FC United FA Cup thread

Originally Posted by Zorg

Not great that it's Friday night, but we voted to enter the competition warts and all I suppose.

I understand what you are saying, but what happened to...

3' O'clock on a Saturday... We don't work for Sky Sports anymore?

Are ESPN on the FC right-on list or summat??

I would love FC to progress and will be at Spotland but things like this just go to show how the holier-than-though attitude of a lot of people at the time was just hot air and 'do as I say not as I do!'

(Again I say I want FC to progress, my argument isn't with FC but with the supercilious, judgemental and ultimately hypocritical rantings of prominent FC fans)

Originally Posted by Mao's Favourite Starling

I understand what you are saying, but what happened to...

3' O'clock on a Saturday... We don't work for Sky Sports anymore?

Are ESPN on the FC right-on list or summat??

I would love FC to progress and will be at Spotland but things like this just go to show how the holier-than-though attitude of a lot of people at the time was just hot air and 'do as I say not as I do!'

(Again I say I want FC to progress, my argument isn't with FC but with the supercilious, judgemental and ultimately hypocritical rantings of prominent FC fans)

I understand you're only playing devils advocate but what exactly is the problem here? And who exactly are the "supercilious, judgemental and ultimately hypocritical....prominent FC fans" you're talking about? Are we talking internet gobshites or real-life, humans?

I don't think any sane person with any kind of interest in FC United would have expected or indeed wanted them to turn down the chance of a £70,000 windfall for agreeing to be televised on a Friday evening - especially given the pressing issue of them raising money to build their own ground. More suprising though are stupid comments like "are ESPN on the FC right-on list or summat??", especially coming from someone like yourself who's claiming to be on-side.

is anyone boycotting because of it?

Originally Posted by elephantstone

is anyone boycotting because of it?

Wayne's ears

Guardian write-up

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/davi...-of-manchester

FC United of Manchester hope to make friends rather than millionaires

While Wayne Rooney was celebrating his new contract, a very different success story was being played out across town

As a palate cleanser following last week's gluttony in Manchester – where Sir Alex Ferguson, David Gill and Paul Stretford, with City waiting, negotiated to crowbar £180,000 a week out of the Glazer family for Wayne Rooney – Gigg Lane, Bury, on Sunday, was a refreshing place to be.

There, 2,700 fans who turned away from the whole Old Trafford money game in 2005 roared their own club, FC United of Manchester, to a nerve‑shredding 1-0 victory over Barrow in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round, sending FCUM through to play League One Rochdale in the first round proper a week on Friday, live on ESPN. Barrow, who play in the Conference Premier, brought 500 and the crowd, of 3,229, was bigger than those at four of Saturday's League Two matches.

Carlos Roca, who has played in the Football League for Oldham and reached the FA Cup third round with Northwich, at Sunderland in 2006, said it was "amazing" to score the winner. "We players understand the passion the supporters have," the 26-year-old said, "that it is all about this club being theirs, and it is a great feeling."

"Who ever would have thought it?" wondered Tony Jordan, the fan who, at Old Trafford, started the famous Stretford End banner logging City's years without a trophy. "That we'd feel as elated as this about going to Rochdale – as underdogs?"

Such is the revolution being celebrated at FCUM, the club the fans formed to embody their preferred values after the Glazers bought United with their half billion pound borrowings and loaded them on to the club to repay. For these Reds, their last United match was when they wore black to mourn the Glazer takeover at the 2005 FA Cup final, which Arsenal won on penalties. And for all the trophies United won after that, these fans have never been back, sticking instead with the manager Karl Marginson and his willing group of semi-pros, now battling such teams as Stocksbridge Steels Swifts in the Evo‑Stik League's Premier Division.

"Watching the Rooney saga made me very glad I'm not still there, paying Rooney's wages and the Glazers' interest," said Mike Turton, an FCUM founder member, at Gigg Lane with his wife, Gill, and children Ryan, Thomas and Danielle. "But we feel quite remote from all that now. We feel this is our club, doing things the right way."

