Episode 2 Class of '92: Out of Their League

CHEERING

Who wants a drink?

Hold it! Hold it, Sam!

Five of Manchester United's most successful players

have bought a football club.

This programme contains strong language

Salford City sits seven tiers down from the Premier League.

Salford! Salford! Salford!

The hot chocolate is nice.

It's a club that's falling apart.

A centre forward or new toilets!

We need both!

Go on, Salford!

Relying on part-time players and coaches...

Phil Neville's flapping because we've got no balls!

..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 was shouting!

I feel like going in and ripping their heads off.

After a glorious start to the season, the team have crash landed.

-What's up with you? Come on!

-Oh!

-The owners have sacked the manager...

..and are pinning their hopes on the league's most ruthless men.

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

But the players are partying hard...

..and losing it on the pitch.

-It's not great, is it?

-That is an embarrassment of a performance.

The Class of '92 are out of their league.

But can they still save their season?

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

-Why the

-BLEEP

-did we buy a football club? Why?

This programme contains strong language.

Get your match day souvenir now!

Gary and Phil Neville!

APPLAUSE

The Class of '92 are back in Old Trafford,

the scene of their glory days at Manchester United.

It is a big day and we're desperate for United to do well,

but we want Salford to do well, as well.

When they bought Salford City six months ago,

they dreamt of promotion, but it's not gone to plan.

The first six months was like being in kindergarten.

I thought we were rubbish.

Now, the new owners are desperate to get to every Salford game.

I'm actually pretty nervous.

I've got a bad feeling about today, for some reason.

-All right, Phil?

-OK, Rob.

-What's the Salford team?

-Madeley.

-Madeley's playing?

-Yes.

-Good.

Who's in goal?

They've fallen from the top of the league

and are making an all-or-nothing gamble to get back to the top.

Our belief system is about continuity and stability,

but it felt like we're going to have to drop those beliefs.

They've sacked their old manager and given the job

to Bernard Morley and Anthony 'Jonno' Johnson -

non-league veterans with a ruthless reputation.

-They call us some terrible names, which we're not.

-Like what?

-Thugs.

Listen, if that's what I am, so be it.

Me and him love it. He's the most fearless man

I've ever met in my life. I know it's a game of football

and I don't want to make it sound like a war,

-but we're tough.

-We demand respect.

And sometimes, we do scream and shout and we get reactions.

It's February.

Salford, in red,

are playing New Mills.

Try and stop that ball coming into the front two!

Ceiling fixer Bernard is managing alone.

Former soldier Jonno is still serving a five-match ban for fighting

and is banished to the stands.

BLEEP awful!

They are very sure of themselves. They are very bullish.

Do you trust them? 100%, you probably don't trust them, no.

Scotty! Scott! Get Jason in front of the back four there.

It was a huge gamble. They are aggressive

and very close to crossing that line.

With just 13 games to save the season, Bernard and Jonno

have got a massive fight on their hands to win the league.

Every Salford player is under scrutiny.

Awful start.

We should be winning four or five nil here. Sending a message.

Here we go.

They win 2-0...

..but the ex-squaddie isn't impressed.

Do you understand why we train the way we do?!

Because if you don't, ask me and I'll explain it.

What do we doing training? Pass. Quickly. And forwards. No?

We all agree. At tempo.

-So why the

-BLEEP

-are we going pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass,

pass, pass, pass?

Because there isn't a single option.

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

You've got to punish shit sides!

I felt embarrassed watching that. I sit there thinking,

"What do people think we do during the week for two weeks?"

-What the

-BLEEP

-do people think we've done?

-You get your finger out of your arse, mate. You watch too many

-BLEEP

-touches.

Every time you're offside, we've got to start again.

Shorten your game up. Do you understand me?

-If you think I'm nit-picking, that's because I

-BLEEP

-am.

Jonno singled out Gareth Seddon, Salford's star striker,

accusing him of ignoring the game plan.

-BLEEP,

-mate.

He just said that we're running offside too many times and, like,

the last 10-15 minutes, we should have been holding it up,

but I don't know whether I agree.

I don't really agree with that, but...

Jonno, he's got that devil in his eyes. You can tell, at any moment,

he could flip. And Bernard's like the scary, quiet man.

He looks like he could kill someone.

Cos if you've made a mistake, he'll just look at you.

You think, "Oh, my God".

Salford have history with the new managers.

When Jonno and Bernard were in charge of their previous team,

Ramsbottom United, they played Salford.

The match ended in mayhem.

They are aggressive, our new managers.

And you can see here now, it ends up all going off.

Here we go.

Here we go. What's up?

Jonno's just slam-dunked him. We knew what we were getting.

We wanted that passion and that fight and that spirit.

Obviously, there's always a line. He overstepped it there.

Cos, at times, as a player, I did things myself that weren't great,

I tend to, sort of, accept that, yes, it's a mistake,

it's unacceptable but I don't go overboard on it.

My temper comes from wanting to execute a plan properly

and if we don't execute what we're trying to do,

then it'll flare up, cos I think, I work hard all week,

then all of a sudden, they can't be arsed.

