Salford City celebrated the local businesses that form the backbone of its community with a festive event hosted by the EFL's official accounting software partner, Sage. The event at the Peninsula Stadium brought together small business owners from across Greater Manchester for a behind-the-scenes tour, a meal, and a panel discussion on football, business, and community.

Gary Neville, the club's co-owner and an ambassador for Sage, emphasised the symbiotic relationship between clubs and local enterprise. "Football Clubs sit at the heart of their communities, but it's the local businesses around them that help bring those communities to life every day," he said. The discussion was hosted by Sky Sports presenter David Prutton and also featured Sage Senior Director of Global Sponsorship Sally Moore, alongside Salford City players Joe Powell and Paolo Mariani.

Sage partnership and competition

Sage's involvement extends to a nationwide Secret Santa competition open to fans of all 72 EFL clubs, offering the chance to nominate a local business to win a major prize. Sally Moore highlighted the essential, often unseen, work of small firms. "Christmas just doesn't happen. Behind matchdays, celebrations and traditions people enjoy are small businesses bringing skill and attention to every detail," she stated. Local business owner Simon Peers of Phoenix Flooring in Salford echoed the sentiment, noting how critical meeting Christmas deadlines is for customers.

The celebration of community enterprise comes as Salford City enjoy a superb run of form on the pitch. The Ammies sit first in League Two with 28 points from 13 games, holding a three-point lead at the top. Their recent fixtures show a four-game winning streak, most recently a 4-2 away victory at Walsall last Monday. That win, which featured goals from Macaulay Langstaff, Jorge Grant, Kallum Cesay and Adebola Oluwo, was part of an unbeaten run of four wins and a draw in their last five matches. The team has scored 23 goals this season while conceding 14, with top scorer R. Graydon contributing 11 of those. This strong position provides a positive backdrop for the club's off-field community initiatives.

Their next challenge is to maintain this momentum when they host eighth-placed Exeter City at home on Saturday 31 October. The event is part of a wider EFL and Sage programme, with similar celebrations scheduled at AFC Wimbledon on 3 November and Middlesbrough FC on 5 November. Salford City's focus now returns to the pitch as they prepare to host eighth-placed Exeter City this Saturday, looking to extend their lead at the summit of League Two.

First reported at efl.com