Episode 1 Class of '92: Out of Their League

This programme contains strong language.

-Who wants a drink?

-Hold it! Hold it, Sam!

CHEERING

Five of Manchester's most successful players

have bought a football club.

Salford City sits seven-tiers down from the Premier League.

THEY GASP

THEY CHANT: Salford, Salford. Salford.

Hot chocolate's nice.

It's a club that's falling apart.

Centre forward or new toilets?

LAUGHTER

We need both.

Come on, Salford!

Relying on part-time players and coaches...

Phil Neville's flapping cos we've got no balls.

LAUGHTER

..with a dressing room that's out of control.

I would hold my hand up and say, "I've had a poor half."

But I weren't shouting.

You ARE shouting!

I feel like going in and ripping their heads off, do you know that?

CHEERING

And die-hard fans who don't want change.

These players are hard-nosed businessmen.

They're used to getting what they want.

It's not going to be the same ever again.

It's too easy to go backwards all the time.

With chaos on the pitch...

Get the BLEEP out of my BLEEP way!

What are you worried about?

Losing!

..and tough decisions in the boardroom...

..the Class of '92 might just be out of their league.

CHEERING

Anything that goes wrong, we are there to be shot down.

Why the BLEEP did we buy a football club? Why?

LAUGHTER

It's July at Salford's ground, Moor Lane.

The local fans who keep the club going

are getting ready for its 74th season.

It's always like this when it rains.

But now the club's under new ownership,

and Gary Neville's come to look at what he's bought.

So you put cones in now?

Yeah. Just for the safety for today's game.

Why, do you think that's unsafe?

I would say it's unsafe for today's game.

I think we need to cordon that off...

because it's crumbling away a little bit.

-Are you thinking about people claiming off us?

-Yeah.

-You or me?

Probably you.

LAUGHTER

Until the new owners bought Salford, it had been run by a committee of

12 volunteers and kept going by an army of supporters.

Been here for 26 years and... I enjoy it.

It's all voluntary. It's all good for the club, I hope.

Jim Birtwistle has been in charge of the turnstiles for four years.

We just love it here.

We come here whether we win anything or lose anything

or...doesn't matter to us.

But things are changing at the club Jim loves.

It's our club because we've been here for years, but worst case,

it's just going to turn into one big circus just like all these

top football clubs. It's just a company then, isn't it? A PLC.

And we don't want that.

They've been doing things a certain way for a lot of years.

And we've got to try and change something

or there's no point in us coming in.

It's what we change, when do we change it, how do we change it?

And we also know along the way that there's going to be people

that'll be upset and unhappy.

What can we do about that?

-So, these have been out of use, then, for a bit?

-Yeah.

Shit!

-We need lighting and everything.

-It needs more than lighting.

I reckon it would be cheaper for us to just buy new toilets,

don't you reckon? Centre forward or new toilets?

LAUGHTER

Er...we need both!

LAUGHTER

Des, are you all right?

Sam? All right?

-All right?

-Edgie, you all right?

Salford's manager,

Phil Power, leads training after work twice a week.

This is his second year in charge.

I suppose we're on trial this season. Any football club

when there's new owners, there is a possibility they want a new manager.

It was brilliant when they said, you know,

we're going to keep you in place, so it's down to us.

Compared to last season it's... Totally different. Poles apart.

Phil Neville's used to football at a professional standard,

having coached Man Utd and England under-21s.

He's come down to see what his new team of 22 part-timers is made of.

Where's Chaddy? Has Chaddy got all the stuff?

-The traffic's quite bad, to be fair.

-Is it? The traffic bad?

But half of them are late from work and so is Salford's coach, Chaddy,

and he's got all the equipment.

Er...Phil Neville's flapping cos we've got no balls.

LAUGHTER

Yeah, don't worry, mate. Don't worry, pal.

Punctuality's key for you, is it?

Oh, yeah. It's my biggest bugbear.

Ten minutes early.

Ten minutes early all the time, you know?

It's quarter to, you get here at 25 to.

I know these guys are working, so can't moan.

I mean, the lads are here.

It's just the BLEEP coach isn't.

Coach Chaddy finally arrives, but the session's half-gone,

and so is the daylight.

Come on, Brownie, let's get going, eh?

You've only got 30 minutes left in this light.

I was working till... I came at 5:45.

Come on, get to that ball, James!

Some of us have proper jobs.

We don't play golf all day, you know what I mean?

HE SCOFFS

SHOUTING

Professionalism is... The detail at training...

is turning up on time. So it was making me angry a little bit.

But I think the frustration was that I couldn't do anything about it.

Wasn't my job. I was an owner.

I couldn't interfere.

I think they don't realise after training

we don't sit down and go through things, you know,

we finish and then we're up and we go to work the next day.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Well done, good session, lads, good attitudes.

Manager in the back!

I know a lot of premiership managers have limos and chauffeur-driven.

I get in a One Stop Hire van.

HORN HONKS

Early in the season, the owners are learning

that owning a football club is very different to playing for one.

-COMMENTARY:

-'And Nicky Butt flying in with a header.'