Although the odd anti-Glazer tune still features in 90 minutes of ceaseless singing – "Glazer, wherever you may be/You bought Old Trafford but you can't buy me," goes one – FCUM are gradually growing more distinct from "Big" United as they work to forge their own story. Owned by the supporters, 300 of whom volunteer in vital tasks, community work is woven into the club's sense of purpose and written into its constitution. They are now striving to embed the club in Manchester football by raising £3.5m to build a stadium, in Newton Heath, where the whole United morality tale began.

The development, on a sports centre site in the deprived inner-city district, will incorporate a high-quality 11-a-side artificial grass pitch, renovated sports hall and club house, all for community use. Manchester city council, seeing the benefits of such a project in the area, is providing a £650,000 grant and revenue support in the first three years.

Fundraising is targeted to raise £500,000 and the club is applying for other sports-based grants but the largest single element of funding is a planned £1.5m investment from supporters and others who want to see the club succeed. The "community shares", designed by Kevin Jaquiss, a partner at Cobbetts, lawyers for the co-operative movement, invite investors to support the project for the long term.

Subscribers can invest as much money as they want to and commit to it not being withdrawn for three years, and after that only in 10% chunks, allowing security for the stadium to be built. After that, the club's business plan projects it will make a sufficient surplus to pay interest up to 2% above the bank base rate, provided its "primary commitment to community benefit" is being met. Investors are expected to receive an immediate 20% tax break on their investment if, as expected, the share offer is approved as an Enterprise Investment Scheme, which supports social entrepreneurial projects.

The share offer preserves the democracy of FCUM; however much investors put in, as members of the club they will still have the same single vote as others who have paid their £12 annual membership fee. That is highly significant at a club where all the board members, who have a range of senior experience in business, education, local authorities and the NHS, are elected by the supporters.

"This is a unique way of raising money for football clubs," Andy Walsh, FCUM's general manager, said. "This democratises the ownership of the club, putting fans and the community at the heart of it. And while it is difficult to raise money in this way, other smaller clubs could do it, and not have to turn to speculative business investors."

Adam Brown, an FCUM board member who was an appointee to the government's Football Task Force, said: "We feel we are setting a precedent. It is a better alternative to a football club being owned by one businessman. And there is an 'asset lock' in place, so the ground must be used for community benefit; it cannot be sold in future to make a profit."

At FCUM, the fans have transformed hostility to the Edwards family's cashing in on United – Martin Edwards made £93m selling his shares – then revulsion at the Glazers' leveraged exploitation of the club into a positive model of how they would have liked their club to be conducted.

The singing, including some golden oldies which date many fans as Stretford End and United Road veterans of the 1970s and 80s, have a joy, as well as defiance, about them. The banners – Making Friends Not Millionaires, said one; Pies not Prawns, said another – have a laugh, too. There is a tangible relish among FCUM fans about being free from the features of modern football which got them down, even as their own club was cleaning up.

That communicates itself to the players, Marginson said after the match, thrilled with his win. "You just do not get scenes like that at this level," he marvelled, a veteran of the non-leagues, including with Barrow, as a player. "Everything that comes off those stands is positive. There is a belief here that this is what football is all about, not wages of £200,000 a week."

As Marginson and Roca strode off to the dressing room, one of the stalwarts, Vinny Thompson, emerged, looking a little dazed. Previously a regular on United's European campaigns, here he is reinvented – to his own amazement – as a leader in FCUM's community work.

"Some people might wonder why that meant so much," he said, tears forming in his eyes. "It's only the first round of the Cup. But that is five and a half years of dedicated work rewarded. This is fan power. And it works."

Rebels' progress: The FC United story

2005 Formed by fans opposed to the Glazer family's takeover of Manchester United

2006 Promoted as champions from the North West Counties League Second Division

2007 Promoted as champions from the North West Counties League First Division

2008 Promoted as play-off winners from Unibond League First Division North to what has become this season the Evo-Stik League's Premier Division

Sep 2010 Launch "Community Share" investment scheme to raise £1.5m towards a new stadium in Newton Heath

Oct 2010 Reach FA Cup first round

fc-utd.co.uk/communityshares

-----------------------------------------------

Some great pictures here http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/g...078588&index=0

Fair play to em, hope they make the third round

Originally Posted by Mao's Favourite Starling

I understand what you are saying, but what happened to...

