Paul Scholes Photo: VCG

Salford City FC made headlines this week for sacking head coach Graham Alexander 277 days after his last defeat.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic that was only seven games for Alexander, but still there was shock at the decision from the English Football League Two side.

Salford City are owned, in part, by Manchester United's Class of 92 - the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham - alongside investor Peter Lim.

"Salford City Football Club announces that manager Graham Alexander has left the club with immediate effect.

"After discussion [with Graham] we have agreed to part company. The club would like to thank Graham for his contribution and all his hard work.

"In his first season he guided the team to Wembley, resulting in promotion to League 2 and in his second season he reached the Leasing.com Trophy final.

"The club would like to wish him all the best and success in the future. First team coach, Chris Lucketti, will also leave the club. Paul Scholes will act as the interim head coach while the club looks to secure a new manager.

"Warren Joyce, currently in isolation, will join Paul once he is able to. Advertisement Warren Joyce, the club's development manager, who would have stepped in is currently isolating, hence the reappearance of Scholes on the bench.

"He previously took the job of his home town Oldham in 2019 but resigned after a month citing interference from the owner. And he managed Salford City with Phil Neville in 2015 for one game when Phil Parkinson was sacked when the club were still in the Northern Premier League Division One North."

From boardroom to dugout

Joyce - a former Manchester United youth coach - would be the natural candidate to take over, while it is understood that ­Scholes is not being considered for the full-time vacancy at Salford City.

Scholes - who will take charge of the game against Port Vale at the weekend - has had experience as a manager before.

The former Manchester United and England midfielder spent 31 tumultuous days as Oldham Athletic manager last year, before leaving his boyhood side claiming that he was "not able to operate as I intended."

Prior to that, he and Phil Neville had taken over Salford as joint caretakers when pervious coach Phil Power was sacked in 2015. The pair guided the side to a 2-1 win over Kendal Town.

Alexander, who previously managed Fleetwood Town and Scunthorpe United - was understood to have been let go because his playing style was not what the board wanted, despite seeing an unbeaten start to the season. 

Before that the Scotland international had played for several clubs, notably Preston North End and Burnley, who he featured for in the English Premier League. 

He played more than 150 times for Burnley and more than 400 times for Preston. Last year Salford recorded a highest English Football League finish of 11th in League Two.

Salford City started this season with a record of two wins and three draws. They sit fifth in English football's fourth tier.

The Ammies only won seven of their final 20 games last season, which meant they finished the campaign outside of the playoff places.

Controversial game

Their latest result was a 2-2 home draw to lowly Tranmere Rovers, which proved to be the nail in Alexander's coffin.

That game proved controversial after there were a number of positive COVID-19 tests among the Rovers players. Tranmere's former English FA chairman Mark Palios was particularly outspoken about events.

The Rovers chairman told the PA news agency that the EFL indicated that the club should play. He said they had no option but to "take our chances on the pitch rather than in a disciplinary hearing."

Tranmere's vice-chairman Nicola Palios echoed those sentiments on Twitter, saying "there was no guarantee" the club would avoid a 15-point deduction.

The EFL denied these claims in a statement. "To suggest that a sporting sanction of 'up to 15 points' could be applicable as a result of potentially not playing a fixture is at best extremely misleading for supporters of both Tranmere Rovers and other clubs across the EFL," it said. 

"As the League has stated previously, it is up for each individual club to determine whether it is able to fulfill its fixture commitments.

"There are clear COVID-related protocols in place that all clubs must adhere to alongside government guidance.

"Each situation is looked at on a case-by-case basis depending on what factors are present within each club and that is why some matches have been postponed whilst other clubs have been cleared to play, with the health, safety and wellbeing of players always being the priority.

"In the event a club does inform the league it is unable to fulfill a fixture, in normal circumstances, the club is deemed guilty of misconduct and charged with a breach of EFL regulations. 

"If that same situation arises as a result of COVID-19 positive tests, the League would firstly look at the specific circumstances, before determining whether a club was to be subject to a charge."

The league said that an independent disciplinary commission would decide in such a case.

It is expected that all of these events will feature in the next series of the Sky documentary, Class of 92: A League of Their Own, which has documented the club's rise under the former stars of Manchester United.

Class of 92



Salford have undergone a remarkable rise since the Class of 92 took over, with the investment making many other sides in the English lower leagues upset.

Their ambitions have been well documented - firstly to get league football and then to climb the divisions. Evidently, Alexander - who had replaced joint managers Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson - was no longer seen as the man to guide that rise after results stagnated.

Who replaces Alexander in the Salford City hot seat has become a hot topic on social media and with the English bookmakers, who have offered odds on the next manager.

The Class of 92's former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has been installed as the favorite for the job.
Newspaper headline: Amateur Hour