Gray starts preparations for next season.....

[notgnilrad]

Says in the interview he is meeting players next week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2hXwl10vOw

[super_les_mcjannet]

I would say we are now in a better financial position these days and are seen as a club on the way up. When we got promoted via the NL, financially we had to move some good players on to keep others this isn't required quite as much now.

You just have to watch the highlights of the Spenny/Bamber Bridge games and if you were a player approached by Gray surely it would be hard to turn down the chance of playing in those types of atmospheres.

Probably playing back in Darlington with crowds expected to rise with expectations of 1,500-2,000 week in week out. Looks like a target of being in and around the playoffs, trying to gain promotion again.

[Spyman]

We know Salford have the ability to strengthen - at the moment there's probably little between us so keeping pace with them will be key to our hopes I think.

[AIDO]

We know Salford have the ability to strengthen - at the moment there's probably little between us so keeping pace with them will be key to our hopes I think.

.... I reckon they'll take an even shorter short cut than they did this season. They waited til Christmas or so to buy Ramsbottom's lot .... The chuckle bruvvers will already be looking into buying Curzon's lot now .... lock, stock n v barrel. Why wait til Christmas will be their motto cos they have no loyalty with what they have ... they'll all end up back at Rammy this summer (a short term loan of all short term loans that) ....

If not Curzon's lot then why not buy Stockport's or Stalybridge's ... after all, they (salford) are a much 'bigger' club than these local small fry neighbours.

Just kidding btw ... But with that lot anythings possible ....

Super Darlo .... and yes, am still buzzin ...m

[LoidLucan]

When the Class of 92 took over at Salford they said it was all about developing Academy football in the area and making sure the kids of that area had their chance to progress. Of course signing Danny Webber and paying him £800 a week and poaching the management and all the best players from a neighbouring club all helped massively in developing Academy football in the North West... yeah right.

[TFDM]

When the Class of 92 took over at Salford they said it was all about developing Academy football in the area and making sure the kids of that area had their chance to progress. Of course signing Danny Webber and paying him £800 a week and poaching the management and all the best players from a neighbouring club all helped massively in developing Academy football in the North West... yeah right.

I knew I was right! I'd seen that quote ages ago but haven't been able to find it since. Glad someone else has made reference to it as I was starting to think I'd imagined it. To be honest I'm not bothered what Salford do. Let them get on with it. They've made a rod of their own back getting involved with multi-millionaires.

We need to develop as a club. I'm quite happy to have a couple of seasons being competitive in the league. A cup run would be nice but mainly developing the club and the squad so that when we do go up, we stay up. I'm conscious the step up to Conference North could be a big jump. When we do (and we will at some point) we need to ensure we stay up. If that means a couple of seasons of managing expectations and developing things off the pitch then so be it.

I don't like the way they came about but FCUM could be the template to follow. It will be very interesting to see how they do in the division above next season.

[Henley]

TFDM - what's wrong with the way FCUM were set-up? I think what they've done (and the reasons why) is fantastic.

[theoriginalfatcat]

TFDM - what's wrong with the way FCUM were set-up? I think what they've done (and the reasons why) is fantastic.

I was wondering the same.

A group of fans pool together and set up their own club. All clubs were formed at some point so the newness of FCUM surely can't be an issue. Can it ??

[AIDO]

When the Class of 92 took over at Salford they said it was all about developing Academy football in the area and making sure the kids of that area had their chance to progress. Of course signing Danny Webber and paying him £800 a week and poaching the management and all the best players from a neighbouring club all helped massively in developing Academy football in the North West... yeah right.

I fell for this, hook line and sinker, when they said that. The chuckle bruvvers sounded so sincere and heart felt because it was "the area of their roots" and where they used to "kick about in back alleys" n all that "because there was no where else to play" .... blah blah blah .... but yeah, let em get on with it ...

... at least Crawley got relegated ....

[TFDM]

TFDM - what's wrong with the way FCUM were set-up? I think what they've done (and the reasons why) is fantastic.

I was wondering the same.

A group of fans pool together and set up their own club. All clubs were formed at some point so the newness of FCUM surely can't be an issue. Can it ??

Not with the setup, absolutely nothing wrong with that, I've just never been sure about how they came together. For me if there is something you don't like about your club you battle and fight for it. Not run off and form a new one. However I concede I could be very much alone in that opinion and at such a large club how much change can you really make? Probably none really. They've done fantastically well though and its becoming less of an issue for me now as clearly its something they've stuck with. More power to them.

