FC UNITED have accused Manchester United of "spectacularly missing the point" when they spoke out about the rebel club for the first time.
Old Trafford marketing director Peter Draper angered many FC United supporters when he said in that the breakaway club was just a scaled-down version of the Premiership giants.
He went on: "The most interesting thing is that they aren't letting anyone in for free. They will have a sponsor in due course. If they win promotion they will want to buy better players.
"In order to fulfil that wish they will start to sell nice butties rather than curly ones."
FC United spokesman Jules Spencer says that his club, formed in response to Malcolm Glazer's takeover and the increasing commercialisation of Manchester United, is at the opposite end of the spectrum, whatever Draper says.
"He spectacularly misses the point," said Spencer. "But we don't blame him for those views - it is indicative of the bubble that people who run the top level of football in this country, live in.
"We have never had an issue with commercialism at Manchester United, only the nature of it, and where the money is ending up - a great deal of it ended up in shareholders' pockets and now it ends up in Malcolm Glazer's pockets.
"Any money we make at FC United goes straight back into the club. Not a penny is siphoned off."
Supporters
Spencer also points out that FC United now have sponsors - the main club sponsor is the Bhopal Medical Appeal charity, which helps victims of the horrific chemical spillage in India in 1984 which killed 20,000 and has left the city still in serious trouble.
"They have become sponsors because they believe in the ethos and the principles we stand for, as we believe in theirs," said Spencer. "And despite what Peter Draper says, any ticket price rises we institute will be dictated by the supporters on a one person, one vote basis.
"It is strange that Peter should mention that we don't let anyone in for free, just a couple of weeks after we let 700 kids in for free.
"He should know that it simply wouldn't be viable to let people in for free on a regular basis, but we will strive to do things like that as often as we can."
The timing of Draper's comments have interested many at FC United - it came just days after the club had a record 3,808 attendance for their 6-0 win over Daisy Hill.
FC United are getting used to such disinformation - the Padiham manager whose team faced the Rebels in the first game at Gigg Lane in August told his players in his pre-match talk that FC's players were on £600 a man and manager Karl Marginson was getting £900 a week.
Delivery
That rumour has taken hold, with a whisper doing the rounds that FC have a £5,000-a-week wage bill, which is laughed off by acting general manager Andy Walsh. It also came as news to Marginson, who is still getting up at 4am to start his food delivery rounds.
But where IS the money going? When FC United took its first breath in the summer, formed by Manchester United supporters angered by Glazer's takeover, around 4,000 financial pledges raised around £100,000.
And now, with crowds flocking to Gigg Lane to witness a football revolution - fuelled by discontent with high prices, poor atmosphere and the greed endemic in the higher echelons of the game - cash is still rolling into the FC United coffers.
The last two home games have seen crowd figures of 3,110 and 3,808, giving them an average home crowd higher than hosts Bury and neighbouring Rochdale get in League Two.
For their next home game, against Nelson on October 22, FC United will open up the South Stand at Gigg Lane. Hitherto they have only opened the Manchester Road End and Main Stand.
The amazing crowds have brought in an average of around £15,000 a game, with supporters paying £7 a time and £2 for juniors. And that is without totting up the income from replica shirts, scarves, badges and other merchandise, the demand for which are far outstripping the club's current ability to supply.
The cynics have sneered that the club's founding principle, of football for the love of the game rather than for greed, have already been compromised.
Difference
Not the case, snaps Walsh, one of the leading lights in the club's formation, and now a key man in the day-to-day running of the club. "The difference is that every penny we get, through the turnstiles, or from merchandise, is going back into developing the club," he said.
"The £100,000 in donations at the start of the season gave the league, and our players, some surety that we could see the season out even if nobody had come through the turnstiles.
"But we are now in the position where we can look to expand and take our message out to a wider audience. We are also building a fund so that we can eventually have our own ground.
"We have plans for a community scheme starting in a couple of months, including a coaching programme for kids and also a chance for supporters and players to get their own coaching badges. We are also looking at a scheme to produce referees."
What do you think of Draper's comments? Have your say.
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I'm beginning to come around to the idea. Well done FC. Good luck for the season.
I have been a red all my life, I still cant seem to turn my back on t he team I have loved all these years. FC united are begining to make me change my mind. This club from the start have been honest and straight with the fans, they are giving back to the community just like they promised, i dont see a problem
GOOD LUCK LADS
Their sanitised brand football will never be as attractive to fans such as myself. I can't believe now I put up with it so long. Draper can stick his butties where the sun doesn't shine. Who cares what he thinks anyway, he's just another suit in a chain of parasites. Draper is nothing, just a mouthpiece for his paymasters. What a soulless insular life he must lead. He obviously understands nothing about fans. And what's all this "The most interesting thing is that they aren't letting anyone in for free". He clearly doesn't do his homework. Everyone under 18 was given free entry to the BM home game. They're worried and should be. Viva la red football revolution!
What a bunch of nerds fcutd are. Why have 'of manchester' on the badge when u r not never have been or ever will be? u selling inflatable black puddings yet?Why nick the ship (mcr ship canal) from city.Maine rd was formed 40 yrs ago without this holier than thou nonsense.To what extent of any fans, anywhere 'owned' a club, now ur tryin to move the goalposts after takin fans money.What a joke.
FCUM is more like a scaled down version of Chelsea. Afterall Chelsea charge admission of double the leagues average and so do FCUM. Chelsea pay higher wages than that of the league average and so do FCUM.
Chelsea supporters are all sheep joining a bandwagon and so are fans of FCUM.
Mr Drapers comments are at best misinformed and at worst highly insulting - Has he been to our Curry Club??? No.
