Irish businessman and Co Tipperary native Declan Kelly has joined Manchester United Football Club legends David Beckham and Gary Neville to purchase Salford City Football Club (SCFC).
Mr Kelly, founder of advisory business Consello, will co-chair the northern England based club with leading UK financier Lord Mervyn Davies.
The pair, together with Mr Beckham and Mr Neville, are understood to have orchestrated the acquisition over the last number of months, assembling several leading investors.
Mr Neville and Mr Beckham had previously owned the club in partnership with several other members of Manchester United’s famed “Class of 92″ team including Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt, alongside businessman Peter Lim.
Commenting on the deal on Thursday, Mr Kelly said the new ownership structure would bring the right mix to take Salford to the next level.
“The group comprises some of the best in the world at what they do and has been put together for the sole purpose of driving the club forward,” Mr Kelly said. “Utilising the knowledge and skills of this group, our goal is to create a path to achieve new and sustainable success for SCFC both on and off the pitch.”
Mr Kelly’s New York headquartered Consello – which has offices in Ireland – will also be responsible for building out the club’s commercial operations in the UK and around the world, while drawing on the expertise of the broader investor group, made up of individuals with backgrounds in sports, entertainment, banking, law and technology.
Mr Kelly and Mr Neville have developed close ties over recent years, with the former Man Utd captain a partner in Consello in both the UK and Ireland.
Mr Neville said the unique partnership, with a diverse range of minds and expertise, was held together by a love of football.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “Football will come first, however it’s critical that we drive the club towards sustainability in the next four to five years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Mr Beckham (50), meanwhile, spoke of the Salford area’s importance to him and his excitement about taking the club forward.
“I grew up in Salford ... I have such fond memories of my time living there and the place and its people played such an important part in my early life in football,” he said. “Salford City is at the heart of its community...it has a rich history and I am delighted to be a part of the next chapter.”
The uniquely structured “members club” also includes another Irish businessman, and founder of private equity firm Clipper Street Capital, Colin Ryan, as well as Americas Chair of DLA Piper and Consello Advisor, Irish-American Frank Ryan.
The new shareholder group is to invest significantly in the club, the team and its facilities, targeting promotion to the Championship league over the next five years.
The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. However, it is believed the collective has raised around $15 million (€13 million) to $20 million (€18 million) to boost Salford’s sporting and infrastructural ambitions over the next five years.
Each member will hold a 5 or 10 per cent stake, totalling 80 per cent with the remaining 20 per cent earmarked for additional partners.
Gary Neville reportedly bought out Mr Lim’s 50 per cent stake in 2024.
The new consortium’s investment will build on the work undertaken over the last several years at the club, which transformed it from a semi-professional team in the eighth-tier of English football to the fourth tier, including four promotions in five years and narrowly missing out on this year’s League Two play-offs last weekend.
The fortunes of the club have also been the subject of a number of so-called fly-on-the-wall documentaries for Sky television.
