FC United defy the odds
Thursday, 29th September 2005
Stuart Brennan
Source: Manchester Evening News
FC UNITED have defied the cynics to establish themselves as a thriving force in Manchester football - and the new club's board says: "This is just a start."
The doubters predicted that disillusioned supporters who gave up the glory of Manchester United and set up their own club in the Moore and Co Construction Solicitors League would slink back to Old Trafford shortly after the new season kicked off, leaving behind a handful of diehard fans and a struggling team.
And yet, six weeks in, the rebels top the Second Division of the North West Counties League - as it is traditionally known - averaging nearly four goals a game, with a membership of over 3,000 and an average crowd higher than that of Macclesfield Town and only just short of Bury, whose ground they share.
FCUM are in the process of taking on two full-time staff members, are selling out of replica shirts, scarves and badges, and are already developing plans to expand the club with junior and ladies' teams, as well as putting out roots into the community.
Phenomenal
The success of the club has been phenomenal.
When the newly-formed team played its first game, a friendly at Leigh RMI in July, no one knew what would happen.
Estimates of the expected crowd ranged from a few dozen to around 800. Instead, 2,500 showed up.
Supporters fed up with inflated Premiership prices, aloof players, poor atmosphere and stifling stewards have flocked to the FC United banner. The club's formation was a revolution not entirely sparked by the Glazer family's Old Trafford takeover.
And Andy Walsh, one of the leading lights of the FC United movement and now acting as general manager until the post is filled, says there are plans to keep growing.
"The crowds have been maintained and built upon," he said. "In fact, our indications are that more people are going to be coming to our games.
"We are starting to gel on the field, although the manager Karl Marginson has not been entirely happy with the level of performance.
"But the feedback we get tells us that supporters have been so enthused by what they have seen on the pitch, and experienced on the terraces, that they intend to bring more friends and family."
It is off the field that FC United have been a real revelation. Their away support has been bigger than that of some Premiership teams this season - and the supporters at Gigg Lane's Manchester Road End claim to be the noisiest and most colourful in the country.
Low profile
The men behind the scenes try to maintain a low profile. The board of 11 has a rota which dictates who has to do the "flesh-pressing" in the directors' lounge that week, and which luckier souls get to sit or stand with their friends and family.
All of the board members were elected by the membership, and Walsh says that they see their role as converting the wishes of the supporters into reality.
Many within the North West Counties League were sceptical. Some felt FC United would not even make it to the start of the season, others were fearful that they were some kind of hooligan army about to wreak havoc from Daisy Hill to Darwen.
Those fears were intensified at the first game, when some fans threw beer cans on to the pitch at Leigh and a steward was assaulted.
But the supporters addressed that problem, there have been no incidents since then and the police have begun scaling down their presence at their games.
Stand
"The police have begun to accept that our crowds are boisterous but friendly," said Walsh. "We have plenty of Bury stewards, but they seem to enjoy it as much as the supporters, even joining in the songs and banter. Our fans police themselves."
FC United was founded by supporters who refused to compromise their principled stand against Glazer, many giving up their season tickets.
And their principles were bound to rub raw against some in the non-league pyramid - the FC United board refused to sell tickets for a sportsmen's dinner because it was men-only.
The league, far from taking umbrage, agreed that it was an out-moded concept and is now planning to replace the event with one which is open to all.
Walsh says that the immediate aim of the club is to keep the momentum going and consolidate their supporter base - but there are plans for the future.
"We have a team of people, led by a couple of board members, looking at community work and how we can develop it, including forging links with local junior clubs and schools.
"Eventually we want to develop teams at all levels and age groups, girls as well as boys, and a ladies' team, but how much we do will depend on finance and the will of the supporters."
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Norton (H) 1-2
Click the pic above for pics or Click Here for the slideshow
Clcik Here for the Official Match Report
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Outside the Green Door #1
Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated
Outside the Green Door
Source: United We Stand Issue 143, Sept 05 (No online content)Outside the Green Door
No More Heroes
When the shop steward gets a promotion, the shop-floor may feel betrayed. Management think they’ve pulled off a coup by getting someone on their side who, more than most knows all the tricks. Poacher turned gamekeeper they like to call it. I’ve seen it loads but in my experience it’s usually worked out the other way round where the workers have ended up with one of their own still fighting their corner in a different way and if it was a decent, proper shop-stupid anyway, that’s exactly how it should be. This is the way I’ve always felt about Fergie as the boss. A socialist, on our side, working for us, within the Thatcherite world of Manchester United the company. Someone who you would have thought would have more in common with the man sat in east-lower than the bloke sat in club-class. Then there’s Keano, another one of us. It could have been one of us talking when he slated the clueless corporates and praised the vociferous away support. And what about the so called shop-steward Gary Nev? Nothing to say? No words of comfort for gutted, pissed off fans? Well a lot of that support that have persistently defended and sang these names are so gutted and pissed off that they’ve pissed off. These three, more than anyone else at the club owe a few words of comfort to those of us that have had enough and sacked it and those who probably know they’ll sack it soon or those who want to sack it but cant. I’m not asking anyone to go around OT singing die Glazer die but you’d think that out of a group of men, that make their money out of fans’ loyalty, just one would be brave enough to say something that makes us feel as though we matter or as the case may be mattered.
