DESPITE money troubles of its own, Manchester CIty Council is offering a £500,000 loan to FC United. It was recently discovered the football club did not have enough money to fund its new £4.5million stadium in Moston, prompting the council to intervene. Residents have raised concerns over the move, believing it is a mistake for both the council and the club.
Showing posts with label Manchester Confidential. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester Confidential. Show all posts
Friday, January 20, 2012
£500,000 loan for FC United
DESPITE money troubles of its own, Manchester CIty Council is offering a £500,000 loan to FC United. It was recently discovered the football club did not have enough money to fund its new £4.5million stadium in Moston, prompting the council to intervene. Residents have raised concerns over the move, believing it is a mistake for both the council and the club.
Friday, October 28, 2011
FC United Ground Permission,
DESPITE angry protests, FC United were granted permission to build a £3.5million stadium at a council meeting yesterday. Fans celebrated after plans for a 5,000 capacity stadium in Moston were approved. Opponents argued building a stadium on the Ronald Johnson playing fields would destroy a local beauty spot. They said they plan to persue legal action to overturn the decision.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
City News in 250 Words
Edited from Manchester Confidential
FC UNITED’s plans to build a stadium in Moston have a mixed reaction. Residents living near the planned 5,000 seater stadium near St Mary’s Road said it would provide extra sport facilities and take youngsters off the streets. Others objected as they feared their house prices would fall as a consequence of the building. The proposal has yet to receive planning permission. Confidential thinks it should go ahead and wonders why on earth residents think house prices will fall – surely they’ll rise as the amenity of the area is raised?
FC UNITED’s plans to build a stadium in Moston have a mixed reaction. Residents living near the planned 5,000 seater stadium near St Mary’s Road said it would provide extra sport facilities and take youngsters off the streets. Others objected as they feared their house prices would fall as a consequence of the building. The proposal has yet to receive planning permission. Confidential thinks it should go ahead and wonders why on earth residents think house prices will fall – surely they’ll rise as the amenity of the area is raised?
Friday, April 08, 2011
FC United want 5000 seat stadium
Source: Manchester Confidential
FC UNITED are planning to move to a new 5,000 capacity stadium in Moston. The club, founded in 2005, are hoping to build on The Ronald Johnson Playing Fields, close to Lightbowne Road providing a planning application is granted.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Football Round-up 25/10/10: the pure poetry
Edited from: Manchester Confidential
...
The other really notable result locally this weekend was FC United’s victory over Barrow which gave them a local FA Cup first round tie at Rochdale – who won 3-2 against Dagenham and Redbridge in the League.
Carlos Roca scored the only goal of the game 12 minutes from time, in front of a crowd of 3,229. It’s the first time five year old FC United have progressed this far. The cup tie should be a fun occasion, a proper Greater Manchester party. It takes place on November 6/7.
...
...
The other really notable result locally this weekend was FC United’s victory over Barrow which gave them a local FA Cup first round tie at Rochdale – who won 3-2 against Dagenham and Redbridge in the League.
Carlos Roca scored the only goal of the game 12 minutes from time, in front of a crowd of 3,229. It’s the first time five year old FC United have progressed this far. The cup tie should be a fun occasion, a proper Greater Manchester party. It takes place on November 6/7.
...
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Six of the best Six East Manchester companies have been short-listed for The EnterPrize Awards
Six of the best Six East Manchester companies have been short-listed for The EnterPrize Awards, an annual competition now in its fifth year.
The awards, organised by urban regeneration company New East Manchester , are worth £10,000 to the winner, the approximate cost of one lock of Sheikh Mansour’s hair.
The six businesses include Project Simply and Sunde Technologies, both based at The Sharp Project, FC United and 4D Creative based at Hope Mill in Ancoats, Pedal Precision at the Manchester Velodrome in Clayton and Key for the City in Miles Platting.
One candidate will also pick up the East Manchester Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. This award is sponsored by One Central Park (OCP), University of Manchester Incubation company (UMIC and Manchester Science Park (MSP).
Eddie Smith, Chief Executive of urban regeneration company New East Manchester Ltd, said: "These six companies were selected for the final stage because they all showed high growth potential and a clear demonstration of how the prize money could make a significant difference to the company both in terms of growth or job creation.”
Friday, June 25, 2010
FC United arrives at Newton Heath
Source; Manchester Confidential
Fun day to highlight FC United local commitment
Date Published: 25/06/2010
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FC United of Manchester is holding its FC Family Fun Day on Sunday 27 June on the proposed site for the club’s new stadium in Newton Heath. Local residents will also get a chance to see and discuss ideas with the football club’s officials for the design of the stadium.
Three even-aside competitions for boys and girls, penalty shoot outs and experienced football and Gaelic football coaches and trampolines will be available for people of all ages. Bouncy castles, rides and a Kids’ Creative Corner for children will add to the fun.
