The league's management committee has insisted that the fixture between the teams currently top and fifth in the first division north, be switched to a 12.45pm kick-off.
The move is to enable the transmitting of the match by the league's own broadband television broadcaster NPLTV, which claims an average of 15,000 viewers globally a week.
Both clubs opposed the idea of the kick-off time being switched but the league says that the commercial advantages of the £100,000 paid for TV rights by Invision outweigh the concerns of the two clubs involved.
FC claim that the switch is against one of the founding principles of the club, which is that TV companies should not be allowed to dictate kick-off times.
The upshot is that a festive fixture which might reasonably have drawn a crowd of over 2,000 will probably now only get a three-figure attendance.
A statement put out by the club said: "The board of FC United is asking supporters to show their opposition to the league's decision by not going to the game against Curzon.
Switch
"It is regrettable that Curzon may suffer financially from the consequence of this change to the kick-off time, especially given their support in opposing the switch.
"However, the board feels that it is important that a message is sent to the league that the views of the match-going fan must take precedence and those fans should not be inconvenienced in favour of a potential internet audience."
Curzon secretary Graham Shuttleworth said: "We were asked our views on a 12.45 kick -off and our response was that we wished to stay at three o'clock.
"We are opposed to it but are also mindful that within the UniBond League there is NPLTV, and that the league's management committee has the right to vary times and dates of fixtures."
FC insist that they were given assurances that no fixtures would be switched for TV purposes without the agreement of both clubs, and that only midweek games would be shown live, with Saturday games being shown in a highlights package.
The league say this is the first Saturday game to be televised live this season.
Assistant league secretary Alan Allcock stated: "The only assurance given was that we would never change the date of a fixture to accommodate televising of a game."
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Kiwi-blue, Christchurch NZ (13/12/2007 at 14:14)
help (13/12/2007 at 14:32)
and who formed the first break away club because the fans had a disagreement, check your history before showing yourself up with a stupid remark.
I will give you a clue they have moved to a new stadium now but the break away club still carries the name.
stephen peake (13/12/2007 at 15:10)
We're all still waiting patiently Kiwi Blue.
(I'm getting bored Kiwi, go on tell me, go on whisper it, no one else needs to know)
ITS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN IS IT
15 hundred hours (13/12/2007 at 15:23)
15 hundred hours (13/12/2007 at 15:23)
Nick (13/12/2007 at 15:23)
TOD WHITE (13/12/2007 at 15:30)
Free Red, Manchester (13/12/2007 at 15:31)
Fortunately for us we also have a team in the Mid Cheshire league that will be well supported on 29th December 2007 when we take on Eagle Sports FC at Abbey Hay.
black and blue, whalley range (13/12/2007 at 15:40)
Alastair Adams (13/12/2007 at 16:16)
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/changing_kickoff/
Free Red, Manchester (13/12/2007 at 17:40)
Full story here: http://www.fsf.org.uk/news/news0082fcmanchesterboycott.html
Burnley1, Rossendale (13/12/2007 at 19:12)
The problem with with FC fans is they need to find something to argue about or arrange a boycott.
When Fc started i really though that they would be a change for the good and whilst they are right to moan about change in time of game to suit TV they are certainly not right to arrange a boycott against Curzon who have had nothing to do with switch.
My support is for the little guy and all i see is FC acting like billy big boys who think because of their fan base they can dictate on everything and will threaten any one who dares to be different,god help the FC fan who goes to Curzon. They will probably call them scabs and they way they are acting like a political protest club they wonder why their attendances are dropping like the proverbial stone.
macker in N.Z., AUCLAND N.Z. (13/12/2007 at 21:29)
smiggles, MANCHESTER (13/12/2007 at 21:30)
If one fan takes a stand he wil be steamrollered out of the way if 2to3000 take a stand the steamroller will go into reverse. So come on BOYCOTT this game
NEIL MCLAREN (14/12/2007 at 10:49)
Free Red, Manchester (14/12/2007 at 12:02)
Directions: By Car: Leave the M1 at Junction 40. Take the Wakefield road for 200 yards, then turn right at the traffic lights down Queens Drive. At the end turn right onto Station Road, then take the second left down Southdale Road. At the bottom of the hill turn right then left down Dimple Wells.
Coach Travel: FC United will be running an official coach to this game. The coach will depart from Chorlton Street at 11am and return after the game. Prices are £12 adults and £6 concessions. To book FC United office on 0161 236 1070
By Train: Ossett is mid way between Wakefield and Dewsbury and easily reached from either by supporters who wish to travel by rail. From Dewsbury: Arriva bus 116 stops outside the ground. Ask for Southdale Road this is just after leaving Ossett bus station; this service runs every hour at at 10 to the hour from stand 2 in Dewsbury. A more frequent service is the Arriva 126 or 127 which is every 15 minutes, again ask for Southdale Road, but this time supporters will have a short walk down Southdale Road to the ground. This service is from stand 6. The Dewsbury bus station is a short walk from the railway station. From Wakefield: the same services as above and same destination stops, this time getting off prior to the bus station. In addition the 117 to Leeds will also drop off at Southdale Road. From Wakefield railway station, walk down to the main road and cross over to bus stop. Bus travel time is approx 20 minutes.
macker in N.Z., AUCLAND N.Z. Don't let Kewi Blue bother you. I believe he's a multiple name poster aka Dash Walny (a pathetic anagram of Andy Walsh) aka Tommy Tampa. That or he's some nocturnal bitter who posts in the early hours of the morning UK time.
