The magic of the Cup - ESPN's FA Cup memories

 Edited from: ESPN

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Ray Stubbs - ESPN UK presenter

 I could go on for hours and hours, I'm going to have to make a list. My first away game watching Tranmere away to Coventry at Highfield Road; actually scoring in the FA Cup in the millionth qualifying round, playing for Oswestry Town - we got beaten but to score was terrific; Tramnere's great run when they went to the last eight a few times at the turn of the century. Also, being part of going to finals as a broadcaster, and first and second round matches too. When you see the way an entire community gets onside, that really made a big impact on me down the years.

I could go on an on but finally, Rochdale v FC United of Manchester - ESPN's first live game in the competition - the FC United fans nearly nicked the cup to take it on an impromptu lap of honour purely out of exuberance. Yes, we are now celebrating the first round and it's great that the Premier League teams are in but 759 clubs entered - the grassroots of football should never be forgotten, it's a Cup that unites everybody.

FC United produce FA Cup shocker

Source: ESPN

FC United of Manchester kept their hopes of meeting Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup alive as they beat Rochdale 3-2 in round one.

The Evo-Stick League side, making their maiden appearance at this stage, had looked to have a blown a two-goal lead when Anthony Elding and Craig Dawson cancelled out Nicky Platt and Jake Cottrell's goals for United.

But striker Mike Norton's late winner ensured they would take their place in Sunday's second-round draw and remain on course for a possible meeting with the club a group of their supporters splintered from in 2005.

On a pitch covered with water following 90 minutes of rain, Rochdale goalkeeper Josh Lillis thought he had control of the ball by his near post, only for it to come free and allow Norton to tap into an empty net.

Lillis and his team-mates claimed Norton had kicked the ball out of his hands, but referee Geoff Eltringham waved away their protests and the United fans flooded on to the field when he blew the final whistle seconds later.

Karl Marginson's United side had taken the lead three minutes before the break when Platt, a former Liverpool academy player, slotted home after Jerome Wright's pass.

A one-goal lead became a two-goal lead four minutes after the interval when Cottrell, a former Rochdale trainee, drove in from 25 yards, before Elding reduced the deficit with a glancing header after 53 minutes.

Dawson then looked to have taken the game to a replay with another header with 12 minutes remaining, before Norton won it four minutes into time added on.

"I thought the referee was going to blow for a free-kick but he only had one hand on it," said Norton afterwards. "We were dreading a replay, my legs wouldn't have taken it."

Marginson added on ESPN: "Rochdale possibly didn't deserve to lose but that's the FA Cup."

Rochdale 2 - 3 FC United of Manchester

Source: ESPN

Last-gasp glory for FC United

Scoring Summary
Rochdale	FC United of Manchester
Anthony Elding (53)	Nicky Platt (42)
Craig Dawson (78)	Jake Cotterill (49)
	Michael Norton (90)

Match Stats
	Rochdale	FC United of Manchester
Shots (on Goal)	14(4)	10(4)
Fouls	4	11
Corner Kicks	4	6
Offsides	5	4
Time of Possession	48%	52%
Yellow Cards	2	1
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	6	5

Match Information

Stadium: Spotland Stadium, England Attendance: 7,048 Match Time: 19:45 GMT Referee: G Eltringham

Teams
Rochdale	FC United of Manchester
1 Josh Lillis	1 Sam Ashton
2 Scott Wiseman	5 Karl Munroe
4 Marcus Holness	2 Kyle Jacobs
3 Joe Widdowson	6 Scott McManus
26 Craig Dawson	3 Richard Battersby
6 Brian Barry-Murphy	4 Nicky Platt
8 Gary Jones	8 Jake Cotterill
7 Jason Kennedy	10 Jerome Wright
29 Nicky Adams	7 Carlos Roca
9 Anthony Elding	9 Michael Norton
19 Chris O'Grady	11 Ben Deegan
Substitutes
21 Matthew Edwards	Zac Hibbert 13
28 Matthew Flynn	Martin Parker 17
18 Josh Thompson	Mark Ayres 18
11 Matt Done	James Holden 12
15 Joe Thompson	Chris Ovington 16
14 Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro	Glynn Hurst 15
35 Reece Gray	Simon Carden 14
Substitutions
Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro for Nicky Adams (56)	Chris Ovington for Carlos Roca (74)
	Simon Carden for Ben Deegan (85)
	James Holden for Richard Battersby (87)
Yellow Cards
Josh Lillis (90)	Ben Deegan (61)
Marcus Holness (90)
· Club Squads: Rochdale | FC United of Manchester

Updated: November 5, 2010, 7:00 AM GMT

FC United of Manchester pulled off a major shock in the FA Cup with a controversial 94th minute goal to beat Rochdale 3-2 in a thrilling first round tie. • Marginson: That's the FA Cup
• Top Ten: FA Cups shocks
• Jon Champion on FA Cup magic
• Watch LIVE games on ESPN

