What does everyone think of the new team? http://www.fc-utd.co.uk/ Some info: Wednesday 22 June 2005 AND THE MANAGER IS - FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER The newly formed FC United of Manchester have appointed Karl Marginson as their first manager. The 34-year-old former Blackpool, Rotherham and Macclesfield striker was revealed at a press conference held at a central Manchester hotel. He has been recruited because of his extensive experience of the local non-League scene. Spokesman Jules Spencer said: "Karl was the outstanding candidate. We consulted with AFC Wimbledon who said we needed someone who knows the game at that level. He fitted the criteria." Marginson is a lifelong Manchester United fan and is totally behind the concept of FC United, formed by Red Devils supporters disillusioned with Malcolm Glazer's takeover of the Old Trafford club. Rumours are circulating that players of the calibre of Jody Banim and Lutel James, who played together at FC United’s landlords Droylsden last season, could join, although it remains doubtful that they would be prepared to drop down to the Moore & Co Construction Solicitors League Second Division. "It is incredibly exciting to be involved at the birth of a project such as this," said Marginson. "As a kid I used to play on the pitch used by Newton Heath 100 years ago, so I had no hesitation in accepting when I was offered the job." Marginson was playing in the Moore & Co Construction Solicitors League last season with First Division Bacup Borough and before that, Salford City. In addition he has also had spells with Hyde United, Stalybridge Celtic, Barrow, Chorley, Droylsden and Curzon Ashton. In just 24 hours, FC United have already been contacted by 260 potential players who will turn out at Sunday's trial, with Marginson keen to get a squad in place for pre-season training within a week. Anyone wishing to register to take part in the trials must do so by Thursday afternoon. Discussions over sponsorship are also ongoing, while an EGM on July 5th will determine the club's board. "We have had fifteen people working on this project night and day for the past fortnight," said Andy Walsh, a fierce opponent of Glazer and a member of the FC United steering committee. "Even at this stage, we are taking a massive leap into the unknown. But I think everyone is aware how serious we are. "This is not just a reaction to Malcolm Glazer, it is about taking a stand for the vast number of ordinary fans who have been priced out of the game in recent years." Spencer said: "We are about building a community club owned by its members, to provide a home for disenfranchised Manchester United supporters and extending into the Manchester community as a whole." FC United will learn their first league opponents early next month. Before that, they will tackle Leigh RMI in their first friendly at Hilton Park on July 16th, with AFC Wimbledon providing the opposition a week later. The club have also announced they will play in red, white and black.
Sadly, at the moment, all I think about this FC United stuff is "what's the point?" As appalling as the Glazer deal looks on paper, you do need to at least give the guy the chance to succeed before doing something like this. As of yet very little has happened. Fans are not seeing season-tickets at McTrafford stadium doubling in price, with the stretford end being demolished to make way for the stretford business centre executive stand, and the team reduced to reasonable, but unchallenging also-rans run to bring in a profit without any care about winning. When Wimbledon reformed it was because their club had died. Man Utd is not yet a dead club. The loan deal may make it look as suicidal as spending three weeks having unprotected sex in Bangkok's seediest brothels, but their chances are still, even now, infinitely better than Wimbedon's looked once the move to Milton Keynes was announced.
The website explains... "FC United will exist for disenfranchised Manchester United supporters as long as there are disenfranchised Manchester United supporters in existence.". Since when were they only allowed to exist if the Bucs go downhill? Anyway, I'll be supporting them. Anything to see the Bucs crumble. Hopefully I'll convert some fans... they will buy the kits and all... and Trafford Ballpark will be no more
ya i no when i first heard about them i thought it literally was a joke because it makes no sense to give up your team just because they got a new owner
Then again, if it's the owner's team now, it's not really yours anymore, is it? And just to drive the point home, the guy says he's raising the price of your ticket by 50% in the next few seasons, you brand-consuming shmuck?! Glazier is going to challenge the whole English club system. I'd support FC United, too.
50% no wonder people are pissed off i only overheard that on the news and i thought they said 15% that does suck!
