FC United of Manchester(Part2)

Fcum's fixtures 2011/12


09.07.2011 Airbus UK Broughton FC A Friendly 4-1
16.07.2011 Chester FC A SD Cup
19.07.2011 Winsford United A Friendly
23.07.2011 Bury A Friendly
26.07.2011 Curzon Ashton A Friendly
28.07.2011 New Mills A Friendly
30.07.2011 Leek Town A Friendly
04.08.2011 Clitheroe A Friendly
06.08.2011 Stalybridge Celtic A Friendly
09.08.2011 Trafford A Friendly
13.08.2011 Stafford Rangers A Northern Premier
17.08.2011 North Ferriby United H Northern Premier
20.08.2011 Chasetown H Northern Premier
24.08.2011 Chester FC A Northern Premier
27.08.2011 Buxton A Northern Premier
29.08.2011 Bradford Park Avenue H Northern Premier
03.09.2011 Rushall Olympic H Northern Premier
06.09.2011 Kendal Town A Northern Premier
10.09.2011 Chorley A Northern Premier
14.09.2011 Nantwich Town H Northern Premier
24.09.2011 Burscough A Northern Premier
28.09.2011 Whitby Town H Northern Premier
08.10.2011 Marine H Northern Premier
11.10.2011 Frickley Athletic A Northern Premier
15.10.2011 Hednesford Town H Northern Premier
29.10.2011 Stocksbridge Park Steels A Northern Premier
12.11.2011 Mickleover Sports H Northern Premier
19.11.2011 Worksop Town A Northern Premier
23.11.2011 Kendal Town H Northern Premier
26.11.2011 Rushall Olympic A Northern Premier
29.11.2011 Nantwich Town A Northern Premier
03.12.2011 Chorley H Northern Premier
10.12.2011 Matlock Town H Northern Premier
17.12.2011 Northwich Victoria A Northern Premier
26.12.2011 Ashton United H Northern Premier
02.01.2012 Bradford Park Avenue A Northern Premier
07.01.2012 Stafford Rangers H Northern Premier
14.01.2012 North Ferriby United A Northern Premier
21.01.2012 Chasetown A Northern Premier
28.01.2012 Chester FC H Northern Premier
04.02.2012 Whitby Town A Northern Premier
11.02.2012 Burscough H Northern Premier
18.02.2012 Frickley Athletic H Northern Premier
25.02.2012 Marine A Northern Premier
03.03.2012 Stocksbridge Park Steels H Northern Premier
17.03.2012 Hednesford Town A Northern Premier
24.03.2012 Worksop Town H Northern Premier
31.03.2012 Mickleover Sports A Northern Premier
07.04.2012 Buxton H Northern Premier
09.04.2012 Ashton United A Northern Premier
14.04.2012 Matlock Town A Northern Premier
21.04.2012 Northwich Victoria H Northern Premier

 

Boycott

FC United order fans to stay away


No-go: FC United supporters like these will not be at Victory Park after the club refused to take up their allocation of tickets for Saturdays NPL Premier League clash


There will not be any away fans inside Victory Park on Saturday after FC United of Manchester’s visit to Chorley took a dramatic twist this week.

The visitors have rejected their allocation of just over 500 tickets for the NPL Premier Division fixture – seemingly in protest at the draconian measures placed on the game.

Originally the match – which would normally have a 3pm start – was put back to a morning kick-off by the Magpies on advice from the police.

It was also stipulated by the police that crowd segregation should be put in place.

With no visiting fans now set to attend the game, the kick-off has now been moved again from 11.30am to 12.30pm.

Both Chorley and FC United are among the best-supported clubs in non-league and a crowd of more than 3,000 was expected for the blockbuster clash.

However, the police were anxious to avoid a repeat of the unsavoury scenes which took place last season when crowd trouble marred Chorley’s home match against Chester – a game which attracted a bumper four-figure crowd.

Magpies boss Garry Flitcroft feels lessons could have been learned from previous experiences, which could have prevented such stringent measures being placed on the game.

Flitcroft said: “The police have obviously had to do this after what happened against Chester last season when a minority spoiled the game for everyone else.

“That’s the reason why it’s happened – it’s unfortunate really. Chorley have never had a problem with FC United – it’s just disappointing all-round.

“The majority of the Chester fans last season were well behaved and there was a bit of banter between both sets of supporters – that’s what football is all about – it was about 20 or 30 fans who spoiled it.

“I feel sorry for my players. The players have worked hard this season to be top of the league and they deserve to play in front of big crowds – but there’s nothing we can do now, we will just have to get on with it.”

FC United had met with officials from Chorley, the league and the police earlier this week to discuss matchday arrangements.

A statement issued by FC United said: “The information given at the meeting has been discussed by the FC United board, but we have regrettably refused to accept an allocation of tickets for the game. The league and Chorley FC have been informed of our decision.

