Friday, July 22, 2011

FC United stadium row turns into graffiti wars


 Source: North and East Manchester Advertiser

 Graffiti wars have broken out over FC United’s plans to build a new stadium.

Slogans have been daubed on walls across Moston both opposing and supporting the 5,000 capacity stadium.

Opposition to FC United’s plans has been mounting from residents concerned it will create parking chaos outside their homes.

But supporters of the site say it will create much-needed facilities for the area.

Both sides have condemned the graffiti.

One of the slogans daubed by people opposed to the scheme was ‘Love Glazer, Hate FC United.

And supporters of the plans have been using ‘reverse graffiti’ – blasting dirty walls with water using stencils – to write ‘M40 4FC’.

Moston Councillor Paul Murphy said: “Graffiti of any description is unacceptable.

“I condemn any graffiti from either side and will be reporting it to the council. I will make sure that the perpetrator is caught.”

Annette McGovern, from Residents United Residents’ Association, said: “We love our area and are totally opposed to graffiti of any sort.

“None of the members of RURA are responsible for it.”

The residents claim the stadium will devalue their homes and have mounted a major campaign against it. Plans for the 5,000 capacity stadium were submitted to Manchester council last week, and a decision is due to be taken in September.

Andy Walsh, general manager of FC United, said: “We condemn any graffiti at all no matter what form it takes.

“There has been a great deal of deliberate misinformation from the No campaign which has heightened anxieties in the area. We want to rectify that misinformation but this is not the right way to go about it.”

A Manchester council spokesman said: “We have never received a complaint about so-called reverse graffiti but will look carefully at any complaint and take appropriate action. All graffiti is detrimental to our neighbourhoods and we take a dim view of anyone involved in defacing property.”