Get yourself to that football ground, FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round, FC United V Radcliffe Borough, Gigg Lane, Saturday 11th September, kick off 3.00 pm.
"I bet we could run Wembley"
So the first FC home game of the season took place at Stalybridge last Sunday with at least another four to follow over the next three months. Stalybridge Celtic very kindly handed over their ground and let us get on with it.
A number of volunteers started arriving in the morning sorting out the floats for the turnstiles and Pound for the Ground sellers. Signs were erected, passers by requisitioned as car park attendants, prawn butties prepared, turnstile operators dispatched and ball boys given tips on ball finding in thick undergrowth. The Megacabin went al fresco again and added a great splash of colour to one corner of the ground which was continued elsewhere in the usual fashion with the vast array of FC flags.
The DF Barrels arrived unsure where they were going and matchday stewards and operations personnel strode around purposefully reporting on the standard of the pies over their walkie talkies. It was reported that the Stalybridge chairman whilst very pleased with the business being done in the Social Club was genuinely amazed at the number and quality of the volunteers and how Stalybridge could learn a lesson or two from FC.
At the end of the day, cash was counted, stalls were packed away and a well known volunteer was heard to remark, "We could run Wembley us lot, no problem." He’s probably not wrong. