FC United kicked off their football life at the weekend with a 0-0 draw against Leigh RMI.
The rebel club has been conceived, gestated and born in just eight weeks, and on Saturday around 2,500 hard-core Reds wetted the head of the new United baby at the club's first game.
And while Rio Ferdinand was being booed at Clyde, the FC United players were chaired off the pitch after earning a draw against a team four divisions higher in the non-league pyramid.
It was not really about the football, rather a boisterous, celebratory day out for supporters who feel alienated from Old Trafford - and now have another way of expressing their support.
There were reports that a Leigh steward was beaten up for trying to stop beer being taken on to the terraces, and plastic glasses and cans were thrown onto the pitch during the second half. FC United board member Andy Walsh picked them up.
The kind of stupidity needs rooting out now, or what should be a great journey is in jeopardy before it has even begun.
Alternative
The incident - and three streakers - spoiled what was otherwise a great day, and one which established FC United as a viable alternative to their Old Trafford neighbours.
One fan summed it up neatly, saying: "We already had the first team, the reserves and the youth team - now we have FC United as well. It's all part of the same thing in a way."
There has been talk, for FC United's coming North West Counties League season at Gigg Lane, of resurrecting the old Manchester United programme front cover that depicts a United player shaking hands with a supporter.
It was ditched by the powers-that-be at Old Trafford - perhaps it should now depict a Glazer, with hand out-stretched while the supporter empties his pockets into it.
That is what FC United was formed to oppose, but they are not just an entity born out of a loathing for Glazer. He was just the final straw.
The good-humoured support in the blazing sunshine at Hilton Park on Saturday were a mixed bunch - those who ripped up season ticket renewal forms, those who could not kick the habit, and others who were just along for a fun ride.
Having a pint in the nearby Victoria pub before the game, Dave Bergin from Warrington, who went to his first United match at the age of two, said: "I'm disillusioned by what has happened at United and don't feel I can go there any more. I feel forced out of it and FC United is somewhere you can go with your mates, and stand together."
Paul Woods, 24 from Sale said: "The main reason for this is opposition to Glazer, but a big part of it is the money players like Ferdinand are making.
"Those things are the final straw for me not going to Old Trafford any more. My season ticket would have cost me nearly £700 so I have given it up."
Fireman Dave Carruthers, 48, originally from Salford, was there with son Michael, and said: "I want to be part of this new team because it's what football is all about - back to the grass roots, three o'clock on a Saturday.
"I have played Sunday football all my life, run a Sunday team, been a referee and a secretary and have watched United for 40 years.
"I will still go to United, but will look at each weekend as it comes. I have applied for a ticket for the first match at Everton.
Curiosity
"I probably won't get one, so I will go to Leek, watch it on telly in the pub and then go to FC United's first league match."
Tom Gaskell, a 75-year-old from Altrincham, said: "I'm here out of curiosity - and it's a football match to watch. I am a season ticket holder and disappointed by the debt Glazer has brought, but I probably won't come to FC United again."
Paul Donovan, 48, from Beswick and now living in Blackpool, took nine-year-old son Jack, and they gathered autographs of the players trotting out in FC United's red, white and black strip.
"The supporters here today are THE supporters," he said. "Rio Ferdinand is a joke, but the working man of Manchester was left behind by the game a long time ago. It might take me years to get over Manchester United, but I will."
Apart from a dozen or so idiot fans, the only stain on a great day out was a bad injury to centre half Billy McCartney, who snapped and dislocated his elbow in a heavy fall during the first half.
The support formed an instant bond with players who have been hastily forged into a squad by manager Karl Marginson.
Striker Jozzer Mitten, great-nephew of 1948 FA Cup winner Charlie Mitten, ran his heart out and had to be subbed when he put his head where it hurts and suffered double vision.
He was chaired off the field by fans during a good-natured pitch invasion at the end.
Mitten dropped four divisions to play for FC United and said: "That was unbelievable. I looked round the dressing room afterwards and all of the lads were just stunned into silence. We thought there might be 800 to a thousand, so to get so many was a shock. Most of the lads here have not played in crowds bigger than 400 or so.
"With that support, and the quality of player we have here, we should walk the league."
What do you make of FC United's first game? Have your say.
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Zeroes on the scoreboard, zeroes on the field and zeroes in the stands.
Given that these web pages are for stories/comments /views upon MUFC, why the continual drivel about FC United. Either give then their own pages or stop this nonesence.
I thought that the whoe idea was for FC United to be "independant" of and from MUFC, and not to become a parasite organisation?