-So there's got to be

-BLEEP

-answers to it.

Jonno and Bernard's thoughts are never far from Saturday afternoon.

But the football has to fit around their real jobs.

They could never survive on a Salford manager's wages.

Boring, isn't it?

Not on the breadline as such, but in January and February,

you know, it's notoriously quiet months.

So, you know, I was probably bringing in less than £100 a week.

But ultimately, I want to make it in the game.

It's the one opportunity I've got and I've got to take it

and give it everything I've got, you know.

I want it more than anything else in the world.

Two days after the game, Gareth's back at home with his daughter Millie

-and girlfriend Melissa.

-On Saturday, I thought I played really well

and we've come in after the game and Jonno and Bernard have, kind of,

laid into us and, to be fair, they like had a bit of a go at me,

which, in front of everyone, obviously, it pissed me off.

Cos I thought, "Hold on. I think I've been our best player today."

An experienced ex-pro from four leagues above,

he's not used to Jonno's aggressive style.

-Why didn't you tell him to do one?

-It's like an unwritten law.

Whatever your managers says to you, in front of everybody,

you've just got to keep your mouth shut and accept what he says.

I don't work well like that. If I try my very, very best at something

and then somebody still tells me that I was rubbish,

then I think, "I'm not going to bother with that".

So, I think, if they annoy you, then you're not going to...

You're not going to want to carry on playing for people.

Four years ago, Gareth became a dad.

He now shares custody of Millie with his ex-partner.

Football is no longer his biggest priority.

It is difficult. I just wish that I didn't have to take her back.

I just wish that Millie's home was with me.

-Mwah!

-I told you.

You did. You look very beautiful. Who's done your hair for you? Mummy?

-Mummy.

-Beautiful.

'When she's got a scab on her knee, and I haven't been there

'to like pick her up off the floor and give her a hug

'and little things like that.

'That's what I sometimes get upset about.'

But, yeah, no, it's difficult, especially when I drop her off.

There's been a makeover at Moor Lane, Salford City's ground.

Part of the duties - cleaning up.

Its new owners may be multimillionaires,

but the club still relies on an army of 20 local volunteers.

Good afternoon and welcome to Moor Lane.

I think people say community lacks a bit, but it's alive and well here.

I've been watching Salford for ten years and I absolutely love it.

I just think non-league, it is like a little family.

Crowds have been growing over the season

and the new owners have invested in an overhaul of the ground.

But there's no way of expanding Babs Gaskill's tiny kitchen,

where she's been cooking burgers and pies for 26 years.

I need a new oven. Please can I have a new oven!

20-odd years!

She's struggling to cope with the increasing demand.

It just seems to have got bigger overnight You don't expect it.

Gary's at the ground to talk through the ongoing development.

-What we need to mention is the kitchen.

-What?

-Why are we building a kitchen?

-What's the reason?

It's just cos that's so small.

Why can't we buy a van and she serves out of there?

So put a van, like a nice van behind the goal and we serve out of there?

Can we not just buy one? The hot food over there behind the goal

and then people, as they walk in,

walk around, just get their stuff.

-In a van, you mean?

-In a van, I think.

It's down to Karen to tell Babs about Gary's plan for her new kitchen.

Not even ones that you drive, just for like, you know the trailers,

like they have at fairs?

-Yeah.

-Like that.

The arrangement's far from ideal.

We don't want to go right to the top of the ground,

cos I'd be out of the way. I'd be on my own up there.

I could walk away, couldn't I?

It's not that I'm not saying that I'm not going to get what I want.

I'm not arguing over that.

I could walk away, don't worry, very easily.

# Up the football, here we go... #

Salford's archrivals are Darlington, who play in black and white.

They are top of the league above Salford and, because they've got

three games in hand, they're firm favourites to win the title.

Seven months in,

you're up and down in your form.

Darlington are points ahead and have got games in hand.

It's 50-50, at best, that you're going to go up. At best.

I'd say 70-30, really, if we get into the play-offs.

And we're thinking, this is tough.

Late February. Salford face Prescott Cables.

We needed to freshen up the team. The team was on a downward spiral.

There was no energy, there was no spirit. There was no quality

in the team. It had gone.

In their first month in charge, Jonno and Bernard haven't held back.

They've sacked ten players.

Gareth and team-mate Ashley Dunn have managed to

hang on to their place in the squad.

There's no better feeling when you've played,

you won on Saturday and you go out for a couple of beers.

26-year-old Ashley still lives at home with Mum and Dad,

but Salford City is his life.

I play football, go out with my friends, living the dream.

-You're in there, Dunn Dunn. As always.

-Go on, Dunny!

Before today's kick-off, the new managers want a word with Ashley.

You're not in the squad today. We're going to leave you out of the squad.

Why's that?

We've picked Owen over you.

Why? I should be playing today.

-In your opinion.

-Yeah.

-You honestly feel like you've done well enough

-since we've been in, to stay in the team?

-Yeah. Definitely. Definitely.

If I was in your plans and, obviously, you thought a lot of me,

-I'd be in.

-If you'd been good enough, you'd be starting, Ash.