The non-league side, set up in protest against Malcolm Glazer's takeover of Manchester United, looked to be heading towards a replay after they threw away a two-goal lead at Rochdale. But a calamitous late error from 'keeper Josh Lillis, which allowed striker Michael Norton to pounce, means that FC United are now just one game away from a potential clash against the Red Devils in the third round.With five tiers of English football between the two teams, the game threatened to be a mismatch - but FC United, despite a shaky start, acquitted themselves admirably throughout a closely-fought first half. Although they rode their luck at times - with Anthony Elding missing two great chances for Rochdale - it was no great surprise when they took the lead three minutes before the break. Nicky Platt produced a composed finish to flick the ball over onrushing 'keeper Josh Lillis, who went to ground far too early.The Evo-Stik League side doubled their lead in the early stages of the second half when Jake Cotterill - a Rochdale trainee until the age of 16 - sent a thundering strike into the roof of the net from 18 yards.A 2-0 lead was the stuff of fairytale for FC United - but they were soon brought back down to earth when Elding atoned for his earlier misses by halving the deficit.That goal sapped some of the energy from the tiring FC United legs, and Rochdale seized control of the match heading into the final 20 minutes. A heroic block on the line from Richard Battersby prevented Chris O'Grady's goalbound effort bringing the sides level, before prolific defender Craig Dawson's header pulled the sides level.With the game seemingly heading relentlessly towards a replay, Norton stole the ball from Lillis' grasp in the 94th minute before rolling it into the empty net, sending the away fans into raptures.

FC United two wins from potentially historic fixture

 Source: ESPN

 October 25, 2010

 FC United of Manchester stand just two victories away from a potential showdown with Manchester United after the FA Cup first round draw was made on Sunday.

The Evo-Stik League Premier Division side, who were formed as a breakaway club for Manchester United fans opposed to the Glazer takeover, must first overcome a different derby encounter, against neighbours Rochdale.

Carlos Roca's 78th-minute winner secured a 1-0 victory over Barrow, booking them a place in the same draw as footballing giants Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton. Wednesday, currently fourth in League One, face a trip to Southport, while Southampton host Shrewsbury Town.

Hythe Town are the lowest ranked team left in the competition, but the Kent League Premier Division side have been handed an attractive-looking trip to the Football League's bottom club Hereford on the weekend of November 6/7.

Town boss Scott Porter told the FA's official website: "On our day we can beat anyone so whether it's home or away we're always in with a chance. We're going to make a weekend of it and it's going to be a great day for the football club."

Elsewhere, Hendon still must overcome an intriguing clash with the Metropolitan Police if they are to fulfil their place in round one against the winners of Carshalton Athletic or Chelmsford City.

RETURN TO NEWTON HEATH - FC United of Manchester step up stadium plan

 Source: ESPN

  FC United are launching a pioneering £1.5 million community share issue to help fund the cost of their new stadium.

 September 21, 2010

• The story of FC United

The club, which plays in the Northern Premier League which is three divisions below the Football League, launched five years ago following the Glazer family takeover at Old Trafford, have submitted an application to build their own 5,000-capacity ground close to the site at Newton Heath where the club which eventually became Manchester United started their existence.

FC United, currently tenants at Bury's Gigg Lane ground, estimate gaining access to a sizeable sum through grants and also £500,000 in donations, £300,000 of which has already been received. But they intend to raise the remainder through the community share scheme and claim to be the first football club to issue such shares, a means by which community enterprises can raise capital funds.

"The main aim of the shares is to provide investors with a social return by funding the football and community objectives of FC United, but the club's business plan also provides for potential financial returns for shareholders,'' said an FC United statement.

The club believe having their own stadium is the best way to maximise their potential as, while they continue to enjoy impressive attendances - just under 2,000 - for their present level of football, they also have to pay out a hefty rental fee to Bury.

FC United have also been forced to play some matches at Stalybridge this season but now hope "supporters, investors and companies can support the club's development by buying £1 shares from the minimum purchase of £200 up to £20,000''.

Andy Walsh, FC United general manager, said: "FC United has achieved a great deal in the five years since its foundation, despite not having a permanent home. With our own ground and community facilities we can achieve much more, making the club sustainable and fulfilling our ambition to become a beacon showing a better way for football.''

Love football, hate debt: The FC United story

Source: ESPN

By Robin Hackett

January 28, 2010

Back in 1998, a substantial number of Manchester United supporters launched a protest movement against media magnate Rupert Murdoch's proposed takeover of their club. In 2005, many of those same supporters protested against US businessman Malcolm Glazer as he tried to do the same.

In contrast to the success of the anti-Murdoch campaign in getting the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to overturn the takeover, the protests five years ago were, of course, in vain. Malcolm Glazer bought the club and brought in family members as non-executive directors on the board.

