Promotion party gets a kick from derby joy

Paul Gallagher

April 10, 2007

FC United fans celebrated promotion in the sweetest possible way - with a victory in their own Manchester derby.

The Rebels revelled in a Bank Holiday battering of Maine Road FC, the non-league club set up 52 years ago by a group of City fans.

A crowd of 3,605 was in party mood from the kick-off at Gigg Lane and Rory Patterson, Dave Brown and Rob Nugent were all on target to keep the home fans singing.

It is only two years since the formation of FC United, but the breakaway Reds have already left their Blue counterparts behind as they head for the UniBond League.

Karl Marginson's team won promotion from the North West Counties League Division One on Saturday with victory at Ramsbottom, to claim a second step up in two seasons.

And the Reds - who are on a run of ten straight league victories - will claim a second successive title if they can win just two of their last five games. Only Curzon Ashton can pip FC United to top spot in the NWCL First Division.

And the 'Nash' also stand in the way of a possible double for the Reds, as the pair meet in the final of the Challenge Cup on May 3.

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mainemouth, Prestatyn North Wales (10/04/2007 at 12:52)

Why not cover Maine Road games also?You might then help them become more well known in the area and create some local interest.The Road are a small but long established club and would welcome any publicity you provide.

PC, wilmslow (10/04/2007 at 12:58)

Good performance from the Reds yesterday. I wonder if shanny was one of the 400 blues that Maine Rd's website claims were at the match! Comical genius that match report.

Now we can look forward to the Northern Premier League and good runs in the Trophy and the Cup next season.

shanny, Hyde, Cheshire (10/04/2007 at 14:01)

Did the "fans" celebrate with a pub crawl visiting the other pub sides?

Free Red, Manchester (10/04/2007 at 14:24)

Mainemouth, hope you enjoyd the FC experience and all the best for next year. By the way, why not have a word with this lot about supporting the Road?

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_city/c/1004025_us_mystery_men_meet_pearce_.html

manc in new jersey, USA (10/04/2007 at 15:04)

Sounds like a good day was had or so the texts were telling me and Easter Monday is not even a day off in the States.
Nice to see Shanny still being ignorant - guessing he did not go to the game as he would have been in London - maybe not.
The problem with the MEN giving more coverage to Maine Road is that to do so would also mean we would have to cover about 90% of the teams in the NWCL divs 1 & 2. This would be impossible due to space issues surely.
FC get coverage, rightly or wrongly because they are news and they get crowds. Look at the number of comments on the FC stories on this very site, that gives you an idea of the interest in us (even Ciddy fans take note). We also get better crowds that some other local league teams.
We have had national and worldwide press coverage 'cos we are a good news story so our local paper should surely be allowed to cover our progress.
FORZA FCUM

PC, wilmslow (10/04/2007 at 17:10)

Covering Maine Rd in the MEN would mean they should cover Curzon and Abbey Hey to the same degree, and Droylsden would be getting full back page articles.

If it was based on crowd sizes we should have as many article inches as Bury and Rochdale. The MEN print what's newsworthy.

Shanny, you didn't reply to my question: What level of football do you play at? Must be pretty high if you consider the Northern Premier League to be a Pub league.

Johnniejohn, Tunbridge Wells (11/04/2007 at 08:57)

So, which of the four shirt options was your design walnut dashboard? I voted for no. 3.

shanny, Hyde, Cheshire (11/04/2007 at 11:16)

Last nights result will mean most of fc's "fans" going back to being gloryhunters watching man united on teletext!

PC, Wilmslow, i've seen enough quality football to know that this is pub football!

Its like watching county championship cricket one week and village cricket the next!

Richqrd Merrin, Bordeaux France (11/04/2007 at 11:27)

As a CTID I wish FC United every success and warmly congratulate the club and its fans.
However, the disparaging remarks about Maine Rd are ludicrous and juvenile.
Maine Rd's objectives are completely different.

Free Red, Manchester (11/04/2007 at 12:05)

Shanny, Hyde - You are clearly a Bertie. You come over all bitter when you post on the FC United pages and I seem to remember reading at least one of your bitter posts on the United pages. But I never read anything you post on the city pages. Why! Are you really so bitter you prefer to snarl at other clubs than discuss city? Just curious.

Johnniejohn, Tunbridge Wells (11/04/2007 at 12:44)

last nights result changes nothing, shammy. Nothing to do with glory hunting. As a matter of fact, I was more concerned with seeing the final episode of Life on Mars. Plus I am old enough to remember what happened after United won 5-1 away against Benfica in the quarter finals in 1966. Best got injured and United lost to belgrade in the semi. Forza FCUoM

shanny, Hyde, Cheshire (11/04/2007 at 13:47)

Free red et al, most of the comments I submit are on the City section (I am a City Seasoncard holder), however, I am entitled to express my opinions (as other fans are allowed to on City) on USA united, red lion united and other sections.

