FC United - bit big for their boots?

[Iggle Piggle]

This is all a bit weird

If I’ve got my politics right, Buzzer, a Tory, is arguing the case for the left insomuch that FCUM have too many resources at their disposal which makes it all a bit unfair at a lower league level. Attila meanwhile, somewhere left of Tony Benn, is arguing the case of the right that this is OK because it’s all for the greater good.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I cannot know what their other staff costs are...

Maybe Attila can let us know?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I cannot know what their other staff costs are...

Maybe Attila can let us know?

 

[Buzzer]

This is all a bit weird

If I’ve got my politics right, Buzzer, a Tory,.

Ex-Tory.

 

[Bold Seagull]

From their own press guff:

In 2011 the club had over 3500 members who each own one share (non-withdrawable), which entitles them to one vote, and is run on a democratic basis with an elected board of directors. It employs a General Manager and Club Secretary full time along with community programme and team staff on a mostly on a part time basis. FC United also has hundreds of volunteers who contribute to the running of the club. The average crowd is 2,000 – seven times the average for the league.

They've also raised £2 million pounds privately from a share scheme to help build their £5 million new stadium. There are clubs in League Two that can only dream of this kind of clout.

I'm all for support of grassroots football. This isn't it.

I agree, this isn't grassroots football, it's semi-professional nonleague football, which in a lot of cases is run in a professional manner.

I don't agree on their resources being vastly greater than others in their league. That is not true. They don't have a ground and have a share scheme for the purchase and construction of one - this cannot be used for playing budgets etc. Their achilles heel has been their large crowds and the massive costs they face hiring the ground from Bury. You'd be surprised at this level the sums of money that do get spent on players and players wages.

 

[The Large One]

This is all a bit weird

If I’ve got my politics right, Buzzer, a Tory, is arguing the case for the left insomuch that FCUM have too many resources at their disposal which makes it all a bit unfair at a lower league level. Attila meanwhile, somewhere left of Tony Benn, is arguing the case of the right that this is OK because it’s all for the greater good.

I don't think it's fair to pigeonhole anyone with one political ideology, especially when it comes to football.

This is a story which feeds on itself because of the Manchester United link, and attracts its own pro- and anti-sentiments.

I'm a shareholder in another local club, Lewes FC, and are run on not dis-similar lines to FCUM; like FCUM, you can only have one share, no matter how much you put in. They have fewer 'members', though still attract ownership from people with no affinity to Lewes, yet don't seem to attract the same amount of divisiveness.

 

[Buzzer]

I agree, this isn't grassroots football, it's semi-professional nonleague football, which in a lot of cases is run in a professional manner.

I don't agree on their resources being vastly greater than others in their league. That is not true. They don't have a ground and have a share scheme for the purchase and construction of one - this cannot be used for playing budgets etc. Their achilles heel has been their large crowds and the massive costs they face hiring the ground from Bury. You'd be surprised at this level the sums of money that do get spent on players and players wages.

Do other clubs in the same division get 2000 fans? Do other clubs in the same division have hundreds of volunteers? Do other clubs have financial support across Europe from fellow travellers sufficient for them to raise £2M privately?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

That's brilliant though - fan ownership of football clubs is a great way of doing things, hopefully the Albion will be owned by the fans one day too.

.

We are already.

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

I'm curious as to why you've described those who are against the concept of FCUM as fans in inverted commas. Are you suggesting that we aren't real fans? I take it you are implying something derogatory because of the later 'Chelsea-style' reference.

So we're not 'real' fans but Man U fans are. Haha!



. The fact that a club so low-down in the football pyramid has so many hangers-on and admin staff rather suggests they have a very high opinion of themselves.

You make valid points re: Man United, I'm no fan myself, I just feel that a lot at the Albion try and make a name for themselves by questioning the Palace rivalry but will then jump on any bandwagon slagging Man Utd off having never been to Manchester. Perhaps these are the same 'fans' from Block H singing "One Malcolm Glazer...." "USA.....USA!....." or my personal favourite "one-nil and you fu**ed it up.. (despite being so low down in the football pyramid).

As for all the admin staff, the club is run by volenteers, so maybe they do have a high opinion of themselves

Perhaps some of their fans do have an agenda but then again perhaps some just prefer to pay less in admission charges than some clubs charge for car parking for a kids party.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Perhaps some of their fans do have an agenda but then again perhaps some just prefer to pay less in admission charges than some clubs charge for car parking for a kids party.

And prefer to not pay at all, to attend matches at other cash-strapped clubs' grounds. Which is what this entire thread is about.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Do other clubs in the same division get 2000 fans? Do other clubs in the same division have hundreds of volunteers? Do other clubs have financial support across Europe from fellow travellers sufficient for them to raise £2M privately?

