FCUM Promoted

[Sergeant Wilson]

They seem today have reached a ceiling that their available cash and income will allow. If they want to maintain or progress, some compromise will be needed.

[Ivo den Bieman]

I think a lot of people see a lot of self righteousness around some of the fan run clubs. Of those FCUM are probably the most guilty of that - the huge fuss they made about the game last night being moved is an example of that.

so these days sticking up for your rights, and what your fans want is "self-righteous"? It's that bit I'm having trouble with.

agree with the Sarge- FCUM will not progress beyond Conf National without investment from a Billy Big-Baws business type. I am pretty certain that, if this is the case, the majority of the fanbase will be happy to stay in Conf North/ Conf National, then.

[pandarilla]

What's the deal with fcum as opposed to Salford City? Are they both not chasing the exact same fanbase (basically anyone in the Manchester area that craves ' real' football)?

Was there any talk of the class of 92 lads investing in fcum rather than buy up (presumably) a rival.

Is there room for both these teams?

[Ivo den Bieman]

Sir Alex has an inchoate loathing of FCUM and given the prominent association of the "Class of '92" with the club FCUM fans walked away from, I doubt there would ave been much interest in "investing"- which goes against the co-op model FCUM seem to be operating on, anyway.

Salford were a brutal North West Counties League outfit before the Class of 92 happened along. It is good to see them progressing with their investment and encouragement. But a football club run along more traditional lines than FCUM.

Of course there's plenty room for both teams, who play in totally different parts of the city, anyway.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Ivo den Bieman

[Sergeant Wilson]

Sir Alex has an inchoate loathing of FCUM and given the prominent association of the "Class of '92" with the club FCUM fans walked away from, I doubt there would ave been much interest in "investing"- which goes against the co-op model FCUM seem to be operating on, anyway.

Salford were a brutal North West Counties League outfit before the Class of 92 happened along. It is good to see them progressing with their investment and encouragement. But a football club run along more traditional lines than FCUM.

Of course there's plenty room for both teams, who play in totally different parts of the city, anyway.

Neither should be artificially propped up, if they reach conference/national level, thats about the maximum their potential should reach. They can fulfill any ambition to provide decent quality football and local player development.

[pandarilla]

Sir Alex has an inchoate loathing of FCUM and given the prominent association of the "Class of '92" with the club FCUM fans walked away from, I doubt there would ave been much interest in "investing"- which goes against the co-op model FCUM seem to be operating on, anyway.

Salford were a brutal North West Counties League outfit before the Class of 92 happened along. It is good to see them progressing with their investment and encouragement. But a football club run along more traditional lines than FCUM.

Of course there's plenty room for both teams, who play in totally different parts of the city, anyway.

Ok, cheers.

For me everything I've seen of Salford (half of one episode of that documentary admittedly) is that it's run like a proper old school football club - in a decent community-friendly manner. Whether minor sponsorship deals are part of the equation or not, I don't really see that as a big problem. The issue is when the sponsorship becomes corporate and all-encompassing.

At some point down the line Manchester United lost the basic connection with their community and their fanbase. That didn't matter financially but it was the reason for fcum in the first place. I think a well-run, community-spirited club will do very well in the city and some fans could be torn between the two?

I would have thought it wasn't necessarily all about the principles of the club, and more about feeling like the club is still a reflection and representation of the community.

[Ivo den Bieman]

For FCUM fans it seems that the principles do come before success on the park.

Until recently Salford were watched by twenty old men in the NWCL / NPL Div 1.

The two clubs really are different entities in different necks of the wood. So I don't see the conflict for a fan base.

It is an interesting debate though- what fans are willing to sacrifice for success, and what different fanbases will not compromise on.

Gary James' book Manchester: A Football History is an interesting read on how football in the city has developed.

[7-2]

I still dont get the FCUM hate but there we have it.

Because of their Man United association. There are some professional United haters on here and their seethe is so great that they need at least two United's to maximise their loathing. The Prem thread is quite funny during United games at times.

[Ivo den Bieman]

...I saw some of that, surely they should then be at least vaguely tolerant of FCUM, formed with the intention of getting it right up the Glazers and the "gloabilll brand" that the original Man U had become?

weird stuff.

[Sloop John B]

Because of their Man United association. There are some professional United haters on here and their seethe is so great that they need at least two United's to maximise their loathing. The Prem thread is quite funny during United games at times.

To be fair the same could be said of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool on here when they lose. I don't particularly care about the premier league but protesting against what every club dreams of is hard to get my head around. Other fan owned clubs have formed without needing to lecture people on why things were better in the old days and how TV is the devil.

[MacGafraidh]

Nights like the Cup game were great and not so great for FCUM

Great - They got 67k they will not have budgeted for and will use towards community programs, paying off debt and finishing the stadium. Many say they would happily have lost that money to play on the Saturday though!
Great - They highlighted the team to a nationwide audience and showed who they were and why they are different.
Great - They got to protest about the kick off times.
Great - Overseas fans and fans that couldn't get tickets got to see the game.

Not so Great - They kick off time split the support between the boycotters and the ones who didn't want to, made some rifts in the "FC Family".
Not so Great - They lost 4-1 and didn't progress further.

All in all I am kind of glad it is over.

In answer to the Salford question, the class of 92 would be unlikely to invest in FCUM due to the comments from their mentor Fergie circa 2005. We also would not offer them a "sole ownership" or a "Brooks Milestone" model because FCUM are happy to grow at a steady rate. As stated elsewhere, there is plenty room in Manchester for us both.

