The club formed in response to Malcolm Glazer's Old Trafford takeover have taken the non-League world by storm.
The Red rebels sit proudly on top of the Moore and Co Solicitors League second division at the season's mid-point.
And, while it would be a trifle premature to say the title's already in the bag, it's hard to see their lead being pegged back.
They currently average more than 3.5 goals a game and boast no fewer than four of the division's top 15 marksmen in Simon Carden, Adie Orr, Steve Torpey and Rory Patterson.
Climb
But, impressive as FC United have been to date, it's as well to remember they're not so much a big fish in a small pond as a whale in a fish-tank at the level of the football pyramid they currently occupy.
Up to now, they've barely been extended, but a long and far more treacherous road than the one they've so far trodden stretches ahead if they're ever to make it to the Coca-Coca League, let alone one day rub shoulders with the "real" United.
To reach the summit of non-League football, Nationwide Conference National, they will have to climb four levels, twice the number which separate Rochdale from a place in the Premiership.
Put simply, the club's at the foot of a mountain of Everest-like proportions, but it's a case of taking one step at a time, starting, one would assume, with a first-year promotion they can expect to be celebrating come April.
What's more, thanks to their phenomenal fan-base, FC United are well-equipped to stay firmly ahead of the game not just in 2006 but for several years after that.
Those who predicted their gates would tumble once winter arrived could not have been more wrong.
If anything, crowds have risen as the season has progressed, guaranteeing manager Karl Marginson a source of income which will allow him to strengthen his squad as and when the need arises.
FC United's support makes them the envy of every other non-League club in the region and, providing they can continue to maintain it, will over the next few years offer them a huge head-start in their efforts to climb the semi-pro soccer ladder.
Of course, other challenges also face them, notably the need to eventually leave their temporary lodgings at Bury's Gigg Lane ground and take up permanent residence in a home of their own.
Such a necessity will inevitably take up funds which could otherwise have been used for team-building, but any non-League club which boasts hardcore support of around 2,000, as FC United do, should be able to take such obstacles in its stride and beat a steady path towards the top.
Benefits
Mention FC United to non-League football diehards and you'll get a mixed response.
Some regard them as a breath of fresh air and point to the huge financial benefits they bring to the clubs they visit, many of whom have already smashed their attendance records when meeting Marginson's men.
Others, though, still see the rebels as unwanted opportunists who have cashed in on their name to "jump the queue" by instantly achieving a status which no other brand-new club could have dared dream of.
But, whatever your point of view, the last six months have made one thing abundantly clear. Love `em or loathe `em, FC United are here to stay.
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Nobody every said it was going to be an overnight job. It will be a long haul and there will be setbacks, but it is a thrilling and exhilerating ride. I received my founder member certificate just before Christmas, now proudly on display. Our club, our rules, our fun, our future. Forza FCUM
Exhilerating ride. Such hype for such a one horse trick. I watched a junior league game the other day (a higher league in the pyramid than FCUM's exalted position) and could not differentiate it from a kids park kickaround. No wonder these people are so close to Wimbledon their standard of football is straight out of the crazy gangs technical hints manual. Truly awful. How to destroy the beautiful game in three easy steps. Set up football club, join a league that will accept you, sign as many pub players as you are able.
The main thing that makes FC special is the fan base. Not only do we collectively own the club, and have a real say in all major decisions, as an individual I still stand with thousands of other fans with whom I have shared a large part of my life. We share a long collective memory and history that extends back decades. What other Non-league football club fans, other than perhaps supporters of Middlesex Wanderers or the Corinthians, share a common experience of trips to Europe or even Brazil? There maybe still fans that watched international games played by Middlesex Wanderers and the Corinthians to promote the game of football - NOT their brand of football. But in modern times we are unique in having supported games at Champions League level both home and away. I wouldnt mind a couple of pre-season international friendlys this summer home and away. Paul Hince is right about us having a mountain to clime. And so what! Im enjoying the games we are playing right now. I hadnt even heard of most of the teams I have seen this season let alone supported a club against them. I hope to see another division of the same next season. I have met some incredible footballing people, not least of all some of the stalwarts at Non-league level such as the old boys at Albion FC who opened their social club to accommodate FC fans for the Winsford and Ashton Town away games. What they dont know about fair play could be written on the back of a postage stamp. We will inevitably be leaving Gigg lane, but I don't see procuring our own ground as a huge hurdle. Curzon-Ashton, who hosted our game against Cheadle in the League Cup, has this season taken receipt of a new ground largely paid for through a lotterys bid from Sport England. B#3.7 million got them a 4500 capacity ground with room for expansion, parking, training pitches and other community based activities. We will of course need land, but we will also have an elected main sponsor next season and with the exposure we already receive, I think we can attract the right one. As for the Non-league diehards who think we have jumped the que, I would have been happy to start with first qualifying for the step 7 Manchester League, then gain promotion to the step 6 NWCFL Div.2. The fact we were given a place in the step 6 NWCFL Div.2 and look like being promoted to the step 5 NWCFL Div.1 next season was brought about by a decision made by the governing body. They didnt think they could cope with a fan base of our size at a lower level. They are struggling to cope as we have the second highest average attendance in Non-league football after Exeter. I dont know how things will pan out after Glazer goes, but Im not concerned. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Just like United/Celtic fans, I now know I can also support two clubs. The future is bright, the future is FC. As Johnny said, sit back and enjoy the ride. The Red Rebels go marching on. Viva la revolution, come on FC.