[KCChiefs]

TDFM is 100% right with FCUM, christ, if we'd have run off and set up a new club the amount of times we've been cheesed off with our owners...

[Quaker Mod]

Salford will have some high profile friendlies which will generate revenue to spend for the season. It will be interesting to see if they catch some of the released players from the likes of MU, MC, Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley, Wigan even the likes of Rochdale, Bury, Accrington etc. I don't believe they will struggle to retain those they want to, although the GK may get a move.
FCUM, I don't like the way in which they are becoming the club they are supposed to be the polar opposite of. Do they have debts with council finding for their new ground. Not sure if this is true.
I like the way in which Gray is setting out his stall.

[lo36789]

Released players from academies aren't really the way to go though. Mitchell has been our only success there and how many have we had on loan/signed in the last few years?

Salford will spend on some players from the conference probably. If they stick with what they have I expect them to charge up the division they are working together as a team and dispatching of most opponents with absolute ease.

Given your rumour about Armstrong I am going to suggest you pulled the bit about their goalkeeper from the same place.

I don't recall them paying for the ground by debt, but then that isn't really the point either. Their annoyance with the Glazers is they didn't really pay for the club, they paid for the whole thing on credit secured against the asset they were buying. Even if they did pay forge ground using some sort of finance that is just part of business. The thing which is even more unbelievable is that Manchester council have money to lend they are one of the worst indebted councils in the country.

[HarryCharltonsCat]

When the Class of 92 took over at Salford they said it was all about developing Academy football in the area and making sure the kids of that area had their chance to progress. Of course signing Danny Webber and paying him £800 a week and poaching the management and all the best players from a neighbouring club all helped massively in developing Academy football in the North West... yeah right.

For all we know, they are developing the academy. Did you expect them to produce players overnight to fill out the first team? With their money, the wages they are paying Webber etc will make not one iota of difference to the academy.

[PierremontQuaker03]

When the Class of 92 took over at Salford they said it was all about developing Academy football in the area and making sure the kids of that area had their chance to progress. Of course signing Danny Webber and paying him £800 a week and poaching the management and all the best players from a neighbouring club all helped massively in developing Academy football in the North West... yeah right.

I presume they want to get into the football league as well as develop their football academy. Its a double edge sword - until they get to the football league their players who they want to bring through will not be playing to a high standard.
I suppose we have a similar thing with us and Martin Gray's academy linking up. At some point when Gray is no longer manager I am sure the relationship will be kept as Gray will always need good relationships with the clubs in the area.

[davey247]

When the Class of 92 took over at Salford they said it was all about developing Academy football in the area and making sure the kids of that area had their chance to progress. Of course signing Danny Webber and paying him £800 a week and poaching the management and all the best players from a neighbouring club all helped massively in developing Academy football in the North West... yeah right.

I presume they want to get into the football league as well as develop their football academy. Its a double edge sword - until they get to the football league their players who they want to bring through will not be playing to a high standard.
I suppose we have a similar thing with us and Martin Gray's academy linking up. At some point when Gray is no longer manager I am sure the relationship will be kept as Gray will always need good relationships with the clubs in the area.

I read somewhere earlier in the year that they aren't looking to expand their ground or move into the rugby league stadium as a ground, so unless they want to spend £millions on somewhere new I honestly dont know what their long term plans are....

[McGeachie65]

When the Class of 92 took over at Salford they said it was all about developing Academy football in the area and making sure the kids of that area had their chance to progress. Of course signing Danny Webber and paying him £800 a week and poaching the management and all the best players from a neighbouring club all helped massively in developing Academy football in the North West... yeah right.

I presume they want to get into the football league as well as develop their football academy. Its a double edge sword - until they get to the football league their players who they want to bring through will not be playing to a high standard.
I suppose we have a similar thing with us and Martin Gray's academy linking up. At some point when Gray is no longer manager I am sure the relationship will be kept as Gray will always need good relationships with the clubs in the area.

I read somewhere earlier in the year that they aren't looking to expand their ground or move into the rugby league stadium as a ground, so unless they want to spend £millions on somewhere new I honestly dont know what their long term plans are....

Talking to a Salford fan at the away game - who definitely wasn't impressed by his new owners or their long-term plans - he said that their ground is owned by the Council. Salford lease it, and the chances of the Council selling it are nil.