Source: Prestwich Advertiser
July 09, 2009
FC UNITED will welcome back a host of former favourites for their visit to the scene of their first ever league game.
The reds travel to face Leek CSOB at Harrison Park on Saturday, July 11. It is the scene of their debut in the North West Counties League’s second division back in August 2005.
Old boys Joz Mitten, Steve Spencer and Dave Brown will feature in the All Star team alongside players who have been at the club ever since that historic day, including Simon Carden and Dave Chadwick.
FC manager Karl Marginson said: "It’s been great fun getting in touch with old mates and I’ll add in a few of the current squad, especially those like Chaddy and Si Carden, who have been with us since that first season.
"Unfortunately, centre back Rob Nugent will miss out after giving me some excuse about still being on his honeymoon."
The game will kick-off at 3pm and on the gate admission will cost £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions.
Meanwhile, FC will travel to South Korea next week to face fans-owned club Bucheon FC 1995. For further details visit the website: www.fc-utd.co.uk.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Friday, July 03, 2009
FC United picked for community bond fundraising project
6:16 pm, July 2, 2009
Fans’ football club FC United of Manchester is one of five community-owned enterprises selected for a government-funded research project into community shares and bonds.
The successful projects will receive a package of funding and consultancy to help them raise more than £10,000 by selling securities to at least twenty people to finance community ventures.
Hugh Rolo, head of assets and investment at the Development Trusts Association (DTA), which is helping to deliver the project, said there was huge potential for using community investment to raise capital rather than increasing the level of debt and risk.
He added: “An increasing number of communities are finding that local people also like the direct proposition of investing in something they can see, touch and benefit from.”
The project is supported Office of the Third Sector’s Social Enterprise Action Learning Fund, the Department for Communities and Local Government is leading an action learning research programme in the field of community shares and bonds. The research programme is being delivered by the DTA and Co-operativesUK, in conjunction with the UK Social Return on Investment network (SROI).
The other four projects chosen are Cybermoor in Alston, Cumbria; Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust; Ashington Community Development Trust, Northumberland; and Slaithwaite Cooperative Ltd (Grocery store), Colne Valley, near Huddersfield.
Pauline Green, Chief Executive of Co-operativesUK, said: “Community investment is about community engagement and this is at the core of the co operative way of business as demonstrated by our members. For example, The Phone Co-op has 6,735 members who have over £1.6m in their share accounts and, in December 2008, local people in Settle in Yorkshire raised £100,000 through a share issue to build a mini hydro-electric scheme in their town. I think other communities will want to follow their example.”
Comments?manchesternews@crain.com
Fans’ football club FC United of Manchester is one of five community-owned enterprises selected for a government-funded research project into community shares and bonds.
The successful projects will receive a package of funding and consultancy to help them raise more than £10,000 by selling securities to at least twenty people to finance community ventures.
Hugh Rolo, head of assets and investment at the Development Trusts Association (DTA), which is helping to deliver the project, said there was huge potential for using community investment to raise capital rather than increasing the level of debt and risk.
He added: “An increasing number of communities are finding that local people also like the direct proposition of investing in something they can see, touch and benefit from.”
The project is supported Office of the Third Sector’s Social Enterprise Action Learning Fund, the Department for Communities and Local Government is leading an action learning research programme in the field of community shares and bonds. The research programme is being delivered by the DTA and Co-operativesUK, in conjunction with the UK Social Return on Investment network (SROI).
The other four projects chosen are Cybermoor in Alston, Cumbria; Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust; Ashington Community Development Trust, Northumberland; and Slaithwaite Cooperative Ltd (Grocery store), Colne Valley, near Huddersfield.
Pauline Green, Chief Executive of Co-operativesUK, said: “Community investment is about community engagement and this is at the core of the co operative way of business as demonstrated by our members. For example, The Phone Co-op has 6,735 members who have over £1.6m in their share accounts and, in December 2008, local people in Settle in Yorkshire raised £100,000 through a share issue to build a mini hydro-electric scheme in their town. I think other communities will want to follow their example.”
