Turning Orange

Salford City 3-2 Dundee United (Friendly)

It’s a bit of an unusual one today, seven years ago Salford City had never even played in the football league, these days (thanks to the Class of 92) they are probably better known globally than even their Scottish opponents Dundee United, who I remember watching for the first time play way back in 1987 against IFK Gothenburg in the UEFA Cup Final on my dad’s grainy portable colour TV.

The Terrors lost that final over two legs but it still to this day stands out (for me at least) in a golden era where under Jim McLean they won the Scottish league, a couple of league cups, and even reached the semi-finals of the European Cup with a team that included such greats as Derek Stark, Ralph Milne, Richard Gough, Maurice Malpas, Dave Narey, Paul Sturrock, Eamon Bannon and David Dodds to name a few.

I’m not sure what the link is to this friendly? But Salford City have recently reverted back to wearing tangerine after a fan vote was in favour of the club returning to the colours it proudly wore during their first 40 years in existence.

Established in 1940, the Ammies were originally known as Salford Central and after a couple of name changes and mergers became City in 1990 during an era where they were long established in the North West Counties League.

Under the radar for many years since, I remember their first days in the Northern Premier League First Division North which at the time were the height of Salford City’s existence, they first secured promotion in 2008/09 to step 4 of the pyramid, staying at the level for seven straight years.

Since 2014 however, it has been a rapid rise, pushed along by (some of) the Class of 92, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phillip Neville all having a huge financial say on the future of the club, rapidly pushing through the divisions with widespread media and fly on the wall appeal, Salford won the NPL North in 2015, the NPL Premier in 2016, after three seasons in the National League North they secured promotion in 2018, went straight up the following year after beating Fylde in the National League Playoff Final at Wembley, and have since had seven straight seasons in the bottom tier of the Football League, missing out on promotion last season after suffering a 3-0 playoff final defeat against Notts County.

Since that Wembley loss under Karl Robinson, a relatively unknown Manager in Peter Cklamovski (apparently a friend of Ange Postecoglu) has taken charge, some big arrivals too. Macaulay Langstaff joins from Millwall, Will Aimson from Wigan, Joe Powell in from Rotherham, Abraham Odoh from Peterborough, Elliot Bonds from Fleetwood, you get the feeling the club wounded by not going up last season, will be giving it a bloody good go this time around.

As for United, they start their Scottish league season next Saturday at home to Rangers, Jim Goodwin has been in charge at Tannadice since 2023 and United finished seventh last year, new players include Jesse Randall from Auckland FC in New Zealand, Lachlan Rose from Newcastle Jets in Australia, and Dylan Tait from a little closer, his last club was Falkirk.

The Venue

The summer holidays are here, traffic is unusually bad on the M62 and the Woodhead Pass is closed due to wildfire, I’m eventually down the Bury New Road through Prestwich before turning right on to Moor Lane, pulling up past the ground on Kersal Road, it looks a nice leafy area but I return to my car which has a punched wing mirror post match, so perhaps looks can be deceiving?

I always thought Old Trafford was in Salford, but if I walked the distance between the two grounds it would take 1 hour and 45 minutes, such is the size of this Greater Manchester District with a population in itself of over 290,000.

The AIG Stadium was formerly the Peninsula Stadium, the ground appearing along a quaint tree lined road of large semi-detached houses.

It’s small, smart and modern from the outside, newly decored, the clubs recent rebrand and new sponsor is in full flow. (Almost) everything painted in orange and black, as I head in the small club shop to take a look at the new strip, the away shirts, sleek in white, orange adidas striped with AIG logo, it reminds me a bit of Manchester United’s away kit of the Berbatov or Rio Ferdinand years.