Beating up Leigh stewards, throwing beer bottles onto the pitch and a hefty dose of streakers . . .
Great! Welcome to the FCUM soccer universe!
And no scoring what-so-ever to boot! Wonderful! Where can I get a ticket to the next game?
And I love the quotes from the folks in attendance. "It was fun, but I don't think I'll come back again."
I could not have asked for more from you blokes.
Who cares???
Who cares?? Well the fact that, so far, four of you anti-FCUM people have taken the trouble to read the article and post comments about it, I guess that shows more than a passing interest.
And shame on the MEN, including articles about a new local football club in the local newspaper. That's a new local football club, formed by and owned by people who were and some who are still, shareholders in (i.e. part-owners of) MUFC as well. So perhaps there is a connection between the two clubs after all?
Ooooops sorry, I thought i'd clicked on the MUFC page!
It's disappointing to hear of the idiots who could not behave at Leigh. On the other hand, there was no need for all the police who assemble at Old Trafford on march days. I don't think they are there for nothing.
Nonetheless, watching FC United was what going to a match is all about: fun with some friends and watching the team play their hearts out. It's great to watch a team whose players are eager to play for the club, some even taking pay cuts to do so. That's loyalty, Rio. And it's good to know that al the money you hand over goes to benefit the teams. Not to make a rich businessman even richer.
Ooooh FC United, the only club in Manchester thats not in debt!
Two clubs, same traditions, same supporters. Difference is, those who attend FC are disowning the Glazers and what they stand for and focussing on club culture. Saturday was a blast and a shape of things to come. Genuine fun, genuine fans and genuine freedom. No surprises that some would prefer to focus on the negatives. Whenever a crowd of more than 100 gets together, there will always be a couple of fools. That apart, the atmosphere was phenomenal. See you at Wimbledon.
Just Red, Manchester - I haven't read the article, only saw the heading - which was enough. I really couldn't care less what happens to FC United (which I am sure I'm not alone in) The whole FC United thing will be a passing faze for many and probably forgotten in a couple of months. When the dust has settled, the season's begun, and the toys are back in your prams, you will be back!!
Notice that 90% of the anti-FCUM comments come from people who don't even live in Manchester. Typical.
I suppose throwing good money at Glazer, you seem to be right in his target market.
FCUM is the future of football. You just haven't seen the light yet!
United played Clyde and took 2000 supporters. That's 0.0026% of their alleged fan base of 75 million. FC United took 2500 fans to Leigh. That's over 60% of their members. So much for United being the best-supported team ever. But then again, the majority of fans at the Leigh game would have been in Clyde if it weren't for the hostile take-over. I bet most of the posters on here didn't go to either game. As was pointed out on the day, Leigh had very few fans, but four United fans helped out by going into their stand and gave a tutorial in how to support a football team. Their fans were keen to learn, and by the second half, were merrily trading banter. It's unfortunate that between 15-25 Manchester United hooligans turned up. Obviously they went to the wrong ground. I was more than happy with the result considering the division's difference. Promotion will be a formality this season and probably for the next six as the team picks up momentum. I don't think the players were quite prepared for such a vibrant atmosphere. Things are usually quieter in Non-league football. I guess those opposed to FC United will try to perpetuate a myth of the game being boring as it ended 0-0. But I guess the same people would find fault in some way in any case. I was content not to loose. Looking forward to AFC Wimbledon next Saturday.
So, Ruud Boy, you're so disinterested in it all that you keep coming back to post again and again. Kind of negates your point somewhat don't you think?
I remember reading of the excitement FC backers had of being able to afford to take the whole family to the matches. Now I get it. What a great oppurtunity to expose the youth to the social values they hold so dear....
FCUM is a return to the essence of football - going to the local park with your mates or your kids to support the local team. The dopes who despise FCUM so much wouldn't understand this as they are undoubtedly middle-class out-of-towners who jumped on the United bandwagon at some point between 1993 and 2001 and briefly flirted with the idea of supporting Arsenal in 1998, 2002 and 2004.
Just Red, Manchester - what sort of argument is that. The fact I revisited this post to display frustration at hearing FC United mentioned every 5 mins on a MUFC board means what... that I care about FC United? Good posting Just Red!!
I love all the pro-Glazerites spreading their anti-FCUM propaganda all over this site! What buffoons they truly are.
Ruud Boy, why not save yourself all that frustration and simply ignore any articles in the MEN that you're not interested in reading or commenting on? I didn't say that you care about FCUM. I just can't understand why you keep returning to this thread and wasting your time posting on a topic that you say you're not interested in. "Who cares???" was your first comment and as you are one who doesn't, then why bother joining in?
