Thousands of Salford City fans have made their way to the capital for Salford City’s League Two play-off final against Notts County as the club bids to reach the third tier for the first time.
Earlier this season, we travelled down to Crawley Town with hardy Ammies fans as the side chased promotion on the final day of the season but agonisingly missed out after a 0-0 draw.
Ahead of the final game of the season at a sun-drenched Wembley Stadium, we’re turning the clock back to the day we made the journey down to Crawley with the colourful personalities who watch Salford City home and away.
Travelling Salford fans reminded us that there is more than the final score to following football when we trekked to Sussex for our Salford Now Newsletter:
Imagine getting up at the crack of dawn to make a round trip of nearly 400 miles and 12 hours to watch the team agonisingly miss out on promotion on the final day. The money spent and miles crossed by train, bus or car to stand in the driving rain in Crawley as jubilant opposition fans twist the knife, run onto the pitch in a sea of red smoke and revel in the joy that was so nearly yours. For the hardy Salford City supporters who hit the road on the final day of the League Two season, that agony was a price worth paying for the memories made along the way…
It is 6:40 on an overcast Saturday in May and hundreds of brightly coloured, fancy-dress-wearing Salford City supporters line the pavement outside the Peninsula Stadium waiting for a fleet of coaches to whisk them down south for the biggest game in the club’s 86-year history.
A bunch of carrots huddled together to fend off the early morning wind were delighted to be ushered into the warmth of one of the first arriving vehicles by a register-waving captain-hook-style pirate. Their joy only grew as bacon and sausage barms were passed down the aisle, while fans waiting for the remaining buses looked through the window with envy.
Soon enough, though, those shivering supporters dressed in sombreros with caricature Mexican moustaches, people in 70s disco jumpsuits and Dr Seuss characters had clambered onto the coach and picked their choice of red or brown sauce on their sandwich as the bus rolled out of leafy Kersal and hit the motorway.
They say time flies when you’re having fun, or semi-comatose after the early start. In a flash, it was 9am and all five coaches had arrived at Cannock Services, off the M6 in the Midlands. Any question that those sleepy Salford fans would be too knackered to fly their colours, sing their songs or dance as they crossed paths with Southampton supporters heading north was swiftly put to bed as the pitstop became one big costume party.
With Scooby-Doo, Princess Peach and a balding vicar letting loose as Madonna’s ‘Into the Groove’ blared from a speaker, supporters Toni Thomson, Angela and 89-year-old Brenda said they had been to almost every game over the past decade and explained the tradition behind wearing fancy dress for the final game of the season.
But why? “Passion,” Toni said with a smile. “There’s a real family feel to following Salford on days like these. There’s a good mix of ages, young and old, on the away trips, and everyone looks after each other.”
Their commitment to Salford City stretches beyond that of the average diehard fan: all three are part of a group of committed volunteers who keep these special trips running.
“It can be a bit chaotic organising travel, trying to book friends together under different names can be a bit of an admin nightmare, but it makes for a good day. It’s all worth it in the end if you get a last-minute winner.”
Angela highlighted that, since the “non-league days, ”Salford City supporters have maintained the tradition of dressing up as fruit, animals and stars of stage and screen for their last away day of the campaign. “It’s special,” she said, adding: “It’s incredibly fun, especially on a day like this.”
During the 2024/25 season, Salford City’s average away following of 242 made them the fourth worst-supported club in League Two. While that figure should not be scoffed at, given the number of successful and historic teams concentrated in the North West, the Ammies’ attendances are creeping up and club bosses say the city is falling in love with its football team.
By reducing tickets for key fixtures and, importantly, winning games, improving gate numbers have given Salford manager Karl Robinson reason to believe a “new generation of fans” has been created and will pass on their affection for the club to their children over the coming years.
His side travelled to Crawley knowing victory, combined with Cambridge dropping points, would secure promotion to League One for the first time in the club’s history. “The worst possible outcome would be Cambridge dropping points and us not winning,” laughed Toni. Inevitably, that was exactly how the bitterly cruel promotion showdown panned out.