Yes More Heroes
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there’s an anti-Glazer underground movement led by Gill and Charlton. After all Gill said he’d join us behind the barricades and when Bobby said “success is all that matters to the fans” surely he was trying to throw off the scent. But I can’t trust these fookers anymore. They’ve made us look like gullible clowns so I’ve got a new bessie mate called Margy. I was introduced to Margy at the Methodist hall in town. I’d been told by another bessie mate that Margy liked to drink beer in scruffy pubs whilst listening to scruffy, local unsigned bands. A gig was quickly arranged by my fave band Hedz Jellmo at the Castle on Oldham St. and Margy turns up with his bessie mates Phil and Daz. I’m there with some of my bessie mates and next thing we’re all bessie mates, laughing and joking and drinking Oldham bitter. After the Leigh game you might think Margy would have just slipped off home for a glass of wine and a meal with his wife like Harry Redknapp would have done but no – he’s down town with his bessies. After Staly did Margy try and get out of yonnerland pronto? No siree-bob he’s in the Mill Pond with his galacticos drinking beer and singing songs and the band of new bessie mates is getting bigger. And what does he do after that? Is it off home to get ready for church tomorrow like Glenn Hoddle? Is it bollocks he follows his bessie mates down town on the razz. Broken hearts are being mended.
twomowers [a] hotmail.com
Winsford (A) 2-2
Click the pic above for pics or Click Here for the slideshow
Clcik Here for the Official Match Report
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Eccleshall (H) 7-1
Click the pic above for pics or Click Here for the slideshow
An absolute rout but no clean sheet, official match report here
Saturday, August 20, 2005
The Independent: Is there only one United?
Is there only one United?
Sick of the influence money has on the game, some Old Trafford fans, including Julian Coman, created their own team
Published: 20 August 2005
The Independent
Source: http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/news/article307191.ece
I'll be heading up to Manchester today. First home game of the season. United looking strong, particularly up front. With the usual impassioned crowd backing, a comfortable victory should be well within our grasp. But I do confess to being slightly worried about the quality of the opposition. Padiham Town whacked Chadderton 4-0 last week.
Padiham? After 32 years spent following Manchester United, my supporting career has taken a somewhat surreal turn. Instead of showing up at Old Trafford for the 12.45 kick-off against Aston Villa, I'm planning to be a few stops down the Manchester Metrolink at Gigg Lane, Bury. That's where FC United of Manchester (FCUM) will take on Padiham in the second division of the Moore and Co Solicitors North West Counties League Division Two.
Instead of watching Wayne Rooney, I'll be watching the attacking runs of Steve Torpey, ex-Altrincham and Prescott Cables. And there will not be 67,500 gathered with me. We're hoping for 5,000, about 80 times the division's average gate.
You might think I've lost my mind. But I've never felt more sane.
FCUM are the breakaway club formed by 4,000 United fans disillusioned with the takeover of MUFC by Malcolm Glazer, who has passed on £540m worth of debt to the institution we helped build up. We respect the decision of many United fans to fight Glazer from within, but we have opted for a different route.
Some commentators call us naïve. After all, every club has to have an owner. And every plc can be bought and sold, even to indebted Americans needing to make a profit from the passion of others. Put up and shut up.
Obviously, I am not prepared to do that. But not because I've stopped supporting Manchester United. None of the rebels have. At the Dyers' Arms on Macclesfield Road in Leek last Saturday, the landlord had to close the doors at midday, such was the crush inside. FCUM were due to play away to Leek County School Old Boys (established 1945) at 3pm. Some 2,500 travelling fans had arrived in town early to make sure they caught the 12.45 Everton-United match on Sky. We're United supporters. But that's why, for the time being, we're not going to the games.
The club programme at Leek (we won 5-2 by the way, Torpey scoring a superb free-kick) printed this statement from the FCUM board.
"Glazer's takeover was the line in the sand in a game dominated by money. A game that has seen supporters fleeced as the source of the revenue while a small group of rich men get richer. The game that will see Glazer try to use these supporters to pay off his debt and make him a profit. In Manchester and its conurbation [including London} there was a group of people who stood up and said, 'No'."
The authors of this statement, for the most part, form part of a generation of United supporters that grew up going to United games in the Seventies and Eighties. They liked standing up with their mates, they liked singing and they were proud of the passion of Manchester United's crowds.
Over the last 10 years they have fought a rearguard battle at Old Trafford trying to preserve the "feel" of the football club. Stewards told them to sit down ("except at moments of high excitement"); the crowd around them visibly aged (you need a good income to afford Premiership prices) and players' wage demands became more outlandish (hello, Rio).
Kick-off times were constantly altered to suit the armchair viewer at the expense of the match-going fan. And the heart of the Stretford End was ripped out to provide executive accommodation.
Still this group tried, through fanzines and sharing the intensity of away games, to stay in touch with the roots of what Manchester United were, should be, and will be again: one of the most romantic, intensely proud sporting institutions in the world. But Glazer's arrival on the scene, and the craven turncoatery of those like David Gill, MUFC's chief executive, who opposed the bid and then decided to stay on to facilitate it, was too much to stomach.
A tipping point has been reached. United no longer make money to buy players to win matches. They win matches to make money to service Glazer's vast debt and (dream on) turn it into a huge profit.
So although, in the words of one popular song at The Dyers' Arms last Saturday, "It takes a week to get to Leek," we were happy to be there. And until Glazer is driven out and supporters are given a greater say in the running of the club they helped make great, we will continue to travel to places such as Eccleshall, Cheadle Town and Daisy Hill.
