Salford City’s 3‑0 defeat to Notts County in the League Two play‑off final left Paul Scholes at Wembley. Manager Karl Robinson admitted the side were “beaten in every area” and apologised to supporters. The loss sparked a wave of criticism on social media, aimed at the Class of ’92 ownership. The defeat also ended a season where Salford posted an average attendance of 3,050.

Robinson was dismissed nine days later, with Salford issuing a brief statement that the decision was unanimous and not driven by Gary Neville. Chief football adviser Scholes and CEO Gavin Fleig oversee football matters, while the wider ownership, now including AIG as the largest shareholder, retains final say. The club’s accounts to June 2025 show the debt remains unpaid, underscoring cash‑flow pressures and limits future investment options for the squad. The club still owes £20.47m to its parent company.

Finishing fourth marked Salford City’s highest ever league position, yet it fell short of the pre‑season promotion target. A February run of four losses to bottom‑half teams and a draw with Crawley sealed their fate, leaving them for an eighth consecutive League Two season. Supporters fear the gap between Salford and the ambitious owners may widen if promotion remains elusive.