BRING ON BEING UNITED - Plans for Rochdale Match on 30th July

Now is the time for the Club, with a new Board, to come together and move forward - the new season gives us a fresh start and the chance to start making things better.

There is no hiding it, the last twelve months has been a difficult and stressful time for the club, its staff, volunteers and members. Moving into Broadhurst Park has brought growing pains but now is the time for the Club, with a new Board, to come together and move forward.

The new season gives us a fresh start and the chance to start making things better. The Board has listened to members who overwhelmingly voted at the general meeting for the Board to “make meaningful moves to heal the rifts that have developed within the Club’s support???.

This starts with the Rochdale game taking place on Saturday 30th July ko 3pm at Broadhurst Park.

In accordance with the members’ vote, the Board are asking members to nominate volunteers - past and present - to invite as guests of honour to the Rochdale game - email rochdale@fc-utd.co.uk

We know that our amazing volunteers do it for the love of the Club and not for thanks. We also know it is impossible to thank the hundreds of volunteers that make the Club so special. The Rochdale game is dedicated to them and a reminder of what an incredible force we are when all pulling in the same direction.

This match is also a great opportunity to join our army of volunteers, even for just one game. In July it is inevitable that some volunteers will be on holiday so if you can help out in any way then please get in touch - again please email rochdale@fc-utd.co.uk

Rochdale was, of course, the home of the Rochdale Pioneers who laid the foundations for the modern cooperative movement of which FC United are proud to be part. Their “Rochdale Principles??? embodying equal membership, democratic control and a desire to be anti-discriminatory resonate today as much they did in 1844.

At FC we are considered to be football pioneers with our pioneering DIY spirit plain to see in the likes of the community share issue and pay what you can afford season tickets. And also in the slightly more irreverent form of the wonderfully unique Course You Can Malcolm tertulia, a “club night in the afternoon at the wrong end of the tram tracks???, which provided pre-match cultural and culinary nourishment for many seasons at Gigg Lane and raised thousands for the club.

So, in true Rochdale pioneering spirit we will be kicking off the Rochdale weekend with an event inspired by Course You Can Malcolm run by some Malcolmses volunteers and others. It might be called “Malcolm of Course You Can??? it might be called “Course You Can Moston???.

Either way it is in the function room at Broadhurst Park on Friday night 29th July starting at 7pm. It’s not in the afternoon and we’re not even at the wrong end of the tram tracks any more but it promises to be the usual mixture of live music, laughs and tater ash. And you won’t even miss the first ten minutes of the second half as the music over-runs. It will be pay-what-you-can-afford entry on the night and there will be a preview in the Malcolmses volunteers’ own unique style nearer the time.

What else is happening? Well, that’s up to you so send us your ideas by email to rochdale@fc-utd.co.uk

There will be a special programme for the game priced at £1.50. It will contain Margy’s thoughts on the season ahead, fan’s stories from that famous night on 5 November 2010 and special guest interviews. Any contributions in the form of letters, articles, ideas, photos, poems, cartoons or general comments on the programme should be sent to programme@fc-utd.uk

We’ll be holding a members’ surgery before the match in the St Mary’s Road bar to give members the opportunity to discuss issues and put forward ideas to members of the new Board – but if you don’t want to talk to Board members then have a beer and watch that famous night from 2010 which will be showing on all the TV’s in the ground.

As well as the usual Pound for the Ground there will be tickets to win a FC United shirt signed by Eric Cantona. The shirt says “Broadhurst Park, the new Theatre of Dreams, Eric Cantona???. Inspiring and a reminder of our proud history.

Saturday 30th July kick-off 3pm
FC United of Manchester v Rochdale
Broadhurst Park
Lightbowne Road, Moston
Manchester M40 0FJ

Admission is pay on the gate:
£9 Adults
£5 Concessions
£2 under 18s.

Below are some more videos to get you in the mood.

Forza FCUM.