Club organiser, Vinny Thompson says: “We set up FC United because we feel football should be part of the community and fun. We look forward to the day when we can hold such events here inside our new stadium.”
FC United stalls, Co-op, Credit Union and The Manchester College stalls and state of the art displays will be situated in the sports hall to introduce the club, its cooperative ethos and work in the communities, to local people.
The event on Ten Acres Lane starts at 11am and finishes at 2.30pm.
For further information please telephone FC United at 0161 273 8950 or contact vinnythompson@fc-utd.co.uk
Fun day to highlight FC United local commitment
Date Published: 25/06/2010
Rant Rant
( No ) Rants
Print Print
Text Size Larger | Smaller
FC United of Manchester is holding its FC Family Fun Day on Sunday 27 June on the proposed site for the club’s new stadium in Newton Heath. Local residents will also get a chance to see and discuss ideas with the football club’s officials for the design of the stadium.
Three even-aside competitions for boys and girls, penalty shoot outs and experienced football and Gaelic football coaches and trampolines will be available for people of all ages. Bouncy castles, rides and a Kids’ Creative Corner for children will add to the fun.
Club organiser, Vinny Thompson says: “We set up FC United because we feel football should be part of the community and fun. We look forward to the day when we can hold such events here inside our new stadium.”
FC United stalls, Co-op, Credit Union and The Manchester College stalls and state of the art displays will be situated in the sports hall to introduce the club, its cooperative ethos and work in the communities, to local people.
The event on Ten Acres Lane starts at 11am and finishes at 2.30pm.
For further information please telephone FC United at 0161 273 8950 or contact vinnythompson@fc-utd.co.uk
Thursday, March 25, 2010
FC United to move to Newton Heath
Source: Manchester Confidential
Breakaway FC United move to where big United were born
Date Published: 24/03/2010
This is very interesting. The breakaway club of FC United are to move back to the old stomping ground of Manchester United.
The latter club, arguably the biggest in the world, began life in 1878 as Newton Heath. They played in green and gold (ok yellow) which is why the anti-Glazer family campaign wears those colours – a reference, perhaps a naïve one, to those simpler days of grass roots football.
This is a provocative proposal, but admissable because it's got poetry too – the wheel come full circle and all that. Shame then that last night FC lost 1-5 to Bradford Park Avenue at their present home of Gigg Lane. Not such a poetic result.
Sir Alex might have a few choice words to say about the move of course. It's also interesting that both the Council Leader and Chief Executive, Sir Richard Leese and Sir Howard Bernstein, are both City fans. Perhaps they want their own United back in the administrative area of Manchester rather than over the border in Trafford.
Confidential anticipates sparks flying at this news.
Anyway here's the official press release.
'FC United of Manchester has announced plans to develop a football ground in Newton Heath, Manchester - the birthplace of Manchester United.
'The supporter-owned club, established when the Glazer family took over Manchester United in May 2005, is proposing to include new and renovated community sports facilities and a multi-function community space at the 5,000-capacity stadium.
'The club wants to provide state of the art facilities that will create new investment in the area and opportunities for local people in sports participation and physical activity, youth inclusion, education, health, employment and a range of other services.
'The site for the development is the existing Ten Acres Lane sports centre, which is owned by Manchester City Council.
'FC United, New East Manchester and Manchester City Council have been working closely over the past two years to develop the plans and consultation will now progress with local residents, community groups and FC United members who own the club.
'FC United is working to secure the finance for the £3.5m development, which will include a public appeal for donations, a Community Shares issue and grant funding.
'Club General Manager Andy Walsh said: “We are delighted to be able to make this announcement and discussions with the council have been very positive to date. The significance of this location is historical while it will also showcase a new model of facility development, based on football supporter ownership and community involvement.”
'Manchester City Council’s Executive member for Leisure, Cllr Mike Amesbury, said: “We have been supportive of this development to date and we are pleased to now take it to the next stage. While there is a way to go yet we feel that this will have significant local community benefits and bring an iconic supporter-owned club to Manchester.”
'Eddie Smith, chief executive of urban regeneration company New East Manchester said: "We are working closely with FC United to help achieve their aspirations of acquiring land in Newton Heath for a new football ground. This is still very early stages but we are supportive of their proposals which would bring further regeneration benefits to east Manchester."
'FC United hopes the development will be completed in the next two to three years, subject to consultation, funding and planning.'
Breakaway FC United move to where big United were born
Date Published: 24/03/2010
This is very interesting. The breakaway club of FC United are to move back to the old stomping ground of Manchester United.
The latter club, arguably the biggest in the world, began life in 1878 as Newton Heath. They played in green and gold (ok yellow) which is why the anti-Glazer family campaign wears those colours – a reference, perhaps a naïve one, to those simpler days of grass roots football.