'Neville might just strike it here. Oh, I say!'

They were at the heart of

one of the most successful teams of their generation.

-COMMENTARY:

-Paul Scholes!

What about that?!

But these days, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Gary and Phil Neville

and Paul Scholes are retired and face life after football.

-COMMENTARY:

-'Still Giggs goes. He's through, he's scored. Ryan Giggs!'

'Gary Neville looking for his first goal for Manchester United.

'And what a time to get it!'

Seared...beautifully.

If you've had something that's so good,

like standing in that tunnel walking out

in front of 75,000 people, it's like...

You've got to fill that hole with something,

and it better be good, because that was good.

The Class of '92 hope their latest adventure

will be their greatest achievement.

Because of the success that we had together we thought, well,

-why don't we put this into business?

-Back in a bit. See you later.

Actually owning a football club in the town that we love so much,

it was like a fairytale.

We've always known what's to happen in football terms,

or you have a good idea where you're at. We have no idea.

We've got no... We are stepping into the unknown.

Mid-July.

Salford's new owners have called a pre-season management meeting

with the club's chairman, Karen Baird.

Right, go on, Karen, fire away.

Right, a bit of a...well, you might think it's a bit of an issue.

I only found out on Monday that the two managers

are off for two friendlies at the same time.

One of them is the Bury game.

It's quite a big game that, though, for them both to be away on,

-isn't it?

-And now they're bringing a proper team, aren't they, Bury?

-Yeah, bringing a strong team.

-Do they not speak to each other,

-like, before they book their holidays?

-Well, it's ridiculous.

Phil said everyone knew when his holidays were.

They need to take it serious, don't they?

New owners have come in and you've gone on holiday.

Like, that takes some balls, that does.

Once the season starts, that's it.

You don't get a holiday till the following June.

That's what we're used to.

Right...good, that.

£9, please.

Cheers, mate, thank you.

Saturday at three PM - match day at Moor Lane.

-Thank you.

-There you go, lads.

-ALL:

-Salford. Salford. Salford.

Park my van, open the door, I'm watching the match in comfort.

The kids can play as well.

Today, Salford face a tough pre-season friendly against Bury FC,

a team four leagues higher.

-Two cups of tea and a hot chocolate, yeah?

-There you are.

-Do you know when you own a football club?

-Yes.

You've got to make the tea, you got to make the coffee.

Yeah, but we don't do that here.

I'm not as good as you, though, am I?

No, you'll never be as good as me.

Hot chocolate?

With Phil Power on holiday,

Phil Neville has been forced to step into his shoes.

We need to hit this ground running because the teams

we play at the start of the season will want to beat us.

You know that, don't you?

From now on, you are the prize catch in this league, so it starts today.

Hit the ground running, get your tackles in, get your shape

when we lose the ball, and just enjoy it.

Good lads. Well done.

Do you know, when I heard the other day the manager was going away,

I thought it was a joke.

I thought, "Dear me, did he not know we had fixtures?"

We'd all like to be in Ibiza, but there's a pre-season game that

we've never experienced, so this is something we need to learn,

cos this is not the norm.

Salford are in red,

and look solid despite the shaky start to the season's preparations.

Come on, smart it!

'Pre-season's so important

'because it sets the tone for the rest of the season

'and I think this will be our biggest test and we'll get to see

'today the level of players and the standard we've got.'

We need to make a statement and we need to do that early on.

Today is the start of us hitting the ground running.

Salford score, and hold on for a hard-fought victory.

Played one, won one. I'll retire now.

Welcome to non-league football.

15 players lining up for three cold showers.

Brilliant.

And then nine of us sharing one towel.

We're all going to walk out of here with chlamydia.

Welcome to non-league.

34-year-old Gareth Seddon is Salford's star striker,

and a male model.

I came to Salford same as everyone else, you know.

I got sold the dream.

At £400 a week, he's one of the team's most expensive players.

He's dropped down four leagues to play for the new owners.

A massive draw for me was obviously

working with the Class of '92,

just being involved with them guys. They were my heroes.

You always have to practise the 1,000-yard stare.

So, say the camera's there,

you've got to look 1,000 yards into the distance.

It's like...

I wanted to go somewhere where people went, "What a player he is."

And I wanted to be, like, centre of attention.

I wanted to be the number one striker and I wanted to win things.

I can't really care about anybody else.

Oh, just creating magic everywhere today.

Mid-August.

It's all in the action.

The start of the season.

Fresh from his holiday, Phil Power is back in charge.

His campaign for promotion has begun.

Let's see how good we are, eh?

I think we're good enough to beat these.

Do not disappoint your team-mates. Don't disappoint yourself.

And the owners are looking for their money's worth

from their star striker.

I think we always knew Gareth was a character before we signed him

and we paid him more than we wanted to play players

at the very beginning.

Gareth's not daft. He's been around the block.

He knows full well he's got to deliver. What am I expecting?

Goals, professionalism, good attitude.

A leader in the dressing room.

I must admit, honestly, I do get nervous before every game.