What a load of hyperbole this article is. I can see the author rubbing his brow with his FC United jersey while typing the article. And where are the "increased" attendance figures everyone keeps talking about. Isn't it about time for a "somebody gets in free" match to boost attendance for another "rah rah" article?
Who is this dash walnut that has recently started posting with nothing but sneering negatives to say? Give it a rest, or are you as obdurate as tommy/malcolm, or them in a new disguise? As that great self-help book title went
"They laughed when I sat down at the piano......but when I started to play"
Well FCUM exists, is playing, is gaining support and is here to stay. Get over it. Forza FCUM
You've tried anagrams of Andy Walsh and Adam Brown to hide your "real" identity, but you're still the same tired, stale, extremely limited Malcolm. You go on about the standard of football at this rung in the pyramid being low. I have news for you Malcolm. The standard of football is commensurate with the tenth rung on the football pyramid. No more, no less. To criticise it is an absolutely pointless exercise. So why do you do it? Oh, I think we've rumbled WHY you're so anti FC and so supportive of the Glazers.
Letting kids watch football for free?! Outrageous!! Spoken like a true Glazerite. Money, money, ra ra ra.
I reckon FC United has been a great success and would not be surprised if a few other supporters groups starting forming their own clubs.
having read the 2 negative comments in this story i would not be surprised if they came from city fans who are jealous regardless of what any 'RED' supporters does.
Just one point I'd like to raise in an otherwise excellent, informed and well written article. What queue are we (FC United) supposed to be jumping?
We've started more or less at the bottom of the pyramid. There was room for expansion in NWCL Division Two and, before we were accepted, the league circulated all local leagues to see if any other club wanted to put themselves up for acceptance. Nobody did. Therefore, who's been disadvantaged? Whose place have we taken?
In general if your average attendance is increasing from day one to the mid season point,then that is classed as an increase in attendances at the games.maybe malcy is to daft to understand.never mind nearly bedtime malcy.
Proof in the pudding. FCUM had their high water mark in attendance at the United/United Daisy Hill game, where they convinced some United fans to come out to Gigg Lane while the real team wasn't playing. The attendance dropped 715 persons the next week, followed by another drop of 796 the week after! That was a two week DROPOFF of 1500 persons!!! Hardly the attendance "increase" this article is touting. Check the numbers yourselves. Exactly my point in that FC United "successes" are exaggerated by publicity and in the minds of its fans.
FC So What... who really cares?
Walnut dashboard, you really are the anorak's anorak, the cliff clayburn, malcolm in disguise, or malcolm in an anorak. Do you wear it when you go to Gigg Lane? I imagine you sit at home with a magnifying glass scanning photos of FCUM games and counting the number of spectators determined to find discrepenacies from official figures. Get over it. FCUM is here to stay. Of course crowd numbers fluctuate but FCUM gates are way above average for that level of football. And yes, it is not PL standard, no one says it it, Rome wasnt built in a day, but one day all roads in greater manchester will lead to FCUM. Unlike MU, registereed address Reno USA! Forza FCUM
Red Contrarian "who cares about FC?". Obviously you all do.... Dash/Malc/Tommy,Pat and Donnyred cause you all keep posting about FCee and worrying what they are getting up to!! But why??Why does it hurt you so much...I have followed MUFC home and away for over 20 years and will always love them. But have decided to follow FCee, not because of MUFCs performances but because of the Glaziers and the pretenders who go to MUFC!! So why don't you all just fluff up your pillows and get comfy on your settees and get ready to watch MUFC on SKY!! In between on checking on how FCee have gone on on text.....
Forgot to say,get ready for the biggest att..so far on Monday. Top of the table clash..Bring it on...
