The Olympic Games are held in Barcelona, Denmark win Euro 92, Smells like teen Spirit by Nirvana released, and teen spirit is unleashed at Old Trafford. The class of 92 are no longer teens, but five of them are responsible for Salford City and its remarkable rise to football league status. In 2014, Salford were taken over by former Manchester United players, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. Each own 10% of the club, with businessman Peter Lim owning the rest. David Beckham, never one for missing a chance, purchased a 10% share from Peter Lim in January 2019.
Normally, during the years of war, footballers go into the army, football grounds commandeered by the forces for training, and games called off, but Salford were founded in the second year of WWII during 1940 as Salford Central. Fed up of being confused with a railway station they changed the name in 1963, to Salford Amateurs, thus gaining the nickname that persists to this day “The Ammies”. The club’s badge reflects the club colours of red, white and black. What looks like a West End poster for The Lion King is what is worn on the shirts today, with the club’s initials beneath. (PIC 1) I have put them in red here but they are in white on the red shirts. The shape of the badge represents the lion’s mane and probably cost thousands to have designed. I keep saying this but in a crowd of supporters there are bound to be a few artists and many with great ideas for their club badge. This is where ideas and designs should be sourced from, as some clubs have successfully done. Before 1981 the club played in orange shirts, and the badge worn then, also featuring a lion, reflected those colours. (PIC 2) In the roundel is the club’s name and beneath is the nickname. Two Lancashire roses add a touch of flora as do the fern leaves. The fern, as a heraldic symbol or device symbolises eternal youth, as well as new life and new beginnings. The lion comes from the Salford coat of arms and features on both badges. (PIC 3)
These latest arms were granted in June 1974. The shield is from the former Salford arms, the blue background with a gold chief, reflecting the heraldic colours of the Earls of Chester, from whom Salford received its first charter in AD 1230. Chief is the heraldic term for the top of the shield. Also from Salford are the gold shuttle and five bees, representing the busy growth of the five industrial communities built around the centre of the textile industry, and the two black mill rinds are symbols of engineering. A mill rind is the iron centre of a millstone. From Eccles comes the ship, signifying the importance of waterways in the area. Salford is not known for its miles of sun-swept sandy beaches, here the arms are referring to the likes of the Manchester Ship Canal. The crest above the helmet is one of the former Eccles arms supporters. The three boars’ heads in the banner were also seen in the Irlam arms, and the circlet of steel around the griffin’s neck was part of the Irlam crest, symbolising the town’s great industry. The supporters are similar to those of Swinton and Pendlebury. Each lion is collared with a steel chain, another symbol of engineering, holding a white pentagonal medallion. On one medallion is the black arrow, which with the red lion appeared in the arms of Worsley, and the other has the boar’s head from the crest of Swinton and Pendlebury. As you can see this is the lion in the previous badge. The great-grandson of this lion became an actor and is currently appearing as Simba at the Lyceum Theatre in London to packed houses. He also models for Salford’s present badge. The motto “SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX” translates as, The Welfare Of the People Is the Highest Law.
Salford play their games at Moor Lane Stadium and I have learned not to mention the current sponsor’s name as they change with the wind. When you have been playing at a ground since 1978 as Salford have at Moor Lane you don’t start calling it by another name, simply because a bag of crisps starts sponsoring your ground for a year. Although the Walkers crisp people have been around Leicester for a while, to be fair, and Gary’s adverts were funny, so yes there is an exception to the rule, and the Emirates Airline Company were there from the moment the Emirates Stadium was finished, but apart from exceptions like these, you won’t catch me calling St Mary’s “The Titanic Museum Stadium” any time soon. (There are no plans for the Titanic Museum in Southampton to sponsor St Mary’s, it was meant as a light-hearted example to make my point. I would have used laughing emojis to explain this, but I hate emojis and they are best left for teenagers to use as a way of displaying their emotions.) Where was I? Oh yes, Moor Lane holds 5,106 fans come matchday, and local rivals are Oldham and anyone in and around Manchester. The name Salford derives from the Anglo-Saxon word Sealhford, meaning to ford by the willow trees. It referred to the willows that grew by the sides of the River Irwell. Sealh is derived from Latin Salix, meaning, of the Willow. If you would like to find out more on “The Ammies” then hop on the 92 to www.salfordcityfc.co.uk
