THE good residents of Leek, I hope, won't mind me saying this, but their town isn't exactly the centre of the universe.
It's not even where I thought it was. In my mind's eye it was always Leek, Derbyshire. Now I know it's a town in Staffordshire.
That's not to say the town named after a vegetable hasn't got one or two little things to boast about. The Britannia Building Society has its headquarters in Leek for a start. And, bizarrely enough, this is where Kerry Gold butter is churned out.
There's another attraction - of sorts - to tempt visitors to the little Staffordshire outpost. Leek has got a football club. Well to be strictly accurate, the town has got two football clubs sharing one ground - Leek Town and Leek County School Old Boys.
Last Saturday afternoon in a monsoon more suitable to Lahore than Leek, I parked up outside Harrison Park.
I was there to watch Leek CSOBplay their opening match of the new season in the Moore and Company Construction Solicitors North West Counties League. What a mouthful that is. An entire paragraph just to record the name of the team and the league they play in.
To make any sense at all from what you are about the read, you need to know something about Leek CSOB. They are not, it has to be said, the best supported club in the country. Their record attendance at Harrison Park prior to Saturday was 238. Their average gate last season was 70 - plus, in the words of club secretary Stan Lockett "two dogs and a stray cat".
Record
On Saturday, that attendance record at Harrison Park moved up a few notches. Well, more than a few notches in truth. Two thousand five hundred paying customers squeezed themselves into that little stadium. Not only a new record for Harrison Park but for the entire North West Counties League.
Of course the Old Boys' opponents on day one may have had something to do with that abnormally large attendance. For the overwhelming majority of that 2,500 crowd had made the same trip to Leek on Saturday afternoon that I had. They had come to support the team wishing to be known as `FC United of Manchester' playing their first-ever competitive match of football.
For Leek CSOB, the visit of FC United and its army of followers on Saturday was all their Christmases rolled into one. Two thousand fans standing behind the goals at £4 a ticket. Five hundred more sitting down in the main stand at £6 per seat.
Proudly, Leek secretary and factotum Stan Lockett told me that the entire stock of 650 meat and potato pies - at £1.50 each - had been devoured by half time - and delicious they were. All 1,750 match programmes had been snapped up at £1 a throw. For all I know Stan is still counting the receipts from the commemorative lapel badges which were on sale around the ground to mark FC United's first competitive match.
Put it all together and I estimate that the Old Boys banked around £15,000 from Saturday's invasion from Manchester. No more, maybe, than a good night out for Rio - but a fortune and a godsend for Leek CSOB and all the other North West Counties clubs who will entertain the Old Trafford rebels over the months to come.
And those breakaway fans at Harrison Park on Saturday? Exactly what it said on the label. Noisy, boisterous, good-humoured. A credit to themselves and a credit to their new club.
They stood together, they cheered together and they sang together. This, they claim, is how football should be watched and enjoyed. And this is one ageing fan who wouldn't disagree with any part of that sentiment.
You might care to know that one song from the Red rebels was heard above all others: "I don't care about Rio. He don't care about me. All I care about is watching FC." Says what those fans were doing in Leek in the first place, don't you think?
Late arrivals
Mind you, the start of Saturday's match was delayed for over ten minutes. Hundreds of breakaway fans were late arriving because they were watching the big Reds in action against Everton in the local pubs around Harrison Park. Don't get greedy, lads. You can only be married to one wife at a time, you know.
FC United, I can tell you without fear of contradiction, are no gimmick. They are a bonny side who I suspect will prove to be way above the standard of the rivals they will encounter this season in division two of the North West Counties League.
Manager Karl Marginson knows his way around the upper levels of non-league soccer - and it showed at Harrison Park on Saturday in his team's comfortable 5-2 victory against the game but out-classed Leek side.
For the record Leek opened the scoring against the run of play with a breakaway goal from striker Colin Fletcher after 15 minutes before the excellent Steve Spence wrote his own little piece of history on the 20 minute mark by becoming FC's first goal-scorer in a competitive match.
Burly centre-forward Jon Mitten (Charlie's nephew), put Marginson's boys ahead from close range five minutes later only for Jake Johnson to equalise for Leek with a long-range pile-driver ten minutes from the interval.
