F.C. United of Manchester facts for kids
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| Full name | Football Club United of Manchester | |||
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| Nickname(s) | F.C. United The Reds Red Rebels |
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| Founded | 2005 | |||
| Ground | Broadhurst Park | |||
| Capacity | 4,400 | |||
| Chairman | Nick Boom | |||
| Manager | Mark Beesley | |||
| League | Northern Premier League Premier Division | |||
| 2018–19 | National League North, 21st of 22 (relegated) | |||
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Football Club United of Manchester, often called FC United, is a semi-professional football club. It is based in Moston, Manchester, England. The club plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, which is the seventh level of English football. Their home games are played at Broadhurst Park.
FC United was started in 2005 by fans of Manchester United. These fans were unhappy about American businessman Malcolm Glazer taking over their club. FC United began in a lower league, Division Two of the North West Counties Football League. They quickly moved up, earning three promotions in a row. They were promoted a fourth time to the National League North for the 2015–16 season.
In cup games, FC United reached the second round of the FA Cup in the 2010–11 season. They also made it to the fourth round of the FA Trophy in 2014–15. In 2019, they moved back down to the Northern Premier League.
From 2005 to 2014, FC United shared a stadium with Bury at Gigg Lane. In May 2015, they opened their own stadium, Broadhurst Park. The club's regular kit colours are red shirts, white shorts, and black socks. Their badge is based on the Manchester coat of arms. It shows a ship and a shield with three yellow stripes on a red background.
FC United is one of the biggest fan-owned football clubs in the UK. It has many members and often has large crowds at its home games for a non-league team. The club is run by its members, who each have one vote.
Contents
Club History
How the Club Started
The club was formed in 2005 by unhappy supporters of Manchester United. The main reason for their unhappiness was when American businessman Malcolm Glazer bought Manchester United on May 12, 2005. Fans had thought about starting a new club before, back in 1998. This was when BSkyB tried to take over Manchester United. The idea for FC United came up in February 2005.
Meetings were held for fans in Manchester in May 2005. A group was then formed to set up the new club. The name "F.C. United" was first turned down by The Football Association. It was thought to be too general. So, people who had promised money to the club voted on a name. On June 14, 2005, "F.C. United of Manchester" was chosen. It beat other names like "A.F.C. Manchester 1878". The club was officially registered the same day.
Karl Marginson became the club's first manager on June 22. Four days later, the club held tryouts for players. About 900 players wanted to try out, and 200 were chosen. From those, 17 players were picked for FC United. Jonathan Mitten, whose great-uncle was famous Manchester United player Charlie Mitten, was the first player to sign.
The first meeting for FC United members was on July 5, 2005. Members voted on the club's rules, badge, and main ideas. They also chose an 11-person board. By July 6, over 4,000 people had promised money. The club had more than £100,000 in the bank. FC United played its first game against Leigh RMI on July 16, 2005. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.
Quick Promotions (2005–2015)
For the 2005–06 season, FC United played in the Second Division of the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL). This was level ten in the English football system. The club played its home games at Bury's Gigg Lane stadium. FC United could not play in the FA Vase in their first season. This was because the club was formed after the deadline to enter.
FC United's first official match was a 5–2 win against Leek County School Old Boys on August 13, 2005. Over 2,500 people watched the game. In their first home game on August 20, they beat Padiham 3–2. During their first season, FC United often broke NWCFL attendance records. A crowd of 6,032 watched their last home league game. The team was promoted to Division One.
In the 2006–07 season, FC United won the NWCFL Division One title. This earned them promotion to the Northern Premier League. They also won the NWCFL's Challenge Cup.
In 2007–08, FC United played in the Northern Premier League (NPL) Division One North. They played in the FA Cup for the first time but lost early on. They won the NPL President's Cup, their fourth trophy in three years. The club finished second in the league. They won their play-off final 4–1 against Skelmersdale United. This meant their third promotion in a row, moving up to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
In the 2010–11 season, FC United reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. They beat League One team Rochdale 3–2. They then played Brighton & Hove Albion in the second round. After a 1–1 draw, FC United lost the replay 0–4. This game had their highest home attendance of 6,731 fans.