This is a provocative proposal, but admissable because it's got poetry too – the wheel come full circle and all that. Shame then that last night FC lost 1-5 to Bradford Park Avenue at their present home of Gigg Lane. Not such a poetic result.
Sir Alex might have a few choice words to say about the move of course. It's also interesting that both the Council Leader and Chief Executive, Sir Richard Leese and Sir Howard Bernstein, are both City fans. Perhaps they want their own United back in the administrative area of Manchester rather than over the border in Trafford.
Confidential anticipates sparks flying at this news.
Anyway here's the official press release.
'FC United of Manchester has announced plans to develop a football ground in Newton Heath, Manchester - the birthplace of Manchester United.
'The supporter-owned club, established when the Glazer family took over Manchester United in May 2005, is proposing to include new and renovated community sports facilities and a multi-function community space at the 5,000-capacity stadium.
'The club wants to provide state of the art facilities that will create new investment in the area and opportunities for local people in sports participation and physical activity, youth inclusion, education, health, employment and a range of other services.
'The site for the development is the existing Ten Acres Lane sports centre, which is owned by Manchester City Council.
'FC United, New East Manchester and Manchester City Council have been working closely over the past two years to develop the plans and consultation will now progress with local residents, community groups and FC United members who own the club.
'FC United is working to secure the finance for the £3.5m development, which will include a public appeal for donations, a Community Shares issue and grant funding.
'Club General Manager Andy Walsh said: “We are delighted to be able to make this announcement and discussions with the council have been very positive to date. The significance of this location is historical while it will also showcase a new model of facility development, based on football supporter ownership and community involvement.”
'Manchester City Council’s Executive member for Leisure, Cllr Mike Amesbury, said: “We have been supportive of this development to date and we are pleased to now take it to the next stage. While there is a way to go yet we feel that this will have significant local community benefits and bring an iconic supporter-owned club to Manchester.”
'Eddie Smith, chief executive of urban regeneration company New East Manchester said: "We are working closely with FC United to help achieve their aspirations of acquiring land in Newton Heath for a new football ground. This is still very early stages but we are supportive of their proposals which would bring further regeneration benefits to east Manchester."
'FC United hopes the development will be completed in the next two to three years, subject to consultation, funding and planning.'
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Danny Moran meets Manc footie laureate Mike Duff and talks FC United
Source: Manchester Confidential
The writer Mike Duff once received a phone call from Andrew Motion, the ex-Poet Laureate, to congratulate him on a poem he’d written. “He said, ‘How long did it take you to write the poem?’ I said about five minutes. He said, ‘Good heavens!’. So I asked him how long it took him to write his Prince William poem. He said four months. I could see that was my chance. I couldn’t resist. I said, “Good heavens!”
On Saturday Duff was at ‘Course You Can, Malcolm’, FC United’s self-styled ‘club-night-in-the-afternoon-at-the-potty-end-of-the-tram-tracks’ (i.e. Gigg Lane) to launch his latest novel, Yer Wot? There was real ale and mince pies and potato hash with pickled cabbage. A small choir in Santa hats sang Pride Of All Europe and Fairytale of New York and then Duff gave a reading. The event was a fundraiser for the club’s development fund. They desperately need their own stadium, due to the cost of hiring out Bury’s for each home game. Duff will be donating the profits from the sale of the book.
The novel offers a fresh dollop of Duff’s familiar scally prose, cut-throat gags and impeccably observed characters, spinning a roughhouse Romeo and Juliet tale around what Duff calls ‘the Heartlands’: Moston, Harpurhey, Monsall, Newton Heath, Collyhurst, Miles Platting, Clayton. The plot unfolds around the birth of the breakaway football team, whose games the characters attend, and is a worthy successor to Low Life, the novel which made his name, which Duff wrote ten years ago on the rebound from an acrimonious divorce.
“I had a drink problem,” he said. “Which I’ve basically had all me life. And ‘cos I went round to the house and caused trouble…well it didn’t look good for me in court, did it?” Instead, he did his therapy on the page. “They were talking about supervised access and I said ‘God will die before you make me see my kids like that. So I went home and wrote Low Life.” He cites Kurt Vonnegut, Anthony Burgess and Bob Dylan as inspirations, but also Keith Waterhouse’s first novel, There Is A Happy Land. “Of course, my book’s a lot more violent than that.”
Low Life won a competition run by the Manchester publisher Commonword, and has since gone on to acquire local classic status. Guardian reviews and Granada profiles followed. Then in 2004 he won the BBC Poem For Manchester competition, prompting Motion’s call. Duff’s winning poem, ‘In The Rain’ is inscribed into the Manchester Curve Bridge on London Road. He says it’s the poems which give him the greater pride. You can read them in the Manchester United fanzine, United We Stand, most issues.
