FC United of Manchester are doing very well

Source: Daily Mirror

By Oliver Holt 13/05/2009

Read Oliver Holt's column every Wednesday on Mirror.co.uk

FC United of Manchester was set up in the summer of 2005 by Manchester United supporters who could not stomach the takeover of their club by the Glazer family.

The sternest challenge was always going to be how the new club avoided turning into the commercially driven beast its fans had rebelled against as it rose through the league pyramid.

All the signs are that it's coping very well.

After three successive promotions, FC United are now in the Unibond Premier League but they are refusing to put up prices.

Advertisement - article continues below »

In fact, this summer the club will ask supporters to decide how much to pay for their season ticket based on what they can afford.

That is probably a first. If a few Premier League clubs had a fraction of this respect for their supporters, English football would have a lot more friends.