FC United kept trying for promotion in the NPL Premier Division play-offs. They reached the final three times in a row from 2011 to 2013 but lost each time. In the 2014–15 season, they finally won promotion to the National League North. They secured this with a 1–0 win against Stourbridge on April 21, 2015. This was after seven years of trying.
National League Years (2015–2019)
FC United got their first win in the National League North on August 22, 2015. They beat Brackley Town 3–2 at their new Broadhurst Park stadium. In October, they reached the first round of the FA Cup again. They lost 4–1 at home to Chesterfield. The team finished the season in 13th place.
In the 2016–17 season, they finished 13th again. They won the Manchester FA county cup for the first time. They beat Stalybridge Celtic 1–0 in the final. After a difficult start to the 2017–18 season, Karl Marginson, their first manager, left the club. Player Tom Greaves took over as manager. FC United finished 16th and won the Manchester FA county cup again.
After a poor start to the 2018–19 season, Tom Greaves left. Neil Reynolds became the new manager in October 2018. On April 22, 2019, FC United was moved back down to the Northern Premier League. This happened after a 1–2 home loss to Blyth Spartans.
Team Colours and Badge
FC United's club colours are red, white, and black. These are the same colours as Manchester United. The team's shirt does not have a sponsor's logo. This is a rule in the club's constitution. Their first kit was a plain red shirt, white shorts, and black socks. They have changed their kit designs over the years.
The club's second kit is usually white. They wear this when playing against teams that wear mostly red. They also have a blue kit with the words "Our Club Our Rules" on the front. This is for games against teams with red and white kits.
The club's badge is red, white, black, and yellow. It uses parts of the coat of arms of Manchester City Council. The ship on the badge stands for Manchester's industry. The shield comes from the crest of Robert de Gresle, an early lord of Manchester.
Home Stadium
FC United plays at Broadhurst Park, which opened in May 2015. The stadium can hold 4,400 people. It cost £6.3 million to build. Money came from a Community Share Scheme and grants. The stadium has covered stands on all sides. The Main Stand has seats, a clubhouse, offices, and changing rooms. A local junior team, Moston Juniors F.C., also uses the stadium.
From 2005 to 2014, FC United played at Bury F.C.'s Gigg Lane stadium. In 2010, they planned to build a stadium in Newton Heath. This was Manchester United's original home. But the Manchester City Council later pulled out of funding. The Broadhurst Park site was announced in April 2011. Building started in November 2013 after some delays.
Because Broadhurst Park wasn't ready in time, FC United used other stadiums temporarily. They used Bower Fold and Tameside Stadium for parts of the 2014–15 season. The official opening game at Broadhurst Park was a friendly match against Benfica B on May 29, 2015. Benfica B won 1–0 in front of 4,232 fans.
Club Supporters
FC United is owned by about 2,300 of its members. It is the third-largest supporter-owned football club in the UK. Each member gets one share and one vote. They can vote on how the club is run, including choosing board members and kit designs. FC United fans are known for their many songs and the great atmosphere they create at matches.
In their first season (2005–06), FC United had the second-highest average attendance in English non-league football. Their average crowd was 3,059 people. After moving to Broadhurst Park in May 2015, their average attendance grew to 3,394 in 2015–16. This was the fourth-highest attendance in non-league football.
How the Club is Run
FC United is run as a community benefit society. To become a member, you pay a yearly fee. Each member gets one share and one vote, no matter how much money they give. The club's board has up to 11 members, chosen by the club members. Andy Walsh was the first chief executive officer. Damian Chadwick and then Paul Smith took over this role. Danny Davis became the General Manager in 2023.
The club has important rules called core principles:
- The Board is chosen by members in a fair vote.
- Every member gets one vote for decisions.
- The club will connect with the local community and be open to everyone.