If last week was any guide, it will be a fun trip. Inside Harrison Park, the singing was continuous for 90 minutes. Every touch of "Mr Mystery", aka Rory Patterson, who appeared without a number on his back in a pre-season friendly at Stalybridge, was cheered. We all agreed that Rob Nugent (ex-Sheffield United youth) was better than Rio. And Torpey (who really does look a very good player) was accorded the honour of the song usually sung in praise of Ronaldo.
Today it will be the same. FC United of Manchester fans will gather in Bury pubs to watch the Villa game, hoping the Reds win. Then, in our thousands, we will urge on the new United against Padiham. Two Uniteds and, as the Stone Roses song has it "One Love". But we won't share it with Glazer.
Julian Coman is a founder member of FC United of Manchester
I'll be heading up to Manchester today. First home game of the season. United looking strong, particularly up front. With the usual impassioned crowd backing, a comfortable victory should be well within our grasp. But I do confess to being slightly worried about the quality of the opposition. Padiham Town whacked Chadderton 4-0 last week.
Padiham? After 32 years spent following Manchester United, my supporting career has taken a somewhat surreal turn. Instead of showing up at Old Trafford for the 12.45 kick-off against Aston Villa, I'm planning to be a few stops down the Manchester Metrolink at Gigg Lane, Bury. That's where FC United of Manchester (FCUM) will take on Padiham in the second division of the Moore and Co Solicitors North West Counties League Division Two.
Instead of watching Wayne Rooney, I'll be watching the attacking runs of Steve Torpey, ex-Altrincham and Prescott Cables. And there will not be 67,500 gathered with me. We're hoping for 5,000, about 80 times the division's average gate.
You might think I've lost my mind. But I've never felt more sane.
FCUM are the breakaway club formed by 4,000 United fans disillusioned with the takeover of MUFC by Malcolm Glazer, who has passed on £540m worth of debt to the institution we helped build up. We respect the decision of many United fans to fight Glazer from within, but we have opted for a different route.
Some commentators call us naïve. After all, every club has to have an owner. And every plc can be bought and sold, even to indebted Americans needing to make a profit from the passion of others. Put up and shut up.
Obviously, I am not prepared to do that. But not because I've stopped supporting Manchester United. None of the rebels have. At the Dyers' Arms on Macclesfield Road in Leek last Saturday, the landlord had to close the doors at midday, such was the crush inside. FCUM were due to play away to Leek County School Old Boys (established 1945) at 3pm. Some 2,500 travelling fans had arrived in town early to make sure they caught the 12.45 Everton-United match on Sky. We're United supporters. But that's why, for the time being, we're not going to the games.
The club programme at Leek (we won 5-2 by the way, Torpey scoring a superb free-kick) printed this statement from the FCUM board.
"Glazer's takeover was the line in the sand in a game dominated by money. A game that has seen supporters fleeced as the source of the revenue while a small group of rich men get richer. The game that will see Glazer try to use these supporters to pay off his debt and make him a profit. In Manchester and its conurbation [including London} there was a group of people who stood up and said, 'No'."
The authors of this statement, for the most part, form part of a generation of United supporters that grew up going to United games in the Seventies and Eighties. They liked standing up with their mates, they liked singing and they were proud of the passion of Manchester United's crowds.
Over the last 10 years they have fought a rearguard battle at Old Trafford trying to preserve the "feel" of the football club. Stewards told them to sit down ("except at moments of high excitement"); the crowd around them visibly aged (you need a good income to afford Premiership prices) and players' wage demands became more outlandish (hello, Rio).
Kick-off times were constantly altered to suit the armchair viewer at the expense of the match-going fan. And the heart of the Stretford End was ripped out to provide executive accommodation.
Still this group tried, through fanzines and sharing the intensity of away games, to stay in touch with the roots of what Manchester United were, should be, and will be again: one of the most romantic, intensely proud sporting institutions in the world. But Glazer's arrival on the scene, and the craven turncoatery of those like David Gill, MUFC's chief executive, who opposed the bid and then decided to stay on to facilitate it, was too much to stomach.
A tipping point has been reached. United no longer make money to buy players to win matches. They win matches to make money to service Glazer's vast debt and (dream on) turn it into a huge profit.
So although, in the words of one popular song at The Dyers' Arms last Saturday, "It takes a week to get to Leek," we were happy to be there. And until Glazer is driven out and supporters are given a greater say in the running of the club they helped make great, we will continue to travel to places such as Eccleshall, Cheadle Town and Daisy Hill.
If last week was any guide, it will be a fun trip. Inside Harrison Park, the singing was continuous for 90 minutes. Every touch of "Mr Mystery", aka Rory Patterson, who appeared without a number on his back in a pre-season friendly at Stalybridge, was cheered. We all agreed that Rob Nugent (ex-Sheffield United youth) was better than Rio. And Torpey (who really does look a very good player) was accorded the honour of the song usually sung in praise of Ronaldo.
Today it will be the same. FC United of Manchester fans will gather in Bury pubs to watch the Villa game, hoping the Reds win. Then, in our thousands, we will urge on the new United against Padiham. Two Uniteds and, as the Stone Roses song has it "One Love". But we won't share it with Glazer.
Julian Coman is a founder member of FC United of Manchester
Sick of the influence money has on the game, some Old Trafford fans, including Julian Coman, created their own team
Published: 20 August 2005
The Independent
Source: http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/news/article307191.ece
I'll be heading up to Manchester today. First home game of the season. United looking strong, particularly up front. With the usual impassioned crowd backing, a comfortable victory should be well within our grasp. But I do confess to being slightly worried about the quality of the opposition. Padiham Town whacked Chadderton 4-0 last week.