Forget the excuses.

-Bamber Bridge game...

-You was poor. I thought you was definitely poor.

-Poor?

-I thought we was poor as a team.

You've been at this club all season, and you've not been pulling any trees up.

If you're honest, you'll tell it yourself, he was given three games.

-Some players haven't had the chance. You've had yours.

-But I don't think I've done anything wrong.

I just feel a bit embarrassed. I've always started, always been

involved, not to be in the 16. Just frustrating.

Want to go home and just hide in your room or something.

We've just said to him, you know, does he think he's been good enough

to get in the team and he says, "Yeah."

So, we're a bit baffled with that. Cos if he thinks he's been playing

well recently, I'd hate to see him play bad.

The managers have dropped Ashley from the squad and never select him again.

His dreams have representing the Class of '92 are over.

I don't think one player in this changing rooms are playing

to their full potential. Does anyone disagree?

Or am I missing a trick? Is there anybody here

that thinks they're flying? "Yeah, I should be picked every week."

We'll keep changing things, till we get it right.

Yeah?

'They wanted everybody to run through that brick wall for them'

and one that's not - boom, you're gone.

I think we're at the ruthless end of football,

because you can cut people off. If you don't play them,

you don't pay them, you don't have to give them contracts.

CROWD CHEER

Premier League, you know, you've still got some kind of security.

At non-league level, there's no security, whatsoever.

Unless you're on a contract, you're just a piece of meat.

Oh, he's in.

Salford win 6-1 and go top of the league.

Better still, Darlington lose and drop to second.

Jonno and Bernard's tough methods are delivering results.

We employ Jonno and Bernard to get the same kind of results

and performance and spirit like at Ramsbottom.

Great win.

THEY CHEER

'To do that, we had to let them do their job.'

And they challenged us.

The Class of '92 have given Jonno and Bernard total control of the squad.

But Phil and Paul have still got an eye out for new talent.

Watch him when he's on the ball.

He runs his foot on the ball,

which tells you he knows how to play.

20-year-old Sadiq El Fitouri has caught Phil's attention.

Well done, Sadiq.

The minute I saw him, I thought, "This kid can play."

There is something mystique about him, I think.

He had a bit of a swagger. And I just thought...

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

Sadiq hasn't played professionally

since he was dropped by Manchester City's academy

over a year ago.

I've been training on my own with, like,

a few of my friends at a park and all of that.

So, the surfaces are pretty bad there, as well,

so I, kind of, got used to it anyway.

He's not played football for a year and a half. It's incredible.

When we talk with the lads,

he's the one that I'm pushing all the time.

Despite being part of the Salford squad,

Jonno and Bernard don't want him in the team.

Jonno and Bernard want to play the solid lads, which we understand.

They like him, but they don't want to change the team.

Paul said, "Look, ring Warren Joyce at Man United.

"He's the best judge of a young player that you'll see.

Go looking smart and take your studs, your moulds

and your shin pads.

Phil's made the most of his contacts,

to get Sadiq a make-or-break trial at Manchester United.

And he wants you to go down and train at one o'clock tomorrow.

So, you've got to be there for 11. I told you, we believe in you!

-Thank you.

-OK?

I'm sending a lad to Man United for training, that we believe in,

that can't get in our team.

-LAUGHTER

-That's...

-Have you seen him, Gaz?

-No.

His physique and everything, he just looks like a footballer.

I think he's good.

How can he not get in our team?

He can.

It's interfering, isn't it? We can't do it, Gaz.

Same with every player. What can we do?

It's hard not to interfere, isn't it?

You can't interfere.

What we are saying, basically,

is that a player who may be good enough

to play at a high level,

but might not get you out of this league.

And that's maybe the decision that they're making.

That's exactly what they are doing.

Sometimes in life, you need a chance and this is what we want to achieve.

We want to give lads a chance in life that a young...

give young people opportunities

like we were given opportunities when we were young.

It's brilliant for the kid.

Is he still going on about Sadiq?

He's my baby!

Is he your love child?

The owners are split over how much they should get involved

with team decisions.

I think, if they want to speak to me about football matters,

I think we should still offer our opinion, don't you?

-No.

-No?

I think if they ask the question, you have to.

If they ask the question, yeah.

We need to create that divide and create

that line between the managers and ourselves.

I spoke to Jonno the other day and said it was brilliant,

the intensity and all that.

And I think that's important for them to hear that.

Next week, when the intensity's shit and we're crap

and we get beat 3-0, what's your phone call, then?

That's what I am going to find difficult,

cos I actually love the football chat.

-Do you know what I mean?

-I, to be fair...

Why the fuck did we buy a football club?

-Can we sell up?

-Why?!

I love it! You love it.

We're not allowed to talk about football, though, are we?

We own a football club, we can't talk about football.

Oh! Bloody gates!

At the hundreds of non-league grounds like Salford City,

the fans keep the clubs going, win or lose,

all year round.

You see them on the pitch, you see them in the bar,

you see them stocktaking.

They do it because of their love for the club.

Quick repair of the corner flag.

The historic meaning of a football club is community spirit,

helping, bringing together, everyone mucking in.