Through the turnstiles I’m in at the side of the North Stand where I’m sat but head straight down towards the back of the goal of the East Stand where a number of containers offer up drinking and eating facilities. I’m impressed with what’s on offer, chicken tenders with chips sprayed in spring onion and sweet chillies and a brew for £11 paid contactless. I sit on some benches and fuel up with the odd spice kick making me cough, before taking a pew inside the arena, which is homely, modern, four roofs wrapping around the low bowl of standing and seating offers, terraces behind the goal, red seats either wing, not yet changed to the new club colours of orange.

I’m sat on row five of a six row stand, elevated to the pitch which slopes down, behind me is the 92 Bar which allows access to all fans, hidden at the back of the stand with windows onto the playing surface, but blinds are down, as people enter through a secret looking unbranded door to get their pre-match drinks.

It’s full in this stand, the South Stand opposite has a scatter of media folk and club personnel, closed to business for punters, the stand on my right is half full of Salford fans standing, to my left is the Dundee United end, a good 300 or so travelling down from Scotland.

The Game

It feels like a bit of a cult club as trendy middle-aged men, dressed well, walk confidently to their seats to the backdrop of Stone Roses, the Smiths and Oasis playing on the PA, some sing along ahead of parking up their bums as the two teams come out after a sing-song of the Pogues Dirty Old Town, everyone stands up for a moments applause for Kevin Keegan, who sadly passed away earlier this week.

Salford are in their new white kit, Dundee United in more familiar tangerine, as the early pace is set by the League Two hosts, which slowly proves the gulf of English and Scottish football, is surprisingly one-sided.

Within ten minutes Hayden Carson crosses from the left, unmarked Macaulay Langstaff gets a home debut goal with a cleanly taken header, it all looks a little too easy as he ghosts in unmarked.

It’s fast paced as Salford look to threaten down their wings, ‘Go on Kelly’ is the shout every time club favourite Kelly N’Mai gets the ball, whilst on the other flank Abraham Odoh looks equally as teasing, small, stocky, tricky and technical.

I like the leggy looking Kallum Cesay in the centre of midfield, he picks up a booking after a bit of a brawl with United’s Dylan Tait who also see’s yellow, it’s handbags but shows a bit of needed tension as the season nears, a bit of grit and grind, some passion and desire, something which has been lacking in recent matches I’ve watched, I’m all for it, proof that both teams have a couple of players who are keen to scrap and win.

Salford are good, as they force Walton into a couple of smart stops, Dundee United offer little bar moments in return, there’s an injury for the lively N’Mai who’s taken off as a precaution on the half hour, and as the remainder of the half heads towards a slender margin, a corner by City is crossed in by Joe Powell, headed home by Adebola Owulu and as the ball nestles home, the Referee blows immediately for the break.

The Score

That two-goal advantage is probably deserved, a clear gulf in class shows the sorry state of Scottish football, but United make eleven changes at half time and in their youngsters, they are much improved, now pressing and running much harder as they give their opponents much less time on the ball.

Despite United’s efforts, the Salford starting eleven (minus two subs already made) hold their own with resilience, but on 60 minutes several more changes are made and that also changes the dynamic of the game.

A flowing move back to front ends with the lively Idjessi Metsoko hitting a rocket from the edge of the area to reduce the deficit, but Salford bounce back as United’s sub keeper Amissah is on a couple of occasions called into action, he can’t however do anything about Josh Austerfield’s effort, the midfielder getting a lucky bounce into his path from a blocked shot to volley home from inside the area right footed and restore Salford’s two goal lead.

There’s still time for United to come again, late on seventeen year old midfielder Jamie Forrest strikes a belter in off the bar from the edge of the area, but although they pushed hard with a rally in vain, the best team deservedly won out in the end.

The Stars

Salford looked strong in particularly during the first half, and their depth was also something Dundee United lacked, after a bit of a scare, even their second string team dictated towards the latter stages, fitter, stronger, better coached, but generally of better stock. New big money signing Macaulay Langstaff for example, getting off to a flyer and I have no doubt that Salford will provide him with the ammunition to score a lot of goals this season. Daniel Udoh is also a handful in that centre forward role and with Ryan Graydon also able to play as a nine, there are no shortage of goals, which will most certainly be supplied by my favourite player, Kelly N’Mai on the left, and recent signing from Peterborough, Abraham Odoh, on the right, but in teenager Kyrell Malcolm they also have an exciting option with as much pace and direct positivity as the other two wide men mentioned.