Padiham? After 32 years spent following Manchester United, my supporting career has taken a somewhat surreal turn. Instead of showing up at Old Trafford for the 12.45 kick-off against Aston Villa, I'm planning to be a few stops down the Manchester Metrolink at Gigg Lane, Bury. That's where FC United of Manchester (FCUM) will take on Padiham in the second division of the Moore and Co Solicitors North West Counties League Division Two.
Instead of watching Wayne Rooney, I'll be watching the attacking runs of Steve Torpey, ex-Altrincham and Prescott Cables. And there will not be 67,500 gathered with me. We're hoping for 5,000, about 80 times the division's average gate.
You might think I've lost my mind. But I've never felt more sane.
FCUM are the breakaway club formed by 4,000 United fans disillusioned with the takeover of MUFC by Malcolm Glazer, who has passed on £540m worth of debt to the institution we helped build up. We respect the decision of many United fans to fight Glazer from within, but we have opted for a different route.
Some commentators call us naïve. After all, every club has to have an owner. And every plc can be bought and sold, even to indebted Americans needing to make a profit from the passion of others. Put up and shut up.
Obviously, I am not prepared to do that. But not because I've stopped supporting Manchester United. None of the rebels have. At the Dyers' Arms on Macclesfield Road in Leek last Saturday, the landlord had to close the doors at midday, such was the crush inside. FCUM were due to play away to Leek County School Old Boys (established 1945) at 3pm. Some 2,500 travelling fans had arrived in town early to make sure they caught the 12.45 Everton-United match on Sky. We're United supporters. But that's why, for the time being, we're not going to the games.
The club programme at Leek (we won 5-2 by the way, Torpey scoring a superb free-kick) printed this statement from the FCUM board.
"Glazer's takeover was the line in the sand in a game dominated by money. A game that has seen supporters fleeced as the source of the revenue while a small group of rich men get richer. The game that will see Glazer try to use these supporters to pay off his debt and make him a profit. In Manchester and its conurbation [including London} there was a group of people who stood up and said, 'No'."
The authors of this statement, for the most part, form part of a generation of United supporters that grew up going to United games in the Seventies and Eighties. They liked standing up with their mates, they liked singing and they were proud of the passion of Manchester United's crowds.
Over the last 10 years they have fought a rearguard battle at Old Trafford trying to preserve the "feel" of the football club. Stewards told them to sit down ("except at moments of high excitement"); the crowd around them visibly aged (you need a good income to afford Premiership prices) and players' wage demands became more outlandish (hello, Rio).
Kick-off times were constantly altered to suit the armchair viewer at the expense of the match-going fan. And the heart of the Stretford End was ripped out to provide executive accommodation.
Still this group tried, through fanzines and sharing the intensity of away games, to stay in touch with the roots of what Manchester United were, should be, and will be again: one of the most romantic, intensely proud sporting institutions in the world. But Glazer's arrival on the scene, and the craven turncoatery of those like David Gill, MUFC's chief executive, who opposed the bid and then decided to stay on to facilitate it, was too much to stomach.
A tipping point has been reached. United no longer make money to buy players to win matches. They win matches to make money to service Glazer's vast debt and (dream on) turn it into a huge profit.
So although, in the words of one popular song at The Dyers' Arms last Saturday, "It takes a week to get to Leek," we were happy to be there. And until Glazer is driven out and supporters are given a greater say in the running of the club they helped make great, we will continue to travel to places such as Eccleshall, Cheadle Town and Daisy Hill.
If last week was any guide, it will be a fun trip. Inside Harrison Park, the singing was continuous for 90 minutes. Every touch of "Mr Mystery", aka Rory Patterson, who appeared without a number on his back in a pre-season friendly at Stalybridge, was cheered. We all agreed that Rob Nugent (ex-Sheffield United youth) was better than Rio. And Torpey (who really does look a very good player) was accorded the honour of the song usually sung in praise of Ronaldo.
Today it will be the same. FC United of Manchester fans will gather in Bury pubs to watch the Villa game, hoping the Reds win. Then, in our thousands, we will urge on the new United against Padiham. Two Uniteds and, as the Stone Roses song has it "One Love". But we won't share it with Glazer.
Julian Coman is a founder member of FC United of Manchester
I'll be heading up to Manchester today. First home game of the season. United looking strong, particularly up front. With the usual impassioned crowd backing, a comfortable victory should be well within our grasp. But I do confess to being slightly worried about the quality of the opposition. Padiham Town whacked Chadderton 4-0 last week.
Padiham? After 32 years spent following Manchester United, my supporting career has taken a somewhat surreal turn. Instead of showing up at Old Trafford for the 12.45 kick-off against Aston Villa, I'm planning to be a few stops down the Manchester Metrolink at Gigg Lane, Bury. That's where FC United of Manchester (FCUM) will take on Padiham in the second division of the Moore and Co Solicitors North West Counties League Division Two.
Instead of watching Wayne Rooney, I'll be watching the attacking runs of Steve Torpey, ex-Altrincham and Prescott Cables. And there will not be 67,500 gathered with me. We're hoping for 5,000, about 80 times the division's average gate.
You might think I've lost my mind. But I've never felt more sane.
FCUM are the breakaway club formed by 4,000 United fans disillusioned with the takeover of MUFC by Malcolm Glazer, who has passed on £540m worth of debt to the institution we helped build up. We respect the decision of many United fans to fight Glazer from within, but we have opted for a different route.
