Class of 92's purchase a decade ago but have plateaued in the fourth tier since 2019. After three mid-table finishes and a playoff semi-final, Salford finished 20th last season and the 15-year ambition to reach the Championship by 2029 seems more fantastical than when Gary Neville announced it.
The club witnessed a rapid rise through the non-league system from the Evo-Stik North to the professional ranks, backed by the Neville brothers, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and more recently David Beckham. Giggs is the director of football and can be found in the dugout with Robinson after agreeing to help on the coaching side but the others are keeping a lower profile compared with the early days of publicity and documentaries, declining to speak to the national media in the buildup to tomorrow's match.
This story is from the January 10, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the January 10, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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