United of manchester

History

United of Manchester FC was founded in July 2005 by Manchester United fans who did not want to come to terms with the fact that Malcolm Glaser bought their favorite club.

Not wanting to put up with high ticket prices for Manchester United matches and the fact that the fate of their favorite club will be in the hands of a family of American businessmen, they created FC United of Manchester - a “team of fans for the fans.”

The creators of UM are inspired by the example of AFC Wimbledon , a club created by fans in 2002 , after Charles Koppel moved Wimbledon to Milton Keynes . According to the results of the 2010-11 season, AFC Wimbledon won the right to play in Division 2 of the English Football League .

In the summer of 2005, FC United were declared in the 2nd Division of the Northwest League of Counties - the tenth English division . The head coach of the team was appointed Karl Marginson, who, along with his assistants Phil Power and Darren Lianz, conducted a viewing, which, according to the announcement, brought in more than 200 players, of which United was formed. Marginson also invited players he knew to join the team, many of whom attended Manchester United or Manchester City .

United's first ever friendly match was held July 16, 2005 against Lee RMI . The game ended with the score 0: 0 ^[1] . The first official match was won with a score of 5: 2, and the first goal in official games was scored by Stephen Spencer .

United plays home games at Broadhurst Park , which seats 4,400 spectators.

Principles on which the club is based

• Own United will be a specially created for this fan trust .
• All profits will be reinvested in the Club .
• There will never be front side sponsors on United. On the other hand, their presence is possible, but the reputation of these companies should be suitable and extremely positive.
• Young fans from Manchester and Salford will receive active support. Serious discounts will be provided for them. The club will actively attract young, talented players to its Junior Athletic Club.
• United will play in red, white and black. ^[2]

Gigg Lane (rental)

From its founding until April 2014, the club played at the Gigg Lane Stadium, which belongs to the Bury Football Club. The stadium seats 11,840 spectators ^[3] .

The record attendance at United of Manchester matches on Gigg Lane is 6,731 spectators, and was recorded on December 8, 2010 at the FA Cup game against Brighton and Hove Albion ^[4] .

Over the nine seasons of the lease, United of Manchester played 197 official matches at Gig Lane (121 wins, 28 draws, 48 ​​losses, goal difference 499: 239). The average attendance at matches was 2,138 spectators.

Bower Fold and Thameside Stadium (rental)

At the beginning of the 2014/15 season, a new club stadium was under construction. Therefore, the club was forced to rent the Stablebridge Celtic Stadium Bower Fold ^[5] , and then the Curzon Ashton Stadium Thameside Stadium .

Broadhurst Park

In November 2013, the club began building its own 4,400-seat stadium in Moston , an area in northeast Manchester. ^[6]

Initially, the stadium was planned to be built in another area of ​​Manchester - Newton Heat . ^[7] But the city council of Manchester refused the club to lease land. ^[eight]

The opening of the stadium took place on May 29, 2015 .

* as of March 20, 2015

Season 2005/06

The 2005/06 season was the debut for FC United, but the team was able to immediately express themselves loudly. The club scored 27 victories in the league, tied 6 times and lost three times. The difference in goals was 111: 35. 87 points out of 108 possible were scored, which allowed United to unconditionally take first place in the league.

The laurels of the United top scorer in all tournaments were shared by Rory Patterson and Simon Cardin, they scored 19 times. 18 goals on the account of Steve Torpei, 17 goals were scored by Eddie Or. The most matches for United this season were played by Patterson (33), 32 matches were played by Ohr, Stephen Spencer and Robert Nugent, 31 by Barry George and Torpei, 30 by captain David Chadwick ^[9] .

UM matches attendance record was 6.023 spectators.

Also, the newspaper Non-League Paper awarded United the title of Team of the Year ^[10] .

Season 2006/07

In the second season, FC United confidently won the 1st Division of the Northwest County League, losing only two matches and 13 points ahead of their closest pursuer, and a victory in the Northwest League League of Counties allowed Marginson wards to celebrate a gold double. Newcomer to the team, Stuart Rudd , scored 45 goals in 49 games and became United's top scorer of the season.

According to the results of voting in the newspaper Non-League Paper, the 22-year-old striker United Rory Patterson was recognized as the best young player in semi-professional football in England. The forward had a terrific season, scoring 39 goals in 45 games ^[11] .

The United reserve team , which included Russian Ilya Ovechkin, also scored a gold double.

