Beckham Neville Consortium Raises £26m to Rescue Salford City from Financial Crisis

David Beckham and Gary Neville, former Manchester United stars and co-owners of Salford City, revealed that the club was in "serious trouble" financially before their recent takeover. The departure of majority shareholder Peter Lim in 2024 and losses totaling around £22.5 million over seven years left the club's future uncertain, prompting Neville to seek Beckham's help. Together with businessmen Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies, they formed a new consortium of 23 investors, including partners like AIG and Coca-Cola, which raised between £22.3 million and £30 million in less than five months to stabilize the club. This financial boost prevented the need to drastically cut back or sell the club to unsuitable owners. Since the takeover, Salford City aims to reach the Championship within five years, focusing on infrastructure, academy development, and community engagement, with new executive appointments to manage day-to-day operations. Both Beckham and Neville expressed their emotional commitment to saving the club and optimism about its future under the new ownership.