The second half was one-way traffic with Spence notching his second and Steve Torpey and Adie Orr adding numbers four and five.
Harrison Park, Leek, on Saturday was the first small step on the journey stretching out in front of FC United. Where that adventure will take this new club only time will tell. But something tells me it's going to be fun getting there.
Do you agree with Paul Hince's view? Let us know below.
Comments
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Excellent story - I was there - top notch journalism!
Had a fantastic day on Saturday. Great atmosphere and a brilliant display by the lads, despite the awful weather.
Really looking forward to the first home game this Saturday.
The United v Leek game on Saturday was my best footballing day out since winning the treble in 99.
The atmosphere is absolutely terrific and just can not wait for next weekend.
Have followed big united for 30 years and am having the best time of my life at FC United.
cheers for the great review paul, im glad some journalist has taken time out to actually see what FC United is all about instead of whining and whinging that we are all spoilt and should have got on with the glazer regime. I for one feel that football has come back to the fans and not being sold back to us for ridiculous sums of money in the sense of merchindising and high ticket prices. if AC milan can charge B#85 for a season ticket and reach the CL final two years in a row, why cant MUFC do something like that?
Absolutely spot on account of the day, what a fantastic start to a real life fairytale. F.C United v MUFC FA Cup final 2010????? Bring em on!!!!!!
Keep singing, keep smiling, keep standing. Happy days are here again. Our Club our Rules.
No Debt!
"Don't get greedy, lads. You can only be married to one wife at a time, you know." This is the one part I don't agree with. If thousands of football fans can support United & Celtic, I can watch United on T.V. and F.C United live. Millions of United fans only watch the games on T.V. anyway. I've just joined their ranks.
Superb account Paul - glad you enjoyed your day too. It's great to read some objective commentary on the FC United situation, unlike some other media we could mention. I hope we see you at FC United again sometime soon. Forza FCUM.
A great account of the day. FCUoM is the future. Great fans, great days football for the right reasons for those of us strong enough to stand and be counted, rather than line the pockets of people that have no grasp on history and tradition.
We will march on stronger by the week and prove all our doubters wrong. Glazer Utd fans don't know what they're missing but those that don't take risks and stand up for what they believe in life are usually rewarded with the mundane and sad lives they invariably lead.
It is great to see how much the other NWCL teams are making from our attendences too. This can only be a good thing for football and the businesses surrounding the grounds.
A great piece of journalism, thankyou for an honest account when it would be easier to join the other doubting Thomases.
Finally well done to my fellow fans for creating something so special. The first time I have felt alive at football for many a year, let's make sure it's a feeling that will last.
Great report on what was a fantastic day. There will always be links between MUFC and FCUM but the main thing is that we are a new club with it's own agenda, one that is poles apart from the regime at OT where MUFC will be treated as a cash cow until it is milked dry at the expense of the fans.
I am proud to follow FC United and if the games played so far are any indication it is going to be one long party, singing and dancing in the rain. The team play good football (even the missus enjoyed it!) and I am excited about the forthcoming first home match this saturday at Gigg Lane against Padiham. So my advice to anyone who fancies a cracking day out get yourself down to the match this saturday (KO 3pm not 1200pm!) and join us on our journey! "UNDER THE BOARDWALK............."
It's how football should be and hopefully others around the country realise just how much they're being ripped off just to pay stupid wages and make rich men richer.
It's also brilliant to know that a journalist has seen it first hand though I won't hold my breath on any of sky or the BBC doing something similar.
Hopefully we will see more journalists doing the same as Mr Hince and getting the truth out there to those who have no idea and are being fed false info by the Glazer machine
Great informative reporting.
Is it possible to have a big enough article in the MEN to educate people that FC united will be playing their first home game this week and that people should try to go and experiance what football should be like?
Fair piece of writing that, especially from a blue........fcum it's the future.
"And those breakaway fans at Harrison Park on Saturday? Exactly what it said on the label. Noisy, boisterous, good-humoured. A credit to themselves and a credit to their new club" ...... and will prove to be an important credit to football I believe. We are having the time of our lives and hopefully your account of your experience of the game, will inspire others to take a taste themselves of this history in the making.