Comments?manchesternews@crain.com
Monday, June 29, 2009
Co-op trophy for FC United
Source: Crain's Manchester Business
1:13 pm, June 29, 2009
FC United of Manchester won the award for promotion of co-operative values and principles at the inaugural Co-operative Excellence awards.
The club, set up by fans opposed to the 2005 takeover of the club by Florida-based businessman Malcolm Glazer and his family, is run on co-operative lines.
Ben Reid, chair of Co-operativesUK, said: “FC United of Manchester set out to be a supporter run football club that works with the community, and that is exactly what they have achieved. They are worthy of this award for all they have done to forward understanding of co-operation and co operative values and principles.”
Phil Sheeran, one of 11 directors of FC United who are directly elected by the membership, said: “FC United of Manchester is proud to be constituted as a co-operative in the world of sport and we are very grateful to Co-operativesUK for recognising the club's work and honouring us with this prestigious award.
“Volunteer-led sports clubs provide the backbone of sporting provision in the UK; it is the work undertaken by these mutual organisations and co-operatives that embodies the founding principles and values of the co-operative movement.”
Glazers: Four years on
Source: Manchester Evening News
Stuart Mathieson
June 29, 2009
RIOT police wielding batons, angry protests, makeshift barriers being erected by fans to stop an escape from Old Trafford and a final dash from the stadium in blacked out police vans - that was the Glazer family's welcome to United four years ago.
The Stars and Stripes was hurriedly hoisted above Old Trafford's famous stands to welcome the sons of new owner Malcolm Glazer as they looked around the acquisition that their dad had bought for them to run.
They were given a guided tour, conducted their one-and-only TV interview, or media interview of any sort, with the club's station MUTV, then jetted back home to in Florida.
Brigade
The Glazers left behind them the world's most famous club in turmoil. There was suspicion, bitterness, outrage and anger.
Overnight the owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had saddled a successful football club with £600m worth of debt.
The support was confused and concerned. The vocal anti-Glazer brigade was already fed up with corporate Old Trafford. They had chronic indigestion brought on by prawn sandwiches.
They may not have liked ex-chairman Martin Edwards, may have been uncomfortable with a Plc, might have been dubious about chief executives Peter Kenyon and David Gill's motives but being bought by a US family and immediately saddling the club with an astonishing debt was the last straw.
Some broke off to form FC United. Others ditched their long-held season tickets and vowed never to return to watch their beloved Reds.
Others couldn't tear themselves away from a lifelong love affair with Manchester United and with a heavy heart stayed on to support the players and not the club.
There were also the 'suck it and see' brigade who were prepared to reluctantly give the Glazers a chance and if the trophies and big-name players continued to come to Old Trafford then they'd stick around and let the businessmen worry about everything else.
Concerns
If the stadium's name was untouched and Sir Alex Ferguson was given a free rein to buy and sell who he wanted, then they'd shelve their concerns over the debt.
For many, the financial side was too complicated to get their heads around and so long as United were at the forefront of English and European football and challenging for the superstar signings and top prizes, then bank loans and hedge funds was a language they didn't want to get involved with.
There were also the day trippers who would remain 'loyal' so long as they could make their annual or twice year trip to Manchester, stock up at the Megastore, see their heroes in the flesh and return home laden with memorabilia and keep pledging their allegiance to the most successful side in the country. It was an unstable period with varying moods of ambivalence, hatred and hostility.
Once back across the Pond, MUTV aired the Glazers' interview on June 30 2005.
The family spokesman was Joel Glazer who told the station: "Being involved in sports, being an owner in sports, nothing can prepare you for that. I think we've seen that here, it's something you learn as you go along. But the thing I think you appreciate and you learn as you go along is how important this club is to the community and to the country.
"So you have to take that very seriously, you have to show your commitment on the pitch. I think, the supporters appreciate if you're doing everything you can to put a successful team on the pitch.
"I think people are forgiving if they know you are doing that, you're letting people know what they're doing, whether it be, the football manager making those decisions, or be the chief executive making his decisions, give them the tools, give them what they need to do their jobs, which has always been the case here.
"We're just gonna carry that on and make sure they have what they need, and then the rest usually takes care of itself.
