Salford City fans overwhelmingly voted in favor of a return to the traditional orange kit. Twelve years after the controversial switch to red, the club will return to its historic colors for next season.
Salford adopted red when a group of former Manchester United players Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and Ryan Giggs bought the non-league team with Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim. The move caused outrage among supporters at the time, with fans chanting “We are Tangerine” during several games, amid speculation about impending changes.
Some supporters boycotted the opening game under the new regime to protest the decision on the uniform color. David Beckham joined Lim’s ownership in 2019 after buying 10% of his stake, while Gary Neville had secured the businessman’s stake 12 months earlier.
The pair completed the purchase of their former Old Trafford colleague in May. They are now leading a new ownership structure that includes businessman Declan Kelly and former banker Sir Mervyn Davies.
Neville has now rescinded one of his first choices made over a decade ago, which may not look good to some fans. Remarkably, 77.1 per cent of supporters supported change following the heritage consultation activity.
The club confirmed that ahead of the new campaign, “significant work will be carried out at Peninsula Stadium to update the cladding and seating, among other infrastructure improvements already planned”.
It added: “This ground-breaking choice will evolve the club into a bold new era by combining our tangerine heritage with modern style to create a striking orange identity.”
The Salford manager also announced that “further consultation will take place with supporters regarding the club’s crest”.