Has he tried Burys Pies? (Far better than the soggy trash they serve at OT) - No
Has he tried some cask ale served in a glass in Gigg Lane (rather than a can of overpriced warm beer at OT) - No
Has he enjoyed a day out treating his children to great entertainment for B#2 - I doubt it. He can keep his overpriced squeeze you dry approach and eat some of the rubbish served at OT from the kiosks instead of chortling over his glass of port in the exec suite.
It's worth adding that not only does all the money from FCUM go back into the club and not someone's mortgage payments... but that unlike MUFC, (which now it's not a plc doesn't need to disclose any financial details above audited accounts) FCUM has complete financial transparency!<BR><BR>The club I once loved sinks to a new low with a Leeds fan as it's mouthpeice... shame on everyone at OT
That another suit has taken time out of his busy schedule to take a cheap shot at FC United is a compliment to them and an embarrassment to MUFC. As all FC United fans still remain united fans, this faceless suit is in effect slagging off a lot of our own fans. This coupled with the Blatter thing really show how insular the controllers of the game are and how repulsive the average fan finds them.
Hey Snake, surely a top blue like you actually knows where the ship comes from.
Fool.
Peter Draper was a Leeds fan. Well at least he used to be, but now seemingly claims allegiance to United, in much the same way as his old Umbro buddy Peter Kenyon morphed from a City-United-Chelsea fan.
What these people say is irrelevant, especially when it comes to trying to taint FCUM with their own grubby money-grabbing ways.
Draper didn't miss the point he missed the bus. I go to FCUoM for a good time (remember them), a laugh and a joke with mates and a fantastic atmoshere, now you won't remember them at OT. Big United needs a reality check, who is ripping who off here, if you all love Glazer please sit down.
They'll never be massive.
It's quite funny really. FC United is a breath of fresh air. The accounts will have to be released due to their status.
MUFC wid eof the mark once again (not been the first time in the past few years).
I'd be embarrased to express views in a very public arena without knowing the first thing about them.
Cringe!!!
It's interesting that despite the club's critics insisting that FC United is an insignificant fly by night outfit, it continues to grow apace, and what's more every time the MEN runs a piece about FC it attracts far more comment than almost any other subject. We are here to stay boys. Get used to it!
Any club that lets kids in for B#2 has to be good. I am going myself next week!
FCUM are a team followed by people who walked away from MUFC. There are no links between the 2 clubs. Articles like this should not be encouraged, as it gives the Quitters more publicity than a NWCL2 side is entitled to. When the going gets tough, the quiters get going. When the going gets tough, real MUFC fans keep supporting.
PS - lets stop this Big United rubbish, theres only one United.
fc united are just a scaled down version of mufc. everything fc united wanted to stand for is not possible. A local team supported by local fans!! they play in BURY. hardly local is it? they are the biggest team in their league, the cash they make stays with them and is not spread out throughout the league makin it, like the premiership was a few years ago a once horse race. FC united with all the power and the other clubs just happy to play them and get some money together!! It is not and will not work!! Stop being the glory huntin idiots you have always been and get behind the team you have supposed to have supported all your life!!! did man city fans turn their back on their team when they were relegated to div 2? doubt it!! so what if your run by some americans there still man united. the problem you have is you know your no longer a great side and cant handle it. so instead of being loyal to your team, you turn your back on them and make your own team!! what happens went it all goes wrong at FCUnited? you gonna make another team?
Chris from Salford 'spectacularly missing the point' at every turn. Are you Peter Draper in disguise?
So Jules Spencer says that Draper has "spectacularly missing the point". However, it appears that Jules Spencer himself if spectaculary missing the point. Has he actually read the Draper article? Draper is not critical of FCUM, he simply responds to questions saying its a scaled down entity and that is true.
Chris, you think any club that visits Old Trafford for a league game gets money from Manchester United? That was done away with years ago. FC United are giving more to the other clubs in the NWCFL than they could have dreamed of last season. Attendances at away games are more than the home clubs got for the whole of last season - in one game! That money will be used to improve those clubs and the whole of the NWCFL. As for being local, Bury is only a temporary home. The ultimate aim is to have a home in Manchester. But I'm sure you'll come up with something else to moan about when that happens. Bitterness is hard to get rid of.
Am amazing about the amount of resentment coming from Manchester United and MUFC Fans at the arrival of FC United. And am slightly less amazed of the re-action of non united fans.
If you take the politics out of this for one moment, we have a team in NWCFL Div2, pretty much at the bottom of English Football pyramid, we have a loyal set of supporters having a good laugh and the time of our lives. Why the bitterness? Is someone, somewhere feeling threatened by this?
I still love MUFC, but as I and many others said throughout the whole protracted Glazer takeover, I will not spend one penny at OT if he gets in. And that I still swear.
It certainly beats wondering aimlessly around B&Q, IKEA or Tesco's on a Staurdday afternoon. It's alot more fun and keeps me and kids out of trouble.
CHRIS, SALFORD - You have to be one of the most miss informed clueless individual on this board. At least United fans are doing something about the exploitation of fans. I understand some City fans are considering the same. So what are you doing - nothing! So who's the real sheep? not FC United supporters.
For those with their fingers in their ears shouting 'no, no, can't hear you, FC United don't exist' can I just point a simple fact out. Listen carefully ostriches. FCUM is not a scaled down MUFC for one very SIMPLE reason. It is owned 100% by the supporters. Every penny taken goes back to the club. It is a non-profit organisation. It is a football club and not a money making organisation. repeat after me.....
Your floodlights are tiny.