Simon Jordan has criticised Gary Neville and David Beckham for aiming to copy the Wrexham model by taking over Salford City.
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Beckham and Neville take ownershipRemainder of Class of 92 move awayJordan believes Peter Lim has been 'rinsed'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Beckham and Neville have completed a takeover of Salford City, backed by a new consortium and with aims of reaching the Championship within five years. The remaining Class of '92 members are no longer shareholders but may still hold roles at the club., and Beckham has admitted to being inspired by both Wrexham and Birmingham City, two clubs owned by big American stars; the Welsh side are owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, while Tom Brady is part-owner of Birmingham.
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Salford, once a non-league minnow, have enjoyed a rapid rise through the football pyramid, largely funded by businessman Peter Lim. With Beckham and Neville now at the helm, the club hopes to emulate the commercial and on-field success of Wrexham under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but Jordan believes Lim was "rinsed" by the pair, who have now "discarded" him. Lim actually sold his remaining shares in the club to Neville in August of last year, per The Guardian.
WHAT SIMON JORDAN SAID
Jordan said: "You can be damn sure this ain't their money. They've rinsed poor Peter Lim, he's had enough of it, like a crisp packet in a microwave, he's been crumpled up and thrown away. They've used his money. Minimum wage Neville has probably found somebody else to bear the cost.
"They've got a window of opportunity because they've seen what Wrexham have done. They've seen the value of star power and that value of star power has given revenues to Wrexham via Ryan Reynolds and the other fella (Rob McElhenney), that's given them the resources to punch their way into the Championship."
He added: "I find it very difficult to applaud Gary Neville on many things. He's a resourceful character. If you've taken the task on, it's incumbent upon you if you have a set of standards and you rate yourself, which most certainly he does, to produce an outcome that's meaningful and when they're looking at Wrexham, they must be thinking 'that's a bit of an embarrassment'."
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Salford finished eighth in League Two in 2024/25 and will be targeting automatic promotion next season under their new ownership.