Duff signed a stream of books for supporters and fans, many of whom offered memories of previous, inebriated readings or personal connections to poems or passages from the novels. Then he got up to read a selection of verse from his collection, Of A Mancunian. We got ‘Rent Boy Crisis’, ‘On The Road To Harpurhey’, and an account of his brother’s death, last year, called ‘And John Terry Cried’. When he finished, he went home to look after his mam, who is 91 and bed-ridden. At Gigg Lane, FC duly emerged and got spanked 4-2 by league leaders Retford United – and truth be told, it was a real pre-Christmas stuffing, as the North East side’s forwards, Neil Harvey and Darryl Thomas, chopped up FC’s back four like a line of whizz, all afternoon. Even a Carlos Roca pearler, just before half time, couldn’t lift the home side.
The next day I called at Duff’s Blackley home. Sky Sports highlights were flickering brightly on the television; daughter Kerry was happily ensconced on the sofa. There was a wintry flush of health about the writer’s chops. He said he’s off the booze for the time being. “Did you see the Wigan goal?” he asked.
We talked about Bolton Wanderers and Saturday’s 3-3 with Manchester City. Though he’s Cheetham Hill born he’s been a fan of the Trotters since he was seven, though he rarely goes any more. “When we were winning 3-2, there was some glorious opportunities, one where Muamba was clean through. Then again, is it wise to be throwing four men forward when you’re 3-2 up against City?.”
He’s no love for Sky Blues (though daughter Kerry is a fan) and he thinks Hughes is wrong for them. “He’s a relegation manager, isn’t he?” He finds the current Trotters outfit something of a mixed bag. “I’ve got worries about Zat Knight – I didn’t think Andy O’Brien was that bad a player before him. But they bought two full backs…last season they played Steinsson, who I rated, and Samuels, who I think is all right. Then they buy Robinson and Ricketts, and I can’t understand what his [manager Gary Megson’s] game is.”
He says he keeps changing his mind about Megson. “He’s done the ‘ginger marine’ bit, which probably helped, and he’s better than Sammy Lee. They play a bit more football than they’re often given credit for. But to stay up…you’ve got to look at the teams we’re losing to. We lost to Wolves, for fuck’s sake.”
The team currently lie next from bottom of the Premiership table.
“The way I see it the next four games are going to be crucial. West Ham [on Tuesday night]. Wigan [next Monday]. Burnley [Boxing Day]. Hull [Dec 29]. We’ve got to pick up some points. ‘Cos after Christmas it’s Arsenal, Liverpool, City again and Sunderland away…”
The writer Mike Duff once received a phone call from Andrew Motion, the ex-Poet Laureate, to congratulate him on a poem he’d written. “He said, ‘How long did it take you to write the poem?’ I said about five minutes. He said, ‘Good heavens!’. So I asked him how long it took him to write his Prince William poem. He said four months. I could see that was my chance. I couldn’t resist. I said, “Good heavens!”
On Saturday Duff was at ‘Course You Can, Malcolm’, FC United’s self-styled ‘club-night-in-the-afternoon-at-the-potty-end-of-the-tram-tracks’ (i.e. Gigg Lane) to launch his latest novel, Yer Wot? There was real ale and mince pies and potato hash with pickled cabbage. A small choir in Santa hats sang Pride Of All Europe and Fairytale of New York and then Duff gave a reading. The event was a fundraiser for the club’s development fund. They desperately need their own stadium, due to the cost of hiring out Bury’s for each home game. Duff will be donating the profits from the sale of the book.
The novel offers a fresh dollop of Duff’s familiar scally prose, cut-throat gags and impeccably observed characters, spinning a roughhouse Romeo and Juliet tale around what Duff calls ‘the Heartlands’: Moston, Harpurhey, Monsall, Newton Heath, Collyhurst, Miles Platting, Clayton. The plot unfolds around the birth of the breakaway football team, whose games the characters attend, and is a worthy successor to Low Life, the novel which made his name, which Duff wrote ten years ago on the rebound from an acrimonious divorce.
“I had a drink problem,” he said. “Which I’ve basically had all me life. And ‘cos I went round to the house and caused trouble…well it didn’t look good for me in court, did it?” Instead, he did his therapy on the page. “They were talking about supervised access and I said ‘God will die before you make me see my kids like that. So I went home and wrote Low Life.” He cites Kurt Vonnegut, Anthony Burgess and Bob Dylan as inspirations, but also Keith Waterhouse’s first novel, There Is A Happy Land. “Of course, my book’s a lot more violent than that.”
Low Life won a competition run by the Manchester publisher Commonword, and has since gone on to acquire local classic status. Guardian reviews and Granada profiles followed. Then in 2004 he won the BBC Poem For Manchester competition, prompting Motion’s call. Duff’s winning poem, ‘In The Rain’ is inscribed into the Manchester Curve Bridge on London Road. He says it’s the poems which give him the greater pride. You can read them in the Manchester United fanzine, United We Stand, most issues.