[ShawfieldAggro]

I remember Siw Aweks making his comments on the formation of FCUM, and at the time i considered them borne out of a genuine fear that the discerning supporter may disappear in droves if it developed at a more substantial rate. Fair play to those who made the leap, took advantage of the numbers willing to back their vision and not spend fortunes sucking the Sky knob. Of all the fans' protests over the years, be it prices, kick off times or whatever, continuing to turn up and pay their money when they're told to, really defeated the purpose.....FCUM, whether or not people like it, put in.the groundwork that frankly all the greeters and moaners at every other club never would. Good luck to them i say.

[pandarilla]

Ferguson is quite clearly a p***k. I always hoped (foolishly I know - but I'm a dreamer) he'd be a kind of working-class hero type who would've made a great wage but then acted in a decent manner. Turns out he loves the fat-cat neoliberal lifestyle. How much has he made since retiring? It's a tony blair-esque level of cashing in (which isn't really surprising since the pair got pretty close through political funding etc).

[craigkillie]

They seem today have reached a ceiling that their available cash and income will allow. If they want to maintain or progress, some compromise will be needed.

They're in their first season in a new division after having been promoted last year, so it's surely a bit soon to know whether or not they have reached a glass ceiling? If they'd been playing at the same level for years on end without any sign of improvement, fair enough, but that's not where they are right now.

[ShawfieldAggro]

Ferguson is quite clearly a p***k. I always hoped (foolishly I know - but I'm a dreamer) he'd be a kind of working-class hero type who would've made a great wage but then acted in a decent manner. Turns out he loves the fat-cat neoliberal lifestyle. How much has he made since retiring? It's a tony blair-esque level of cashing in (which isn't really surprising since the pair got pretty close through political funding etc).

He was the same with the Green and Gold minters, who insisted the club was failing post-Glazier, despite three CL finals in four years and three-in-a-row titles. Which is entirely circumstantial, yet unheard of prior to that. Where United broke the records set by Blackburn and Aston Villa in the 90s, they have since 2005 operated at a transfer fee level in excess of Bayern and arguably Barca. Hardly the actions of a BoD intent in.stripping the assets......yet ironically since SAF chucked it, there's been little or no murmur of discontent at anyone bar the manager. Again, at least the FCU guys had the balls to draw that line and, given that only a handful of clubs could do it, make a decent job of it.

[BFTD]

This has only just occurred to me, but FCUM sounds suspiciously like "f**k 'em". No doubt a coincidence, but it would explain why they decided to run with surely the most tortuous team name in England, if they were just trying to shoehorn it into an acronym.

Not sure why so many people seem to think they'll settle in at Conference level TBH. Even with their current crowds, they'd be a mid-table League Two side, and you'd imagine that would increase at least a wee bit if they made it into the Football League. I'm not as current on the English pyramid as I used to be, but are there really many sugar daddies keeping clubs afloat in the lower leagues?

Also, it's Alshit Ferguscum, FFS.

[cowdenbeath]

Plenty of sugar daddies still going around Forest Green and Eastleigh are heavily financed. Gateshead had one but he was trying to sell the club in the summer not sure if he did though.

Interesting point Dave about FCUM and f**k em Its a bit of a rip off of the old FCUK.

Didn't they just want to be called FC United but had to have the name of their City in the title as part of some FA rule?

Edited November 11, 2015 by cowdenbeath

[newcastle broon]

Gateshead had one but he was trying to sell the club in the summer not sure if he did though.

He retired in summer and chairmanship and general running of club were taken over by a local lad and lass who have an environmental business in Consett.

I think they have basically stepped up from being on the board as their company were already a sponsor of the club.

[Ivo den Bieman]

as far as I know Gateshead were sold in the summer to new owners although the fomrer chairman still has quite a role at the club. They really are ambitious to get back into the league and have come on leaps and bounds in the last decace.

The "f**k 'em" part of FCUM's name is very much deliberate. As for progression, I think the point being made is that progression beyond conf level (arguably, the bottom half of League Two) will require compromises which would require a chnage in the club's rules and constitution that a majority of the fanbase would not be willing to contemplate.

They are a very successful fan-run club and have advised others who have had to re-form (Chester FC particularly). The question is, how far can a club run by fans on a co-op basis progress without compromise.

My feeling is that FCUM fans would rather stay non league than enter into compromises on the ownership model, that they are uncomfortable with. Fair enough.

[cowdenbeath]

as far as I know Gateshead were sold in the summer to new owners although the fomrer chairman still has quite a role at the club. They really are ambitious to get back into the league and have come on leaps and bounds in the last decace.

The "f**k 'em" part of FCUM's name is very much deliberate. As for progression, I think the point being made is that progression beyond conf level (arguably, the bottom half of League Two) will require compromises which would require a chnage in the club's rules and constitution that a majority of the fanbase would not be willing to contemplate.

They are a very successful fan-run club and have advised others who have had to re-form (Chester FC particularly). The question is, how far can a club run by fans on a co-op basis progress without compromise.

My feeling is that FCUM fans would rather stay non league than enter into compromises on the ownership model, that they are uncomfortable with. Fair enough.

He retired in summer and chairmanship and general running of club were taken over by a local lad and lass who have an environmental business in Consett. I think they have basically stepped up from being on the board as their company were already a sponsor of the club.

Thanks guys remember reading about him wanting our or to retire.

Actually went to see the Heed towards the end of last season v Forest Green when Cowden had a free Saturday , quite enjoyed my day there.