And Salford City's got that.

I've come straight from work this morning.

I've been doing a bit of grafting in work.

Somebody like Babs, who's been at the club for so long,

Salford City is her life.

What pies have you've got, love?

I've got potato, steak, and cheese and onion.

I'm on here for the men.

Come on, where are they?!

We are the owners of Salford City Football Club

but it doesn't feel like our football club

when you see the work they put into it.

We've got to do the right things as much as we possibly can.

Even though we're making a load of mistakes.

My husband always went up with the children.

I used to walk them up there on a Saturday.

So that's how it started.

Mum of two Babs is Salford born and bred.

She is a seamstress in the local textile factory.

When I've worked all day and I go down on a Tuesday night,

I think, "Oh, do I have to?"

But I do it.

Once I get going, I am all right.

Oh, there he is! Have you been oiled?

I have, I've been robbed down.

-I have.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

You couldn't show me...

You couldn't show me your best baps, could you?

Oh, beautiful!

-Hello!

-Two minutes.

Two weeks after Gary's idea to move Babs to a burger van,

the plan has changed.

Yeah, the news is, Gary agreed to go for this

as the new kitchen, instead of a burger van.

-Very made up.

-I got a message saying she loves me!

-Very happy.

-I know you did!

-I told Gary, as well!

It's going to be better. In the winter, anyway!

I'd be stuck out there, freezing, won't I?!

You're on your own over there.

At least you're in the middle of everything still.

That's what I was planning!

He's trying to move me to the other side! Not happening.

Welcome to my new cafe.

No, I'll have to have a launch date!

I'll be with you in a minute!

It's early March.

The Class of '92 are planning a thank-you dinner

for Salford's volunteers and team.

Are they all coming on Thursday night, everyone?

As far as I'm concerned,

I think there's maybe one or two dropped out,

but, yeah, everyone is there.

But the dinner's just two days before

a match they have to win, to stop Darlington going top.

So, they'll need a plan to manage the players

and the free bar.

We said on Thursday, they could have a couple of pints and that's it,

with their meal, or half a bottle of wine between them with their meal.

How are you going to police that on Thursday?

Cos I mean, obviously...

We have told them and anyone that we find out that's done it,

who goes out after that, won't be...

But half a bottle of wine at a meal for...

it'll be four hours, this dinner.

'We'd spotted the danger of this event,

'in terms of the Saturday game.'

If you drink on a Thursday night,

you're definitely going to be struggling on the Saturday.

You just don't feel right.

It'd be a disaster if we lose Saturday because of that.

Cos of what we've done.

We lose and because of a nice night, it ends up being a disaster.

So, how's that...?

Because our conversation about putting rules in place.

And I think they know now.

Salford's season may be on a knife edge, but tonight,

the Class of '92 are throwing a party for their new club.

It's a chance for the multimillionaire owners

and their part-time players to relax.

MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH

The managers are trying to police their two drink limit.

LAUGHTER

The next one, best moment in football.

Giggsy's goal in the semifinal.

What a special goal.

APPLAUSE

I don't believe a goal...

It was a massive part of that,

because we were in big trouble at the time.

-Phil had given a penalty away.

-LAUGHTER

Again!

And we needed someone to get us out of the shit again.

And that was Giggsy.

Halfway through the evening,

Bernard and Jonno's two-drink rule is in tatters.

If we don't perform Saturday and they've all had a drink,

it's easy to point the fingers.

'I went to the toilet and I saw one of the lads

'and he sort of started, like, half joking and banter.'

So I thought...

"He's drinking."

And I looked over and I thought,

"They're all drinking.

"There's a lot of them drinking!"

And I just thought, "Oh, no."

When you've got 20 lads, nice hotel, free booze,

everyone else is drinking...

"Yeah, I'll join in."

Maybe it was a mistake.

Well, it was a mistake. It's not a maybe.

I mean, it's a massive game for us, Saturday,

so I'd hate to think we're going to lose the league,

or not go up, or drop points,

because of them having a drink on a Thursday night.

Don't let's have no excuses about today

cos I'm telling you now, boys,

we lose the game or your performance dips, or yours does,

or yours does,

there's doubts in their mind why it has done.

Don't let that happen, yeah?

Two days after the dinner, Salford, playing in red,

face 12th place Lancaster.

Adam, Adam!

What have we said before the game?

The pressure's on for the win

that will keep rivals Darlington off the top spot.

I remember getting there and after three or four minutes,

I remember looking at them and thinking, "Oh, no.

"Oh, no."

They're blowing us to bits in the middle of the park.

Blowing us to bits all over the park.

They had that, sort of, lethargic movement that you just thought,

"This is wrong."

And I knew straightaway and I was furious.

Look at that. Look at how fucking laboured we are.

Come on. Come on, Danny.

In the 30th minute, Lancaster take the lead.

Where are we?

Look at this, what the...?

No, I don't know what's happened since last week, really.

CHEERING

I'm shocked.

Never organise a do on a Thursday before a Saturday game.

I think that's the lesson we take from it.

I would take the whole lot off if I could.

It's really poor.