I heard it is 15% for this season, but within a few years (three?) it will be 50% more than it was in 2004-2005.
well if its gradual and the money goes to the team instead of glazers backpocket (which it unfortunatly probably will) it wouldnt be so bad but instead of forming a new team why dont the fans just watch the game on tv instead of going to the game and supporting glazer this way they could still be man u fans but not give their money to glazer
Certainly they could watch the matches on TV and also go watch FC United right? If they even got say... 3000 average attendance, that would be far above every other club for the next few years for them at least. "Go down to the park and watch the new squad play"
i never said that you couldnt watch fc united what i meant was that to make a point to glazer the man u fans should just watch the games instead of going to the games and giveng glazer their money
Well I mean, in answer to 'instead of forming a new team why dont they just watch the matches on TV' could be that many fans feel disenfranchised (sp?) from the club. So even if they do still watch them on TV, they may not feel the same heart about it... and maybe also just want the enjoyment of watching this new supposedly more 'pure' club grow.
I love them purely for entertainment value. They're no end of humorous stories for a blog of soccer silliness I run. Such as: - Trying out disgruntled Manchester United fans to make up nearly the entirety of the team. - Playing one of their first pre-season friendlies against Wimbledon AFC. I mean, you can't make this kind of stuff up!
I know, I love it. They're my new second favorite club. Hopefully the fans will end up divided between FC'UM and the Bucs, and neither club will be in the EPL.
Well I suppose they won't be a joke to Droylsden, who look like they could make quite a bit of money from them. Good news for a groundsman at the Butchers Arms (I did get that one right didn't I?). I do agree with Richard though. Both Enfield Town and AFC Wimbledon (the two successes thus far) have both been about getting a club back to where they came from (if not actually succeeding at that bit yet). And both original clubs and the fans teams seem to have a support based upon a relatively small number of fans. Just that a lot of them are committed, which if this new club can get such a group together, they might do quite well at a non-league level for a while, but I'm wondering where long term support would come from.
thats true and it would make a good rivalry if man u and u of man are in the same league at the same time.
It's probably never going to happen. A friend of mine figured out where FC United fell in the pyramid and it will take them seven promotions to make the Premiership. Taking into account that they won't be promoted every year, by the time they make it in 15 or 20 years, the rivalry might not matter anymore.
stranger things have happened i mean if the team gets good enough attendance then maybe they can sign some good players and make it the the prem before the rivalry dies down
From the NWC 2nd division it would take nine promotions to get to the Premiership. NWC x2, Unibond x2, Conference x2, League x3.
What other clubs are in Manchester? Even with United, City still gets huge attendance. Must be a lot of potential fans there.
In actual competition, it would take many more than 9 seasons for FCUM (read as "fuck 'em"? I love it!) to reach the Premiership. Nevermind for a moment that they would have to earn it through play on the field each season to achieve this miraculous feat. They will need successively better grounds, with larger capacity, to meet the league minimum restrictions. I don't have hard facts, or a link, but my feeling is it's no small point. Stadiums cost big £££. To go along with those obstacles, there the fact that by the time the wonderous journey of FCUM brings them to the door of the EPL, the door will be closed. If Glazer gets what he's hoping for, the EPL will be a closed league a few years out.
Metropolitan Manchester has the highest concentration of clubs per square mile on Earth. Besides Manchester United and Manchester City, there are Blackburn (though that's a little bit far out and so is Burnley), Bolton, Wigan, Stockport, Macclesfield, and Oldham Athletic. And that's just the one I can see on a quick look at a map and who are in the Premiership and the Cola Leagues. EDIT: Bury and Rochdale also I think. Preston is relatively close.
Droylsden's ground is good enough (or close to) Conference National standard, and therefore not too far off League standard. Or consider moving to Boundary Park and sharing there. Shouldn't be much of an issue for a long time, chance to become established in their own right. Doubt we'll be seeing a closed Premiership - that's something Glazer wouldn't get.
Is FCUM eligible for FA CUP Qualifiers next year? If so, it would be something else if they qualified (somehow) and played ManU.
Fvck-'em will be eligible if they advance by two leagues, if I recall correctly from what another poster said on bigsoccer