Salisbury board bows out to investor because phoenix club can't progress sustainably

Hereford fans at Salisbury in 2016

Salisbury, a club that rose from the ashes at the same time as Hereford, has announced it will be getting outside investment to help them progress.

The club confirmed on Saturday that its current board of directors will be stepping down, with ownership transferring to a new investor – a move designed to propel the Whites beyond their current standing in National League South.

For Hereford fans, this development will strike a familiar chord. Like the Bulls, Salisbury were reborn in 2015 and began life in Step 5 of the non-league pyramid. Both clubs quickly rose through the ranks to reach Step 2, the National League North and South respectively.

Salisbury - who Hereford beat in the FA Vase semi-final in 2016 to reach Wembley - have now admitted that further progress will require significant outside investment - a sentiment which has been voiced by some Hereford fans lately.

In a statement released by the club, directors Ian Hammond, Jeremy Harwood, Amanda Newbery, Hilary Billimore and David Phillips acknowledged they had taken the club as far as they could under the current structure.

“We have reached the limits of what we can sustainably achieve at this level of the game,” the statement read.

“Rather than allow the club to stagnate or fall backwards, we felt it was the right time to pass the baton to new leadership.”

Pending FA and National League approval, the club’s ownership will be handed over to a new investor whose identity will be revealed at a fans’ forum on Monday 23rd June.

That event, scheduled for 7pm at the Sarum Suite at the Ray Mac Stadium, will give supporters the chance to meet the investor, ask questions, and hear about the future vision for Salisbury.

This announcement comes at a time when many clubs at Step 2 are confronting the financial reality of competing at a semi-professional level that increasingly demands full-time resources.

Salisbury’s candid recognition of the need for external backing could serve as a reality check for similarly placed clubs – Hereford included – who face the same pressures. However, last season, Salisbury's average attendance was 876 whereas Hereford's was 2,824.

Salisbury finished 20th in National League South last season, having been promoted from the Southern League Premier Division South the previous season as they continue their fight back after liquidation in 2014.

Salisbury’s board highlighted the due diligence undertaken over recent months and expressed confidence in the incoming investor’s ability to guide the club forward in a sustainable and ambitious manner. Club officials and first-team manager Brian Dutton are expected to attend Monday’s forum alongside the new backer.

The Ray Mac remains Salisbury’s home – just as Edgar Street does for Hereford – but it’s clear that bricks and mortar alone won’t carry a club to the next level. For Hereford fans, the parallels are no doubt thought-provoking. That said, sustainability is a buzzword around Edgar Street given Hereford United's demise and how in 2023, there was as little as £5,000 left in the bank.