“We have spent the last two weeks trying unsuccessfully to understand the reasons behind the decisions taken and obtain more information about ticketing arrangements.

“Chorley were due at Gigg Lane last weekend to sell tickets prior to our game against Rushall Olympic but when we failed to get satisfactory answers to our concerns that offer was withdrawn.

“Matters were given a full airing this week but with the game just a few days away there is nothing that can be done to address our remaining concerns at such short notice

“If we had been involved in discussions about the matchday arrangements at an earlier stage and had been given full information...then we are sure matters could have been resolved.” Simple innit.

 

Nicely summed up by 200%

http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=14973

 

Onwards and upwards, but we will wait for the spade to go in first


Second Time Lucky: A New Home For FC United Of Manchester, This Time?


This time. Perhaps this time. FC United of Manchester have been once bitten and can certainly be forgiven for being twice shy over their planning application for a new ground of their own, to be built in the Moston area of the city. Their previous attempt to do exactly this in Newton Heath ended in failure after government cuts slashed their hopes, but this time there should be no such concerns. This afternoon, Manchester City Council approved their planning application for the new ground, which will also house a community centre and training facilities, and the well of hope amongst their support base, which had been tempered by their previous disappointment, can begin to hope again.

In the attempt to build a football ground near a residential area, the club ran into vocal opposition, which was represented at this afternoon’s meeting. Attempts to reach out to this group failed and it was rumoured that the “no” group had been using tactics to secure signatures for a petition which may have been considered underhand. If true, this was probably a mistake on the part of the campaigners to adopt this tactic. It certainly gave the impression of a group willing to descend to whatever level they could in order to win this debate on points rather than relying of depending on the merits of their case.

As things turned out, it was an irrelevance. The Charity Commission, who had the final say over a covenant held over the land, confirmed that they had no objections to the proposed development. There had been a feeling of optimism amongst the supporters of the club that their case was water-tight, but the celebrations didn’t start until the announcement was made and for some the champagne may even remain on ice until a spade hits the ground at the site and the foundations begin to be dug out. It is also worth pointing out that the club doesn’t yet have all of the money in place to complete the construction of the ground. As such, the innovative Community Share Scheme, which has already raised around £1.5m, needs to step up another gear.

The good news for the club is that it has the volunteer base to be able to achieve this. If there is one thing that FC United of Manchester represents more than anything else, it is that people can and will join together for a cause that they believe in, and that they can create a football club of which they can be proud. There have been obstacles in their way at every turn since their formation in 2005, of which the end of their hopes of securing a home of their own at Ten Acres Lane was possibly the biggest of all. The club has, however, continued to work diligently and competently towards securing their new ground and today’s decision is an absolute vindication of all of the work that they have put in over the last few years or so.

There may be some that are wondering this evening why this new ground is so important for this club. After all, they have been ground-sharing at Gigg Lane, a ground with excellent facilities, for the last six and a half years. Setting aside the fact that Gigg Lane will always be somebody else’s home, there is a practical imperative for the club to build a home of its own as well. It costs the club in excess of £100,000 per year to rent the ground for league matches, and they also occasionally have to move matches to other venues – such as Stalybridge Celtic’s Bower Fold – when Bury need to use it. In spite of regularly achieving excellent crowds for the level at which they play, they have been struggling financially in recent years in no small part because they will not compromise on a founding principle of keeping ticket prices as affordable as they can. The future prosperity and wellbeing of the club was in no small part dependent upon today’s decision.

For now, there is little else to say other than congratulations to all those at the club that have put in such a tremendous effort to make this project happen. It is also to be hoped that previous objections and disagreements are set to one side, and that the club does everything possible within its power to demonstrate to objectors what benefits this venue can bring to their neighbourhood. There is no reason whatsoever to believe that this won’t happen – this is a unique football club, one which will ensure that it maximises every opportunity that the new facility offers them. If the last six years or so have been an adventure for those that have given their all for this club, then the future this evening looks considerably brighter. And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of people.

http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=15897#comments

 

The building can now start

PRESS RELEASE issued at 00:01hrs on 16 March 2012

Supporters of fan-owned, co-operative football club FC United of Manchester are celebrating today after raising over £1.6m from a community share issue to help fund a new football ground and community sports facility in Moston, north Manchester. Reaching the £1.6m target will help the club unlock the grant funding they need to meet the costs of the £4.6m project and enable building to start on the Moston site in the spring.

Speaking today, FC United general manager Andy Walsh, said: "Reaching our £1.6m target from the share issue is a fantastic achievement, especially in the current economic climate. We believe this is the largest amount ever raised by football supporters independently. Raising capital through community shares is a unique development in English football and has been recognised as offering a real alternative to the way football is run and financed.