Despite the initial indignation, the widespread anger around Old Trafford became significantly less pronounced as United delivered success on the pitch and gave those who stayed loyal to the club little to complain about. As predicted, ticket prices increased, but so did demand for seats as Sir Alex Ferguson established a team that won three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FIFA World Club Cup and the League Cup.

In recent months, though, supporters' animosity has been growing again. While the Glazers publicly backed Ferguson when he refused to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2008, many believe the manager has not been given enough backing following the departures of Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez last summer. Ferguson suggested the relative lack of investment that followed was down to a lack of value in the market, but the news that the debt created by the takeover has ballooned to over £700 million and the publicity surrounding a £500 million bond scheme have sown doubts and provoked substantial anger in those fans who "Love United, Hate Glazer".

The current situation comes as little surprise to Andy Walsh. A lifelong Manchester United fan - "I always have been and always will be" - Walsh was the figurehead of the anti-Murdoch campaign that achieved its aim during the 1998-99 season which brought the team's famous 'treble'. In 2005, Walsh was also part of the original steering committee that founded a new club, FC United of Manchester, following the Glazer takeover, an event that proved to be the final straw after years of feeling that football was being taken away from local communities.

"I think the current situation at United is a scandal," he said. "We did everything we could as supporters at the time to stop the Glazers. We said the only way that the Glazer business plan could operate would be to increase prices but that, even then, there was a danger it could take the club under.

"We contacted The FA, Premier League etc and asked them to step in, and they all said, 'No, no, we're quite happy - everything the Glazers are saying is sustainable'. To actually see it go this way, there's no satisfaction. It's really just a scandal that the authorities, including the government, have allowed this situation to transpire.

"I think it's not just a Manchester United problem now - this is something that has afflicted the game. There's over 40 clubs have gone into liquidation or administration since the advent of the Premier League. There's going to be more - Crystal Palace this week, possibly Portsmouth, possibly Liverpool.

"Right the way from the top to the bottom, there seems to be a very loose regulatory framework."

Walsh, who works full-time as FC United's general manager, has revealed that the malaise surrounding the current state of the English game has led to supporters of a number of other sides getting in touch to ask about the process of founding a new club.

"At the time of the original takeover, we put a campaign together and we wanted to demonstrate that fans could run a successful club and create an alternative. If the Glazers' business plan was to increase ticket prices, that would mean more and more fans would be disenfranchised, so we wanted to have an affordable alternative. We wanted to refocus football's purpose towards being part of its community and not just a place for rich investors.

"We've already had enquiries from [fans of] other clubs, including Portsmouth, about our experiences and asking for advice on what to do to go about setting up similar enterprises."

FC United have followed in the footsteps of AFC Wimbledon - established in 2002 in reaction to Wimbledon FC's relocation and transformation into MK Dons - and both clubs have enjoyed a huge amount of success in climbing the football ladder.
FC United

Michael Dean/Other

FC United have enjoyed plenty of success in their first few years
AFC Wimbledon are now in the Blue Square Premier, looking to make it into the play-offs and reach the Football League, while FC United were promoted in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and are now in the Unibond League Premier Division, six divisions below the Glazer-run United. Walsh, though, stresses that they have no intention of living beyond their means to ensure further progress.

"Three successive promotions took us into the Unibond. We won a couple of trophies along the way and we play at Gigg Lane with crowds in excess of 2,000 in a league where the average is 250, 300. We've over 1,000 season ticket holders and 2,000 members.

"If we get enough supporters to sustain a higher level of football, we'll go for it, but we won't bankrupt the club with high wages. At the moment, we've probably got the lowest wage structure within our league but the added bonus for the players is that they're playing in front of 2,000 passionate fans every week.

"We're currently not doing so well in the table but that's because we're so many games behind everybody else - but we've still got 2,000 members and we've still got 1,000 season ticket holders, and that's the strength of supporter ownership. My belief going into this - and which has been strengthened because of this - is that the future for football is supporter ownership and supporter involvement."

Few clubs in the global game could offer a better advertisement for supporter ownership than Barcelona, who won every trophy available to them in 2009 including a Champions League triumph over United, and Walsh believes that football will increasingly become the game of the people.

"There needs to be a system in place that gives those people who care most about their club a stake in their club. That may require legislation; it certainly requires stricter regulation from the football authorities.

"There are lots of different models for setting up supporter-owned football clubs. It's not just ourselves and AFC Wimbledon - you look at Exeter and the success that they've got. It needs the support of organisations such as Supporters Direct to get off the ground and so people can share their experiences, but I certainly think it is the way football is going to go so that we have a sustainable future, free from the boom-and-bust system that we've got at the moment.

"There's no better example than the current European champions to show that the idea of supporter-owned football clubs is serious and can mean success at the highest level. All you need is the will to get there."