Margy warning for Rebels

Stuart Brennan

June 17, 2008

FC UNITED manager Karl Marginson has warned his players that "the grass isn't always greener" at other clubs after midfielder Josh Howard followed star striker Rory Patterson out of the club at the weekend.

Other key players could still follow with midfielder Nicky Platt mulling over an offer from Stalybridge and Chris Baguley being linked with Southport.

The mood was lightened by the fans' player of the year Jerome Wright, who has committed himself to the club for next season, while skipper and defensive stalwart Dave Chadwick is expected to sign once he returns from a holiday in Australia.

The losses of Patterson and Howard, plus the release of striker Stuart Rudd - expected to link up with Patterson again at big-spending Bradford Park Avenue - have forced Marginson to extend his summer shopping list.

"We have become victims of our own success because everyone is looking at our players," says Marginson.

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TWOSOULS, Manchester (17/06/2008 at 13:44)

Player come players go, you get promoted you get relegated, i for one wouldn't care if we played on hough End as long as the shirts put 100% into it, mark my word Mr Patterson will be back, Josh has gone a great pitty but as we have seen players have left however most have come back so we will just have to see

Monkeytown Red, Rochdale (17/06/2008 at 13:57)

Everyone at FC puts their trust in Margy and his staff. This is without doubt theirs and our biggest test so far in our short history. As we all say - in Margy we trust!

Free Red, Manchester (17/06/2008 at 14:09)

Anyone who thinks following FC is all about winning trophies or getting promoted doesn't really understand what FC United is about. Provided FC United are financially sound it wouldn't matter to me if FC United were to be promoted, relegated or land mid table. What matters to me is watching affordable football with fans I have an affinity with, having a laugh, away day trips and simply following football for footballs sake without being exploited. Provided the club is run within means that will never change. The club is barley three years old yet we have already been promoted three times all without risking becoming insolvent. Great Harwood Town who played at Gigg lane in the first season went under in the closed season. I hear Darwen FC have just gone to the wall and Halifax are in trouble. Believe me at this level one wrong decision could bankrupt a club and we're building a fans owned club for not just the next season but for the next generation of fans, and the next, and the next marching on and on and...

stephen peake (18/06/2008 at 12:11)

Spot on as ever Free Red

TOD WHITE (18/06/2008 at 12:52)

At every level of football its the same, clubs expect player loyalty but when the time is right they release players without a second thought. Loyalty in football is a very limited commodity, so it should be no surprise when players move to bigger clubs, if they have ambitions and a family to support its got to 'Look after No.1'. There will be no shortage of players looking for a fresh challenge who will jump at the chance to play for FCU, any many will consider it a stepping stone to bigger and better things in the future

Little Jockey (18/06/2008 at 14:28)

I agree with Tod White, for every player that leaves there will be many more who want to join us and also no player should be bigger than the club. Am not too fussed about Josh going, but Rory is a great blow. The guy is Mr popular, but seems to have forgotton that we rescued him from Radcliffe and kick started his career. As for moving to Bradford PA and playing in front of a few hundred fans, I would see that as a backward step, still its a free world.

LADYBARN JOHN (18/06/2008 at 16:30)

I'm sure Rory will be well aware that he will be playing in front of a lot less fans, with nothing like the passion generated by the F.C. army. He has been on the fans forum stating that he is "absolutely devastated to be leaving." I for one believe him. He knows that never again will he hear "Tha Man With No Name" thundering out from the terraces. We have lost some great songs with the departure of Rory, not to mention Stuart Rudd and Josh Howard, but I'm sure that the F.C. songsmiths will soon get to work with new and entertaining ditties about present and future players. Of course we will miss all three of these players - but I'll bet not half as much as they will miss F.C.!

Well done Free Red by the way for yet another brilliant post.

Drifter, Mancunia (19/06/2008 at 19:23)

A quick update the highly talented duo of Chris Baguley and Bradley Howard have signed up for FCUoM another season. Former winger Josh Howard has signed for New Mills.

Lower Broughton Soul, Exiled in Gateshead (20/06/2008 at 10:10)

Josh left as he couldn't get a game twards the end due to the good form of young Adam Carden. But to go to New Mills...??

No disrspect to New Mills, but it's not exactly a step up is it..??

As for Rory, well I take ,y hat off to him. He really didn't want to leave 'this thing of ours', but at the end of the day he was offered terms that allowed him to look after his family a little more securely.

Loyalty is a different thing at this level as opposed to the PL. An increase on an already obscene salary is peanuts in comparison to players at this level. To have the chance of tripling your salary is a life changing moment.

Onwards and upwards
Forza FC

SoulboyFTR (23/07/2008 at 19:27)

Free Red...I loved your comment "Anyone who thinks following FC is all about winning trophies or getting promoted doesn't really understand what FC United is about. Provided FC United are financially sound it wouldn't matter to me if FC United were to be promoted, relegated or land mid table. What matters to me is watching affordable football with fans I have an affinity with, having a laugh, away day trips and simply following football for footballs sake without being exploited."

Change the words FC United for City, and that's how I felt following City in 1999 when we were in the 3rd. Division and your lot (or ex-lot as the case may be!) were winning the treble.

Funny how, at that time, most of you didn't see football the same way as City fans did, and love it for what it is. At that time all i heard was United fans telling me that the ONLY thing that matterred was winning trophies.

So how come such a change in attitude now?

Like you sing (and sing, and sing, and sing...) "32 Years and won *%^& all" about City, I wonder how you reconcile this with your previous comments that it doesn't matter about winning!

It doesn't matter to me that City don't win things. Well, not that much anyway! I love them for what they are. Just like you lot do.

So, in fact, you have more in common with City fans than you do with the Manyoo glory hunters!

I bet you never thought that would be said about you!!!

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