Kiwi-blue, Christchurch NZ (14/12/2007 at 16:24)
Coach fare.........£12
Hot-pot & a bitter.......£5
The look on free red's face when he discovered that fc utd's match has been moved for TV.........PRICELESS!
FCUMheywood, Heywood (14/12/2007 at 17:04)
How can we be a change for the good and not DO anything?! Talk is cheap mate and would achieve little here. Why should we let big business reverse a promise not to change our kick off times, purely to make more money from us?
We are NOT boycotting or victimising Curzon, but we felt we had to make a stand. We have a friendly rivalry with Curzon and regret that they may lose money. We are talking about a possible friendly to compensate them.
and we have never bullied or dictated anything to anyone,it is totally against our democratic principles. Comment when you know what you are talking about.
FCUMheywood, Heywood (14/12/2007 at 17:30)
You are a poor advert for your country, sonny. Why do you waste the time of us grown-ups with your infantile comments?
Stubby, Glossop (14/12/2007 at 22:57)
JOHN STENSON (17/12/2007 at 17:01)
Lower Broughton Soul, Exiled in Gateshead (17/12/2007 at 21:57)
Forza FCUM
Burnley1, Rossendale (18/12/2007 at 14:43)
It is easy to criticise people sying that they don't know what they are on about.
What i do see is a bunch of self righteous fans who are setting out to deliberatley penalise Curzon.
It is allright having the viewpoint all games should be played on Saturday but you have been happy to turn up at games on a Sunday etc.
The reality is when you enter a league you abide by the rules and it is no good having a moan when you have not read the small print.
Unibond sponsored this league when you were happy to follow your PLC club around the country going to Southampton on a Monday night to watch a TV game and they will be around a lot longer after you have left.
The reality is the TV contract provides vital revenue for all the other teams in the league. Ideally footbal should be played on a Saturday at 3o'clock but the reality is times have moved on and now it enables armachair fans to watch their teams live.
Sometimes when you arrange a boycott you should look at who you are affecting and in this case it is a non-league club and not the league itself.
If we did not have a game that day i would travel down to Curzon to pay my support and i would urge any casual fan who has not got a game that day to lend their support to a small non league club who are losing out through no fault of thier own.
stephen peake (18/12/2007 at 16:03)
I take on board your comments, though they differ from my own thoughts.
I don't care what people think of FCUM, whether they think we're "big time charlies", "bigger than the league", "up our own wotsits", it doesn't matter a jot, we know we're not.
You're right Burnley 1 we did travel to Soton on a Monday night and the rest of it, but what i would like anyone to tell me is this:
If we are not prepared to pamper to TV companies any longer, and just because we used to do it doesn't mean we have to carry on doing it, is it so wrong that we want to make a stand over a principle that we feel so strongly about.
Is it wrong that while other clubs fans don't want 5.30 kick offs etc. FC are the only fans prepared to do anything about it?
Burnley 1 makes the point about Curzon suffering due to our boycott, what happens in the future if and when we have a decent cup run and Sky or the Beeb want to show our game live, we would be be shooting ourselves in the foot financially if we turned them down. i don't know the answer for sure, but i've a good idea what our stance would be.
JOHN STENSON (18/12/2007 at 16:45)
1. You feel we are "self-righteous", but could this accusation not be levelled at anyone who has an opinion different to yours ?
2. Of course we have been happy in the past to travel for Sunday games, but there has always been a good reason, i.e. the game being played on the ground of a neutral club (such as Accrington) which was already being played on on the Saturday and where the "home" club's ground was deemed too small to safely hold the anticipated attendance. This is entirely different to a game being switched because a TV company says so.
3. "Small print." This case is not so much about what was printed, but the assurances given by the Unibond that games would not be switched without the consent of the two clubs involved, and that no games would be televised live on a Saturday. They have gone blatantly against their own words. What are we supposed to do, just lie down and roll over ? Of course times have changed, but for us one of the great attractions of football at this level has been that fans count for much more than in the money-driven Premiership. And do you really think the "armchair fans" of whom you speak should have priority over those who stand week in, week out on draughty terraces, often having travelled and paid good money to do so ? Get real, Burnley1. As far as the effect on Curzon goes, nobody is more concerned than ourselves, which is why efforts are already under way to arrange a friendly, so that Curzon do not lose out. That's the kind of club we are. We care about our club, other clubs and the game generally, certainly more than we do about Tv companies and their ilk.
If you are happy to just let the game go it's own way and accept whatever they throw at you or however much they inconvenience you, then that is your right. But please remember, others have rights too. I would not deny you yours, please do not deny us ours.