Duff signed a stream of books for supporters and fans, many of whom offered memories of previous, inebriated readings or personal connections to poems or passages from the novels. Then he got up to read a selection of verse from his collection, Of A Mancunian. We got ‘Rent Boy Crisis’, ‘On The Road To Harpurhey’, and an account of his brother’s death, last year, called ‘And John Terry Cried’. When he finished, he went home to look after his mam, who is 91 and bed-ridden. At Gigg Lane, FC duly emerged and got spanked 4-2 by league leaders Retford United – and truth be told, it was a real pre-Christmas stuffing, as the North East side’s forwards, Neil Harvey and Darryl Thomas, chopped up FC’s back four like a line of whizz, all afternoon. Even a Carlos Roca pearler, just before half time, couldn’t lift the home side.
The next day I called at Duff’s Blackley home. Sky Sports highlights were flickering brightly on the television; daughter Kerry was happily ensconced on the sofa. There was a wintry flush of health about the writer’s chops. He said he’s off the booze for the time being. “Did you see the Wigan goal?” he asked.
We talked about Bolton Wanderers and Saturday’s 3-3 with Manchester City. Though he’s Cheetham Hill born he’s been a fan of the Trotters since he was seven, though he rarely goes any more. “When we were winning 3-2, there was some glorious opportunities, one where Muamba was clean through. Then again, is it wise to be throwing four men forward when you’re 3-2 up against City?.”
He’s no love for Sky Blues (though daughter Kerry is a fan) and he thinks Hughes is wrong for them. “He’s a relegation manager, isn’t he?” He finds the current Trotters outfit something of a mixed bag. “I’ve got worries about Zat Knight – I didn’t think Andy O’Brien was that bad a player before him. But they bought two full backs…last season they played Steinsson, who I rated, and Samuels, who I think is all right. Then they buy Robinson and Ricketts, and I can’t understand what his [manager Gary Megson’s] game is.”
He says he keeps changing his mind about Megson. “He’s done the ‘ginger marine’ bit, which probably helped, and he’s better than Sammy Lee. They play a bit more football than they’re often given credit for. But to stay up…you’ve got to look at the teams we’re losing to. We lost to Wolves, for fuck’s sake.”
The team currently lie next from bottom of the Premiership table.
“The way I see it the next four games are going to be crucial. West Ham [on Tuesday night]. Wigan [next Monday]. Burnley [Boxing Day]. Hull [Dec 29]. We’ve got to pick up some points. ‘Cos after Christmas it’s Arsenal, Liverpool, City again and Sunderland away…”
Monday, November 16, 2009
Football round-up and FC United tickets to be won
Edited from: Manchester Confidential
...
In the Unibond Premier League there was happier news for FC United, who clung on to a half time 3-0 lead at Hucknall Town to run out eventual 3-2 winners – though only after goalkeeper Sam Ashton had saved a penalty.for the Rebels, and the team had endured a nail-biting final few minutes after Tyreisse Nightingale (Is this crazy name week? Ed) grabbed a second for the hosts. Former Old Trafford striker Phil Marsh had earlier bagged a first half brace for FC.
The win pulls the Rebels up to sixteenth place in the Unibond Premier with two or three games in hand over their rivals following the team’s unprecedented FA Cup run. A few wins under their belt might make a promotion challenge look feasible.
FC’s next Unibond Premier League home game is against Kendal Town on November 28, and we have two tickets to offer Confidential readers, plus the chance to meet manager Karl Marginson and his men - courtesy of those nice chaps who run the club.
For the chance to win them, all you have to do is fill in the form below. Closing date is noon next Monday, 23 November. (click the link to the original article (top of page) to access the form - ed).
...
In the Unibond Premier League there was happier news for FC United, who clung on to a half time 3-0 lead at Hucknall Town to run out eventual 3-2 winners – though only after goalkeeper Sam Ashton had saved a penalty.for the Rebels, and the team had endured a nail-biting final few minutes after Tyreisse Nightingale (Is this crazy name week? Ed) grabbed a second for the hosts. Former Old Trafford striker Phil Marsh had earlier bagged a first half brace for FC.
The win pulls the Rebels up to sixteenth place in the Unibond Premier with two or three games in hand over their rivals following the team’s unprecedented FA Cup run. A few wins under their belt might make a promotion challenge look feasible.
FC’s next Unibond Premier League home game is against Kendal Town on November 28, and we have two tickets to offer Confidential readers, plus the chance to meet manager Karl Marginson and his men - courtesy of those nice chaps who run the club.
For the chance to win them, all you have to do is fill in the form below. Closing date is noon next Monday, 23 November. (click the link to the original article (top of page) to access the form - ed).