I know I don't show it, but it's just...

I don't know,

I hate thinking that we're going to lose or I'm going to play crap.

It just does my head in cos then it'll spoil my weekend.

TOILET FLUSHES

Wash my hands.

Come on, Salford!

Gareth, Salford's number ten, starts with a bang.

In their first game against Scarborough,

he scores a stunning hat-trick.

And now we've got a dog on the field.

HE LAUGHS

And things keep getting better.

I couldn't believe the start that we got off to.

I think we won eight games on the bounce.

THEY CHANT: Come on, Salford! Come on, Salford!

You could see the buzz around the place. The players looked excited.

It's one of Salford's best starts to a season.

Salford are top of the league,

and Gareth's delivering with goal after goal.

Happy. Very happy.

All right. Well done, lads. Well done.

-How did you get in?

-See that fence there?

-Yeah.

-There was dints on the other side.

-And you just sneaked through?

-Yeah, you can climb over it.

-You owe Salford a pound coin.

September brings the start of their FA Cup campaign.

And even non-league teams like Salford dream of going to Wembley.

It's going to be a battle again, innit?

They are the league above. Let's test ourselves, eh?

Their first qualifier is against Nantwich Town,

tough opponents from the league above.

It's the FA Cup and you want to progress

cos each round that we progress, we will get more and more publicity

and the club needs that to get Salford's name on the map.

Yes!

That's brilliant, that. That's brilliant.

Salford win, and if Gareth keeps scoring,

they could even face a Premier League team in five rounds' time.

One here, when he did his modelling for Next.

Lovely picture, and we've got one of him here doing some modelling.

His biggest fan is his mum.

That's with his cousin Kirk.

When they first started going out drinking.

And how have you got so many photos of Gareth?

Well, if he were your boy, you'd have them as well.

Cos he's amazing.

And one up here, when he played for England.

I always say every week, "Have a good game.

"Try and score for your mum."

A week later, Salford face Ashton United away

in the next round of the FA Cup.

If Salford go through,

Gary wants to add a bit of magic to their FA Cup campaign.

He's got a proposal for Paul Scholes.

PHONE RINGS

It's me.

What you think about playing for Salford

in the FA Cup on 30th September?

One-word answer.

Go on, one game. I'll play if you play.

"I'm fat as BLEEP."

We'd get 2,000 in the crowd.

It would create a bit of excitement, and everyone would see YOU play!

LAUGHS

Do you fancy it?

Have a think about it. I'll ring you early next week with it.

Good stuff. Bye. Bye.

Ashton United's ground is an hour's drive from Salford.

I think I'm going that way. I don't know.

When he was a professional, Gareth would get driven to games.

But now he has to make his own way.

Is it this right?

No, it's not this right. It's not far from here.

I think I should have taken that left there. You know what?

The worrying thing is, I've actually been here three times.

We're playing with two wingers, 4-4-2, up top Danny and Dale.

Subs, Batty, James and Seds when he fucking gets here.

They say it's fashionable to be late, don't they?

I don't know if the gaffer will see it that way.

Not happy at all. It ain't a lot

to ask for people to be here for 1:30pm on a Saturday.

If he can't make it on time, then the lads who are here on time,

they will be selected for the team, which is the case.

Directions to Ashton United Football Club.

Hiya, pal.

I think I've been dropped because I'm late.

I should have fucking set off earlier. It was my own fault.

-Gaffer, I'm really sorry for being late.

-Seds, you're right.

To be honest, mate,

some lads are going to be five or ten minutes late.

When it gets to two o'clock, mate, I've got to name the team.

Like, I know, I know. Is Seddon late?

-I'd have probably played him anyway.

-I know.

Salford are playing in blue today.

We know we've got to win this game today and get through another

couple of games, which I'm sure will be difficult but...

we're not far off.

He'll be on soon.

He will.

I need to get on. Hopefully it will be 0-0 80th minute.

Come on and get the winner. Then all will be forgotten.

Salford score, but they can't get another.

So Phil relents, playing Gareth in last 15 minutes.

But it's Ashton that scores. The game will go to a replay.

Bag of shit. What a bag of shit, ref.

These lads have got choices to make.

They're not sacrifices, as far as I'm concerned, they're choices.

They either want to be professional, they want to prepare,

they want to be fit, they want to be disciplined and turn up on time,

or they don't want to be. The fact of the matter is,

we are not going to tolerate the sort of latter.

Hey. Hey! Fuck sake! Put your fucking flag up!

A week later, Salford, this time in red, lose the replay 1-0.

The club's FA Cup dreams are over.

Shocking game, really, mate. Shocking game.

I kind of feel like I let my team members down

and I let Gary Neville down because I missed the game.

You know, I've dropped down five leagues

because it is not just about money.

It's not just about coming along, being part of a project.

I want to make a difference, to be fair.

Nice and slow.

Off the pitch, there are changes at Moor Lane.

The Class of '92 have given the club's volunteers

funds for a makeover.

Jim, a builder by trade,

is renovating the clubhouse and the toilets.