- Ticket prices will be as low as possible for many people.
- The club will help young, local players and supporters.
- The Board will try to avoid too much commercialism.
- The club will always be a non-profit group.
FC United accepts sponsorship but does not put sponsor logos on the team's shirts. They were sponsored by the Bhopal Medical Appeal and Williams BMW Group in their early years. From 2011 to 2016, mxData was their sponsor. In 2014, FC United became the first football club in the UK to be a living wage employer. This means they pay their staff a fair living wage.
Club Records and Achievements
Jerome Wright holds the record for the most games played for FC United, with 400 appearances. Tom Greaves is the club's top goal-scorer of all time, with 102 goals. Six other players have scored more than 50 goals for the club. Stuart Rudd scored the most goals in a single season, with 45 goals in 2006–07.
The team's best season for points was 2006–07, with 112 points. They also scored 157 goals that season. In the 2010–11 FA Cup, they reached the second round. They beat Rochdale 3–2. Then they drew 1–1 with Brighton & Hove Albion before losing the replay.
In the 2014–15 FA Trophy, they reached the fourth round. They beat teams like Harrogate Town and Chorley. They lost 0–1 to Torquay United.
FC United's biggest league win was 10–2 against Castleton Gabriels in 2005. Simon Carden scored five goals in that game. They also won 8–0 three times in the 2006–07 season. Their biggest league loss was 0–6 away to Harrogate Town in 2018.
The highest number of fans at a home game was 6,731 against Brighton in the FA Cup in 2010. The second highest was 6,023 against Great Harwood Town in 2006. Both of these games were at Gigg Lane.
Players and Coaching Staff
Current Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Former Players
See Category:F.C. United of Manchester players for a list of important players.
International Players
FC United has helped some players go on to play for their national teams. Rory Patterson, the club's top goal-scorer, played for Northern Ireland. Matthew Walwyn played for Saint Kitts and Nevis. Other players who have played international football include Stephen O'Halloran (Republic of Ireland) and Amjad Iqbal (Pakistan).
Managerial History
Karl Marginson was FC United's first manager. He led the team to four promotions and several cup wins. He left the club in October 2017. Tom Greaves, a player, became the temporary manager and then the permanent player-manager. Greaves resigned in August 2018. Dave Chadwick was a temporary manager. Neil Reynolds took over in October 2018 and managed until September 2024. Mark Beesley is the current manager, starting in September 2024.
Current Coaching Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
 Mark Beesley |
Manager |
| David Raven |
Assistant manager |
 Callum Greenwood |
Goalkeeper coach |
| Olivia Smith |
Head physio |
| Joseph Winskill |
Kitman |
| Sam Irvine |
Women's Team Coach |
| Mark Thomas |
Assistant head coach |
| Source: | |
Club Honours (Trophies)
FC United has won three league titles, two league cups, and two county cups.
- Northern Premier League Premier Division
- Champions: 2014–15
- Northern Premier League Division One North
- Play-off winners: 2007–08
- Northern Premier League President's Cup
- Winners: 2007–08
- North West Counties League Division One
- Champions: 2006–07
- North West Counties League Division Two
- Champions: 2005–06
- North West Counties League Challenge Cup
- Winners: 2006–07
- Fenix Trophy
- Winners: 2021–22, 2023–24
- Manchester Premier Cup
- Winners: 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supporters Direct Cup
- Winners: 2006
- Brian Lomax Trophy
- Winners: 2021
Women's Team
FC United's women's team started playing in the 2012–13 season. They finished second in their league behind Manchester City Ladies. In 2015, they won a league and cup double, moving up to a higher league. They won a league and county cup in 2016–17. In 2017–18, they won their first Treble (three trophies in one season). This included the league, county cup, and promotion after an unbeaten league season.
After some seasons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team moved up to the 4th division for the first time. In 2023-24, they were moved back down to the North West Women's Regional Football League. Sam Irvine is their current manager.
See also
In Spanish: Football Club United of Manchester para niños
