Salford's FA Cup magic reminds Paul Scholes why he bought a football club

"Why the f*** did we buy a football club?" Scholes snapped during a meeting with fellow Salford owners Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville.

The question was just like one of Scholes' tackles - fierce and cutting - except the timing was perfect on this occasion.

It was a moment of understandable doubt. Why on earth had he, four of his old Manchester United team-mates and their Singaporean business partner Peter Lim, bought a club that then lied in the eighth tier of English football?

All five ex-players graduated from United's academy in 1992 and went on to enjoy hugely successful careers. Between them they played 3,056 times for United, won 106 medals for the club and pocketed millions as a result.

They were not risking their entire personal fortunes when they bought Salford last July, but their money was at stake, as was their pride and reputation.

But if a year on, Scholes was still looking for an answer to his question, he found it on Friday night as Salford beat Notts County 2-0 in the first round of the FA Cup.

When Scholes, Gary Neville and Butt stood on the grass bank at the far side of this tiny ramshackled ground - Giggs and Phil Neville could not attend - to watch Salford in front of the TV cameras, they were watching the realisation of the first step of their dream - to turn their club into a real force.

"League football for Salford City is not a dream. It is an achievable goal," Neville wrote in his programme notes.

The fans started streaming in two hours before kick-off. The TV cameras had been in place for hours. This was Salford's moment to shine - their maiden FA Cup first round appearance. And it was being beamed into homes around the world.

"I don't think they'll be star-struck," Neville, the England coach, said before kick-off and he was right.

The part-time hosts gave everything in the first half. Andy Dawson performed like a lion at the heart of the defence, Jordan Hulme carved open the County defence and Danny Webber rolled back the years to send the visitors backpedalling.

And off the pitch, Salford did not let themselves down either. Barbara 'Babs' Gaskell looked radiant in her new kitchen paid for by the Class of '92.

After serving up a rather large portion of pie and peas at half-time, Babs shrugged off the idea that she is now famous thanks to her role in the BBC documentary 'Out of their League', which has followed the Class of '92's journey since they bought Salford.

"Yeah. I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!" she replied with a loud cackle.

She had no intention of leaving. She has been here for 26 years. She is part of a 20-strong team of volunteers who are the lifeblood of this club.

That is the best thing about Salford and Friday's heartwarming tale - they may have wealthy owners, but they have not sold the soul of this club. It remains a part of the community. They have not spent hundreds of thousands on players or a foreign manager out for a big pay day.

Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson, or 'Bernard and Jonno' as they are known locally, are the men in charge. A lorry driver and labourer by trade, they devote every spare minute they have to Salford.

That is why those watching at home jumped for joy just as much as the home fans inside the ground when Danny Webber scored at the start of the second half before Richie Allen's stunning second goal settled it.

People respect the players and the manager for what they have put in here.

In an era of Russian oligarch owners, over-paid millionaire players and ridiculous wages, it is victories like this that make the FA Cup so special.

Maybe Scholes reckons buying Salford was not such a bad idea after all.