This is going to be the extension to the bar area.

We will have disabled toilets,

big doors and windows overlooking the pitch.

It all means something. The stand means something.

But he's not gone and pulled it down.

He is sandblasting it and leaving it and making it nice.

He is still leaving it as an amateur side, which is what it is. For now.

But the owners have much bigger ambitions for Salford.

What does the dream look like?

New stadium, 25,000, playing in the Football League. That is the dream.

It will cost us money, but actually it is so close.

We are in control but we can do it.

Every aspect of the club's finances are under scrutiny

after years of a hand-to-mouth existence.

Have we still got the dodgy Sky box?

Yeah, I was going to ask you about that.

It isn't going to look great, is it?

Gary Neville of Sky Sports with a dodgy Sky box.

I think they should give it you for free while you are on it.

-What were we paying previously?

-Nothing, we just bought it.

-What do you mean?

-There isn't a cost per month.

-Right.

-But it's what we do, then, have no Sky or pay the £600 a month.

Because my brother has got a club, I know that's what he pays.

Right, let me speak to Sky. I'll speak to Sky.

-We do need to get rid of that dodgy one though.

-Yeah. What, immediately?

-Well, it's illegal, isn't it?

-I guess... Yeah, I think so.

Since they bought the club,

the Class of '92 have made other big changes.

They redesigned the club's badge and, in a controversial move,

changed the shirt from orange to red.

For some fans, it's a hostile takeover.

They might be legends of Manchester United

and great players and all the rest of it but these days,

these players - or ex-players - are hard-nosed businessmen.

You expect it at a Premier League club

when you get some bloody Russian oligarch in or someone like that.

You don't expect it at little Salford City.

As far as I'm concerned, it's arrogance.

It's Premiership arrogance. They are used to getting what they want.

See you, George.

As feelings run high,

the local paper publishes an article attacking the Class of '92.

It compares them to foreign investors

who are buying up British clubs

and changing them beyond recognition.

I feel like ringing him tonight.

Is he here tonight? Will he be here tonight?

I don't think he is here tonight.

He has called us the Class of Vincent Tan.

I don't know how many people make money from football clubs

but it certainly won't be us.

You know, it's not why we're in it.

We want to try and do something with this football club.

I hope we can create more good than things like this.

The new owners have never denied

they want to turn Salford into a big-league club

and they are bringing in a new investor to help them.

I mean, is it going to be announced or...?

In the next couple of weeks. It'll obviously go through with the...

We will make a statement because it will have to apply for the FA forms.

Billionaire Peter Lim's stake is part of their plan

to take Salford to the next level.

But the owners know it could prove unwelcome news.

If it was a local businessman, they wouldn't be bothered,

but, with it being a Singaporean,

I think it will just create a little bit of, "What are you doing here?

"Are you up to something that we didn't know about?"

-Trying to get the club as high as we can.

-I know, but...

-And we need somebody...

-..they might smell a rat.

I'm not really bothered about the wider public,

it's more the fans and the committee.

We don't want them reading it in the sort of, the press the day after.

"What's happened here?"

So the committee in particular need to know.

The fans we are thinking about,

obviously the players and Phil and stuff.

-But do you want to mention it to the committee?

-Yeah, can do.

I mean, it doesn't change our aims and aspirations for the club,

really, does it?

We need Peter to make that next step.

If you want to just be a non-league team,

we don't need Peter,

but if we want to grow and grow

and go as far as we can, then we need Peter.

We knew that it would surprise everybody.

We felt it was right for the future of Salford City.

We knew we would have to face consequences of people's thoughts

but then I am not worried about that

because I know what is coming in the future

so I am clean in the sense of where I think the club is going

and what it will achieve beyond football.

"Ryan Giggs and co's takeover of Salford City

"boosted by billionaire Peter Lim, who nearly bought Liverpool,

"signing up as joint owner of non-league club."

He's from Singapore, isn't he?

Why?

Peter Lim is not going to put that cladding back on there for us,

is he?

Billionaire or not.

The news is out.

Gary is meeting with core fans to set the record straight.

-Mr Lim?

-Yeah.

It's just not been mentioned. What's...?

How do you see that fitting in?

I'm not going to say "trust me"

because the fact of the matter is you will only be able to ultimately

answer that question in six, seven, eight, nine, ten years' time.

The group of five had 100%, now the group of five have only got 50%.

That's a big change, int'it? Do you see it as the...?

We want to be a Football League club

and it takes a lot of investment and a lot of business expertise.

It's not easy.

I don't think everything we have done has been perfect.

At times things move too quickly. We just get on with things.

We just do it. But I will be absolutely devastated

if, along the way, we don't fulfil what we have said

we will fulfil and take you on that journey in a good way.

It's not going to be the same ever again.

If you want big time, you can just go to Old Trafford.

It's only around the corner.

You can go to Man City, to Liverpool, to Everton.

They're only around the corner.

We knew things would change and that, but...

Just this guy coming in, that's all.

I just think there's too many clubs in this country

owned by people like him.

And it's just a big game to them, innit?