"We are gonna provide the manager with the resources necessary to field the best team on the field.
Situations
"So again when I read about caps and hands being tied it's very frustrating, absolutely not true we are there to provide the manager what he needs to compete at the highest and to win at the highest level.
"In any sport you can't plan to have caps. Situations arise, things change you have to.
"We will not get involved with this from the start unless we can compete at the highest level not having our hands tied, so when you read about that you get kind of very upset you wanna let people know that's not the case.
"The way this club has been operating in the past is gonna be the way it's gonna operate in the future. And one of the other great things about this club is when they've gone to in the transfer market it's been for the right reasons not just to do it for the sake of a headline and that will continue.
"The other great thing about this club is the history, the academy and bringing up young players through the academy on to the pitch. There's a connection with that kind of situation that you don't get anywhere else and it's because the player grew up with the club and the connection has always been there and that's special.
"I know that that is a priority of this club and that will continue."
Suspicion
It didn't exactly calm the mood totally and a great deal of suspicion remains but you can hardly say they've lied with their promises. The Glazers walked into an on-field transitional period at the club that was none of their making. The Reds were knocked out of the Champions League, finishing bottom of their group, six months after the controversial takeover.
There was upheaval in the dressing room with Roy Keane quitting and Ruud van Nistelrooy being told to leave.
But the Glazers remained silent, gave Fergie carte blanche to do what was needed to take the club into another era.
Their silence may have annoyed fans and irritated journalists but nobody could accuse them of meddling.
They turned up for the big occasions and went home.
Inevitably, there were season ticket increases, but likely as not they would have happened anyway, but new players arrived and Fergie was given the materials to mould another successful chapter for the club.
Three Premier League titles, a European Cup and two Carling Cups have made their way to Old Trafford since the Glazers arrived.
If you had been transported to a desert island before the takeover upheaval and returned once the new regime was underway, chances are that in June 2009 you wouldn't notice much of a difference at Old Trafford.
Of course, that £600m debt, still hangs over the club like a black cloud with nobody quite knowing where or what it will eventually lead the club into.
However, neither the passive, compliant sections of the United support nor the proactive faction can argue four years on that they were right or wrong.
Those who said it would be business as usual might feel slightly more smug but those who harboured concerns are still waiting for the potential financial disaster around the corner.
Stuart Mathieson
June 29, 2009
RIOT police wielding batons, angry protests, makeshift barriers being erected by fans to stop an escape from Old Trafford and a final dash from the stadium in blacked out police vans - that was the Glazer family's welcome to United four years ago.
The Stars and Stripes was hurriedly hoisted above Old Trafford's famous stands to welcome the sons of new owner Malcolm Glazer as they looked around the acquisition that their dad had bought for them to run.
They were given a guided tour, conducted their one-and-only TV interview, or media interview of any sort, with the club's station MUTV, then jetted back home to in Florida.
Brigade
The Glazers left behind them the world's most famous club in turmoil. There was suspicion, bitterness, outrage and anger.
Overnight the owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had saddled a successful football club with £600m worth of debt.
The support was confused and concerned. The vocal anti-Glazer brigade was already fed up with corporate Old Trafford. They had chronic indigestion brought on by prawn sandwiches.
They may not have liked ex-chairman Martin Edwards, may have been uncomfortable with a Plc, might have been dubious about chief executives Peter Kenyon and David Gill's motives but being bought by a US family and immediately saddling the club with an astonishing debt was the last straw.
Some broke off to form FC United. Others ditched their long-held season tickets and vowed never to return to watch their beloved Reds.
Others couldn't tear themselves away from a lifelong love affair with Manchester United and with a heavy heart stayed on to support the players and not the club.
There were also the 'suck it and see' brigade who were prepared to reluctantly give the Glazers a chance and if the trophies and big-name players continued to come to Old Trafford then they'd stick around and let the businessmen worry about everything else.
Concerns
If the stadium's name was untouched and Sir Alex Ferguson was given a free rein to buy and sell who he wanted, then they'd shelve their concerns over the debt.