3' O'clock on a Saturday... We don't work for Sky Sports anymore?

Are ESPN on the FC right-on list or summat??

I would love FC to progress and will be at Spotland but things like this just go to show how the holier-than-though attitude of a lot of people at the time was just hot air and 'do as I say not as I do!'

(Again I say I want FC to progress, my argument isn't with FC but with the supercilious, judgemental and ultimately hypocritical rantings of prominent FC fans)

It's a fair question.

I can't pretend I'm 100% delighted about the move to the Friday night, but the point of FC United is that the fans decide. We voted to enter the FA Cup, TV scheduling and all. We gave the board a mandate and they've decided that the money is desperately needed to build a ground and get out of Gigg Lane. Not only that, but fans who are unhappy with the decision (and there are some) can propose resolutions at future AGMs, which I suspect will happen. That's the point really.

To make a comparison: we have a club shop, but we still try to avoid outright commercialism - meaning that the money from scarves, shirts etc. all goes back to the club. When the merchandise first appeared there were detractors saying 'Huh, I thought they were against merchandise'. Well, no, the club is against selling merchandise to increase the personal wealth of shareholders, not selling merchandise per se.

The same applies here. We have matches moved for police reasons and with Bury being at home all the time. The club isn't against moving matches, it's against fans not being consulted and the interests of TV companies coming before anything else. In this case, ESPN offered, and Rochdale asked if FC had any objections. They could have said no, but to be brutally honest, they couldn't afford to - the ground share with Bury is unsustainable and we need to get to Ten Acres Lane asap.

Also, Rochdale requested to reduce their prices from £20 for adults and £14 for concessions to £12 for adults, £8 for concessions and £5 for under 16’s.
That shows it's not all about making money.

Club statement here.

Footage from last night, the songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw-B1buv2Jw

I still find it weird that the biggest detractors on here are the ones that used to go.
We had a vote to and decided we would enter the FA cup even if this meant that games got moved because of TV. Don't really get the uproar to be honest, a friday night game sounds great to me. Don't have to get up early, night matches are better.

Originally Posted by forwardirektion

I still find it weird that the biggest detractors on here are the ones that used to go.
We had a vote to and decided we would enter the FA cup even if this meant that games got moved because of TV. Don't really get the uproar to be honest, a friday night game sounds great to me. Don't have to get up early, night matches are better.

Can't really see an issue with any of this?

Originally Posted by Zorg

Footage from last night, the songs

YouTube - Ossett Town 0-3 FC United.

lmao

Originally Posted by elephantstone

is anyone boycotting because of it?

Bit rich coming from a blue

Originally Posted by forwardirektion

I still find it weird that the biggest detractors on here are the ones that used to go.
We had a vote to and decided we would enter the FA cup even if this meant that games got moved because of TV. Don't really get the uproar to be honest, a friday night game sounds great to me. Don't have to get up early, night matches are better.

There is no 'uproar' in all fairness, just a few idiots ourselves included pontificating on the Internet....

You question why ex-attendees are disparaging??

As I referred to in my earlier post, we don't work for....

And Fergie said...

In the beginning there was a lot of 'them or us' on both sides! You are kidding yourself if you think there wasn't an element at FC who looked down on OT goers! (and vice-versa obviously etc) some people did both,
some people took a year out or whatever

WE don't work for sky sports anymore is whichever way you look at it a divisive comment/sentiment hence me asking what has changed subsequently..

I wish FC United could, just for once, be a little non-league club trying to make its way in the world, instead of a rallying-point for everything wrong with the game of football in this country.

We don't have a commitment to playing at 3pm on Saturday. We are not anti-TV. Terrace songs are just that. Not club policy. We've had to change games for Bury. We've had to change games for Beer Festivals. We've had to change games for Police. All of a sudden it's different because a TV company wants to pay us to move one?

Read the Board's comments in the light of the Curzon Ashton boycott back in 2007;-

"TV exposure and the revenue it generates are important to football. There are times when moving a fixture is unavoidable and you only have to look at Harrogate Railway’s recent televised FA Cup game to see that in some cases it is even desirable."