Some commentators call us naïve. After all, every club has to have an owner. And every plc can be bought and sold, even to indebted Americans needing to make a profit from the passion of others. Put up and shut up.
Obviously, I am not prepared to do that. But not because I've stopped supporting Manchester United. None of the rebels have. At the Dyers' Arms on Macclesfield Road in Leek last Saturday, the landlord had to close the doors at midday, such was the crush inside. FCUM were due to play away to Leek County School Old Boys (established 1945) at 3pm. Some 2,500 travelling fans had arrived in town early to make sure they caught the 12.45 Everton-United match on Sky. We're United supporters. But that's why, for the time being, we're not going to the games.
The club programme at Leek (we won 5-2 by the way, Torpey scoring a superb free-kick) printed this statement from the FCUM board.
"Glazer's takeover was the line in the sand in a game dominated by money. A game that has seen supporters fleeced as the source of the revenue while a small group of rich men get richer. The game that will see Glazer try to use these supporters to pay off his debt and make him a profit. In Manchester and its conurbation [including London} there was a group of people who stood up and said, 'No'."
The authors of this statement, for the most part, form part of a generation of United supporters that grew up going to United games in the Seventies and Eighties. They liked standing up with their mates, they liked singing and they were proud of the passion of Manchester United's crowds.
Over the last 10 years they have fought a rearguard battle at Old Trafford trying to preserve the "feel" of the football club. Stewards told them to sit down ("except at moments of high excitement"); the crowd around them visibly aged (you need a good income to afford Premiership prices) and players' wage demands became more outlandish (hello, Rio).
Kick-off times were constantly altered to suit the armchair viewer at the expense of the match-going fan. And the heart of the Stretford End was ripped out to provide executive accommodation.
Still this group tried, through fanzines and sharing the intensity of away games, to stay in touch with the roots of what Manchester United were, should be, and will be again: one of the most romantic, intensely proud sporting institutions in the world. But Glazer's arrival on the scene, and the craven turncoatery of those like David Gill, MUFC's chief executive, who opposed the bid and then decided to stay on to facilitate it, was too much to stomach.
A tipping point has been reached. United no longer make money to buy players to win matches. They win matches to make money to service Glazer's vast debt and (dream on) turn it into a huge profit.
So although, in the words of one popular song at The Dyers' Arms last Saturday, "It takes a week to get to Leek," we were happy to be there. And until Glazer is driven out and supporters are given a greater say in the running of the club they helped make great, we will continue to travel to places such as Eccleshall, Cheadle Town and Daisy Hill.
If last week was any guide, it will be a fun trip. Inside Harrison Park, the singing was continuous for 90 minutes. Every touch of "Mr Mystery", aka Rory Patterson, who appeared without a number on his back in a pre-season friendly at Stalybridge, was cheered. We all agreed that Rob Nugent (ex-Sheffield United youth) was better than Rio. And Torpey (who really does look a very good player) was accorded the honour of the song usually sung in praise of Ronaldo.
Today it will be the same. FC United of Manchester fans will gather in Bury pubs to watch the Villa game, hoping the Reds win. Then, in our thousands, we will urge on the new United against Padiham. Two Uniteds and, as the Stone Roses song has it "One Love". But we won't share it with Glazer.
Julian Coman is a founder member of FC United of Manchester
Friday, August 12, 2005
MEN: Rebels begin road to the top
Rebels begin road to the top
Friday, 12th August 2005
Source: Manchester Evening News
THEY start life nine rungs below the Barclays Premiership but FC United are nothing if not ambitious.
The club was formed by Manchester United supporters disenchanted by the imminent arrival of the Glazers at Old Trafford.
Tomorrow they have their first competitive game when they face Leek CSOB in Division Two of the Moore and Co Construction Solicitors League.
The fans may be fed up with the way Manchester United are going but according to manager Karl Marginson some Old Trafford traditions will remain.
"We want to play in the right manner and we will," he said.
"It is very important. That is what I grew up with and what I would like to see if I was a fan.
"We will get the ball down and knock it wide - we have some decent wingers. By doing that we will create chances and please our supporters."
FC United have already created a stir in non-league circles by the size of their fan base.
Staffordshire police have taken note and imposed a 3,000 all-ticket capacity at Leek's neat Harrison Park ground.
FC United's opponents normally print 50 programmes. For this match alone 2,000 will be on sale.
Marginson is quietly confident his side can climb the non-league pyramid.
He said: "I have brought in players who can play at a higher level and in front of good crowds.
"Hopefully we will get a good level of support home and away.
"I could see in our pre-season games the fans seemed to enjoy their day out.
"They would go down the pub before the game then stand with their mates on the terraces.
"What I noticed was the way the supporters sing for 90 minutes. It was brilliant."
Friday, 12th August 2005
Source: Manchester Evening News
THEY start life nine rungs below the Barclays Premiership but FC United are nothing if not ambitious.
The club was formed by Manchester United supporters disenchanted by the imminent arrival of the Glazers at Old Trafford.
Tomorrow they have their first competitive game when they face Leek CSOB in Division Two of the Moore and Co Construction Solicitors League.
The fans may be fed up with the way Manchester United are going but according to manager Karl Marginson some Old Trafford traditions will remain.
"We want to play in the right manner and we will," he said.
"It is very important. That is what I grew up with and what I would like to see if I was a fan.
"We will get the ball down and knock it wide - we have some decent wingers. By doing that we will create chances and please our supporters."