For many, the financial side was too complicated to get their heads around and so long as United were at the forefront of English and European football and challenging for the superstar signings and top prizes, then bank loans and hedge funds was a language they didn't want to get involved with.
There were also the day trippers who would remain 'loyal' so long as they could make their annual or twice year trip to Manchester, stock up at the Megastore, see their heroes in the flesh and return home laden with memorabilia and keep pledging their allegiance to the most successful side in the country. It was an unstable period with varying moods of ambivalence, hatred and hostility.
Once back across the Pond, MUTV aired the Glazers' interview on June 30 2005.
The family spokesman was Joel Glazer who told the station: "Being involved in sports, being an owner in sports, nothing can prepare you for that. I think we've seen that here, it's something you learn as you go along. But the thing I think you appreciate and you learn as you go along is how important this club is to the community and to the country.
"So you have to take that very seriously, you have to show your commitment on the pitch. I think, the supporters appreciate if you're doing everything you can to put a successful team on the pitch.
"I think people are forgiving if they know you are doing that, you're letting people know what they're doing, whether it be, the football manager making those decisions, or be the chief executive making his decisions, give them the tools, give them what they need to do their jobs, which has always been the case here.
"We're just gonna carry that on and make sure they have what they need, and then the rest usually takes care of itself.
"We are gonna provide the manager with the resources necessary to field the best team on the field.
Situations
"So again when I read about caps and hands being tied it's very frustrating, absolutely not true we are there to provide the manager what he needs to compete at the highest and to win at the highest level.
"In any sport you can't plan to have caps. Situations arise, things change you have to.
"We will not get involved with this from the start unless we can compete at the highest level not having our hands tied, so when you read about that you get kind of very upset you wanna let people know that's not the case.
"The way this club has been operating in the past is gonna be the way it's gonna operate in the future. And one of the other great things about this club is when they've gone to in the transfer market it's been for the right reasons not just to do it for the sake of a headline and that will continue.
"The other great thing about this club is the history, the academy and bringing up young players through the academy on to the pitch. There's a connection with that kind of situation that you don't get anywhere else and it's because the player grew up with the club and the connection has always been there and that's special.
"I know that that is a priority of this club and that will continue."
Suspicion
It didn't exactly calm the mood totally and a great deal of suspicion remains but you can hardly say they've lied with their promises. The Glazers walked into an on-field transitional period at the club that was none of their making. The Reds were knocked out of the Champions League, finishing bottom of their group, six months after the controversial takeover.
There was upheaval in the dressing room with Roy Keane quitting and Ruud van Nistelrooy being told to leave.
But the Glazers remained silent, gave Fergie carte blanche to do what was needed to take the club into another era.
Their silence may have annoyed fans and irritated journalists but nobody could accuse them of meddling.
They turned up for the big occasions and went home.
Inevitably, there were season ticket increases, but likely as not they would have happened anyway, but new players arrived and Fergie was given the materials to mould another successful chapter for the club.
Three Premier League titles, a European Cup and two Carling Cups have made their way to Old Trafford since the Glazers arrived.
If you had been transported to a desert island before the takeover upheaval and returned once the new regime was underway, chances are that in June 2009 you wouldn't notice much of a difference at Old Trafford.
Of course, that £600m debt, still hangs over the club like a black cloud with nobody quite knowing where or what it will eventually lead the club into.
However, neither the passive, compliant sections of the United support nor the proactive faction can argue four years on that they were right or wrong.
Those who said it would be business as usual might feel slightly more smug but those who harboured concerns are still waiting for the potential financial disaster around the corner.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Coleraine sign striker Patterson
Coleraine have completed the signing of former Rochdale striker Rory Patterson from Blue Square North club Droylsden.
Bannsiders chairman Hugh Wade confirmed that the 24-year-old, who is originally from Strabane, has joined the club.
Patterson scored 107 goals in 126 games for FC United - the club formed by Manchester United fans angered by the Glazer's takeover at Old Trafford.
Limavady United defender Aaron Canning and former Dungannon midfielder Michael Hegarty have also signed for Coleraine.
Hegarty was released by Swifts at the end of the season and has previously played for the Bannsiders and Limavady United.
