/Paul Scholes Names The Premier League Club Salford City Are Trying To Emulate

Paul Scholes Names The Premier League Club Salford City Are Trying To Emulate

Paul Scholes says Salford City are hoping to emulate Bournemouth in years to come.

Scholes and his fellow Manchester United Class of 92 youth products Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt purchased a 50 per cent stake in the club in 2014.

Aided significantly by the backing of Singapore Billionaire Peter Lim, who also owns Valencia, Salford’s fortunes have changed dramatically in recent years.

Not only has the club’s home ground undergone a considerable redevelopment that they were struggling to finance beforehand, Salford have had three promotions in four years and are well on course for a fourth in five as they in third place in the National League, two points off the top after 19 games.

Image: PA
Image: PA

The Ammies outlined their ambitions to get to the Football League in the summer by appointing Graham Alexander and making big-money moves for Nathan Pond, Danny Lloyd, Rory Gaffney and Adam Rooney, who were all playing at a much higher level.

And Scholes pinpointed Bournemouth as a model that the club can emulate and believes it’s a realistic target to do what they have done in time.

“You’ll probably laugh here, but I think about Bournemouth ,” he told ESPN FC in an interview.

At the start, I’d say the ambition was to get to the Football League, but you’re not going to get to the Football League and be like, ‘That’s it everything’s done, we don’t care anymore.’

“We want it to go as far as we possibly can and the model that Bournemouth have looks achievable to me.”

Eddie Howe, the mastermind behind the Cherries’ success, took charge of his first game as Bournemouth manager on January 3 2009 and lost 2-1 away to Darlington. It left the club 23rd in League Two and in serious danger of ending up in Non-League.

Image: PA
Image: PA

However, fast forward to the present day and they are in their fourth successive season in the Premier League and sitting in sixth place in the top flight.

Dare to dream, I say.

Josh Lawless

Josh is a writer who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field – including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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