Rampant Salford hint that Beckham’s lofty ambitions are not a pipe dream

The aim of reaching the Championship looks more realistic for a Manchester club in the shadow of City and United

After seven seasons in League Two, Salford City are finally threatening to match the hype brought by their high-profile owners. First it was the Class of ‘92 who guided them up through the non-league system into the fourth tier but failed to progress any further. Gary Neville and David Beckham remain, part of a new group that took over in May 2025, with this year beginning to look transformational after securing an eighth straight win, against Exeter, to put them five points clear at the top.

The budget has increased, allowing the club to sign a number of players who will feel they are above League Two standard. Striker Macaulay Langstaff arrived from Millwall; the last time he played at this level, he scored 28 goals in a season for Notts County. Matchwinner Will Aimson spent the past two seasons in the division above with Wigan and has dropped down because of Salford’s project.

In terms of personnel, the most notable change was in the dugout where 48-year-old Peter Cklamovski replaced Karl Robinson, who was sacked after a desperate performance in the playoff final loss to Notts County. His previous experience came working under Ange Postecoglou before becoming a head coach in his own right in Asia, most recently taking charge of the Malaysia national team. Such was his unknown status, Salford’s chief football adviser Paul Scholes had to Google the Australian before he was appointed.

Off the pitch, Salford reverted to wearing orange, the traditional club colour that was changed by the Class of ‘92, who wanted the shirts to reflect their links to Manchester United. The fans voted for it, democracy in action where previously the owners knew best. Beckham has turned Inter Miami into a global brand worth more than £1bn, making pink a key part of its identity. Lionel Messi shirt sales helped the hue travel, with kids across the UK spotted with the famous No 10 on the back. Beckham selected the shade of orange – and the badge was redesigned – but whether Langstaff et al can have the same effect as Messi remains to be seen. “Not many others play in orange, so if you’re going to see that kit around Manchester, you would know it’s not United or City,” says Danny Shepherd of The Future Is Orange podcast.

Attracting new fans is the aim but Salford face competition from much bigger clubs in the region. Even with Manchester City in a crisis and United’s form spiralling, convincing locals to head down to the AIG Stadium is difficult. Cklamovski’s attractive style is a deliberate ploy but The Ammies have the fourth-worst average attendance in League Two. It is optimistic to think they can create a Championship fanbase, even with subsidised away travel.

Cklamovski is making a name for himself with the aggressive attacking football he learned under his mentor. He started with three defeats but since then the Australian has found a pragmatic approach, mixing his playing out from the back ideals with an openness to be more direct when required, which brought a change in fortunes.

“I’d be disappointed if we didn’t go up because of the strength in depth,” said Shepherd. “Last season we had certain linchpin players that if they weren’t available, then we had either a utility player, a youngster or someone whose quality is so much lower that it’s like falling off a cliff. I’m not a rose-tinted spectacles fan, I can’t see how this team cannot get promoted – I think we should win the league at a canter.”

The confidence was not fully apparent in the first half as Salford were sloppy and struggled to create chances, while defensively vulnerable against a resolute Exeter. Goalkeeper Will Norris was booked for rushing out of his area and fouling Sonny Cox, who got his own back by scoring the opener for a side on a fine run themselves, unbeaten in the previous five.

Salford only came to life after the disappointing Luke Molyneux was forced off through injury, replaced by Daniel Udoh in the 55th minute. Energy levels increased and were rewarded by Luke Garbutt’s leveller at the back post after Langstaff’s fine work on the right.

Salford were on top after that and got their reward from the unfamiliar source of former Exeter centre-back Aimson, who sent a shot into the top corner from 25 yards to keep the run going and show this team have character to battle back in difficult circumstances. “We’ve got to stay really focused and diligent,” Cklamovski said. “We’ve got a nice bit of momentum, but don’t look too far forward. Eight wins in a row or 11 unbeaten however you want to look at it, just don’t look back.” He need not worry, there are plenty of people above him looking to the future.