It's like owning a nice big car, innit?

I think it's just going to lose touch with the ordinary people.

Like every football ground, it will just be a PLC.

It will be just a company and that will be it.

It'll just change.

Jim has got good reason to want to keep the club from changing.

I used to like a good drink.

I started on Mondays and Tuesdays, and before I knew it

I was drinking for my breakfast. 16 cans a day.

A couple before I went to work, a few at dinner.

Just drinking constant.

Jim gave up drinking four years ago and hasn't touched a drop since.

As soon has he stopped drinking

then he threw himself into the football club.

That was the thing that changed him, the football club, I think,

because it gave him a hobby, it gave him

something to take his mind off just work and coming home.

And the football club has just been absolutely, like,

really good for him, really.

And then obviously when the grandkids came along

then that just added to it and he loved it even more.

The boys on the turnstiles with him every Saturday selling the tickets.

It's a good thing going to Salford City. You don't...

Otherwise, I'd be sat at home,

probably in the conservatory, having a drink.

I'm enjoying every day. One time it was just a blur.

Hey!

Fucking hell!

It's October.

Ref! Hey!

Salford are still top of the league,

but cracks are starting to show

since they were knocked out of the FA Cup.

Edgie! Edgie! Edgie!

The team, playing in white, struggle in a match

against mid-table Farsley, and manager Phil Power snaps.

Just pass the fucking ball back.

-Huh?

-Yeah, why did you just...?

-BLEEP!

WHISTLE BLOWS

Calm down. Right, boys.

Boys. What important is what happens in here. I can't gaffer this...

The line is down there, the line is down there policing that,

I'm watching what's on here and you're giving it handbags.

Both of you, off you go. Both off you, go.

Both of you go.

Both of you go.

Power is sent off and watches his team draw 1-1.

I'm sorry. I apologise now for that.

Match Of The Day studio is just here.

The Class of '92 weren't at the Farsley game.

After three months as owners, focus has switched back to their day jobs.

-SUE BARKER:

-Philip Neville!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Paul and Phil have high-profile careers in the media,

and Ryan and Nicky are full-time at Manchester United.

When he offered me the job as assistant manager,

it was just a great opportunity for me,

so it wasn't as if I was finishing, twiddling my thumbs,

"What am I going to do next?"

He's got a proper job now.

It's hard work, but I'm enjoying it.

Also, I think if it was the other way round,

if I'd finished and not done anything,

that'd have been worse for you, wouldn't it?

I don't think I'd have liked him at home full-time,

he'd have drove me mad.

Gary is on Sky Sports, and his role as England coach

requires long-distance commutes to London.

Come over here.

Give me your coat.

They can tell you my routine. Does Daddy pick you up a lot or not?

Eh...a bit.

Am I away a lot?

Yeah.

I don't think my wife would ever say "Enough is enough,

"you've got to come home now," cos that's not real life, that, is it?

Imagine if I turned down being the coach of England. No chance.

It's an incredible opportunity and we look at it in that way, really.

Or I do.

I think.

ALARM BEEPS

Everything is structured around football.

It dominates things you do at weekends -

you can't just plan trips away and everything like that.

So it still does kind of take over your life.

Gary, I think his mum and dad would say,

he's always been intense as a child

and wanted to, you know, be the best, put everything in.

I'm always thinking all the time.

I get up at like 4.30, 3.30, 5, stupid times.

Drives you nuts, doesn't it?

He puts the iPod on. That's what drives you nuts.

You see this light, you think, "Oh."

You don't want to know what time it is.

Things creep up on you, don't they? You've got to make more time.

When I told Emma about Salford,

you weren't that happy, were you, really?

Sorry, you've never, ever said, "No, don't do something,"

but on that one, you were like, "Why? Why something else?"

I know what Gary's like, you see?

He wants to be in control of everything,

so I knew that he'd have to be there

through all the decisions as well,

so it wouldn't just be going to watch them on a Saturday,

it'd be going to the meetings and chatting to the staff

and making...all the rest of it.

That's what I knew and I knew it was just another added thing

that would take the time away from us, really.

Some people say it's control. You just called me a control freak.

But at a football team, at Salford, I like to be across everything.

I like to know what's going on,

because then I can make decisions and I can be informed.

I can't do things half-roads.

I will think I've been a failure if we don't get this right.

I've had a think about things.

What we saw on Saturday wasn't acceptable.

Late October, Tuesday evening training.

In the past four or five weeks,

the only game we've shown anything like is Bamber Bridge.

Other than that, we've been poor.

Just one win in the last four games

has brought Salford's winning streak to an end.

When you're on good money,

the pressure is on for you to perform every week.

If you don't fucking perform, then it's not going to happen,

and things will change.

If someone ain't doing it, get them fucking told.

If they don't like it, they can come off and fuck off somewhere else.

Despite the drop in form,

manager Phil is sticking to training as usual.

I think he's going to make us run.

So when all the lads are tired, we're going to run,

which is good thinking, really.

-What have you said?

-I'm all right, yeah, I'm good.

I'm very tired, gaffer.