Free Red, Manchester (11/04/2007 at 14:43)

Shanny, Hyde - Spread a little bitterness where ever you go eh? Ah well, as another bitter famously said, 'different strokes for different folks'. So what's your opinion on Main Road FC? How do they measure up to your delusory grandioso standards? Why do you feel the need to repeat the same mind numbing drivel over and over on almost every FC United story? What are you frightened of? In short, what are you so bitter about? Is life as a Bertie really that bad? Like I said, I'm just curious as to what drives this bitterness epidemic over at wastelands.

PC, wilmslow (11/04/2007 at 14:53)

I think what you mean, shammy, is that you've watched city long enough to recognise pub football when you see it! Like I said on a previous post, your beloved city were only 3 divisions above the Unibond League a few years ago.

I have seen very few disparaging remarks about Maine Rd either on this site or the FC Fans site. Don't forget their website calls us FC Utd of Bury (I know, my sides are also splitting). It's called banter Mr Merrin.

Anyway, FC fans are just enjoying the ride and seeing where it takes us. The Unibond league, the Trophy and the FA Cup are all new adventures. Long may it last!

redmark, manchester (12/04/2007 at 16:22)

forget shanny hes just a bitter bertie ,because man u won 7-1 its oh we cant say nothing on the utd site so lets have a go at fc unt site,bitter to the end,i cant wait for the day when citeh get relegated like leeds and continue the drop from division to division.
Well done to fc ansd utd.
It shows the colour red rules all manchester. av it ya blue muppets

Free Red, Manchester (13/04/2007 at 08:41)

Next up, COLNE v FC UNITED. Our last NWCFL league away will be played tomorrow, Saturday 14th April 2007, K. O. 3.00pm. The match is to be played at Colnes Holt House Stadium, Harrison Drive, Colne, BB8 9SL. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the game £5 Adults £2.50 Concessions (over 60 & under 16s). Directions to ground: From the M60 jct 18 take the M66 north to the end of this motorway at Stubbins and change for the A56 to jct 8 of the M65. Take the M65 east to the end at jct 14 then turn left and follow signs for Skipton and Keighley. Continue to roundabout, take 1st left up Harrison Drive, across small roundabout, follow the road to the ground. Viva la revolution, come on FC.

shanny, Hyde, Cheshire (13/04/2007 at 14:14)

I presume the Holt House is another pub then?

Free Red, Manchester (13/04/2007 at 17:20)

You should know 'Shandy' Hyde, you're the bitter expert.

FUBAR, Manchester (14/04/2007 at 17:14)

Colne 1 FCUM 5

FC will be crowned Champions on Wednesday!

Unibond 1 here we come.

Two Uniteds but the soul is one!

Free Red, Manchester (16/04/2007 at 12:25)

LEAGUE CHALLENGE CUP FINAL TICKET DETAILS. FC United have been allocated 2600 tickets for the league cup final to be held on Thursday 3rd May 2007, kick off 7.45pm. This game will be strictly all ticket and no tickets will be sold on the day of the game. Tickets are priced at: Seated £8 adults and £5 under 16s/over 65s. Standing £7 adults and £4 under 16/over 65s. Tickets will be allocated to members and season ticket holders in the first instance. Note all applications are to be accompanied by coupons from at least 10 programmes, a dozen Ronaldo 'pogs' and a book of 1970's green shield stamps signed by your local co-op manager. Tickets will go on sale prior to the Salford game on Saturday 21st April from 11.00am and also the Trafford game on Wednesday 25th April from 6.00pm. A further announcement regarding ticket sales will be made after the Trafford game on the 25th April. Members are asked to show some form of identification which must include their address and a DNA sample. If members can not get to Gigg Lane on these dates, then postal applications will be accepted. Members must include in the amount 50p for postage. All applications to arrive six weeks prior to the date of the match not a day before or after or you will be placed on the 'B' list and put into a mythical ballot on a first come first serve basis. Or you can just wait until they are on open say which by my estimation will be at our last home match v. Formby when we will 'probably' receive the NWCFL division one trophy.

shanny, Hyde, Cheshire (16/04/2007 at 13:38)

or you can just turn up at the Red Lion pub in your Ford Bandwaggon on match day!

Stuart Webb, Southend On Sea (18/04/2007 at 11:08)

I wish to proffer hearty congratulations to FC United for their promotion this season; a great achievement indeed to reach the Unibond league in just two seasons.
Well done to all involved.

Free Red, Manchester (18/04/2007 at 12:30)

Shambles Hyde, after city's latest result it's not hard to see why you're so obsessed with drinking.

Mike (30/04/2007 at 21:07)

Congratulatios to everyone at FC Dog and Duck of Bury.

Well done!

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