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Danny Moran on a mini-riot at Northwich Vic with FC United and the fan who got away with the cuffs
Source: Manchester Confidential
Few reasonable football fans would dispute that FC United - the club formed by disaffected Manchester United fans in the wake of the Malcolm Glazer takeover - have been a breath of fresh air in the football world. Owned by the fans and committed to the finest ideals, they play football the way it should be played, backed by an army of joyously full-throated supporters.
Having progressed rapidly from their inception in the North West Counties Second Division (the tenth tier of England’s ‘football pyramid’) to the Unibond Premier League (the seventh) the current season has seen the club embark on an unprecedented FA cup run, defeating Sheffield FC, North Ferriby United and Stalybridge Celtic of the Conference North en route to a place in the fourth qualifying round and the chance of a first round draw against Football League opposition.
Saturday’s tie at Northwich Victoria saw the Rebels up against Northwich Victoria of the Conference North, but on a day of mixed weather everything seemed to go wrong. On a greasy pitch, both teams struggled to keep the ball on the ground, and FC found themselves caught between their footballing ideals and the need to grind out a result, typified by winger Carlos Roca’s constant struggles to keep his footing. The Vics meanwhile (managed by former Bury boss Andy Preece) stuck to a more prosaic game plan, muscling in from the start and feeding the ball through to forwards Mark Danks and Lee Elam as quickly as possible. FC held out until the fifty-seventh minute when FC captain Dave Chadwick conceded a penalty, bringing down Lee Elam as he broke into the box. Danks converted from the spot. Eight minutes from time, Adam Tong turned a Danks cross into his own net. The FC fans, in typical fashion, responded by singing the unfortunate centre half’s name.
It was when the third goal went in that things went awry. As FC pushed up, Northwich caught them on the break, Elam setting up substitute Wayne Riley to tap in from close range. As the Vics striker sallied by the FC fans he raised his finger to his lips to quell the away supporters, who had been dominant all afternoon. In response, two or three fans ran onto the pitch. One was led away. The other fought with the steward who intercepted him, then with the police who attempted to restrain him, first with handcuffs and then finally with leg restraints.
What happened next should serve as a warning to the excesses of self-righteousness in the stands. Emboldened by the lack of policing a crowd of fifty to a hundred FC supporters gathered round the fracas in a bid to defend ‘one of their own’ - succeeding finally in freeing the miscreant, who eventually was able to flee, albeit with a handcuff intact.
Shushing, ear-cupping and celebrating in front of opposition supporters have been all the rage this season. In August Southampton’s Ricky Lambert celebrated a penalty conversion against former club Stockport County with no little comedy (he stuck is bum out and it was funny) In September Emmanuel Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to acclaim the Arsenal fans who had rejected him, so revealing the extent of his professional insecurities.
The current popularity of the gesture might be traced back to Jose Mourinho’s reaction to the Liverpool crowd in the 2005 Carling Cup Final. Mourinho, of course, always loved to ham it up. And there’s the thing - it’s part of the pantomime. The bad guys score and then they leer. Under circumstances such as Saturday’s the authorities are understandably trying to stamp it out, but in some ways it will be a shame to see it go. When it does it will be the fault of the fans and no one else. The appropriate response – loosely speaking - is to boo and hiss.
On Sunday it came almost as a rebuke to the Murdoch-trashing grassroots to watch the beach balls rain down comically on Sky TV - as ‘Big United’ took on Liverpool at Anfield. Rafa Benitez’s superbly orchestrated victory over the man who so successfully got under his skin last term may put a temporary end to questions regarding his tenure, but the gulf between last season’s top two cannot have been more heavily underlined this past week.
Benitez’s side now lie a mere four points behind United, who also sport a depleted and unfinished team (we could argue as to the extent). But while in Manchester Fergie can afford to sit and wait until a new team comes together – possibly until the season after this – Benitez will feel the pinch whenever results go against him. A further bad run could see the wheels come off completely.
Few reasonable football fans would dispute that FC United - the club formed by disaffected Manchester United fans in the wake of the Malcolm Glazer takeover - have been a breath of fresh air in the football world. Owned by the fans and committed to the finest ideals, they play football the way it should be played, backed by an army of joyously full-throated supporters.
Having progressed rapidly from their inception in the North West Counties Second Division (the tenth tier of England’s ‘football pyramid’) to the Unibond Premier League (the seventh) the current season has seen the club embark on an unprecedented FA cup run, defeating Sheffield FC, North Ferriby United and Stalybridge Celtic of the Conference North en route to a place in the fourth qualifying round and the chance of a first round draw against Football League opposition.
