The Rebels scarcely had time to digest the news that plans for their £3.5m stadium in Newton Heath were being pulled due to Government cuts before they were squandering two points against Mickleover.
Matthew Tierney and Nicky Platt each wasted clear first-half chances as FC had to settle for a 0-0 draw which stretches their unbeaten run to eight but means they’re now three points short of a play-off place.
Meanwhile, Altrincham manager Ken McKenna praised his patched-up Robins after a 1-1 draw against FA Trophy semi-finalists Gateshead.
Marc Joseph rose to nod in a Wes Baynes corner and rescue a point which appeared to have eluded them when he’d deflected an Ashley Winn shot past Craig Dootson.
McKenna said: “We showed great character to come from behind after conceding such an unlucky goal. I had every confidence we'd get a point. Although, without wishing to sound critical, we could have been three-up by half-time with a bit more guile up front.”
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"Manchester City Council has announced that the proposal to develop a football ground with community sports provision at Ten Acres Lane in partnership with FC United will be under review.
As a result of the challenging local government settlement, the Council has to ensure that any available resources are optimised and deliver the very best for Manchester. The Council has therefore had to revisit its spending plans and examine other opportunities for securing a football facility within the city.
The Council acknowledges the immense amount of energy, time and effort that FC United and its members have invested in the Ten Acres Lane proposal to date and remain absolutely committed to helping FC United achieve its ambition of building a new ground in time for the 2012-13 season.
It shares the club’s vision for improving and developing football and sports provision and to that end, the Council is seeking to examine the most financially viable solution for a ground and community football facilities in the city, which makes the most use of Council resources. The City Council will carry out detailed feasibility work to enable a preferred option to be brought forward.
The Council and FC United have committed to producing a detailed report within the next month outlining the preferred option and the benefits to the local community. The Council will continue to work with FC United to raise investment for funding from the Football Foundation, Sport England and any other external funding partners, in order to secure a strong community offer in Manchester.
Both parties are aware of the commitment and support shown for the Ten Acres Lane proposal by many thousands of people, not least the residents of Newton Heath and FC United’s members and the partners are committed to bringing forward a proposal which will benefit both community football and the residents of Manchester, while making the most of available Council resources.
Regardless of the outcome of the report, the Council remains committed to Ten Acres Lane and continuing with maintaining the community use of this facility. The Club and the Council will reveal full details of the preferred option for the stadium and the plans for Ten Acres Lane by the end of March 2011.
Eddie Smith, Chief Executive of New East Manchester said: "We have to review these proposals in the light of the funding cuts necessitated by the government’s settlement. But we remain committed to working closely with the club to examine options for plans which both meet their ambitions and deliver the widest possible community benefits."
End of statement
The new site is a closely guarded secret but what I can say is that it will be a better site that Ten Acres Lane which was difficult to develop due to its restrictive topography. Expect an announcement soon! Viva la revolution, c'mon FC.
The news re Ten Acres Lane was not good but there were very positive aspects to the weekend. The City Council statement showed an on-going commitment to FC. More than 300 FC members attended a meeting at short notice at Prestwich to hear about and give their views on the latest situation - democracy in action. FC fans showed their determination to continue to build our supported owned club by giving more than £2,000 on the Saturday afternoon to our Development Fund. And our Youth side won 3-2! As the FC fans sang, "Always look on the bright side of life........"
We'll get there yet! Come on FC!
As disappointing as it was regarding the news about TAL, what i've heard since seems to suggest it's only a temporary setback. MCC seem to be behind us in finding a new site so we'll see what transpires in a few weeks. Some silly comments as i expected on the news threads about the situation (from our regular detractors) but it could be a whole lot worse...think Brighton and their ground issues.
The community shares scheme and the development fund are in good shape, the new site may well give us a better opportunity to get the various grants we've applied for and this has made the support more determined that ever to get there.
We'd all made an emotional attachment to TAL which was the hardest thing to get over but it's only a site we've lost and nothing more. Keep calm, carry on. As for making the play-offs, that's the biggest long shot of all.......looks like we're going to give it a go tho'
Well done to Buxton BTW -- a job well done yesterday---