Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim "is set to purchase a 50% share"
in semi-pro Northern Premier League side Salford City, according to Jamie Jackson of the London GUARDIAN. Lim has agreed to a deal with the former ManU players and current
owners of Salford City Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky
Butt and Paul Scholes that "will see him share ownership with them." A statement from the "Class of ‘92" said, "When we set upon this journey we always knew at some point we wanted
external partners involved, people who would share our vision for
Salford City FC." Salford Chair Karen Baird added, "The formal process of the
takeover of the club has begun with the FA. It’s been a great start to
the season, we are very excited about the future for the club and what
can be achieved" (GUARDIAN, 9/22). REUTERS' Mike Collett wrote the former ManU players "took a stake this year with the goal of developing local talent and ultimately taking the club into the Football League." Lim "was linked with a move to buy Liverpool" in '10. He "is estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth around" £1.5B ($2.45B) (REUTERS, 9/22). The BBC's Mike Keegan wrote the Neville brothers, Giggs, Scholes and Butt said that "they have known Lim for more than 10 years." They said, "Peter's love of sport, above all football, is well documented. He has an incredible track record in business as well as youth and community engagement, especially at grassroots level."A spokesperson for Lim said the businessman was impressed with the vision of the Class of '92 players and he shares a common belief "in youth development through sport" (BBC, 9/22). In London, Adam Crafton wrote despite "his
flirtation with Liverpool," Lim is a lifelong ManU supporter
and he is believed to enjoy a long-standing professional relationship
with the former ManU players. Lim
is the owner of ManU Food and Beverage (Asia), "where he
has developed a chain of United restaurant and bars in the Asia Pacific
Region." It is understood that "neither the Class of '92 nor Lim have any intention, as things stand, of altering the management structure in place at the club" (DAILY MAIL, 9/22).