Saturday’s tie at Northwich Victoria saw the Rebels up against Northwich Victoria of the Conference North, but on a day of mixed weather everything seemed to go wrong. On a greasy pitch, both teams struggled to keep the ball on the ground, and FC found themselves caught between their footballing ideals and the need to grind out a result, typified by winger Carlos Roca’s constant struggles to keep his footing. The Vics meanwhile (managed by former Bury boss Andy Preece) stuck to a more prosaic game plan, muscling in from the start and feeding the ball through to forwards Mark Danks and Lee Elam as quickly as possible. FC held out until the fifty-seventh minute when FC captain Dave Chadwick conceded a penalty, bringing down Lee Elam as he broke into the box. Danks converted from the spot. Eight minutes from time, Adam Tong turned a Danks cross into his own net. The FC fans, in typical fashion, responded by singing the unfortunate centre half’s name.
It was when the third goal went in that things went awry. As FC pushed up, Northwich caught them on the break, Elam setting up substitute Wayne Riley to tap in from close range. As the Vics striker sallied by the FC fans he raised his finger to his lips to quell the away supporters, who had been dominant all afternoon. In response, two or three fans ran onto the pitch. One was led away. The other fought with the steward who intercepted him, then with the police who attempted to restrain him, first with handcuffs and then finally with leg restraints.
What happened next should serve as a warning to the excesses of self-righteousness in the stands. Emboldened by the lack of policing a crowd of fifty to a hundred FC supporters gathered round the fracas in a bid to defend ‘one of their own’ - succeeding finally in freeing the miscreant, who eventually was able to flee, albeit with a handcuff intact.
Shushing, ear-cupping and celebrating in front of opposition supporters have been all the rage this season. In August Southampton’s Ricky Lambert celebrated a penalty conversion against former club Stockport County with no little comedy (he stuck is bum out and it was funny) In September Emmanuel Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to acclaim the Arsenal fans who had rejected him, so revealing the extent of his professional insecurities.
The current popularity of the gesture might be traced back to Jose Mourinho’s reaction to the Liverpool crowd in the 2005 Carling Cup Final. Mourinho, of course, always loved to ham it up. And there’s the thing - it’s part of the pantomime. The bad guys score and then they leer. Under circumstances such as Saturday’s the authorities are understandably trying to stamp it out, but in some ways it will be a shame to see it go. When it does it will be the fault of the fans and no one else. The appropriate response – loosely speaking - is to boo and hiss.
On Sunday it came almost as a rebuke to the Murdoch-trashing grassroots to watch the beach balls rain down comically on Sky TV - as ‘Big United’ took on Liverpool at Anfield. Rafa Benitez’s superbly orchestrated victory over the man who so successfully got under his skin last term may put a temporary end to questions regarding his tenure, but the gulf between last season’s top two cannot have been more heavily underlined this past week.
Benitez’s side now lie a mere four points behind United, who also sport a depleted and unfinished team (we could argue as to the extent). But while in Manchester Fergie can afford to sit and wait until a new team comes together – possibly until the season after this – Benitez will feel the pinch whenever results go against him. A further bad run could see the wheels come off completely.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Football focus 12/09/2009
Edited from: Manchester Confidential
It was out with the new and in with the old on Sunday as FC United took on Stalybridge Celtic in an FA Cup third round qualifier at Gigg Lane. “Get out your old Oxford bags and your loon platform shoes,” screamed the posters. Wear your scarf on your wrist and bring banners and flags of all shapes and sizes…because it’s 70s day!”
FC lie twelfth in the Unibond Premier league, with Celtic fifth in the Conference North, two tiers ahead of them in the pyramid. You wouldn’t have known that, of course, as the two teams fought out a blistering three three draw in front of three thousand paying, baying, singing-themselves-hoarse fans. There may have been a dearth of takers for the fancy dress – Confidential noted a couple of rattles and an old fella with a vinyl baseball cap, the latter looking like evidence from a long unsolved crime - but having reclaimed their brand essence from the Glazers, the FC supporters are singing it loud and proud: Walking On The Beaches, Cum On Feel The Noize, We’re On The March With Margy’s Army.
It’s 70s day every week at FC United.
On this evidence they’re particularly good value for their £7.50 admission price this season, matching the fans’ commitment ball for ball. They played a traditional 4-4-2 on Sunday with Phil Marsh and Ben Deegan up front and the mercurial Jerome Wright pushing up on the left. On the other flank, the tricksy Carlos Roca caused problems all afternoon. And in Dave Chadwick they have their very own Gary Pallister (though the self-confessed City fan probably wouldn’t enjoy the comparison). Signed from Prescot Cables in close season, the new captain – clearly playing his heart out for the crowd - was immense.
Pick of the goals was United’s second, Marsh cutting inside to slot home after a blinding run from full back Adam Carden. The former MUFC striker ran halfway across the pitch to jump into manager Karl Marginson’s arms as the Main Stand went extra bananas.
Celtic weren’t to be outdone, though, and experience began to shine through as United tired on the hour mark, most likely victims of their own supercharged atmosphere. Joe O’Neill netted twice as the visitors fought back to earn a draw from three one down. The replay is on Tuesday night at Bower Fold.
