SINGAPORE - It is one thing to take over and succeed with a football club with strong foundations already in place. It is another to build a non-league team from scratch and achieve the improbable.
This is exactly what Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim has done with Salford City, which he co-owns with Manchester United's Class of '92, as the English club earned promotion to the National Football League on Saturday (May 12) after beating AFC Fylde 3-0 in the National League play-off final at Wembley.
Graham Alexander's side took the lead through Emmanuel Dieseruvwe and Carl Piergianni's second-half header was followed by Ibou Touray's decisive third.
Lim, 66, is not done yet as he eyes the English Premier League as a long-term target.
He told The Straits Times on Sunday: "To see Salford City in the National Football League is a dream come true. We achieved four promotions in five years and we are three promotions away from the EPL. In life, you must have patience and belief."
Lim was joined by his co-owners and United greats David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville and Gary Neville in the stands as their club made history by reaching League Two for the first time since they were formed in 1940.
The Ammies had finished third among 24 teams during the regular season and, with only league winners Leyton Orient earning automatic promotion, Salford had to scrape through the play-offs with a penalty shoot-out win over Eastleigh, before seeing off Fylde to secure promotion.
Since taking over in 2014, Lim has been the largest single shareholder. He now has 40 per cent and the former Red Devils - including Paul Scholes - own 10 per cent each.
A large part of Salford's success is down to the new owners' financial support - the club reportedly received more than £2.4 million (S$4.2 million) in interest-free loans - that enabled them to sign key players like striker Adam Rooney, who joined from top Scottish club Aberdeen for a reported £300,000, a huge fee in non-league football.
Gary told ST the budget for next season is unlikely to veer much from this season's, adding: "Four promotions in five years. We said we would do it in eight, and we thought that was quite aggressive.
"It is tough, but we have done it and we are so proud and delighted. Five years ago, we had 180 fans, now we have got a few thousand here, so it is amazing.
"The National League is harder to get out of in the sense that League Two has three automatic promotion slots and one via play-off, so we are definitely going for it."
LIVERPOOL - Liverpool were left to regret two huge missed chances by Mohamed Salah as Everton held out for a 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby on Sunday. Liverpool held at Everton to surrender top
Liverpool held at Everton to surrender top spot in Premier
Premier League leaders Manchester City recovered from two goals down to beat Championship side Swansea City 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday to progress to the FA Cup semi-finals.Having secured a last-eight spot in the Champions League to go with their League Cup title, City
Soccer-Man City come from two goals down to reach FA Cup last
Rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll, who is taking part in his fourth tour with the British and Irish Lions, said he is driven by the desire for his first series victory and urged the team to start on
Zoutnet | Sport | Victory for Maranzhe Hungry Lions
Olivier Giroud speaks to BT Sport's Paul Dempsey after scoring a hat-trick in Chelsea's 5-0 Europa League win against Dynamo Kiev. Hat-trick hero Giroud revels in Europa League form | BT Sport
Giroud hat-trick helps Chelsea ease into Europa League
Manchester United have sacked Jose Mourinho after Sunday's defeat at Liverpool left the club 11 points adrift of the Premier League top four. Mourinho, 55, departs Old Trafford after two-and-a
Chelsea Football Club Sacks Jose Mourinho - uSports.org
Neymar PSG extension more likely than Madrid switch - father dad laughed off the idea of a switch to Real Madrid or elsewhere and said his son was more likely to
Neymar's father reveals his son is in talks with PSG over a
NAPLES, Italy (AFP) - Alexandre Lacazette scored the only goal as Arsenal dispatched Napoli 1-0 on Thursday (April 18) to advance to the Europa League semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate.. Read more at
Arsenal beat Napoli to reach Europa League semi-finals
Telus profit slips; tops rivals on new wireless subscribers Open this photo in gallery: A Telus store in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood is seen in this file photo.
Stipe Plazibat - Wikipedia
Guardiola isn't thinking that far ahead just yet and he urged his players to take it one game at a time. "Liverpool and Man City have done incredible so far so deserve the credit. We will have 80 points with six games to play if we win next week," he said. "We are going to do everything to win.
Guardiola salutes 'incredible' Manchester City
desdelabanda.com/2019/04/02/guardiola-salutes-incredible-manchester-city/
You can't have Salah, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane scoring a hat-trick each every weekend, but that just isn't how football works. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Sergio Aguero suffered a knock during his side's 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
100 points: Guardiola salutes incredible Man City - Starr Sports
starrsportsgh.com/2018/05/100-points-guardiola-salutes-incredible-man-city/
Pep Guardiola saluted his "incredible" Manchester City as the champions became the first Premier League side to reach 100 points thanks to a 1-0 win at Southampton on Sunday. Guardiola's team have been focused on rewriting
Asian Cup Pressure comes with the territory, warns Japan skipper Maya Yoshida. Yoshida wants his young teammates to take advantage of the opportunity in the UAE to cement themselves in the Japan side.
SOCCER/ Pressure comes with the territory, warns captain Maya
Qatar Coach to 'Isolate' Team from Gulf Politics at AFC Asian Cup The tournament represents the first visit by the Qatari national side to the UAE since the beginning of a row that has transformed the Gulf and left Doha cut off from its neighbouring former allies.
Qatar coach to 'isolate' team from Gulf politics at Asian Cup
Tsukasa Shiotani's sizzling winner kept Japan on top of their Asian Cup group on Thursday, while Oman scrambled into the knockouts in a pulsating finish to the tournament's first stage. In Abu Dhabi, Almoez Ali took his tally to seven goals in just three games as Qatar beat political rivals Saudi
2019 Asian Cup: Tsukasa Shiotani fires Japan past Uzbeks
Sure, there have been times when Camille Giardina questioned her decision to play women's college basketball at the Division II level rather than Division I. But not anymore. "My decision has
EU trio tries to quicken drive to more integrated capital
The Australian Financial Review; Football: Australian Joe Palatsides set to replace Belgian Michel Sablon as FAS' new technical director The Straits Times; Australia squad for women's World Cup
Football: Football Association of Singapore appoints Joseph
Roma 2-1 Porto: Nicolo Zaniolo hits brace as Italian side secure first leg victory in Champions League clash but Adrian Lopez scores away goal
Need To Stay Focused, Warns Coach - fijisun.com.fj
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen