Friday, August 05, 2005

Ricci Crace for AFC Wimbledon (v FC United of Manchester), Saturday 23 July 2005

I have just got my tickets for my first competitive match of the season.

Manchester United v Debrecen in the Champions League 3rd Round Qualifier next week? No.

Away tickets for Everton v Manchester United in the opening game of the Premiership on 13th August? No.

My local team, Nottingham Forest v Huddersfield Town tomorrow in League One? No.

I am starting my football season off at 3pm on Saturday 13th August at Harrison Park, home of Leek County School Old Boys. My tickets are costing me £6 each, and my mum, Maddie and I are off to see the first competitive game of FC United of Manchester, the supporters club set up in response to the Malcolm Glazer takeover of Manchester United Plc.

I am really looking forward to it. Poor little Leek CSOB (average crowd just over 100) have had to make the match all ticket in anticipation of a 3000 sell-out. It will be the biggest game in their history. They will make more money on that day than they ordinarily do in a full season. Bless them, they have even posted a list of pubs nearby that will be showing the "proper" United game at 12.45pm.

I'll post some pictures and a report when I get back from the game. It promises to be brilliant.

(and then the following week I will be at Old Trafford for our game against Aston Villa, don't think that I have turned my back on the club full time for a flirtation with the new team...!)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

it'll never last.

MG

Anonymous said...

Actually, I take umbrage with the 'poor little Leek CSOB' comment. A lot of my Stokie mates (and indeed ex-stokie mates) go along to Leek games...particulatly since our own club was taken over by non-Uk ownership - with a view to making some cash out of the game(little did they know). Please don't start thinking that you're the only club in this position, and less of the self pity - how did you really feel when public ownership first came along? This 'pitying the little club' nonsense is exactly the sort of thing which has given your first club the reputation it has amongst the rest of us now....

LB said...

sorry, Rufus fan, I don't think I made myself very clear there.

The point I was (unsuccessfully) trying to make certainly wasn't "ah, bless (insert name of North West Counties Division 2 side here) with their rubbish attendances and tinpot facilities."

I spoke to a guy called Stan at Leek CSOB yesterday who was about as stressed as a person could be I think. He had to organise this huge logistical football operation with about three weeks notice.
My comment was bone of sympathy for the job they must currently be doing.

However, it clearly is true that they are suddenly going to make a shedload of money which can only be good for presumably improving the game at that level, can't it? They can improve their players, or facilities.

I am certainly not indulging in self-pity and would go on record as saying that this whole "Not for Sale" business was nonsense. If you're a PLC, you're for sale. And yes, no-one gave much of a shit when there was nice English men in suits making squillions of quid to spend on your Keane's and Ince's and Cole's and Yorke's.

And I shall be going to Old Trafford on a regular basis this year as normal.

What that doesnt exclude though is my nervousness and dislike for the Glazer takoever (we're suddenly the most indebted football club on the planet) or my admiration and support for the guys who have set up FC United, hence the reason I am going to show my support.

Similarly I have great support also for anyone else in that position, the most obvious ones being the guys at AFC Wimbledon. At least our new owners haven't moved the club 50 miles away. Yet.

I'm sorry if that didnt come across in what I was trying to say, and my intention was certainly not to patronise Leek or any of the other clubs in that league.

Anonymous said...

hmmm.
must not write stroppy coments after imbibing large quantities of wine....
How can I talk, really, I've given up my season ticket this year and I'm sitting at home, 25 minutes into our first home game of the season and I feel awful (not just because of the wine).

Dom said...

Bad taste in football team - but a nice blog!. You should have gone to see your local team - we actually won a game!.

red one said...

it'll never last

I reckon it will - look at AFC Wimbledon, going great guns and good on 'em too.

As LB says PLCs are for sale - but that doesn't make it good for football. Not that the game being distorted by big business is anything new.

That's why it's nice to see genuine footie fans trying to stand up for what football means to us - not what it is to the boardroom corporate sharks.

I can't actually afford to go and see my team play, so I say good luck to those battling in fans' interests, wherever they are.

RedOne