Salford under Cklamovski seem to like the 4-2-3-1 system that also worked for them well last season. Joe Powell adding quality in midfield, Kallum Cesay looks a really good young player in the holding role whilst I was also impressed with Matt Butcher and Josh Austerfield, their was also a run out for the son of Nicky Butt, Ruben is just eighteen years old and looks a composed attacking midfielder offering plenty of running.

Defensively Salford also had plenty of sizeable options, Will Aimson looks a savvy signing from Wigan whilst Adebola Owulo is a powerful defender with good height.

For Dundee United, it was a poor performance in the first half and not much impressed, new signing Lachlan Rose with his blonde hair and man bun ran around a bit, he got ridiculed by the home supporters who sung “you're just a shit Erling Haaland”. Iurie Iovu at centre half looked tall and tasty whilst Vicko Sevelj was diminutive and destructive in midfield, perhaps lacking a bit of quality in possession, Dylan Tait the best of a bad bunch in a first half where I was far from impressed by the Scots.

United did look a little more game in the second 45 and in Panutche Camara they have a wiry athletic midfielder who can get about, in Idjessi Metsoko they have a decent new striker with an eye for goal, but a couple of hidden gems they have in youth. I was really impressed with fifteen year old forward Lorenzo Sassetti with the number sixty on his back, electric pace, he was willing to take on opponents and he had the speed to do so successfully on the outside. Whilst Jamie Forrest himself only seventeen, shown some nice touches in midfield, before scoring a belting goal which will be one to remember for him and his family, one of many to come for United perhaps?

The Verdict

Scottish football is sadly weaker than English tier two stuff and that is down to the funding, the investment and infrastructure that go into the game is greater, south of the border, the level of competition in England is ridiculous, and mostly, that is down to money.

Dundee United just don’t have the funds that Salford City do, their best acquisitions are all on frees this summer, but their best hope might be in those who are coming through? Jamie Forrest and Lorenzo Sassetti especially, are exciting footballers that might just earn the club a small fortune?

Despite my wing mirror being defaced, Salford is a good day out. It’s a club on the up and I think the Class of 92 are still in it, to achieve big things? I was concerned by their lack of fan base during the Playoff final at Wembley recently, but at home it feels like a lot of youngsters are following the trends of their trendy dads and getting on board, growing the support base will be helped by performances on the pitch, and this year in particular, they look to have built a very exciting team indeed.

The Teams

Salford City: Will Norris (Sam Long 61), Hayden Carson (Jorge Grant 61), Will Aimson (Brandon Cooper 61), Adebola Oluwo (Zach Awe 61), Ollie Turton (Rosaire Longelo 61), Kallum Cesay (Ruben Butt 61), Matt Butcher (Josh Austerfield 61), Joe Powell (Ryan Graydon 61), Kelly N’Mai (Kyrell Malcolm 33), Abraham Odoh (Marshall Heys 61), Macauley Langstaff (Daniel Udoh 46).

Dundee United: Jack Walton (Jordan Amissah 46), Joshua Rawlins (Bert Esselink 46), Iurie Iovu (Ross Graham 46), Michael Forbes (Julius Eskesen 46), Will Ferry (Cohen Leiper 46), Vicko Sevelj (Panutchi Camara 46), Emmanuel Agyei (Keir Gillian 46), Dylan Tait (Jamie Forrest 46), Jesse Randall (Mehdi Merghem 46), Zachary Sapsford (Lorenzo Sassetti 46), Lachlan Rose (Idjessi Matsoko 46).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 25th July 2026, Moor Lane, Salford (att 2,000).