Rebel Reds target championship

Source: Bury Times

1:40pm Thursday 13th August 2009

By Liam Chronnell

MANAGER Karl Marginson believes there is only one way for FC United to avenge last season’s disappointment — by winning the title.

The Rebels failed to be promoted for the first time in their four-year history after missing out on the play-offs by a single goal.

Now, on the eve of the new UniBond League Premier Division campaign, the players are targeting league glory.
“I think the vast majority of the lads want to put right what went wrong last season and they want to go up as champions this time around,” said Marginson.

“They’re hungrier than ever.”

The Gigg Lane tennants, who kick-off their campaign at home to Boston United on Saturday followed by a trip to Bradford Park Avenue two days later, will have to do it without last season’s top-scorer Kyle Wilson who has joined Macclesfield Town.

Marginson will now be hoping new hitman Ben Deegan can fire United’s title charge after signing him from Ashton United.

Former Manchester City trainees Ben Morris and Abdi Ibrahim, ex-Bolton academy midfielder Danny Stott and youngster Jake Cottrell, from Oldham Town, are also summer acquisitions, while Grant Shenton, John Buckley and Jamie Mack have made the step up from the treble-winning youth team.

The Baguley brothers, Chris and Jamie, have moved to Leigh, and Papis Dieyte and Shaun Williams have also left the club.

Meanwhile, FC’s “pay however much you can afford for your season ticket” campaign has hit its £125,000 target by passing 1,000 sales — more than the club sold at the same point last year.

Rebels spokesman Julian Spencer said: “A lot of people said we were brave and ambitious to introduce such a scheme, some questioned whether we were being foolish, but we said right from the start that we trusted supporters. Why shouldn’t we? It’s their club after all.”