I suppose I shouldn't have expected the whole thread to trundle along without a bit of a slagging, after all, I always knew I'd be fighting a losing battle... I've addressed our reasoning behind the ground build and the effect on the community, and after having been to a meeting regarding the ground last night, I can only emphasise the fact that the local community will be consulted almost immediately and along every step of the process.
The whole anti-red thing I'll leave alone, it's been done to death. It'd also be a waste of my time defending our whole reasoning to setting up a club and the question of our loyalties, we have enough on our plate with certain sections of MUFC's support giving us that. But anyhow, I thought I'd address the misconceptions surrounding the club and formation that have been brought up.
Had they a true and honest interest in Non-league football they would have gone and watched one of the many clubs in the area that could have done with their support.
Why would we do that? As an example, Leigh (RMI at the time) approached us at the time of our formation and offered a joint solution (team and ground). This was rejected as we are plain and simple, United fans. And ask Leigh (Genesis as they are now) about our decision, they've no problem at all with it. Could we suddenly become Altrincham, Curzon or Droylsden fans? Could you? And more to the point how would they feel about a shedload of United fans turning up, wearing United scarfs, singing United songs? Not well methinks...
They have used their financial muscle to the detriment of those clubs, many with long and proud histories.
What financial muscle? Categorically we are in the bottom four of the NPL when it comes to 'wages'. We have seven players on contract. The rest play for nominal expenses. Whatever we earn on a gate goes mostly to Bury for ground hire. We have two paid employees, the rest are volunteers. Not sure how this would be of detriment anyway. How does 1,000 paying customers turning up to a ground where the average is 150 harm a club? And how that affects their proud histories, you've lost me....
I've spoken to quite a few fans of other NL clubs they've visited and to a man they despise FCUM and their fans. Whereas most fans will treat an awayday to another NL club as an opportunity to make friends, FCUM always leave a nasty smell.
If you can prove that, I'll be mightily impressed. It would be easy to list off the chairmen and fans of clubs such as Norton & Stockton, Holker, Bridlington, Kendal ad infinitum who have praised and thanked our support. I'll address the one issue against us whereby Altrincham had an issue with a fan of ours playing up in a game at Moss Lane a few years back, alongside the occasional Alty fan having a dig... so much so they invite us back for friendlies and allow us use of Moss Lane for the odd cup game.
To say they have no ambition beyond Non-league would be a downright lie.
We want to be successful, who doesn't? I prefer non-league, but as someone wiser than me once said 'Ambition is critical'
I'm unaware that they had any defined community locality for which they provide community work and suspect any they do will have been done for opportunistic reasons, opportunistic is their DNA.
We don't have any defined community locality, as quite frankly, we hadn't done it before. We chose areas to develop youth work and found ourselves to be trading on the toes of City or United, so we had to look again, and found ourselves working on inclusion schemes not currently covered by MCFC or MUFC such as Miles Platting, Openshaw, Whalley Range and yes, Moston. I'm not sure what is opportunistic about working with kids who routinely carry weapons, have substance issues etc but we have done.
They are the bastard offspring spawn of a despicable behemoth
I'll take that as a compliment
and no public money should be granted to a private members club for dickheads.
We've raised £1.3m of the cash ourselves. The 'public money' being used was already allocated to a scheme that went bump. That the council decide to use it for a project that will help and empower the Moston community is, in my opinion, an investment. If you'd care to explain the difference between public money building the CoMS and our scheme, I'm all ears.
I realise I'm peeing in the proverbial here, but thought I'd stop by challenge the lazy misconceptions often banded about. I'm not welcome, I know that, but it could be worth bearing in mind that we could very soon be neighbours...