"Our shareholders all have just one vote regardless of the number of shares they hold, preserving the common ownership of the club. Community shares give a tangible way for fans to raise significant sums of money whilst preserving the football club as a community asset. We believe community shares is preferable way of raising finance to borrowing from banks and more sustainable than relying on wealthy individuals who may not always have the best interest of the club at heart.

"By buying community shares, FC United members are supporting a better way for football to deliver genuine community benefit - one that is owned and run by supporters and committed to wider community and social development and financial sustainability," said Walsh. "Our groundbreaking development will create a positive and lasting legacy in Moston, creating new sports and non-sports facilities for the area for generations to come," said Walsh.

FC United of Manchester has helped pioneer community shares, working closely with Co-ops UK. The share schemes are designed to enable cooperative organisations like FC United to raise finance from local communities to support expansion and development much more effectively than through traditional methods such as bank borrowing.

Ed Mayo, secretary general of Co-operatives UK, the UK trade association for co-operative organisations, said: "Hollywood could not write a better script of hope and triumph. Through hard work and open collaboration, FC United has become a beacon for sport and community action. I want to pay tribute to the members of the club for pioneering a model of community shares which is now being used as a form of lifeline finance for co-operative enterprise across the UK."

Kevin Jaquiss, partner in public services at Cobbetts LLP, the Manchester-based firm advising FC United on the community shares scheme, said: "The community benefit model behind FC United demonstrates how innovative thinking can offer alternative and successful ways to deliver public services - and a real way forward for community projects across the UK. We are delighted to have worked with FC United on the project and look forward to seeing their new ground and community facilities progress over the coming year."

The FC United board would also like to thank Co-ops UK, Key Fund, advisors Jim Brown and Hugh Rolo plus our lawyers Cobbetts and RSM Tenon our accountants. We are already talking to a number of other football clubs and community sports groups about how they might use similar share schemes to secure the future of their organisations.

Once again, thank you to each and every supporter. Together, we are showing that there is a better way for football.

ENDS

For further information or to arrange an interview contact Andy Walker, FC United of Manchester Press and Communications Officer, on 07791 997602 or email press@fc-utd.co.uk

Notes for Editors:

The FC United community share scheme has a minimum share purchase of £200. The share issue has been given advance approval by the HMRC Enterprise Investment Scheme and subject to personal circumstances this allows individuals to claim tax relief of up to 30 per cent on the amount that they purchase in the share scheme.

http://www.fc-utd.co.uk/story.php?story_id=4106

 

Were still here. 8 years old and soon the first spade will go in

 

A video of the build so far, should be ready for Oct14

 

Finally. After numerous our ground will open its doors this Saturday 16th May 2015. 10 Years after the Glazer's took our club. First game is a test event to gain our needed safety certificate, followed by the big opening match on Friday 29th May against Benfica.

Pics of our new ground http://richardsearle.smugmug.com/Moston-the-Build-2014

Test event at Broadhurst Park - we need you this Saturday


FC United is delighted to announce that we will be holding a test event at Broadhurst Park on Saturday 16 May, when the FC United first team will play a match against an Invitational XI with a kick-off time of 3pm.

The test event is a vital part of the club gaining the necessary approvals and certification from the authorities to enable Broadhurst Park to fully open as a venue. We need the maximum turnout from members and supporters on 16th May so we are able to fully test the ground and all facilities.

All turnstiles will be open, as will the bar and refreshments outlets. Our volunteers and staff will be on site running the event and the gates to the ground will open at 1pm.

The match, which will be 30 minutes each way, will see FC’s Darren Lyons manage a side comprising of first team players and the Invitational XI, managed by Dave Brown, is expected to contain a number of familiar FC faces including Rob Nugent, Simon Carden, Carlos Roca, Steve Spencer, Lee Neville, Richard Battersby, Dave Swarbrick, Martin Parker, Matty Tierney, Nick Culkin, Rhodri Giggs and possibly a few other surprises on the day.

We need to run the event as if it were a live match, testing the turnstiles and safety systems. The entrance cost will be just £3 for adults and £1 for concessions and under 18s. We do not intend to produce a programme but supporters who attend will be able to purchase Benfica match Pound for the Ground tickets and we will also have the barrels in attendance for people to drop their lose change into.

This test event is a vital day for the club and we need a good turnout. We are targeting a 3,000 crowd to test the facility to the best extent we can and to secure the best capacity for our match with Benfica on 29 May.

Please try and get to Broadhurst Park on Saturday 16 May to help the club as we move ever closer to getting our new ground fully open.

FC United of Manchester v Invitational XI
Saturday 16 May 2015, kick-off 3pm
Broadhurst Park
310 Lightbowne Road
Moston
Manchester
M40 0FJ

Gates open from 1pm.

Please arrive early to view the ground and use the facilities.

Don’t leave this to somebody else. Make sure that you are Broadhurst Park this Saturday and bring your friends!