-You're feeling very tired?

-Yeah.

Fucking will in about half an hour's time.

Fucking pisses me off. On Thursday it was the same, wasn't it?

In training on Thursday.

Played five-a-side for about an hour and a bit.

Gareth isn't the only ex-pro in Phil's squad.

Danny Webber used to play for Manchester United,

and midfielder Jason Jarrett played for Wigan and Norwich.

The biggest problem we've found this season,

particularly with the likes of Gareth and Jason...

you bring them down to this level, they still want to be treated

and motivated the same way as what they did in league level.

You need to handle these players like professionals.

You need to challenge them.

Cos we've come from, like, a higher level where we expect

a certain standard of coaching, it just felt really non-league.

Who said it? Who said it?

I'll make 'em do a bit more. Called it lazy coaching.

-Cheeky

-BLEEP,

-isn't he?

-Cheeky

-BLEEP.

-What's that?

-That's me celebrating.

At 35, Jason is nearing the end of his career,

and having to adjust to life away from the Premier League's spotlight.

That's Daddy playing for Wigan, scoring a goal.

He lives with his daughter India and his partner Joanne.

They met when he was earning nearly £9,000 a week.

You've had some really good times when you look back, haven't you?

Yeah, definitely, yeah.

-You've kind of had your midlife crisis, but early.

-Earlier.

Aston Martins and Range Rovers and stuff.

Lost a lot of money on that, actually.

Fancy clothes.

Fancy clothes. Everything used to have diamonds on it.

But since signing for Salford,

Jason is now playing for a £300 weekly wage.

What do the players say about the coaching?

Do they say anything?

Jarrett whinges constantly that he has to run too much.

-What, in training?

-Yeah.

If he's said it, he ain't on his own.

In pre-season when I went down, we went down quite a few times,

they should have been working on pattern of play all the time.

All the time. You can get your fitness work in that.

But they were doing a lot of running

and then they were doing five-a-sides.

Yeah, which I think that's what they're doing more now,

-to be honest.

-It's a waste of time, Karen, they don't need it.

Cos they're experienced, they know what they're doing.

They win games cos they're better than other players at that level.

Imagine if they were coached and actually put into a formation.

We need to coach them properly.

To survive in Salford, you have to be a fighter, you have to be strong.

Phil Power is Salford born and bred.

There's people who would say, "Oh, there's Phil again.

"He's with a ball."

They'd be up to no good and I'd be kicking a ball about.

He's an ex-pro who used to play for Macclesfield Town.

Salford City is his first job as manager.

This used to be, like, our indoor pitch, if you like.

This was our little Wembley at the time.

Now Phil wants to deliver the promotion the Class of '92 dream of.

I don't want to be a failure when I've got this opportunity.

I want to make the most of it and take Salford to the next level.

Go on, Danny.

Oh!

Despite their recent loss in form,

Salford are still clinging on to the top of the table.

Yes, Webbs. Go on!

Webbs! Webbs!

But the management and team, playing in red,

are now under scrutiny from their bosses.

We need to get back to winning ways,

cos, at the end of the day, I'm going to be judged by results.

They're going to score. They're going to score.

Fuck.

You do feel every kick. Every time the ball goes in, we're delighted.

Every time somebody attacks our goal, we're worried.

Erm...

because it's our club.

It's so poor, that. That is so poor.

Give over, you clown.

They're definitely on top.

They're going to score again.

Through November, results take a nosedive.

Salford are hammered by mid-table Kendal Town.

How are we getting fucking beat 6-0? It's fucking embarrassing.

All of a sudden, the honeymoon was over. It's like,

boom - back down to earth.

Give over!

Against Clitheroe...

Not one of these players has got heart in it today, none of 'em.

..they're beaten 2-1.

We are playing shit.

And even goal machine Gareth has stopped scoring.

When we have the best players on the highest wage...

Not a lot we can fucking say...

..then we should be number one. We should be.

Go on, Salford! Go on, Salford!

-Back home against Harrogate Railway...

-Oh, my God.

..it's the same story.

It's hard to watch. Three goals in ten minutes, there. Why?

Are they better than us? No!

Here we go, number four - penalty.

Once I'd stopped playing, I thought I could relax on a Saturday night,

but now we're involved in Salford City,

I've got that feeling again like I used to do as a player

where you go home and start sulking and lock yourself in a room.

That's embarrassing.

Harrogate Railway, 4?

I question whether it matters to some of you like it matters to us.

After riding high for the first ten weeks of the season,

Salford have been knocked off the top spot and fallen to fourth.

-What are you worried about?

-We keep fucking losing!

LAUGHTER

The owners have called a crisis meeting.

I think we were always going to suffer a little bit of a dip

after the start we had

and I think it's important now that we keep calm and don't panic.

What do we need, a scout or a coach?

-We may be on about bringing a coach in.

-Definitely.

I think Phil's crying out for a bit of help.

I think he feels a little bit under pressure.

Phil's desperate for help. He needs help.

Are you not happy with the way we play?

They don't look like a coached team.