FC United have already created a stir in non-league circles by the size of their fan base.
Staffordshire police have taken note and imposed a 3,000 all-ticket capacity at Leek's neat Harrison Park ground.
FC United's opponents normally print 50 programmes. For this match alone 2,000 will be on sale.
Marginson is quietly confident his side can climb the non-league pyramid.
He said: "I have brought in players who can play at a higher level and in front of good crowds.
"Hopefully we will get a good level of support home and away.
"I could see in our pre-season games the fans seemed to enjoy their day out.
"They would go down the pub before the game then stand with their mates on the terraces.
"What I noticed was the way the supporters sing for 90 minutes. It was brilliant."
Thursday, July 28, 2005
What future for FCUM?
Source: The Big Tissue
So, a week on what did we make of the FCUM? Obviously on the pitch they look very impressive and their success seems assured but in the longer term what impact will they have on football?
You can take the FCUM out of United but you can't take the United out of the FCUM.
The first ting that struck me about FCUM on Saturday was how authentically United they seemed. The red and white strip looks classic Man U as did the noisy, spilling out over the sides way they filled out the Athletics End - looked just like the pictures you would see of them packing out away end on Sky games - the only difference was that this time there weren't any stewards trying to force them to sit down.
Even the players kind of mirror their big name counterparts. They have a keeper who looks very Wes Brown and their right-sided midfield Matt Hayley appears to have the same preening self-regard of David Beckham. All they need is some misshapen ginger midget in the middle and they'll have the full set.
Though it would appear to be a bigger drop for them than it was for us (or indeed AFC Barnsley) they may have less to adapt to then we did. The shift from plucky underdogs to big fish took a bit of adjusting to, but for them it's what they're used to.
I reckon that once established the people that are inclined to hate them will hate them in exactly the same way that people hate Man Utd - whereas people tend to hate AFC in a wholly different way to the way they hated Wimbledon FC.
Non-league ways.
Non-league takes some getting used to. Listening to the respective singing on Saturday it struck me how much we've been mellowed by our time in non-league. Remember when we had a reputation for giving opposition goalies a torrid time? There's no doubt that the way the AFC fans conduct themselves has gradually shifted over the three years and wonder if they'll find that happening to them.
It was striking to note on Saturday that while the far end seemed overwhelmingly male all around me on the West Bank there were women, families and even a baby.
All the feedback from the visitors is about how warm they found the welcome and what a novelty it was to have stewards who didn't instinctively treat them with suspicion. Glad they enjoyed it though wonder if after a few weeks of this some of them might wonder if things aren't all a bit too nice, just a little bit tame?
(What kind of reception will they get week in, week out? Based on our experience most clubs will welcome them with open arms though there is always that element that slightly resents you - an unwelcome intrusion on their private grief.)
Protest Songs
Despite reports of some beer leariness at their first game they behaved rather well and even contributed a few chorus of "You can stick your Milton Keynes …." Now it wouldn't have killed us to respond in kind, would it? Adapt a few of the old Charlie Koppel songs for the occasion.
Indeed a few idiots in the West Bank even tried to get some "Glazer" and "USA" taunts, which was deeply embarrassing. Luckily they wouldn't have been heard at the other end.
Interesting that while we still indulge in anti-MK stuff I couldn't make out anything that sounded a protest song from the red end. Which is a positive as FCUM was conceived just as a protest it'd be bound to fail.
(Though from most of what I read and heard on Saturday, if FCUM is a protest it is as much a protest against Rio Ferdinand as it is against Glazer. Indeed Snoop Divvy Div's relentless contract demands and unceasingly one-directional interpretation of respect could get them as many supporters as the Poison Dwarf and his imminent big cash squeeze.)
The Numbers.
Ultimately it's all about attendances. They had a decent showing at Kingsmeadow but just over 2,500 for the opening game against Leigh wasn't all that impressive.
Unlike us though they could prove to be a grower. We started big and the following years have been about trying to hold up the levels of initial interest. FCUM could be a well placed for a slow build.
The important thing is that they all seemed to enjoy it and on Saturday were able to generate an atmosphere that compensated for the drop in playing quality. If that can keep that up I think their fan base will swell rapidly.
So, a week on what did we make of the FCUM? Obviously on the pitch they look very impressive and their success seems assured but in the longer term what impact will they have on football?
You can take the FCUM out of United but you can't take the United out of the FCUM.
The first ting that struck me about FCUM on Saturday was how authentically United they seemed. The red and white strip looks classic Man U as did the noisy, spilling out over the sides way they filled out the Athletics End - looked just like the pictures you would see of them packing out away end on Sky games - the only difference was that this time there weren't any stewards trying to force them to sit down.
Even the players kind of mirror their big name counterparts. They have a keeper who looks very Wes Brown and their right-sided midfield Matt Hayley appears to have the same preening self-regard of David Beckham. All they need is some misshapen ginger midget in the middle and they'll have the full set.
Though it would appear to be a bigger drop for them than it was for us (or indeed AFC Barnsley) they may have less to adapt to then we did. The shift from plucky underdogs to big fish took a bit of adjusting to, but for them it's what they're used to.
I reckon that once established the people that are inclined to hate them will hate them in exactly the same way that people hate Man Utd - whereas people tend to hate AFC in a wholly different way to the way they hated Wimbledon FC.
Non-league ways.
Non-league takes some getting used to. Listening to the respective singing on Saturday it struck me how much we've been mellowed by our time in non-league. Remember when we had a reputation for giving opposition goalies a torrid time? There's no doubt that the way the AFC fans conduct themselves has gradually shifted over the three years and wonder if they'll find that happening to them.