Dash Walny - an anagram of Andy Walsh. Dashed witty, I'd say.
I love these anti-FC posts. It just proves that if you're getting under someone's skin, you're doing something right.
And Red Contrarian - good name, tedious comment. Apathy is so last year, ie. when we were all at OT.
Once more the same old tired excuses are trotted out to justify the breakaway. Not one is able to withstand close or even cursory scrutiny. The facts are that you claimed to be loyal Real United fans and now you have shown your true colours by cutting and running. You are no better or for that matter worse than the many fairweather (ie glory hunter) United fans around the country. They have now jumped on to the Chelsea (as recommended by Ferguson) glory train whereas you prefer to opt for sanctimonious nonsense. Same disease different cure. So stop criticising those who are prepared to get behind their team United and ignore your poor plastic excuse.
So according to Manic the standard of play is reflective of Plastic FC's 10th rung of the pyramid. Doesn't that contradict earlier posters who wrote at length (freudian slip) of how orgasmic the whole FC match experience was. Or is it simply that you love the experience of attending a game but have no regard for the beauty and art of the game? Its a bit like comparing a Rolf Harris exhibition with a visit to MOMA. Can you tell what it is yet?
Bruce Willis, if Malcolm Glazer was such a thorn in your side that you would stop supporting your team you would think you would know how to spell his name. As a Bucs fan, I can tell you I have seen or heard from Malcolm Glazer exactly ZERO times during the Bucs season. No interviews. No comments in the local fishwrap.
In fact the only time I've even seen him is a clip of him attending the funeral of Tony Dungy's son.
So what exactly have the FC Fans voted on so far this season? What changes have the "fans" made? Oh, the team is accessible! And the Board (ie Owner Andy) is accessible! In the Northwest Counties league division 2 almost all owners and boards are accessible, so how is the team different from any of those other teams in the pub league besides the fact its Board has duped around 2000 people to come watch a pub football team and pretend it is MUFC? If you think Andy Walsh is going to step down control after investing yours . . . errr his . . . money, you can forget about it.
Malcolm, I have some advice for you. Let go, there's a good chap. All this angst is going to give you an ulcer. Just breathe deep, relax, and repeat after me. Why should I side with the Glazers? Why should I side with the Glazers? You KNOW you're siding with them for the wrong reasons now, don't you Malc? Hmm? I spoke of an impending ulcer before, but the anal retentitive nature of your behaviour can bring other problems, too. In your case let's hope it's writer's block.
Bruce Willis, do me a favour and don't lump me in with those others. My post was sarcastic and was having a go at the bitter who posted that we only get more because we give away free tickets. The only free tickets that have been given are to kids. I'm as FCUM as they come. Founder member 2050, attended the EGM (from doncaster) and have missed maybe 5 games home and away so far this season. I love how upset some of the others who post on here are about FCUM. Must have them running scared :)
Stop. Replying. To. The. Idiots.
If you MUST rise to the bait reply on THEIR site (Paste+Copy plus reply on MU site but Not On Here).
They will never go away if you keep replying. (NB: You do not see any of these cretins on the MU site so you must question their intelligence / football knowledge - it appears to be slag us but you never see them on MU site praising / slagging off MU).
Leave Them Alone.
Johniejohnjohnniejohnny - In this case the Attendance numbers do matter. Especially if they are being used to hype the club. Of course the other teams have lower attendance. The other teams fans are smarter and know pub football when they see it and stay away.
Karma... good point badly made.<BR>
Me, my dad and 5 of my mates all jacked in our season tickets at OT for FC this summer. The one person who didn't in outr clique was my father-in-law who watches any team play on the TV, is a "football fan" and doesn't see the point in watching non-league football. Fair enough. For the rest of us it's not just about the quality of the football it's about having a laugh.<BR><BR>
<I>The repeal of the corn laws, the chartists, the sufragettes, Engels, the trade union movement, Cobden and the Manchester Internationalists... This is the next Manchester Revolution! VIVA FC!</I>
Grabbit and Run, Bury: How dare you run your mouth on here and come out with such quite frankly offensive comments. I gave up my season ticket out of protest when Malcolm Glazer took over and I stand by my decision. The people who have made such sacrifices are not martyrs or attention seekers, they did it for the love and long term future of Manchester United. You should make such comments at the 68000 numpties who still go to Old Trafford and line Glazer's pockets. Not us FCUM'ers, half of which were probably season ticket holders at United in the first instance. As for the success of FC, our presensce at Gigg Lane is helping keep your club afloat, so show some gratitude.