They just look completely off their pace.

It won't happen again.

THEY SHOUT

We're getting beaten.

We're playing terribly.

WHISTLE

Things go from bad to worse.

A Salford defender gets his marching orders for a vicious tackle.

That's not great, is it?

2-0 down, ten men.

We could have another three sent off, probably.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Let's have a jog. Come on.

It is still 2-0 at half-time.

In my opinion, if we could, I'd take the lot of you off.

I don't think you could have played any worse if I had said to you,

"I'll pay you 500 quid if you can have a bad game today."

It's as if you've gone,

"Do you know what? Let's get these two sacked as well."

-You set of

-BLEEP

-for fucking doing that on Thursday.

Individually, Howson, that, mate,

is an embarrassment of a performance.

It is an absolute disgrace.

And that's constructive, by the way.

11 stinkers, boys. You've embarrassed yourselves.

You have been outworked by a young,

hungry set of gobshites and embarrassed us.

I don't know what you've just done, mate, for 45 minutes.

I think you've touched the ball twice.

Like a lost little boy. That's what you look like, mate -

lost.

Gaz, listen to me, yeah?

-All you've done for 45 minutes is blame every other

-BLEEP.

In my opinion, the game's gone.

Well, we can't go out with that fucking attitude, can we?

No, that's not my attitude.

-We've...

-My attitude at the beginning of the game -

"Do what you've done the last three weeks." But you've not.

-And all you've done is gone,

-"BLEEP

-you, boys."

That's not to single anybody out, that's to gee people up.

-Single yourself out.

-I have come in,

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

-But I weren't shouting.

-You was shouting and I have said to you...

Take responsibility, stop doing all this with your hands.

Throwing your hands about and passing the buck,

-which you've done...

-That's to get myself up and going.

-So blaming everybody else gets you up, does it?

-All right,

-I'm not arguing about it.

-No, we're not.

-We'll get it straight.

-I've just said...

At least I know now where we move on from this.

-I weren't doing it to single any individual out.

-Right,

I'm not doing it to single you out. All I'm saying is do your job.

You do your job, let me and him worry about everybody else's.

Grow some bollocks and put it right.

Let's go.

Nothing the managers say at half-time can undo the damage.

WHISTLE

After another red card, Salford are down to nine men.

The owners have seen enough.

The team are beaten 2-0.

Salford now need to win all their last nine games,

and hope Darlington lose,

to guarantee promotion.

It's an almost impossible job.

Oh, well.

Devastated. Absolutely devastated.

There is your chance, though, isn't it? Chance is gone.

-It might be the only chance.

-I know,

but I thought that could have cost us it today.

My view for that next four weeks,

and I kept saying it to Scholesy, to Phil,

that will cost us the league. That will cost is the league.

I thought the manager was trying to make out that

I was blaming everybody else and I weren't blaming myself, which...

I'm the first person, if I've had a bad game,

I'm the first person to hold my hand up.

So I thought he was, like, making a show of me, really.

To speak over the manager, whether he's right or wrong,

there is a time and place to confront him.

I asked him a question at half-time

and he tried to go round the houses with the question,

but I didn't want an answer from him.

It was me telling him that he needed to worry about his own game.

And he kept coming back at me that he weren't that type of person.

If anybody speaks above me and him when we think we're right,

it won't happen again.

It will happen once and it'll never happen a second time.

When you're in that changing room

and we're trying to get over a point

of how we want to play football,

or what we deem is needed to win a game of football,

it isn't up for discussion.

It's not a democracy.

We are the alpha males, that's how it is.

Right, Hallie, come and sit down. Come on.

-What's this?

-Chips.

-I don't want to eat chips.

-You don't want chips?

Daddy is going to eat yours, then.

-I don't want chips!

-Right, I'll eat them, then. OK?

Four days after his side lost to Lancaster,

Bernard is home alone with his children, Hallie and Thomas.

PHONE RINGS

Darlington are playing tonight

and he is trying to follow the match.

2-0, mate.

If Darlington win, they go top again and Salford drop back to second.

All right, mate.

-'See you in a bit.'

-See you later, mate.

Bernard's night isn't going to plan.

He's desperate to get back to the game.

Lie down, come on.

-TABLET:

-'Looks like vanilla with chocolate chips in it.'

-I don't want to lie down.

-You don't want to lie down?

Well, how are you going to go to sleep if you don't lie down?

Right, night-night. Bye.

HALLIE CHATTERS TO HERSELF

Hard work!

Very.

Gary Neville and Phil Neville are on Twitter

and there's messages that I believe they've received this week

saying Salford are poor,

and laughing and saying they're wasting their money this

and doing this wrong,

so I think you think about a lot of that

and you try and block it out, but it hurts me and Jonno, it really does.

-Daddy?

-No, she's... Thomas hasn't done anything to you.

You're just being naughty.

He's just pushed me.

Why are you still awake?!

Oh, did you not go to bed?

No, cos you need your mummy?

It's not looking good.

-Not looking good, at all.

-It's raining.

Have they finished?

-What score is it?

-2-0 still.

Oh, dearie me.

