They are separated by just five miles, but the fortunes of Salford City and Bury could hardly have been more divergent this summer, as the former embark on their first Football League campaign and the latter fight for a future.
But while they appear to be on different planes at the moment, the two clubs are linked not just by the A56, but by Phil Neville, financially invested in Salford City and emotionally invested in Bury.
Along with his Class of 92 cohorts Neville has steered the Ammies to four promotions in five years, but the picture is bleak at Gigg Lane, where his late dad, Neville Neville, has a stand named after him after doing so much to keep the club alive, and his mum, Jill, remains club secretary.
The Shakers have been beset by financial problems this summer and after winning promotion from League Two they are yet to get their third tier campaign underway this term. The EFL have suspended their first three league and cup games and on Thursday they gave the club just 14 days to prove they have the financial viability to complete the season or face expulsion from the Football League.
Bury's 134 year history could be bought to a bitter end in the next two weeks, with the club on the brink of disaster, and while Neville calls what is happening at Gigg Lane "an absolute tragedy", he has called for more stringent test for people who want to buy football clubs.
"Bury are one of the oldest clubs in the Football League who are now probably days away from going out of existence," Neville told the MEN.
"Regardless of the money being invested in other clubs there is a fit and proper way of running a football club and at the moment there are clubs in the EFL that are not being run properly.
"I think, from a bigger picture, that there has to be guidelines or rules where if an owner is taking over a club they have to pass stringent tests.
"Bury is a sad case, it’s a club that is close to my heart, my dad has a stand named after him at that club, and what is happening there needs to be sorted out fast or Bury are going to lose that football club that has been an identity to that town for 120 years. That’s sad."
Neville was speaking at an event hosted by TalkTalk at Hotel Football, with the company signing a five-year deal to sponsor Salford City.
The rapid rise of Salford through the non-league pyramid and now into the Football League has sparked criticism. Neville, his brother Gary, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham all have a stake in the club, alongside the 40% owned by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim.
But when compared to the fortunes of Bury, and fellow North West neighbours Bolton, at least the club's future is secure, and Neville insists the Class of 92 have long-term plans for Salford City.
"Every step we’ve made the financial pressure to compete has increased," he said.
"You can see why clubs get themselves in trouble because you have the idea of putting a bit more in to get up, you’re almost gambling people’s money away.
"We’re very lucky that the investment Peter has made and the sponsors we’re getting on board are all strategic, it’s not just throwing money away.
"TalkTalk have come on for five years, they’ve not just come on for one year. We’re not spending their money straight away, we’re investing in something that is going to be long-term and that’s the way our business plan is run, it’s run for the next 20, 30, 40 years, not just getting promotion here and now."