It was out with the new and in with the old on Sunday as FC United took on Stalybridge Celtic in an FA Cup third round qualifier at Gigg Lane. “Get out your old Oxford bags and your loon platform shoes,” screamed the posters. Wear your scarf on your wrist and bring banners and flags of all shapes and sizes…because it’s 70s day!”
FC lie twelfth in the Unibond Premier league, with Celtic fifth in the Conference North, two tiers ahead of them in the pyramid. You wouldn’t have known that, of course, as the two teams fought out a blistering three three draw in front of three thousand paying, baying, singing-themselves-hoarse fans. There may have been a dearth of takers for the fancy dress – Confidential noted a couple of rattles and an old fella with a vinyl baseball cap, the latter looking like evidence from a long unsolved crime - but having reclaimed their brand essence from the Glazers, the FC supporters are singing it loud and proud: Walking On The Beaches, Cum On Feel The Noize, We’re On The March With Margy’s Army.
It’s 70s day every week at FC United.
On this evidence they’re particularly good value for their £7.50 admission price this season, matching the fans’ commitment ball for ball. They played a traditional 4-4-2 on Sunday with Phil Marsh and Ben Deegan up front and the mercurial Jerome Wright pushing up on the left. On the other flank, the tricksy Carlos Roca caused problems all afternoon. And in Dave Chadwick they have their very own Gary Pallister (though the self-confessed City fan probably wouldn’t enjoy the comparison). Signed from Prescot Cables in close season, the new captain – clearly playing his heart out for the crowd - was immense.
Pick of the goals was United’s second, Marsh cutting inside to slot home after a blinding run from full back Adam Carden. The former MUFC striker ran halfway across the pitch to jump into manager Karl Marginson’s arms as the Main Stand went extra bananas.
Celtic weren’t to be outdone, though, and experience began to shine through as United tired on the hour mark, most likely victims of their own supercharged atmosphere. Joe O’Neill netted twice as the visitors fought back to earn a draw from three one down. The replay is on Tuesday night at Bower Fold.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
It pays to be a good sport
Source: Manchester Confidential
FC United's ‘pay what you can afford’ season ticket campaign pays off
FC United has always tried to do things differently. Since forming in 2005, the Red Rebels have fought to maintain a club lead purely by its supporters and the sport, rather than sponsors and the boardroom execs.
It's to that end that the Unibond Premier Division team took the unprecedented and dutiful decision of allowing fans to pay however much they could afford for their season ticket. The campaign was introduced to take account of the current recession in the knowledge that some supporters will be finding it more difficult to make ends meet.
Now, on the eve of the new season FC United have announced that their good will has paid off. They have hit their £125,000 cash target and by passing 1000 sales, have sold more season tickets than at the same point last year.
On behalf of FC United, Jules 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.
“It’s very pleasing to hit our cash target, but the success of the campaign cannot be measured in purely monetary terms. The success of the campaign is measured by the fact that we have fulfilled our commitment to providing affordable and accessible football. And it is measured by the fact supporters have been empowered to be able to influence the future of their club.
“It has worked exactly as we’d hoped it would. Some supporters who could afford to pay a bit more than they did last year, have done. But importantly those who could not afford to pay as much as the season before have been able to renew their tickets, by paying less. We were the first to introduce such a scheme and it’ll be interesting to see if any other clubs follow suit.”
FC United will begin their Unibond Premier Division campaign at home to Boston United on Saturday 15 August.
FC United's ‘pay what you can afford’ season ticket campaign pays off
FC United has always tried to do things differently. Since forming in 2005, the Red Rebels have fought to maintain a club lead purely by its supporters and the sport, rather than sponsors and the boardroom execs.
It's to that end that the Unibond Premier Division team took the unprecedented and dutiful decision of allowing fans to pay however much they could afford for their season ticket. The campaign was introduced to take account of the current recession in the knowledge that some supporters will be finding it more difficult to make ends meet.
Now, on the eve of the new season FC United have announced that their good will has paid off. They have hit their £125,000 cash target and by passing 1000 sales, have sold more season tickets than at the same point last year.
On behalf of FC United, Jules 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.
“It’s very pleasing to hit our cash target, but the success of the campaign cannot be measured in purely monetary terms. The success of the campaign is measured by the fact that we have fulfilled our commitment to providing affordable and accessible football. And it is measured by the fact supporters have been empowered to be able to influence the future of their club.
“It has worked exactly as we’d hoped it would. Some supporters who could afford to pay a bit more than they did last year, have done. But importantly those who could not afford to pay as much as the season before have been able to renew their tickets, by paying less. We were the first to introduce such a scheme and it’ll be interesting to see if any other clubs follow suit.”
FC United will begin their Unibond Premier Division campaign at home to Boston United on Saturday 15 August.
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