Beckham, Neville, PR guru Kelly and Lord Davies take over Salford City
Former Manchester United stars David Beckham and Gary Neville have joined forces with entrepreneur Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies to take control of Salford City FC.
Beckham and Neville were already shareholders in the League Two football club as part of the Class of ’92 but Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville are not part of the new ownership group.
Instead the nine-strong consortium contains big hitters from various sport-adjacent industries, including Shravin Mittal, member of the Indian dynasty and founder of London-based investment firm Unbound, and tech firm Dream Sports Group.
The other investors are DLA Piper co-CEO Frank Ryan, Clipper Street Capital founder Colin Ryan and Nick Woodhouse, executive vice chairman of Authentic Brands Group.
Salford’s owners had been seeking fresh investment for more than a year and their biggest shareholder, Singaporean businessman Peter Lim, sold up last summer.
Irish-American Kelly is the founder of global consulting giant Teneo and his new venture, Consello, is to draw up a new business plan for the club, under the guidance of Walmart’s former chief commercial officer Janey Whiteside.
Lord Davies, 72, is the former banker and Labour minister whose sporting interests include chairing the Lawn Tennis Association and serving on World Rugby’s executive committee. Kelly and Lord Davies will be co-chairs of Salford.
Salford, who narrowly missed out on promotion to the third tier this season, are targeting partnerships in the UK, US, Europe and Asia.
“I am passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football,” said Gary Neville.
“Football will come first, however it’s critical that we drive the club towards sustainability in the next four to five years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
The club said the acquisition includes “a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the club, the team and its facilities”.
Beckham, who also co-owns Inter Miami in US Major League Soccer, added: “I grew up in Salford. I have 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.”
Kelly and Lord Davies said: “We have been close friends and partners for more than a decade and we look forward to partnering with David, Gary, this phenomenal new ownership group, the Class of ’92 and everyone at SCFC to take this project to the next level and hopefully bring more success to Salford City’s wonderful fan base, players and everyone associated with the club.”