It was striking to note on Saturday that while the far end seemed overwhelmingly male all around me on the West Bank there were women, families and even a baby.
All the feedback from the visitors is about how warm they found the welcome and what a novelty it was to have stewards who didn't instinctively treat them with suspicion. Glad they enjoyed it though wonder if after a few weeks of this some of them might wonder if things aren't all a bit too nice, just a little bit tame?
(What kind of reception will they get week in, week out? Based on our experience most clubs will welcome them with open arms though there is always that element that slightly resents you - an unwelcome intrusion on their private grief.)
Protest Songs
Despite reports of some beer leariness at their first game they behaved rather well and even contributed a few chorus of "You can stick your Milton Keynes …." Now it wouldn't have killed us to respond in kind, would it? Adapt a few of the old Charlie Koppel songs for the occasion.
Indeed a few idiots in the West Bank even tried to get some "Glazer" and "USA" taunts, which was deeply embarrassing. Luckily they wouldn't have been heard at the other end.
Interesting that while we still indulge in anti-MK stuff I couldn't make out anything that sounded a protest song from the red end. Which is a positive as FCUM was conceived just as a protest it'd be bound to fail.
(Though from most of what I read and heard on Saturday, if FCUM is a protest it is as much a protest against Rio Ferdinand as it is against Glazer. Indeed Snoop Divvy Div's relentless contract demands and unceasingly one-directional interpretation of respect could get them as many supporters as the Poison Dwarf and his imminent big cash squeeze.)
The Numbers.
Ultimately it's all about attendances. They had a decent showing at Kingsmeadow but just over 2,500 for the opening game against Leigh wasn't all that impressive.
Unlike us though they could prove to be a grower. We started big and the following years have been about trying to hold up the levels of initial interest. FCUM could be a well placed for a slow build.
The important thing is that they all seemed to enjoy it and on Saturday were able to generate an atmosphere that compensated for the drop in playing quality. If that can keep that up I think their fan base will swell rapidly.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
The Independent: Worlds apart: fanpower at work and play
Worlds apart: fanpower at work and play
Breakaway clubs trust in the new democracy
By Steve Tongue
Published: 24 July 2005
Source: The Independent
Jack Goodchild Way in Kingston upon Thames is not Sir Matt Busby Way, and the Kingsmeadow Stadium it leads to is not Old Trafford, but for the dissident Manchester United supporters getting soaked at the uncovered end yesterday in a crowd of 3,301 it was as good as the real thing. Or the increasingly unreal thing, which is how many of them now regard the former love of their lives.
"FC United. The only club in Manchester not in debt" they chorused amid all the old hymns, and did not seem at all concerned that after a goalless draw against Leigh RMI last week, the new team slipped to a 1-0 defeat by AFC Wimbledon in the Supporters Direct Trophy.
The home side, formed when their club decided to move to Milton Keynes, have, after all, been at it for three successful seasons now, losing only 10 games out of 134 and scoring almost 400 goals in reaching the Ryman Premier League - only four levels behind the MK Dons.
James Alston, 52, a genuine Mancunian, was typical of those who have thrown in their lot with the new United. A supporter since 1963, he was considering whether to renew his season-ticket or not when news came in that Rio Ferdinand had declined to sign a new contract for a reported £100,000 per week. "That was the final straw," he said, "but things have been going downhill for 20 years. Anyway, they don't want fans like me now, because I won't spend the money. They want people like my brother-in-law, who lives in Surrey, goes up for every game and spends a fortune in the Megastore. It's like the website said: 'Manchester United Glazer Supporters. Mugs'."
Supporters Direct was the obvious organisation to be associated with such a game, having backed the formation of the two breakaway clubs as fans' trusts, just as it has the setting up of almost 130 such trusts elsewhere in the country. Earlier this month Stockport County joined Brentford, Chesterfield and Rushden & Diamonds as Football League clubs owned or operated by a supporters' trust, while no fewer than 39 now have a supporters' representative on the board. Andy Burnham MP, who has just retired as chairman of Supporters Direct, has boldly predicted that by 2020 clubs owned by their fans will be in the majority.
The movement towards greater democracy in the boardroom began at Northampton Town in the Nineties, transforming a virtually bankrupt club with supporters' money and backing. Burnham was a member of the football task force which persuaded the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to set up Supporters Direct in 1999 as an umbrella organisation, encouraging similar participation by fans and the local community. At smaller clubs, from Stockport to Clydebank, the result can be ownership of the club; at larger ones - Celtic, Rangers, Arsenal and Manchester United all have trusts - the aim is to exert influence on the existing board and owners.
That strategy worked well for United in resisting Rupert Murdoch, less so once the Glazer family began hoovering up shares, proving if nothing else how vulnerable even the biggest clubs are once they become plcs. As record season-ticket sales at Old Trafford illustrate, a majority of fans will continue watching Sir Alex Ferguson's team, some of them attempting to bring economic pressure to bear by boycotting merchandise; others decided they had had enough and formed their own club.
Hence the appearance of FC United of Manchester at Leigh last Saturday and in Surrey yesterday. Pledges of support and finance have been received from some 4,000 fans. Phil French, who left the Premier League last month to become chief executive of Supporters Direct, describes the growth of trusts as "absolutely phenomenal" and says: "There are now clubs like Stockport and Rushden willingly giving their ownership over into trust control, because they see it as a viable and workable model. There are a lot of well-run clubs, but also a lot in need of improvement. And a small group of clubs are just being run into the ground. How many times have people arrived at football clubs and gambled on the finances and then walked away, leaving others to inherit the mess? I really feel we're at the crossroads of football, and if we get this right, we could change the financial landscape of English football for good."
