Star date: 9th May 2019

SALFORD CITY STUFF AFC FYLDE

This Saturday, Salford City FC head to Wembley to face Fylde for a place in the proper Football League. It's light years away from ten years ago, when the Ammies had to win the last game of the season to stay in the Unibond First Division North or face total obscurity.

Playing in the old tangerine shirts, during the 2009/2010 and 2010/11 seasons Salford stuffed Fylde four times watched by some Lancs grannies doing their knitting and a few dozen Salford supporters. Here we summon up the tangerine spirit for Saturday, with five nostalgic old match reports and loads of photos.

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It was ten years ago, in April 2009, when Salford City FC headed to Garforth Town for the last game of the season, needing a win to have any hope of staying in the Unibond First Division North. Looming was a horror trip back to North West Counties obscurity where the delights of Bacup Borough awaited.

Just a few months earlier, the Ammies were 15 points adrift at the bottom of the table but the Great Escape was now on...Could they? Would they? It was a match that club President, Dave Russell, still ranked as his best moment, even after a few years of the Gary Neville and co takeover.

"That was the best moment for me at the club...and that still ranks as our biggest achievement" says Dave in the Class of 92 Out Of Our League book "That was better than the FA Cup run..." (see here)

Amidst delirious scenes, Salford came back from a 0-1 half time scoreline to win 5-2, while Rossendale United lost. The Great Escape was complete and that song was sung every time Salford scored in future seasons.

Read the match report: The Greatest Escape: Garforth 2 Salford City 5 – click here

See also Salford City FC Sports Team of the Year 2009 – click here

Ten years on from then and it's a slightly different picture (only just!) as the Ammies fight to move in a different direction by beating Fylde at Wembley (Wembley!!! Back in the day Stockport County's Edgeley Park was where cup finals were held) this Saturday to get into the Football League proper.

Light years away it may be, but back in the 2009/10 season and the following 2010/11 season, AFC Fylde were beaten four times by Salford City.

In February 2010, Salford achieved their highest ever league position – a lofty 19th in the Unibond First Division North – after beating Fylde 3-1 at Moor Lane. In those days, the Fylde travelling away support consisted of grannies dropping scotch into their tea flasks complaining about the home noise, while the Salford City superstar was Rhodri Giggs.

Read the match report: Salford City 3 Fylde 1 – click here

In April 2010, the return match at Fylde saw super, super Salford win 1-0 and zoom up to 11th in the league, thanks to goal guru Steve Foster. The Fylde ground was next to a sheep field, the changing rooms were one off from garden huts and one of the stewards was aged about six.

Read the match report: Fylde 0 Salford City 1 – click here

By the time Salford played Fylde again in October 2010, Rhodri Giggs had been installed as the new player/manager of the team, and it wasn't looking good for the Ammies when Fylde went a goal up, complete with one of their grannies whirling a wooden rattle. Salford fought back to ensure a 3-1 victory and a third straight league win for Rhodri, thanks to a hat-trick from Steve Foster.

Read the match report: Salford City 3 Fylde 1 – click here

The return match at Fylde in January 2011 saw Foster hit another hat-trick as Salford hammered the promotion hopefuls by the same scoreline, 3-1, making it 6-2 for the season and two Fozzy hat-tricks

Read the match report: Fylde 1 Salford City 3 – click here

Hopefully, Salford City FC will summon up the tangerine spirit on Saturday and make the Football League proper. Ten years ago if you'd even mentioned such a feat in jest at Moor Lane, people would have thought you were bonkers...

For the full flavour of the times see this Salford Star interview with chairman Darren Quick from 2009: The Great Escape Part 2 – click here

Update: 12th May 2019 - Salford City Promoted To Football League - click here