FC United are on their way up

Source: The Sun

From NEIL CUSTIS at Marston Arena

FA CUP dreams may be over but FC United claim their meteoric rise up the pyramid will continue.

The club, born out of frustration with the Glazers' takeover of Old Trafford, played the biggest game of their four-year history on Saturday.

A 3-0 defeat at Northwich robbed them of a place in the first round proper.

But roared on by 2,000 visiting fans in a crowd of 2,615, they will now turn their attention to another promotion with League football their ultimate aim.

FC United currently inhabit the seventh tier of English football in the UniBond League Premier Division.

This after three straight promotions was halted by a sixth-place last season.

They are guided by manager Karl Marginson, or "Margentina" as the FC faithful chant.

An ex-player with Macclesfield, he, like the rest of the club's founding members, was a Stretford End stalwart who was disaffected by the Glazers plunging United into £700million debt.

FC United is not anti-United - it is simply anti-Glazer.

The fans still sing United songs and Marginson said: "We all have feelings for the club.

"It was a tough and emotional decision for a lot of people not to go to Old Trafford any more.

"I couldn't stand seeing my club, that won the European Cup in 1999 and was worth £1billion, go into massive debt.

"They make profits of £80million a year, yet half of that goes straight out the window, not to pay off that debt, just to service the interest. It's ridiculous."

Their top attendance has been an incredible 6,023 for a match with Great Harwood Town in April 2006.

The club groundshares with Bury FC but is in talks with Manchester council to get a ground of their own.

Northwich, a league above in Blue Square North, blew away FC United in the second half with a Mark Danks penalty, Adam Tong own-goal and Wayne Riley stoppage-time strike.

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