"Aaron is only 17 but he played around 30 games for Limavady's first team last year," Coleraine boss David Platt told the club website.
"He can play in a number of positions and will be playing in the Milk Cup this summer.
"He is a player with lots of potential and should be pushing for a place in the squad at the start of the season."
Bannsiders chairman Hugh Wade confirmed that the 24-year-old, who is originally from Strabane, has joined the club.
Patterson scored 107 goals in 126 games for FC United - the club formed by Manchester United fans angered by the Glazer's takeover at Old Trafford.
Limavady United defender Aaron Canning and former Dungannon midfielder Michael Hegarty have also signed for Coleraine.
Hegarty was released by Swifts at the end of the season and has previously played for the Bannsiders and Limavady United.
"Aaron is only 17 but he played around 30 games for Limavady's first team last year," Coleraine boss David Platt told the club website.
"He can play in a number of positions and will be playing in the Milk Cup this summer.
"He is a player with lots of potential and should be pushing for a place in the squad at the start of the season."
Friday, June 26, 2009
From Staffordshire Sentinel
(Excerpt from longer article)
LEEK CSOB have landed a plumb pre-season friendly at home to FC United on July 11.
United played their first competitive match at Harrison Park four years ago when a crowd of more than 2,000 watched their 5-2 victory over Old Boys in a North West Counties League Division Two fixture.
United have since won three promotions to reach the UniBond Premier Division
LEEK CSOB have landed a plumb pre-season friendly at home to FC United on July 11.
United played their first competitive match at Harrison Park four years ago when a crowd of more than 2,000 watched their 5-2 victory over Old Boys in a North West Counties League Division Two fixture.
United have since won three promotions to reach the UniBond Premier Division
Thursday, June 25, 2009
FC United set for South Korea trip
June 25, 2009
FORGET about Europe, FC United are hoping to go one better with a pre-season tour of the Far East.
They have been invited to South Korea next month but details of who they will be facing have yet to be finalised.
The club realises that some supporters will want to travel but officials are urging them not to make arrangements until exact fixture dates have been released.
And if any fans cannot afford the historic trip they may be lucky enough to go for free. For FC, in keeping with their ethos, have arranged a raffle for a free place.
The reds will be joined on their Far East adventure by 22-year-old striker Ben Deegon, who has been brought in from Ashton United in response to hot-shot Kyle Wilson’s move to Football League club Macclesfield Town.
But they will be without brothers Jamie and Chris Baguley, who have joined Leigh Genesis after being promised that they will play every week there, plus assistant manager Phil Power, who has left FC after his contract expired.
FORGET about Europe, FC United are hoping to go one better with a pre-season tour of the Far East.
They have been invited to South Korea next month but details of who they will be facing have yet to be finalised.
The club realises that some supporters will want to travel but officials are urging them not to make arrangements until exact fixture dates have been released.
And if any fans cannot afford the historic trip they may be lucky enough to go for free. For FC, in keeping with their ethos, have arranged a raffle for a free place.
The reds will be joined on their Far East adventure by 22-year-old striker Ben Deegon, who has been brought in from Ashton United in response to hot-shot Kyle Wilson’s move to Football League club Macclesfield Town.
But they will be without brothers Jamie and Chris Baguley, who have joined Leigh Genesis after being promised that they will play every week there, plus assistant manager Phil Power, who has left FC after his contract expired.
Coleraine to play Garvagh this Friday
Published Date: 23 June 2009
By Steven Crawford
THE countdown for the new season begins in earnest this Friday night as Coleraine take on Garvagh in their annual charity fundraiser.
The game at Clyde Park gets underway at 7.30pm and Bannsiders boss David Platt is confident of having several new faces in the Coleraine line up.
Speculation was rife last week that Platt had pulled off a major coup by landing striker Rory Patterson.
The Strabane man has played the most of his career in England and is the record goal scorer for Unibond Premier League side FC United. Platt though remained tight lipped on Monday only saying that several deals were due to be finalised this week.
"Several deals are due to be completed this week I'm just waiting on the nod from the IFA," he said."Until they are confirmed though I don't want to mention any names. It's fair to say though that they should feature in this Friday night's friendly along with the current squad.
