Rebels stunned by double exit

stuart brennan

June 14, 2008

STAR striker Rory Patterson has dealt FC United a blow by leaving the club for UniBond League premier division rivals Bradford Park Avenue.

And with the Rebels also releasing hit-man Stuart Rudd, the club has now lost the two men whose goals - 154 in a total of 211 appearances - have fuelled three successive promotions.

Rory attracted attention from League outfits and several of the wealthier non-league clubs by topping the scoring charts in the UniBond first division with 41 goals in 49 outings.

And Park Avenue, backed by the riches of property developer Bob Blackburn, made 24-year-old Ulsterman Patterson an offer he could not refuse.

"It's very disappointing," said FC manager Karl Marginson, who had been hopeful of resisting the barrage of offers being made to the former Rochdale player. "But I understand the lad's decision, because he has a young family, and the money Bradford are talking is on another planet to what we can offer.

"There are professional footballers out there who don't get what Rory will be on."

Marginson has also released 32-year-old Rudd, who missed most of last season with a succession of injuries, and is now in the market for two strikers.

"With the injuries Stuart had, and with us stepping up another level, we just felt that the time was right to part company," said Karl.

"Other than that, with the financial situation, I had to raise a little bit of money, and hopefully we will be able to get someone else in."

The Rebels are hopeful of securing a deal for winger Jerome Wright, also being pursued by Park Avenue.

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Drifter, Mancunia (14/06/2008 at 15:18)

STUNNED! Rory leaving has to be the worst kept secret in non-league football (lol)

I think this story needs bringing up to date. Jerome Wright has already signed. Other players who have singed include Danny Allen, Sam Ashton, Jamie Baguley, Simon Carden, Adam Carden, Liam Foster, Kyle Harrop, Bradley Howard, Rob Nugent, Nick Robinson, Shaun Roscoe and Adam Turner. The rest of the squad from last season are considering their offers and FCUoM are in discussion with a number of new players keen to join the club.

Good luck to Rory, Rudd and Howard. Up the Reds!

iaintheimp, stockport (14/06/2008 at 22:24)

sorry to see rory go but with a young family to fetch up, a probable 2k in pocket plus £500 a week, who could blame him...

Bonner (16/06/2008 at 12:57)

We may have lost Rory, Stuart and Josh but at least we've got Stuart Brennan back writing the stories!
Welcome back Stu, see you on the terraces next season.
Forza FC, Viva Margy's Red Army!!

LADYBARN JOHN (16/06/2008 at 16:11)

In almost 50 years of attending Old Trafford, I always took the view that "They all come, they all go." Some you feel the loss of more than others, and there are certainly some you will never forget. In terms of F.C.and it's relatively short history, Rory has always been there. (Well, apart from that very first game at Leigh.) It's hard to imagine what the club will be like without him around, an extremely talented player with a great presence, time and again he has taken games by the scruff of the neck and won us games which had seemed lost. I thought we would lose him this time last year but thankfully we didn't and he had his best-ever season. I'm sure all F.C. fans will wish him well. (apart from when he plays against us !) He always gave his all for the shirt and always had time for the fans. The only surprise to me is that he isn't going to a league club. He's certainly good enough to play at a much higher level. Good luck Rory, and thanks for so many fantastic memories.

the_joker (17/06/2008 at 11:42)

What I cannot understand is that FC cannot match Bradford's wage offer. So where is all the money going to at FC?

IF the club cannot match rivals on wages in the lower divisions, what may I ask will happen should they progress further?

FC have pretty much had it all their own way up and until now - but things will change when they have pay decent wages, when that happens they will be like any other lower club.

The fact that FC have lost a great striker is worrying but it is surely a sign of things to come when they enter the REAL world when having to compete on a more level footing.

Free Red, Manchester (17/06/2008 at 12:09)

The joker. BPA are being bankrolled by a multi millionaire called Bill Blackburn. He is doing a Chelsea at the moment spending league club type money on players for a non-league club. FC United is run entirely on sponsorship and fans money generated on match days. No team in the league other than the new look Leigh RMI or Leigh Genesis as they are now called can or want to compete with that type of spending. The players that have already signed for FC United for the 2008/09 season are good enough to compete at this level. The major drawback for FC United is not having a ground and paying high rent for Gigg lane. This is something that needs to be rationalised. But it's nothing new, both BPA and Newcastle Blue Star were bankrolled by millionaire last season yet we still got promoted second and only 1 point behind BPA.

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