Sometimes, the views of some of the fans will not necessarily reflect the views of all of the fans. When that happens, someone is going to be disappointed. This appears to be one of those times.

We voted on the possibility of kick-off dates and times being changed to accommodate TV coverage if we progressed in certain competitions and entered those competitions accordingly.

Originally Posted by redloner

I wish FC United could, just for once, be a little non-league club trying to make its way in the world, instead of a rallying-point for everything wrong with the game of football in this country.

We don't have a commitment to playing at 3pm on Saturday. We are not anti-TV. Terrace songs are just that. Not club policy. We've had to change games for Bury. We've had to change games for Beer Festivals. We've had to change games for Police. All of a sudden it's different because a TV company wants to pay us to move one?

Read the Board's comments in the light of the Curzon Ashton boycott back in 2007;-

"TV exposure and the revenue it generates are important to football. There are times when moving a fixture is unavoidable and you only have to look at Harrogate Railway’s recent televised FA Cup game to see that in some cases it is even desirable."

Sometimes, the views of some of the fans will not necessarily reflect the views of all of the fans. When that happens, someone is going to be disappointed. This appears to be one of those times.

We voted on the possibility of kick-off dates and times being changed to accommodate TV coverage if we progressed in certain competitions and entered those competitions accordingly.

Good post. A non league club who need every penny they can get moving a game to get on tv for a bit of extra cash is completely different than the entire premier league being played at the whim of Sky executives.

As has been said, a Friday night game is excellent for fans as well, it adds a bit of atmosphere, and the TV exposure can only be a good thing for the club.

Lets hope this issue rears its head again come the 2nd round

Originally Posted by redloner

I wish FC United could, just for once, be a little non-league club trying to make its way in the world, instead of a rallying-point for everything wrong with the game of football in this country.

So do I!!


You dont see many Curzon Ashton fans posting on here with updates of how they doing do you!???

Make up your mind

Follow an independant non-league club

Or

Flog a dead horse hanging onto the bedraglled coat-tails of MUFC

I've seen the venom spat at SAF when the camera pans to him whilst a match on in pubs around Gigg or an away ground...

You refer to a 'few' fans.. It's more than that!

Originally Posted by Mao's Favourite Starling

So do I!!


You dont see many Curzon Ashton fans posting on here with updates of how they doing do you!???

Make up your mind

Follow an independant non-league club

Or

Flog a dead horse hanging onto the bedraglled coat-tails of MUFC

I've seen the venom spat at SAF when the camera pans to him whilst a match on in pubs around Gigg or an away ground...

You refer to a 'few' fans.. It's more than that!

Took you long enough to stop going though didn't it. You're like one of those ex smokers who starts coughing when someone sparks a cig.

Originally Posted by forwardirektion

Took you long enough to stop going though didn't it. You're like one of those ex smokers who starts coughing when someone sparks a cig.

"That's some cough you got there. Good job you don't smoke"

Sky produce all of ESPNs football coverage

Originally Posted by Mao's Favourite Starling

So do I!!


You dont see many Curzon Ashton fans posting on here with updates of how they doing do you!???

Make up your mind

Follow an independant non-league club

Or

Flog a dead horse hanging onto the bedraglled coat-tails of MUFC

I've seen the venom spat at SAF when the camera pans to him whilst a match on in pubs around Gigg or an away ground...

You refer to a 'few' fans.. It's more than that!

You don't see Curzon Ashton fans posting updates on here because Curzon Ashton wasn't formed by United fans. There is still a connection between fans who follow FC United and Manchester United.

My mind is clear and quite lucid, thank you.

I follow an independent non-league club.

I'm not flogging anything, or hanging onto anyone's coat-tails. I support FC United of Manchester by attending games. I follow Manchester United, while witholding financial support from the club and its sponsors, including Sky Sports.

Sorry. I haven't seen the venom of which you speak. However, I'd point out that Sir Alex Ferguson, while still one of my heroes, is not Manchester United. Nor is any other individual.

Having re-read what I wrote, I can't find the words "a few fans." I did say "the views of some of the fans will not necessarily reflect the views of all of the fans" and I believe this to be both accurate and consistent with my experience.