Oh, dearie me!

They've gone top of the league.

By how many points?

Same points, but they've got a game in hand still,

so potentially, three points in front.

But why is it important to you?

You set out to achieve something and if you do it, it's good,

-if you don't, it's failure.

-If you don't win the league?

-Yeah.

We've been top of the league and could've stayed there

if we'd won Saturday, so we have had the chance.

I love it when they win, cos he comes home happy!

If they lose, he's awful.

He goes to bed and doesn't speak to me!

Well done, you two. Go on, go on, close him down. Close him down.

Get in shape! Get in shape! Get in shape!

With Darlington back at the top,

Salford's season hangs in the balance.

They will have to win all of their nine remaining games

to stand a chance of winning the league.

The managers are throwing everything at training,

and everyone is expected to give their all to the club.

One! One!

But Gareth Seddon has asked to miss a game in this vital run.

Doesn't sound great.

You're going for promotion

and your star striker says he wants to go and model.

I mean, it doesn't sound great, does it?

I know it's gutting that I'll have to miss a game,

but I can't turn down five grand.

In five weeks' time, it's going to be the end of the season

and I'll stop getting paid.

I've still got my mortgage,

I've got my little girl to look after.

So that money, it'll see me through the summer.

Chasing promotion, you know,

and he is more interested in going abroad for whatever reason.

It might be the money, it might be too much to turn down.

I don't know. But to be honest, we don't really care.

We know where we stand now.

We know where we are on the priority list.

I'm not fucking happy about it. Why would I be?

Mid-March, eight games left,

Salford are at Ossett Town,

but their leading goal scorer is modelling in Germany.

I remember Gary ringing me up and saying,

"Gaz Seddon's got this modelling thing and he won't be able to play."

And my first instinct was, "Taking the piss? What do you mean?"

Rivals Darlington are also playing today.

Volunteer Laura checks the score online.

Darlington are winning 4-1.

We just need to match their results,

and then hope they drop a couple points here and there, I suppose.

Salford are in white.

Go on, Danny, go on, Danny.

SHOUTING

In the dying minutes of a tight game, Salford are given a penalty.

Yes. Who takes that?

-Who takes that?

-Normally Seddon, isn't it?

WHISTLE BLOWS

Salford's win puts them back ahead of Darlington

in their neck and neck race for the title.

-THEY CHANT:

-Salford, Salford, Salford!

Oh, so you started your exercises?

She's not happy.

-Not happy?

-I am.

-Shall I join in?

Do you want me and Harvey to join in?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, OK. Come on, you. Stop being lazy.

-Five...

Phil Neville is passionate about fitness on and off the pitch.

Since his 11-year-old daughter Isabella

was born with cerebral palsy,

it's become part of family life.

-How many of these are we doing?

-Ten.

-One, two...

-Ten?!

-So Isabella has to do this three, four times a week.

-Five, six...

Strengthening her little legs. Don't you?

-Yeah.

-Nine, ten.

-You love doing it, don't you?

HE LAUGHS

She has to work really hard on her hamstrings

to get more flexibility in them.

-You don't like the hamstring ones, do you?

-No.

When she was born, they told us she wouldn't be able to walk

so it was our sole aim in life then

just to make sure that we give her the best chance of walking.

And that was being really hard on her at times, weren't it?

Are you ready? Shall we do five catches?

I am aiming for your nose.

Back straight.

If we accepted what they told us about her never being able to walk,

then she never would.

So we just thought, "Well, we'll just act like she will

and give her every opportunity to do that.

-Who is harder on you? Is it me or Mummy?

-You.

-Why?

-Because you stretch me harder.

-He's not as gentle as me, is he?

-No.

-What do we say? No pain, no...?

-Gain!

-No pain, no gain.

In life, you need determination to succeed.

She plays netball, she plays rounders.

I have never looked on her as disabled.

I have had massive disappointments in my football career,

massive ups, massive downs,

but you need to overcome disappointments

with a determination.

Block him out, Issy!

Are you struggling? Are you struggling?

She's down, she's out!

SHE GASPS

-He is down as well. Yeah, champion!

-Oh, here we go.

Phil's taken on the responsibility of getting Salford City in shape, too.

-All right, Brendan.

-How are you doing?

He's got the hotel he co-owns

to put on Salford's first ever pre-match meal,

ahead of their crucial game against Prescot Cables tonight.

You work all day

and then you have got to get over to Prescot, in Liverpool,

so the lazy thing to do would just be to probably grab a Mars bar,

a packet of crisps, maybe a can of Coke.

We want to introduce a bit of professionalism now.

Make sure they behave.

-Last time they were in here, they were all pissed up.

-They were.

I've gone for a bit of... A bit of... What is it?

Green beans with... I don't know what they call this these days.

A bit of chilli, is it?

You talk about these players coming to our hotel tonight

and having a free meal.

I mean, the temptation there is to probably fill your boots.

So we've just got to trust them,

that we are educating them in the right way.

-Am I allowed seconds, Gaffer?

-Yes, Jeff.

Proper little fat kid.

I don't think we are allowed to have them.

