Manchester United’s under-21s are set to play a handful of games at Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium this season to ease the load on Leigh Sports Village, the team’s usual home venue.
The agreement establishes a link between United’s academy and the Class of 92, the most famous graduates off the Old Trafford production line.
Salford are co-owned by David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville. Giggs, the club’s director of football, was involved in the talks to bring United’s youth team to Salford’s Moor Lane ground.
The first match to be hosted by Salford is the Premier League International Cup clash between United Under-21s and Hertha Berlin II on Tuesday October 1.
The competition features 16 teams from the English league system and 16 invitees from other European countries, with United’s group also including PSV Eindhoven, Sparta Prague and Liverpool.
A small number of further United Under-21 games are expected to be scheduled at the Peninsula Stadium to avoid fixture pile-up at Leigh, which is also home to United women’s side and rugby league team Leigh Leopards.
Salford’s stadium is easier for local fans to reach, being less than five miles away from Old Trafford. Leigh Sports Village is more than 15 miles away.
There has been a trade going the other way too, with Salford’s first-team training at Littleton Road, a United facility.
Littleton Road, not far from The Cliff (United’s old first-team base), formerly hosted academy teams, but is now only used at evenings and weekends by younger sides, leaving space for Salford during the day-time. Collette Roche, United’s chief operating officer, struck the agreement.
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