"It's been hard work but we are getting there. There's not a lot of movement in the league as a whole, but I am determined to bring in the right players to Coleraine."
Platt revealed that he has completed his first transfer of the summer after finalising a deal to bring Limavady defender Aaron Canning to The Showgrounds.
Platt said: "I've known of Aaron for about four years now. He's only 17 but he played around 30 games for Limavady's first team last year.
"He can play in a number of positions and will be playing in the Milk Cup this summer, where he'll likely be captaining the Co. Londonderry team.
"He's a young player with lots of potential and he should be challenging for a place in the squad at the start of the season."
By Steven Crawford
THE countdown for the new season begins in earnest this Friday night as Coleraine take on Garvagh in their annual charity fundraiser.
The game at Clyde Park gets underway at 7.30pm and Bannsiders boss David Platt is confident of having several new faces in the Coleraine line up.
Speculation was rife last week that Platt had pulled off a major coup by landing striker Rory Patterson.
The Strabane man has played the most of his career in England and is the record goal scorer for Unibond Premier League side FC United. Platt though remained tight lipped on Monday only saying that several deals were due to be finalised this week.
"Several deals are due to be completed this week I'm just waiting on the nod from the IFA," he said."Until they are confirmed though I don't want to mention any names. It's fair to say though that they should feature in this Friday night's friendly along with the current squad.
"It's been hard work but we are getting there. There's not a lot of movement in the league as a whole, but I am determined to bring in the right players to Coleraine."
Platt revealed that he has completed his first transfer of the summer after finalising a deal to bring Limavady defender Aaron Canning to The Showgrounds.
Platt said: "I've known of Aaron for about four years now. He's only 17 but he played around 30 games for Limavady's first team last year.
"He can play in a number of positions and will be playing in the Milk Cup this summer, where he'll likely be captaining the Co. Londonderry team.
"He's a young player with lots of potential and he should be challenging for a place in the squad at the start of the season."
Patterson set for Bannsiders move
Source: BBC
Coleraine are poised to sign former Rochdale striker Rory Patterson from Blue Square North club Droylsden.
The 24-year-old hopes to get clearance from Droylson for the move and he could make his debut against Garvagh in a friendly on Friday night.
Patterson scored 107 goals in 126 games for FC United - the club formed by Manchester United fans angered by the Glazier's takeover at Old Trafford.
Limavady United defender Aaron Canning is also expected to join Coleraine.
"Aaron is only 17 but he played around 30 games for Limavady's first team last year," Coleraine boss David Platt told the club website.
"He can play in a number of positions and will be playing in the Milk Cup this summer.
"He is a player with lots of potential and should be pushing for a place in the squad at the start of the season."
Coleraine are poised to sign former Rochdale striker Rory Patterson from Blue Square North club Droylsden.
The 24-year-old hopes to get clearance from Droylson for the move and he could make his debut against Garvagh in a friendly on Friday night.
Patterson scored 107 goals in 126 games for FC United - the club formed by Manchester United fans angered by the Glazier's takeover at Old Trafford.
Limavady United defender Aaron Canning is also expected to join Coleraine.
"Aaron is only 17 but he played around 30 games for Limavady's first team last year," Coleraine boss David Platt told the club website.
"He can play in a number of positions and will be playing in the Milk Cup this summer.
"He is a player with lots of potential and should be pushing for a place in the squad at the start of the season."
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sport on TV: United we stand: Loach is on the ball, he shoots... he scores
Source: The Independent
By Andrew Tong
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Eric Cantona did many extraordinary things on the football pitch – and one just over the edge of it. But his greatest feat since his feet stopped doing the talking must surely be to get Ken Loach to direct a comedy.
It is 40 years since Loach slipped a treasured football cameo into his film 'Kes'. Renowned for his searing portrayal of working-class life, he has allowed his latest film, 'Looking for Eric', to show how the people's game lets them dream and gives them hope.
The eponymous Eric is not Cantona but a postman, played by Steve Evets, who is haunted by the fact that he left his young wife 30 years ago. His Old Trafford idol, Cantona, appears when he smokes his stepson's dope and the Frenchman dispenses gnomic advice incessantly until his exasperated disciple tells him: "I'm still getting over the bloody seagulls."