Shall we just agree neither of us actually knows (otherwise you wouldn't be asking questions would you...). The only advantage to them currently over the rest of their league would be if they had a far greater playing resource given they don't have their own ground. I don't believe their playing budget or transfer budget is any different to anyone else in that league - hence they're still in it after 3 or 4 years now.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Cheap shot. You know my involvement with the Plymouth Argyle fight to rescue their club. It's one thing showing solidarity with fans and donating to bucket collections but it's another to buy shares in another club and vote in their AGMs.

Like TLO I am a shareholder at Lewes does the same thinking apply or is it only when the club is a)successful (in fundraising terms) or b) comprised of ex United scumbags?

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

And prefer to not pay at all, to attend matches at other cash-strapped clubs' grounds. Which is what this entire thread is about.

doesn't make it right, but Fylde "cash strapped"? not quite, their ambitious Chairman wants them in the FL by2020. In the early days clubs like Stone Dominoes and Daisy Hill that had average attendances lower than Hollingbury Hawks benefited from the 1000+ FCUM brought. Most clubs have hangers on, Worthing were fined for two non elegibles getting a freebie to Guernsey, and recently at Peacehaven, two followers of a visiting Sussex club claimed they were "just carrying the kit" and then went and hid when the gates open. Doen't make it right but it's very common. How many Albion fans get in on someone elses U18 ST?

 

[Buzzer]

Shall we just agree neither of us actually knows (otherwise you wouldn't be asking questions would you...). The only advantage to them currently over the rest of their league would be if they had a far greater playing resource given they don't have their own ground. I don't believe their playing budget or transfer budget is any different to anyone else in that league - hence they're still in it after 3 or 4 years now.

My question was more rhetorical but we do know that no other club gets those gates because FCUM have told us so themselves and I know for a fact that Worthing who are at the same level don't claim to have hundreds of volunteers. Nor do they have as many staff nor would they have a hope in hell of raising £2M privately through a fan share scheme. Nor do they have a current and active membership list that has hundreds of members from across the UK and Europe.

I could do a little digging on Google for other clubs but I think it's safe to assume that Worthing is more representative of what constitutes a typical club at that level than FCUM who enjoy considerable advantages over their rivals - not least the publicity that they generate from people eager to promote them as the future of football.

 

[Hillian1]

Is everyone forgetting that we, Brighton and Hove Albion, are in essence also gaining an unfair advantage over other clubs in our respective league.

We were gifted a £120 million stadium with zero outlay from the Club, we also play at this shiny new stadium rent free, how many other clubs can boast the same?

Our playing budget is where it's at today because of one mans generosity to our/his club, without him I doubt we could afford to compete.

 

[Buzzer]

Like TLO I am a shareholder at Lewes does the same thinking apply or is it only when the club is a)successful (in fundraising terms) or b) comprised of ex United scumbags?

My previous comment about having a link historically or geographically should answer that, I hope. I don't think many people can see the problem with being a shareholder of a local club or a club you've got history with. It's when you get people being shareholders of clubs that they have no link with hundreds of miles away because they are politically motivated and then claim this is evidence of a win for grassroots football that I have issues with.

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Worthing are a division below FCUM....just sayin

 

[Buzzer]

Is everyone forgetting that we, Brighton and Hove Albion, are in essence also gaining an unfair advantage over other clubs in our respective league.

We were gifted a £120 million stadium with zero outlay from the Club, we also play at this shiny new stadium rent free, how many other clubs can boast the same?

Our playing budget is where it's at today because of one mans generosity to our/his club, without him I doubt we could afford to compete.

Agree completely. Difference is the FCUM supporters who have made that club so big in comparison to their rivals are taking some moral high ground of reclaiming grassroots football when all along there is subtle but extremely clever corporate marketing of themselves as a UK St Pauli and gaining the advantage of all those plastic fans.

Plus ca change.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Most clubs have hangers on, Worthing were fined for two non elegibles getting a freebie to Guernsey, and recently at Peacehaven, two followers of a visiting Sussex club claimed they were "just carrying the kit" and then went and hid when the gates open. Doen't make it right but it's very common. How many Albion fans get in on someone elses U18 ST?

Most non league clubs have a handful of hangers-on trying their luck, but they would all accept them as just that. Not send coachloads of them masquerading as nutritionists, manicurists and shiatsu masseurs, then launch an internet smear campaign when they are refused entry and told to stop taking the piss.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Cheap shot. You know my involvement with the Plymouth Argyle fight to rescue their club. It's one thing showing solidarity with fans and donating to bucket collections but it's another to buy shares in another club and vote in their AGMs.

This.

I've never understood FCUM and I never will. I donated to Plymouth and Darlington and I once nearly wrote something nice about Portsmouth but they were all facing losing their actual club permanently. FCUM is simply the reactionary left's answer to an argument about how to fund a permanent spot in the Champions League.

Ken Bates could run Man Utd and they'd still finish top 4 every season. If that's not your cup of tea I'm not sure why you'd start supporting them in the first place.