But before abject refereeing decisions, poor finishing and heroics from Aussie goalkeeper Jacob Chapman meant Salford’s automatic promotion hopes would die a death in a 0-0 draw with final-day relegation survivors Crawley Town, Ammies fans were leaving Cannock services upbeat, continuing their pilgrimage down past London.
After three hours rolling through the countryside on a sweltering coach, soundtracked by Britpop classics and Salford folk singer Ewan MacColl’s Dirty Old Town, supporters descended on a Wetherspoons in Crawley shortly after 1pm.
Lee Smith, the pint-drinking, Mexican shawl-wearing Salford supporter of 10 years, explained that he met the group of friends he’d travelled down with while watching the club.
“We stand in the same place every week and these guys, you sort of stood there and you start chatting over time,” he said, standing in the shade from the bright afternoon sun.
“We love coming on these trips for the community, socialisation, camaraderie and the beer.”
Across the other side of the forecourt, teeming with Salford fans singing about the online dating habits of star striker Daniel Udoh, Matt Smith (namesake to the former goalscoring Salford captain of yesteryear) and father and son Peter and Oscar Groves are having a well-earned drink after a long journey.
Matt highlighted that there was a bumper away following with promotion on the line. “Normally, when there’s maybe 100 people, you recognise everyone,” he said. “It’s always more fun at the away games than the home ones.
“The first time I went to watch Salford was in 1996, when there were only a few men and a dog. Since the Class of 92 came in, I have seen them rise through the leagues, which has been great.”
Peter has been attending games with his son for four years. “It’s a lovely time out, dedicated time we get to spend together,” he said. “It’s a right good laugh; we have fallen in love with it and now look forward to every Saturday.”
The bar inside the Wetherspoons is rammed with optimistic Salford and Crawley fans. A lively group on chairs begin to chant, “Dan Udoh’s on Tinder… messaging your sister” to the tune of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 70’s hit ‘September.’
If the Salford hotshot is indeed looking for love, he could call on the expertise of Ammies supporter, volunteer, and Old Dead Tree fanzine writer Kev Wright, who met his long-time wife Jo at Moor Lane.
Dressed as pirates, the pair explained that Kev, then a steward at the club, went to an end-of-season where he won a slap-up meal for two and invited Jo, an Ammies fan of 35 years, to come along – and the rest is history.
Ahead of the “biggest day in the club’s existence,” Kev reflected on the “mind-boggling progress” promotion to English Football’s third tier would represent in a short space of time.
“I think it would be a very fitting achievement in the city’s 100th year for Salford to earn promotion; it would be the icing on the cake,” Kev said. “We need to do our job and if we end up in the play-offs, we can still earn promotion that way.”
Jo said the football club has become “almost unrecognisable” from when she was first taken to the ground by her mother and stepdad, who were heavily involved before ex-United quintet Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt took over Salford in 2014, sparking the rise into the football league.
It is unbelievable for us who’ve seen the ground when there were 50 supporters and a dog. My stepdad was the treasurer, and my mum worked doing the food. And I did the sandwiches for the football team and the referees. Life got in the way, and I took a bit of time away before coming back, but we have been here since and hopefully this season we will earn promotion.
Unfortunately, the Salford fans who made the long journey south watched on despairingly as The Ammies dominated but were held to a 0-0 draw as the rain poured down on the Broadfield Stadium.
Despite hitting the bar twice, having an appeal for a penalty controversially turned down and pressing until the seven minutes of added time were up, Karl Robinson’s men failed to exorcise the ghosts of the 0-0 draw that saw them miss out on a play-off finish in a similar fashion a year before.
However, this time around, a fourth-place finish means Salford have the chance to earn promotion in style at Wembley through the play-offs.
On Sunday, luck turned in their favour as Adebola Oluwo scored a controversial headed goal as Salford City battled to a 2-1 win at Grimsby Town in the League Two play-off semi-final first leg, which head coach Robinson conceded was likely offside.
Tonight, as The Ammies welcome the Mariners back to the Peninsula Stadium for a season-defining second leg, the hordes of fans wearing red and white who braved the journey to Crawley may have their faith repaid.
Would succumbing to another gut-wrenching loss make those fans wonder if it’s all worth it? Maybe, but not for long.
“It’s not about whichever way the game goes. It’s about the people you meet and the experiences you have watching Salford,” said Jo.