Getting things right, in French's opinion, also involves supporters having a say in the sport's ruling body, which Lord Terry Burns's independent review of the Football Association's structure seems certain to grant when it is belatedly published next month. "If the FA is to be a body that embraces all aspects of the game," French says, "then surely there should be a representative supporters' voice at the very highest level. We've advocated representation for Supporters Direct or the Football Supporters Federation on the FA Council, but really if we are serious about change then nothing short of full board membership is required."
As to yesterday's main event: "This significant game was another piece of football history in the making. AFC Wimbledon are an example of what fans can do collectively, and I am sure FC United can learn a huge amount from their success. They are part of an ever-growing group of clubs that are democratic, not-for-profit and community-focused and we're hugely optimistic that an increasing number of clubs will adopt this model of ownership in the future."
Breakaway clubs trust in the new democracy
By Steve Tongue
Published: 24 July 2005
Source: The Independent
Jack Goodchild Way in Kingston upon Thames is not Sir Matt Busby Way, and the Kingsmeadow Stadium it leads to is not Old Trafford, but for the dissident Manchester United supporters getting soaked at the uncovered end yesterday in a crowd of 3,301 it was as good as the real thing. Or the increasingly unreal thing, which is how many of them now regard the former love of their lives.
"FC United. The only club in Manchester not in debt" they chorused amid all the old hymns, and did not seem at all concerned that after a goalless draw against Leigh RMI last week, the new team slipped to a 1-0 defeat by AFC Wimbledon in the Supporters Direct Trophy.
The home side, formed when their club decided to move to Milton Keynes, have, after all, been at it for three successful seasons now, losing only 10 games out of 134 and scoring almost 400 goals in reaching the Ryman Premier League - only four levels behind the MK Dons.
James Alston, 52, a genuine Mancunian, was typical of those who have thrown in their lot with the new United. A supporter since 1963, he was considering whether to renew his season-ticket or not when news came in that Rio Ferdinand had declined to sign a new contract for a reported £100,000 per week. "That was the final straw," he said, "but things have been going downhill for 20 years. Anyway, they don't want fans like me now, because I won't spend the money. They want people like my brother-in-law, who lives in Surrey, goes up for every game and spends a fortune in the Megastore. It's like the website said: 'Manchester United Glazer Supporters. Mugs'."
Supporters Direct was the obvious organisation to be associated with such a game, having backed the formation of the two breakaway clubs as fans' trusts, just as it has the setting up of almost 130 such trusts elsewhere in the country. Earlier this month Stockport County joined Brentford, Chesterfield and Rushden & Diamonds as Football League clubs owned or operated by a supporters' trust, while no fewer than 39 now have a supporters' representative on the board. Andy Burnham MP, who has just retired as chairman of Supporters Direct, has boldly predicted that by 2020 clubs owned by their fans will be in the majority.
The movement towards greater democracy in the boardroom began at Northampton Town in the Nineties, transforming a virtually bankrupt club with supporters' money and backing. Burnham was a member of the football task force which persuaded the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to set up Supporters Direct in 1999 as an umbrella organisation, encouraging similar participation by fans and the local community. At smaller clubs, from Stockport to Clydebank, the result can be ownership of the club; at larger ones - Celtic, Rangers, Arsenal and Manchester United all have trusts - the aim is to exert influence on the existing board and owners.
That strategy worked well for United in resisting Rupert Murdoch, less so once the Glazer family began hoovering up shares, proving if nothing else how vulnerable even the biggest clubs are once they become plcs. As record season-ticket sales at Old Trafford illustrate, a majority of fans will continue watching Sir Alex Ferguson's team, some of them attempting to bring economic pressure to bear by boycotting merchandise; others decided they had had enough and formed their own club.
Hence the appearance of FC United of Manchester at Leigh last Saturday and in Surrey yesterday. Pledges of support and finance have been received from some 4,000 fans. Phil French, who left the Premier League last month to become chief executive of Supporters Direct, describes the growth of trusts as "absolutely phenomenal" and says: "There are now clubs like Stockport and Rushden willingly giving their ownership over into trust control, because they see it as a viable and workable model. There are a lot of well-run clubs, but also a lot in need of improvement. And a small group of clubs are just being run into the ground. How many times have people arrived at football clubs and gambled on the finances and then walked away, leaving others to inherit the mess? I really feel we're at the crossroads of football, and if we get this right, we could change the financial landscape of English football for good."
Getting things right, in French's opinion, also involves supporters having a say in the sport's ruling body, which Lord Terry Burns's independent review of the Football Association's structure seems certain to grant when it is belatedly published next month. "If the FA is to be a body that embraces all aspects of the game," French says, "then surely there should be a representative supporters' voice at the very highest level. We've advocated representation for Supporters Direct or the Football Supporters Federation on the FA Council, but really if we are serious about change then nothing short of full board membership is required."
As to yesterday's main event: "This significant game was another piece of football history in the making. AFC Wimbledon are an example of what fans can do collectively, and I am sure FC United can learn a huge amount from their success. They are part of an ever-growing group of clubs that are democratic, not-for-profit and community-focused and we're hugely optimistic that an increasing number of clubs will adopt this model of ownership in the future."
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