Yes, plenty of existing clubs nearby they could have invested in, Accrington, Altrincham, Bury etc. I've no idea why they thought Salford needed a new club. Village teams play in villages for a reason, but some owners convince themselves that they should be playing in the football league, but with a village fanbase. I'd say exceptions are where a town has grown vastly in recent years and so can attract decent levels of support. So Reading have gone from a small railway town to a large commuter town, with a reasonable fanbase. Similary Milton Keynes has the population to support a league side, if only they'd done it the right way.