Loach loves his sport and is heavily involved with Bath City FC. When he and Cantona visited Old Trafford to watch a match last year, Cantona brought Sir Alex Ferguson up to meet Loach at half-time and Fergie, an avowed socialist, heaped praise on his 2006 film 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley', about the fight for Irish independence. It was not, presumably, just because the owner of the legendary hair-dryer was so impressed by the wind that shook the barley.
This is not just a film for United fans. Most of Eric's fellow workers support FC United, the breakaway club formed out of resentment at Malcolm Glazer's megabucks takeover. Loach is deeply concerned with the concept of community and he says: "The idea of a group of people who club together is lost. The sense of identity is split between the people who treat it as a club and those who treat it as an investment and a brand."
Unusually, Loach's purpose seems purely to entertain rather than preach. Cantona – who has done a dozen films since his nine-month ban for attacking a fan, though no kung-fu movies to date – is engaging and funny. But there is still a strong sense of camaraderie, as Cantona says: "You must trust your team-mates, always." He told Loach this when asked about his greatest moment on the pitch: it was not a goal but a pass.
Loach teases a performance out of Cantona that Ferguson would have been proud of. But it is the team ethic that stands out. "He has no ego at all, he was just one of the lads," said Loach. "I think that's one of the things that sport teaches you. You are only as good as the team around you."
Loach likes to keep his own dedicated team on their toes, not telling them about what's in the next scene until it's time to shoot, in order to heighten the realism. He didn't even tell Evets that Cantona was in the film. Evets thought he was only a producer and when Cantona first appears on set, his shock is genuine. This is real fantasy football.
By Andrew Tong
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Eric Cantona did many extraordinary things on the football pitch – and one just over the edge of it. But his greatest feat since his feet stopped doing the talking must surely be to get Ken Loach to direct a comedy.
It is 40 years since Loach slipped a treasured football cameo into his film 'Kes'. Renowned for his searing portrayal of working-class life, he has allowed his latest film, 'Looking for Eric', to show how the people's game lets them dream and gives them hope.
The eponymous Eric is not Cantona but a postman, played by Steve Evets, who is haunted by the fact that he left his young wife 30 years ago. His Old Trafford idol, Cantona, appears when he smokes his stepson's dope and the Frenchman dispenses gnomic advice incessantly until his exasperated disciple tells him: "I'm still getting over the bloody seagulls."
Loach loves his sport and is heavily involved with Bath City FC. When he and Cantona visited Old Trafford to watch a match last year, Cantona brought Sir Alex Ferguson up to meet Loach at half-time and Fergie, an avowed socialist, heaped praise on his 2006 film 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley', about the fight for Irish independence. It was not, presumably, just because the owner of the legendary hair-dryer was so impressed by the wind that shook the barley.
This is not just a film for United fans. Most of Eric's fellow workers support FC United, the breakaway club formed out of resentment at Malcolm Glazer's megabucks takeover. Loach is deeply concerned with the concept of community and he says: "The idea of a group of people who club together is lost. The sense of identity is split between the people who treat it as a club and those who treat it as an investment and a brand."
Unusually, Loach's purpose seems purely to entertain rather than preach. Cantona – who has done a dozen films since his nine-month ban for attacking a fan, though no kung-fu movies to date – is engaging and funny. But there is still a strong sense of camaraderie, as Cantona says: "You must trust your team-mates, always." He told Loach this when asked about his greatest moment on the pitch: it was not a goal but a pass.
Loach teases a performance out of Cantona that Ferguson would have been proud of. But it is the team ethic that stands out. "He has no ego at all, he was just one of the lads," said Loach. "I think that's one of the things that sport teaches you. You are only as good as the team around you."
Loach likes to keep his own dedicated team on their toes, not telling them about what's in the next scene until it's time to shoot, in order to heighten the realism. He didn't even tell Evets that Cantona was in the film. Evets thought he was only a producer and when Cantona first appears on set, his shock is genuine. This is real fantasy football.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