Excellent article Paul, thank you.
Brilliant piece. I can only disagree with one thing, we are all still United fans we just wont turn up and help Glazer pay off his debts.
I went to the first game at Leigh and after half an hour decided it wasn't for me. After looking on various football forums I have found the Fc United brigade have slowly turned anti United from their original stance of anti Glazer. Its their choice but they are welcome to amateur football, I have spent the last 30 years following united and its united that I love. I wish them look but I can't go and support another team having invested so much time and devotion with all its up's and down by simply trading it in to visit places like Gigg Lane, Leek and Barrow watching a team that is basically a few steps up from Sunday league football.
A top summary of a top day out.Went with wife and father in law and had an absolute ball.Tremendous atmosphere and not a hint of mither.What I found most encouraging was the number of youngsters there, its not a bunch of 45 year olds trying to hang on to distant and distorted memories of how following your team used to be, its a genuine young club on the rise. I'll be taking my kids next Saturday and suggest to all other footie fans, make the journey !
Just read the column...Im a disillusioned Manchester United fan, and I think the ideals and raison d'etre of FCUoM are fantastic and I agree wholeheartedly with the setting up of the club. I can't, obviously, gett o see the team in action but I have found something I can believe in again, as MUFC doesn't care about my support...I watch from a distance and I am very proud of the Lads involved in the club.
I will get to see them in action in September when I get to Manchester to visit some family there.
Excellent article and thank you for helping me enjoy FCUoM.
Kind regards
Jason Davis
Great piece again Hince. Just can't stop wondering what it would be like for these "small" clubs if the locals all went to watch them every week. Interesting thought!
Well summed up. The team and the fans were a credit to the club. Great game, great atmosphere, long may it continue - lets face it it's far more enjoyable than the plastic premiership. Can't wait for Padiham on Saturday.
What a great day. Went in the Unicorn and watched united. Then a quick swim down the road to Harrison Park.This is what fooball used to be like, turning up with your mates standing together and singing. I have hated united the club for years. But loved the team. Sky and the plc have ruined it for all. But some have jumped ship and others have not been able to afford to go. Bring your mates, bring your kids - you wont be sorry. Mufc will be in my heart forever. So will fcum, it' the future.
I too went to the game, and I can assure you that FCUOM supporters did themselves and the people of Manchester proud.
Despite a torrential rainstorm the singing was non stop, humourous and at no stage did they make any impression of them being a hooligan element that many portray them as.
These are genuine fans, and those decrying them should maybe take a long hard look at how a team should be supported. This was true passion, not the fake, limp atmosphere seen at most premiership grounds.
Its ironic that these supporters shower themselves in pride and glory for being so passionate, whilst their biggest critics are slated in the national press for having no passion.
Perhaps a few City fans should take a trip to Gigg Lane and see how a club should be supported.
As for those at OT, well enjoy your time, but your assumption that the club will just fizzle out is way off the mark, in fact support is growing with each game. Try it. You might see what United support is truly about.
Red all over, did you hear the whoosh?
That was the point missing you.
this is what football was like before the plc and sky changed our club beyond all recognition, noisy passionate affordable and 3 o'clock kick offs on a saturday afternoon, all you that have knocked us or arn't too sure what were about come to gigg lane this saturday, i doubt many of you will be dissapointed. saturday was my second game watchin fcum and deffinately will not be my last. my days of being ripped off by the likes of greedy rio, glazier and their cronies have ended!
You fc united fans make me sick going on about thats what football used to be like! If any of you fc united fans were real Man Utd fans you would continue to support your club no matter what happens. None of you fans have given glazier a chance. Its seems quite a co-incidence that you dont win the league for 2 years and dont look like you r going to win it again so you jump ship.
Dear 'Red all over' in Didsbury - I went to my first match in '65 . Do you not feel a bit used when you see the Glazer's grinning knowing it's decent reds like yourself that they are grinning at . (And your bank balance will be 'red all over' too if they have their way .) It isn't a question of being anti-big united . How could it be . Just nice to see the words 'football club' alongside the words 'manchester' and 'united' again . I didn't like the taste of bitter first time I tried it. C'mon - give it another go at giggsy lane. We're too old for micky mouse ears.