I am 69 years of age.
I attended the match at Leigh and was delighted with the atmosphere and result.
I have supported and watched United since the Jack Rowley and Stan Pearson days. I have seen all the greats that made that proud club what is is today.
I was privaliaged to be in at the birth od FC United last Saturday. Well done boys, onwards and upwards to the Premireship.
My age decrees that I will not be with you when you reach that magical day; but I have faith that the club FC United will succeed, and restore our pride once again in the belief that all football clubs should belong to it's supporters.
Pride in our team boys and girls, success is in our hands.
The first half was a really good laugh, but the second was a let down with a few idiots making a fool of themselves. The Streakers, the FCUM Goalkeeper, booing Worsel, the good natured banter were Great! But for me seeing the guy in the Green-stripey shirt invading the pitch at the end, where he knelt down and kissed the ground was a high-light. Drunken Numpty.
Give it a rest guys, will you? I have absolutely no interest in FCUM, it's just another football club that isn't United as far as I'm concerned. However, it pains me to see United fans of both camps verbally laying into each other like this. There are too many ABUs out there willing to give us stick for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. Hopefully, MEN will soon give FCUM it's own pages but, until then, can I suggest that those of us who who have no interest in that club just ignore the FCUM stories?
15-20 idiots who acted up a little bit, mainly because there were no police there. I'm sure there's never been an incidence of any trouble at any United game in the past ever!(especially when there's no coppers around). It was a fantastic day out, we had a good drink, sang our hearts out and had the craic with our mates standing up behind the goal and changing ends at half time. The idiots who were there will only go to that game because they just wanted to see what it was all about. It's convinced me that the out-of-towners, day-trippers and glory hunters are welcome to their soulless amphitheatre, and welcome to pay off Glazer's debt. I'll be at every FC United game and after saturday have no regrets about that at all.It's not all about winning everything, it's about our club with our rules and with our mates. For those that actually have a brain read yesterday's observer and see if you can try and get your glory-hunting brains round the reason for this new team. Flixton on Boxing Day, bring it on!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha. FC United lol what a joke ha
Unlike the majority of anti-FCUM posters on here I don't have the luxury of supporting some other team nearby.
Every post from someone living in Dublin, the South-East or wherever complaining about FCUM makes me want to puke.... I don't care if you've supported United for 50 years, you started supporting United for the glory otherwise you would support your local team...and now you're upset. Fair enough, I'd be upset if I was a glory hunter and someone was taking the shine off it. But I'm a Manc I had 2 choices... city or United.... I chose United now I have 3 choices and I'm keeping my season ticket at OT and going watching FCUM as well.
If FCUM upset you then I suggest you apply for one of the many LMTBs that are going begging and start watching United in person instead of pontificating from far-flung lands. I've been watching United regularly since '79 as a small boy and I don't need some TV watching fans called Paddy Kelly from Ballybumgorra, Tommy Yankel from Florida or Davey Sheepworryer from Derbyshire telling me I'm a traitor. I'll be there next season and I'll be fighting for two clubs... in person... as I have done week in week out for 26 years, not spamming Manchester newspaper message boards from half way round the world, secretly wishing/pretending I was cool enough to be a Manc, and trying to convince everyone of their loyalty because everyone laughs at them when they walk round their local neighbourhoods with a United top on.
We're about to watch the club we all love drop like a stone... I doubt any of you will be around to watch/join in the carnage... you'll be busy dying your United blue and spamming the Evening Standard website about how loyal you are to Chelsea.
Loyal - Dublin, Holland, Derbyshire, Norway, Australia, Florida... you're a bunch of jokers the lot of you...
p.s. Saturday was a top day out!
veni - vidi - had a great time
roll on AFC Wimbledon - we'll probably get hammered ( on the pitch! ) but everyone of our players will be busting a gut for us, be glad that we're there to support them, from the terraces with our friends around us - all singing and joking.
its like football used to be before it became total money
What amazes me most about this continual (and predictable) debate that follows any story about FCUM on the MEN, is the geographical split. Everyone on here criticising is not from Manchester. Everyone backing FCUM is. Interesting isn't it? Especially people from outside Manchester moaning about what is and isn't covered in the local Manchester paper.
A crowd of 2,500 and 10 idiots. Not a bad ratio and, aside from incidents that should soon be stamped out, a great day out. As for the out of town nay sayers: f, c, fcu, fcum - fc um