I've never had, like, a strict diet or anything like that.

It's got me to where I am today,

so I don't feel like changing it or...

Gareth's back from his modelling assignment and ready to play.

I don't know whether I'll go straight into the squad tonight.

I'll probably have to wait my turn.

Probably have to wait until, I don't know, a miracle happens,

and then he'll let me back in the squad.

Salford City versus Prescot Cables.

There are seven games left, and every one has to end in victory

if they want to win the league.

But Darlington have just gone ahead again.

Jonno and Bernard are leaving Seddon on the bench.

We might only get one chance, boys. We might get one chance today.

-We've got to fucking take that chance.

-Boys, boys.

You know where we are on the table.

We've dropped to second, haven't we? The pressure is on you.

-We have got to win our

-BLEEP

-games, yeah?

But it starts by doing your job properly.

All over the fucking park.

Win your battles! Come on!

Salford are playing in blue tonight.

-MAN CHANTS:

-Cables! Cables! Cables!

Trouble, trouble.

Play the way you fucking...

Jonno's not happy.

Move the ball! Come on!

That is not a bad one. That is not a bad one.

They've got to finish. They've got to finish on that.

70 minutes down and no score.

Nothing's coming off. It's poor. Poor.

Gareth is still serving time on the sidelines.

Go and test him. Go on and test him!

GROANING

In desperation, the managers relent.

They've no choice but to put their faith in Gareth.

-TANNOY:

-'Substitution Salford City, number 12, Gareth Seddon.'

Come on, Gareth!

Gareth shoots...

CHEERING

..and wins the game with the last kick of the match.

Get in!

Oh, my God.

WHISTLE BLOWS, CHEERING

Eins, zwei, drei.

SHOUTING AND CHEERING

Best win they've had, that. If you know you're going to win like that,

that's how you want to win, innit?

Well done, boys. We'll fucking take that, eh? Fucking enjoy it.

Them fucking results win you leagues, I'll tell you that.

As a footballer, he is unbelievable,

but, obviously, what we question is, you know,

it's when it suits Gaz Seddon,

and he'd have been starting tonight

if he weren't going to Germany and things like that, but it's great.

You know what? That could be the most important goal of the season.

Buzzing, aren't we?

I don't know what all the panic was about.

A nice little week away working.

I come back, 93rd minute, get the winner.

What is the problem?!

I couldn't have wrote it better, could I, really?

After his trial with Manchester United,

Phil's gone to catch up with Sadiq,

who still lives at home with his family.

After we finished training, he pulled me over to the side

and just said, like, "Well done. You have been training well.

"And we want to offer you an 18-month contract." And...yeah.

-How did you feel?

-It was just... Same again, I was just happy.

-Did you phone your mum?

-Yeah, straightaway.

And they were really happy as well.

The situation with Sadiq, I think, has probably

never, ever happened in the lifetime of Man United.

I think in probably football itself, only three or four times.

I can think of Stuart Pearce playing non-league football, then going...

Ian Wright did it, I think, but they didn't sign for Man United.

They had to sign for Crystal Palace or Nottingham Forest.

This is the biggest club in the world.

Sadiq is now professional footballer on a substantial wage.

-Hello.

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

-Sapphi?

-Saphal.

-Saphal.

Did he play football all the time?

All my family, my husband and him and all my...

They would go to the park and play with him.

-Your mum believed in you?

-Yeah, yeah, definitely.

-Mums do.

What you need to do now, when he signs for the biggest...

You need to keep his feet on the ground and tell him to work hard.

-Yeah.

-You know all of them girls that are now coming for Sadiq,

and the fast cars?

-You need to say, "No, Sadiq, concentrate!"

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

It's like a fairy tale, really.

To think that, five weeks ago,

that he was third choice right back at Salford,

he turned up for training,

they didn't think he was strong enough, couldn't defend, you know?

And then, all of a sudden,

he has signed a two-year contract for Man United,

or an 18-month contract for Man United.

I think it's fantastic.

I think what it shows is that if people believe in you,

and you have the right attitude - Sadiq has got a great attitude -

then anything is achievable in life.

The end of March. The season has just four weeks to go.

This is your fucking cup final. You leave fuck all in here.

Don't give them a fucking minute, from minute fucking one.

Yes, get in!

And Salford go on an incredible run.

CHEERING

SHOUTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

They win five games in a row.

Don't let us down, boys.

Don't leave any excuses in this changing room now. Yeah?

There's a truce between managers and their star striker.

Seddon's now starting and scoring in every match.

Whoo!

Easy, weren't it?

It's not over till it's over.

Ohh...

Hit it!

The pressure is so much worse.

I have never felt sick for days in advance for a non-league game

like I am now, but I have never enjoyed wins

as much as I am now, either.

Get in, boys!

They've finally caught up with Darlington.

The owners' gamble on Jonno and Bernard might just pay off.

Woohoo! Outside world!

Let me get the posh chair out.

Hi.

At Moor Lane, it's a big night for Babs.

Two months after asking for more space,

her kitchen's ready for its grand opening.

This is my new kitchen.

As you can see, it's not quite finished yet but it's nearly there.