Season 2007/08

In the 1st Division of the Northern Premier League, United started with two defeats, but then the team settled down in the new league and began to habitually stamp victories. Throughout the season, the Reds fought for a place in the playoffs , gave a terrific finish spurt of five wins in the last six matches, but, in the end, finished second, one point behind Bradford Park Avenue . In the playoffs, United confidently beat Bamber Bridge and Skelmersdale , and reached the next division ^{[12] [13]} .

The team also won the President’s Cup ^[14] , despite losing 1/4 of Nantwich Town with a score of 1: 5. After the match, it turned out that the undeclared player played for Nantwich, and Town was disqualified.

United Reserve Team took first place in the 2nd Division of the Cheshire Football League.

Season 2008/09

Before the start of the 2008/09 season, the former England youth team striker Kyle Wilson joined the team ^[15] . It was he who became the leader of the team and in the first half of the championship scored 22 goals. But the injury, due to which Wilson missed the second round, blew away the United attack, and despite the finishing spurt (7 wins and 3 draws in 10 rounds), the Reds finished sixth and did not make it to the playoffs .

The final match of the season, in which the fate of the trip to the playoffs was decided, was attended by 3,719 spectators who witnessed a dramatic denouement: by the 85th minute YUM had 1-0, but then they missed an offensive ball, and the competitors from Kendal Town match scored the winning goal in the 88th minute. The coincidence of these two events put an end to the hopes of Marginson's wards for the fourth consecutive time to achieve an increase in class ^[16] .

According to the results of the season, the United youth team designed the cup treble, having won the Manchester County Cup, the Northwest Youth Cup and won the championship of the Northwest Youth Alliance ^[17] .

Following a vote in the Manchester Evening News newspaper, United striker Kyle Wilson was named England's best semi-professional football player for the 2008/09 season ^[18] .

2009/10 Season

The second season in the Northern Premier League, the team began neither shakily, nor rolls, and, as a result, by the end of the first round, United were at the bottom of the tournament table, not far from the relegation zone.

Despite the failures in the championship, this season United have shown their best performance in cup tournaments. In the FA Cup, the club first reached the fourth qualifying round, where, however, they lost to Northwich Victoria with a score of 0-3 ^[19] .

At the end of December, due to the weather, many matches were postponed and, as a result, a break of almost a month was formed on the calendar. The year 2010, FC United, began very successfully, having gained eight victories in eight games and tied three times. At this time, Kyle Wilson, the top scorer of the last season, returned to the club on loan for a month ^[20] .

But after a successful start in the second half of the season, the Reds returned to the unpleasant regime of the first round, having begun to demonstrate an unstable game.

As a result, United finished the season in 13th place.

The most enjoyable event for the fans of the season was the news that the United management submitted an application to the Manchester City Council for the construction of a new stadium with a capacity of 5,000 people. The construction site was chosen very symbolically: they decided to build the stadium in Newton Heat , a district of Manchester where Manchester United was born more than 130 years ago ^[7] .

Season 2010/11

The team started the season more successfully than ever - with three victories in the championship, but then there was a recession and in the next seven games UM took only three points. Things were going very badly in the championship, and at one time the club even stayed in the relegation zone. But UM spent the second half of the season just fine, making his way into the playoff zone and eventually taking fourth place.

In the semifinals of the playoffs away 2-0, Bradford Park Avenue was beaten ^[21] but in the final of United of Manchester lost to Coluin Bay 0-1 and could not reach the Northern Conference ^[22] .

In the FA Cup, the team for the first time in its history made it to the second round. In the first round, United created a sensation by beating Rochdale away from League 1 on the road. The winning goal in the last added minute was scored by Mike Norton ^[23] . In the second round, UM worthily opposed the League 1 leader Brighton , but in the end he flew out, playing 1: 1 away ^[24] and losing 0-4 in the replay to Gigg Lane ^[25] .

These UM matches in the FA Cup were shown on television to the whole world, including in Russia on the Sport-1 channel ^{[26] [27]} . In these games, there were also beatings for United matches (7048 spectators in an away match against Rochdale and 6731 in the replay for Gigg Lane against Brighton).

With regard to the construction of its own stadium, in February 2011 the city ​​council of Manchester announced a revision of the decision to allocate YuM land in Newton Heat ^[8] . As a result, YuM had to submit a new application for construction, this time in another area of ​​Manchester - Moston ^[28] .