You could be right. I understand that,

but let's just get through this season.

Then maybe address that.

Not address it halfway through the season,

where a coach comes in and starts...

"We're going to play this way and that way."

It's how Gary played, his heart on his sleeve, and he wants to win,

and if we're not winning, he wants to know why.

I'm a little bit more laid back, but eventually,

we need to do something about it.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

But not quite yet hitting the panic button.

At Moor Lane, it's been two months

since a Singaporean investor came on board.

I don't think this investor is up to much, I think he's just going

to sit at the back and throw some money at the club, I think.

As long as they can let us still be a part of it, it'll be all right.

Which I think they will. I was dead suspicious at first.

Thought it was just a big ploy, me, but...

Think it's turning out all right now.

Jim's renovation work is nearly done

and Gary's come to see the results.

-Jim, are you all right?

-How you doing, Gary?

D'you know, I've not been in these toilets for three months.

Whoa!

What a massive difference that is.

You'll get a few seasons out of these, now, won't you?

If somebody comes in next Saturday

and says, "They're great, them toilets", that's enough for me.

If somebody comments on something you've done, that's a bonus,

isn't it? It's great.

Jim, one thing - never move my beam, my beam, there.

That concrete beam.

That is sacrosanct. That's coming with us...

Do you want a cup holder on it?!

That beam comes with us wherever we go.

I love it. I just...

I used to stand here...

Feel like I'm away from everything.

I actually love coming down here and standing here and watching

and wondering are we going to win or not.

I love it.

The work he's done is unbelievable.

We can't replace that, we've got to try and harness that

somehow for the next 5, 10, 15 years - that passion

and feeling that they have for the club that we could never even

dream to have, having only just come in 12 months ago

and I wouldn't even pretend to have it.

The club feels like it would fall over without them all.

Mid-November.

Salford are away to promotion rivals Lancaster.

They are still trailing fourth in the league

and their star striker has only scored once in the last seven games.

You do think you've let people down when you haven't scored.

I always notice the Class of '92 and...

It also puts a little seed in your head that if they're watching,

you do have to raise your game a little bit.

Just have a look around the dressing room here -

we're full of talent, full of quality.

But the last few weeks,

our standards have dropped from the start of the season.

Manager Phil is determined to end his losing streak.

Today we're going with three lads up top - Seds, Webbs and Sam.

Phil is leaving Jason Jarrett on the bench.

You what? Your calf is a bit sore, put someone else on the bench?

He thinks he's too good to be sub, obviously.

It's funny, that. Even some games, Ronaldo's sub, isn't he?

The subs being... Oh, it was Jason Jarrett, but he's been crossed off.

Did he get injured in the...

-Changing rooms.

-..pulling his socks on?

But when the match starts, Jason's injury disappears.

You said "Take me off the bench, my calf's sore."

Well, maybe you should've fucking realised before you told me.

My mind's on winning the fucking game,

not your fucking emotions.

Right, well maybe you're at the wrong place -

maybe you're too big for us.

I thought people was here cos they wanted to play football, so...

If they don't want to play football,

then they shouldn't be here, should they? End of story.

Go on, Webbs - go on!

Paul Scholes is watching his team today.

The pressure is on Gareth to perform.

He's running for every ball.

And at last, he converts a chance.

I'd say it's probably

15 minutes now,

we need to see this game out

and make sure we get the victory

we desperately need.

Gareth's not done yet.

Go on, Seds, go on, Seds!

CHEERING

Salford win 2-0, and manager Phil gets the win he needed.

Gareth enjoys his Man Of The Match performance.

It's just relief more than anything, isn't it? Isn't it?

Jason never got off the subs bench.

Think my problems started a few years ago when I was about...

25, 26.

Um...

Obviously, it was linked to football,

not achieving what I wanted to achieve

and I feel like I was letting everybody down and stuff and...

that kind of developed,

it kind of led to severe depression and...

It's only now, probably the last couple of years

I've accepted that and...

over the last 12 months I've, like,

started to get a bit of help with it and stuff.

Jason now attends weekly sessions with therapist David Wilson.

I don't know if I told you, David,

I didn't get picked for the team.

-We'd got beat the week before, 4-1.

-Mm.

I should have been played the next game

-and I kicked off before the game...

-Right.

-I proper kicked off.

That was me leading with my emotions again.

Swearing and having a go at him and stuff.

That's definitely an opportunity to wait, think before you actually...

-Yes, and the taking things personally, where we started.

-Yeah.

It wasn't pretty.

My partner Joanne, she ended up moving out

because it got that bad

and that's when I kind of broke down

and kind of spoke to my dad

and a couple of family members and they took me to hospital.

Um, and it just started from there, really. You know?

When things started to go wrong in our relationship, I think

he realised that he couldn't just rely on me, I can't make him happy.

Depression is not a nice thing.

For a while, I'd felt suicidal, I'd have to say, you know what I mean?

I've gotten to the point where I was...planning it and stuff.

When you go from living a life that's...

You know, so good...

..to losing everything...

it's tough.

Who's your favourite football team?

Man United.