I've waited a long time for this, haven't I?

When I think about it now, it would have been a little bit tight,

to be fair, shoving her in a van in the car park, round the back,

so I think even though it's cost us quite a bit more money,

we have to do those things.

But for her, she has got to feel proud of what she's doing

and she was proud of that little kiosk that she had.

That's the sort of responsibility we're carrying. I mean, 26 years.

How many burgers will she have sold in that time?

HE CHUCKLES

Where's she gone? Here she is!

Here we go, the most expensive cafe in non-league football!

THEY LAUGH

-26 years, fantastic, well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done.

I will try and open this for you.

CHEERING

-Thank you very much!

-Very good, well done.

-Thank you. Thanks, darling.

-Right, throw your money behind here.

-We need us money back for this cafe.

-Sorry!

Can't stop. Sorry.

That was lovely.

It is 21st April,

the end of the most hotly contested league title in years.

And it's all come down to this -

today's Darlington game against Warrington Town.

If Darlington, playing in black and white, lose or draw,

Salford win the league and get promotion.

All the Salford players can do is wait.

They're all at a local curry house,

and they'll have to follow the game by texts sent from Salford fans

watching at Warrington's ground.

You can't control it, can you?

You can't do anything. You're just waiting on someone telling you.

I am a quivering wreck. This is actually more nervous than

I have been at any Salford game all season, to be honest.

Get on it, get on it. Handball, wasn't it? Handball!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHEERING

We've just heard it is 1-0 to Warrington,

so hopefully I will be celebrating with a curry and a pint!

CHEERING

1-1, 40th minute.

Oh! From there to there in about two minutes!

It's still 1-1 at half-time.

Fucking anxiety.

Eh?

I've got a pain in my chest.

Oh, I can't fucking deal with this.

If the score stays the same, then Salford win the league.

But Darlington are throwing everything they have

at the Warrington goal.

GROANING

Oh, come on, Lord, please! If you're up there, I'm begging you!

We got the biggest ten minutes of our lives, or mine!

How long?

Oh, my fucking God.

Horrible, this.

WHISTLE BLOWS

LAUGHTER AND CHEERING

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

CHEERING

-THEY CHANT:

-We are going up, said we are going up.

We are going up, said we are going up.

We are going up, said we are going up!

Salford have defied the odds and won promotion,

and the owners are one step closer to their dream of building a club

fit for the Premier League.

I'm absolutely buzzing. And this reward now,

this feeling you get from it, no trophy, no medal, nothing,

this feeling you get now is the best feeling in the world.

I've had three kids, obviously apart from that!

Well, it's probably a little bit better than that!

This is why we brought Jonno and Bernard in,

because this is the culture that I think saw us through our career.

It wasn't a talent.

We had a little bit of talent but we had this kind of spirit.

It can take you a long way.

Fucking hell, what a day.

There is a God!

Top man, cheers.

Mr Giggs. Mr Giggs, can I take a picture with you?

People like Ryan Giggs shaking my hand and saying "well done",

fucking still amazes me now.

And we're up. Morning!

Hi!

It's the final game for the newly crowned champions.

And the owners are hoping for their biggest crowd of the season.

It's a proud day. A lot of people questioned you lot

when we came in, "They might not even make the play-offs."

We've had hiccups, but you've done the work we've asked you to do.

Go out, soak it up, enjoy yourselves. All the best.

CHEERING

The news of Salford City's success has clearly spread.

The stand is packed to the rafters.

-CROWD CHANTS:

-Salford!

And although they're already champions...

CHEERING

Oh, look!

..Salford are determined to put on a show for the fans.

1,000 people watching Salford City.

It's an incredible rise in such a short space of time.

I think what it proves to us is that if we keep this momentum up,

maybe next year, 2,000.

Go on, Salford! Go on!

CHEERING

I'm so proud of him.

It's just a big journey for us all.

For the family.

Massive for us. It's massive for him and...

It's just... Yeah, just so proud of him.

It brings people together and they are all standing on the grass bank

having a pint, and you can't do that in a lot of football grounds.

You know, that's how football was,

but isn't any more at a higher level, but it is here.

It's fantastic.

WHISTLE BLOWS, CHEERING

We feel proud today.

We've not done everything right this season, by a long stretch.

We have made a lot of mistakes but thankfully,

we've had the players and the managers who have got us through.

And the Salford City FC supporters' Player of the Year

for season 2014-15 is Gareth Seddon.

CHEERING

At the very start, I was loved,

then I was hated halfway through the season

when I had to miss games and go modelling.

And then I think I've kind of like gone back to being loved again,

with all the goals I've scored.

CHEERING

Best day ever, I think, for Salford, this. Got to be.

Yeah, I'll come back. Obviously I'll be back next season.

I can't live without this place.

THEY CHANT: Championes, championes, ole, ole, ole...

We made a great decision, buying Salford,

and we want a club that the people of Salford can be proud of.

Mwah! Yes!

In 12 months, I have grown to care a lot about the place,

care a lot about the people.

It makes you want to give your all for them

and that is what we will do for the next 10, 15, 20 years of our lives.