Salford City Aims for Global Recognition with Ambitious Rebranding Strategy

omidbasir- Salford City FC has set an ambitious goal to establish itself as the “best small club in the world by 2030,” leveraging a David Beckham-inspired rebranding strategy to enhance its visibility and recognition within the football community.

The upcoming FA Cup fourth-round match against Manchester City will provide a rare opportunity for Salford to be in the global spotlight. Although the team experienced a heavy defeat of 8-0 at the Etihad in the previous season’s third round, the decision to revert to the club’s traditional colors of orange and black, starting next season, aims to honor its heritage while following a branding path similar to that of Inter Miami, Beckham’s Major League Soccer franchise, known for its distinctive pink kits.

Initially co-owned by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s “Class of ’92″—including Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, and Phil Neville—Salford City has undergone significant changes since its acquisition of the then-ninth tier team in 2014. Beckham became a shareholder in 2019, and currently, only Beckham and Neville, along with several other investors, hold stakes in the club. Despite successfully achieving four promotions in five years to earn EFL status in 2019, the decision in 2014 to adopt red, white, and black colors, akin to Manchester United, was met with mixed reactions from fans.

Beckham acknowledged this sentiment in a recent interview, stating, “When the [Class of ’92] lads took over the club, they felt that going to red, white, and black was an opportunity to change things up. But Gary admitted quite quickly that may have been a mistake. The fans associated Salford City with being orange-and-black, and I’ve seen with Miami that it can be so important for the fans and the club to have an identity. Going back to that really gives us that identity of what Salford is all about.”

After taking control of the club in May 2025, Neville and Beckham decided to reassess the team’s colors and crest, which had also been altered in 2014. To ensure that any proposed changes reflected the supporters’ wishes, Neville conducted a vote among the club’s 1,100 season ticket holders. The results were decisive: 77.1% favored a return to the orange-and-black colors, while 72% supported a change to the team badge. Both changes will take effect at the beginning of the 2026-27 season, with plans to also change the stadium colors from red to orange at a later date.

Gavin Fleig, Salford’s CEO, remarked, “The original change was made because the incoming owners liked red due to the United link, and it brought many United fans to the club. However, Gary acknowledges it wasn’t the best move in terms of the club’s identity, and that’s why we are changing back to orange. If you see red in Salford or Manchester, you think United, not Salford. Moving forward, you’ll definitely think Salford City, which will help us reach a wider audience.”

Beckham’s influence extends to the new Salford crest, with the club hiring Milk Agency, a New York-based branding consultancy known for designing Inter Miami’s logo, to create Salford’s new identity. Fleig added, “Our existing badge, introduced in 2014, doesn’t have our name on it. As a modern football club, if you want to be recognized internationally, you need your name on the badge. We’ve developed a crest that is unique to us, incorporating simple, authentic elements of Salford.”

In their most recent league match, Salford suffered a 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley, preventing them from climbing into the automatic promotion spots in League Two. However, they remain competitive within the playoff zone, with aspirations of advancing to higher tiers of football. The FA Cup clash against Manchester City serves as both a break from their promotion push and a chance to compete at the top level.

Fleig emphasized the club’s long-term vision, stating, “By 2030, we aim to become the best small club in the world. We want to build a club that is ready for the Championship and has Premier League potential in the next five years. If we apply that ambition across our commercial endeavors, first team, women’s team, academy, and business operations, this club will be very successful.”

The rebranding initiative also raises questions about its potential to attract new supporters. Neville has embraced the change by wearing an orange watch strap and using an orange phone case as reminders. He noted, “The thinking behind this isn’t to please Manchester City fans. But if there is an unintended benefit, we’ll take it!”