Season 2011/12

The season 2011/2012 for YM turned out to be difficult. An unstable game and a constant alternation of victories and defeats led to the fact that at the end of the season the club took sixth place, stopping one step away from the right to play in the playoffs for access to the Northern Conference . However, due to the fact that Northwich Victoria, the club that finished second, was expelled from the championship due to financial irregularities, UM was allowed to participate in the playoffs ^[29] . In the semifinals, United beat Chorley 0-2 away ^[30] . But the goal conceded in the 118th minute and the final defeat from Bradford Park Avenue in the final with a score of 0-1 ^[31] again did not allow UM to get into the top division.

In the FA Cup, the team also did not achieve good results, losing in the second qualifying round to the Lancaster City club with a score of 0-1 ^[32] .

2012/13 Season

United began the fifth season in the seventh division of England with three victories, but then a series of inexpressive results followed, after which the team ended up in the middle of the standings. In the middle of the season, the club issued a series of ten victories in eleven games, rising to third place, but by that time the duo of the leaders of North Ferribi United and Ednesford had already gone far. It was they who played the championship, and FC United finished third.

In the semifinals of the playoffs with a score of 3-1 there was a bit of “Whitton Albion”, and the final failed again. This time the Reds 1-2 lost to Ednesford .

Season 2013/2014

This season was held according to the traditional scenario of recent years: the team started the championship neither shakily, nor swiftly, and closer to winter, they began climbing to the top of the table. This time, starting in February, 12 consecutive victories were won in the championship. Such a breakthrough allowed UM for the first time in history to seriously compete for the championship in the seventh division.

Decisive was the home game against direct competitors - “Chorley”. YM managed to recoup from 0-2, snatching a 2-2 draw. But the necessary victory was never achieved, and according to the results of the championship, FC United took second place, one point behind Chorley.

The next playoffs ended with a relegation in the semifinals. Leading 1-0 in the match against Ashton United, the Reds missed in time added to the second half, and then in the last seconds of extra time.

In the fall of 2013, the most important victory outside the football field was gained - the construction of the new Broadhurst Park United stadium began.

Season 2014/2015

For the tour before the end of the championship, FC United secured first place. Thus, for the first time in history, the club entered the Northern Conference (6th level in the English football league system ) ^[33] .

Season 2015/2016

FC United took 13th place in the championship and kept a residence permit in the Northern Conference ^{[34] [35]} .

Season 2016/2017

United FC took 13th place in the championship, gaining 54 points ^[36] .

Season 2017/2018

United FC took 16th place in the championship, gaining 50 points.

Season 2018/2019

• Northern Premier League
  • 2015
• Northwest County League, 2 Division : 1
  • 2006
• Northwest County League, 1 Division : 1
  • 2007
• Northwest County League Cup : 1
  • 2007
• Presidential Cup Presidential Cup of the Northern Premier League : 1
  • 2008
• Northern Premier League First Division Playoff Cup : 1
  • 2008
• Fans Cup : 1
  • 2007

Club records

• Attendance record (at home): 6,731 , December 8, 2010 , FC United 0-4 Brighton and Hove Albion
• Attendance record (away): 7.048 , November 5, 2010 , Rochdale 2-3 FC United

Team Records

• Biggest win: December 10-2 , December 10, 2005, United 10-2 Castleton Gabriels
• Biggest defeat: 1-5 , February 25, 2008 , Nantwich Town 5-1 FC United
• Most goals scored in the match: December 10, 2005 , FC United 10-2 Castleton Gabriels
• Most goals conceded in a match: February 5 , 25, 2008 , Nantwich Town 5-1 FC United

Individual Records

• Most Seasons at the Club: 8 , Jerome Wright
• Most appearances: 335 , Jerome Wright
• Most appearances at base: 320, Jerome Wright
• Most appearances of the season: 57 , David Carnell
• Most Goals: 99 , Rory Patterson
• Most goals of the season: 45 , Stuart Rudd
• Most goals in the match: 5 , Simon Cardin
• Most yellow cards: 56 , Jerome Wright
• Most red cards: 4 , Ben Deegan , Mike Norton , Jerome Wright ^[4]

(corrected as of June 19, 2015)

• Club official website
• FC United of Manchester in Russia (Russian)
• Forum of Russian fans of FC United of Manchester (Rus.)
• Unofficial Fan Forum
• Unofficial fan site
• FC United Television
• United Youth Team
• A collection of articles about the club
• FC United Television
• FC United of Manchester Fans Association