GARY GASPS

Not Salford?

Who's your favourite player?

-Scholesy.

-Scholesy?

He doesn't play any more.

Salford are playing tonight against Warrington

so I came back just to watch this tonight, really, and see these two.

I always want my best years to be after I finished playing football.

I'm gutted if we're not achieving things

and we're not looking back on this in 15 years

and thinking it's one of our greatest ever achievements

and one of the best things that we ever did.

-CROWD CHANTS:

-Come on, Salford!

Late November - Salford, playing in red, play Warrington at home.

After their win last week at Lancaster, they've moved up

to third in the league, two places off automatic promotion.

Don't take him down.

Phil's got Jason on the bench again.

Help him.

Salford take an early 1-0 lead, but Gary's unimpressed.

Aaron!

Then, 42 minutes into the game, Warrington take the lead.

Honestly, it's shocking. We're creating our own problems.

I thought of going in and ripping their heads off, do you know that?

-Do you?

-Yeah, I thought it.

CHEERING

Have we scored?

Just before half-time, Salford steal a goal back to equalise.

Lads, why are we playing offside?

Don't just stop - appeal, and stay with your man.

'My instinct was just go in and listen.'

I felt like strangling them, but I never would have done.

We've not said we're going to do that, anyway.

THEY BICKER

'Everyone was shouting and talking'

and I was thinking, "Machine gun."

'I was fuming, really.'

Players don't hold court in dressing rooms.

The space is that wide.

You're saying you're coming inside, turn out,

Sam, you stay out wide, you stay out wide...

And Seddon stands up and I'm thinking, "He's like Obama!"

You'd think he was the president of Salford.

We've got to try and get a midfielder to come

and show to the full-back three things -

take them three things into the second half, we'll win the game.

There were some powerful characters in that dressing room

and you can see how they could be difficult to manage.

Hey, but we've dragged ourselves back, haven't we?

We are right back in it now. Well done, Martin.

But there seemed to be a lack of control.

'It seemed a bit of a mess, to be honest with you.'

Aargh!

'You can blame the players,'

but sometimes you need someone to crack the whip,

you need someone to set the tone and that comes from the manager.

So when you start losing games, when you're not winning...

In the back! Hey!

..then you have some serious thinking to do.

It's a 2-2 draw.

Despite the poor performance, Phil still feels he can deliver.

I know we need to get winning again, as quickly as possible.

But at the minute, I don't think there's a crisis. I don't think...

I'm not panicking. Obviously, I'm not happy, but I'm not panicking.

I know the worst that can happen is I can get sacked

and, like I said, that's the worst that can happen.

New Year's Day - the owners have come to watch Salford, in white,

losing to fourth-placed Droylsden.

'This Droylsden game, I thought we were a shambles.

'I just kept looking at the players we had on the pitch,'

thinking, "How are we producing performances like this?"

'Alarm bells are ringing, really.

'Every time we went to watch,

'we were never really convinced by the performance.'

We're coming away from every game, thinking, "I like that player,"

but it was always players from the other team.

'I don't think they had better individuals.

'They looked like a better team.'

They're dropping in and they're not going with them.

'When people think of the great Man United team,

'they think togetherness, spirit, attitude.'

Well, the team I was looking at at Droylesden was totally the opposite.

Oh, fuck off!

'You could smell that it was an unhappy camp.'

They weren't playing for Phil. They'd stopped playing for Phil.

Salford lose 3-2 to a team they should expect to beat.

It weren't so much the results we were getting,

it was more the way we were playing.

I think, out of all the lads,

I've probably worked closely with Phil and I spoke to him yesterday

and I genuinely have a lot of feeling for the man

and this is a really difficult thing to do,

but I don't think performances have been up to scratch.

'It was a mess. It was a mess.'

It was like being on the roundabout, spinning,

and you think, "Is it the right thing to sack a manager?"

It doesn't feel right,

but it didn't feel right, what was happening.

I played under the same manager for 23, 24 years,

so then I'm going against everything that was successful in my career.

OK. See you, lads.

Bye-bye, see you tomorrow.

Oh, dear.

Obviously, I've been sacked and, er...

..I'm a little bit disappointed cos I thought I'd done a good job.

It's frustrating because I'm convinced Salford are going

to get promoted, whether that's automatic or through the play-offs.

The first six months was like being in kindergarten.

I thought we were rubbish. I look back at me now,

I thought I was a bad owner in that first six months.

It's all change at Salford City.

Don't give them a fucking minute from minute fucking one!

The team's new managers are two of the league's toughest men.

That, mate, is an embarrassment of a performance.

They are aggressive and very close to crossing that line.

The Class of '92 give a young talent the chance of a lifetime.

They said I'm going to go training with United tomorrow.

Sometimes you get a gut feeling on a player and I had it.

But, with just 13 games to save the season,

the players are partying hard...

I looked over and I thought, "They're all drinking. Oh, no."

..and falling apart on the pitch.

That's not great, is it?

I kept saying to Scholesy, to Phil, "That will cost us the league.

"That will cost us the league."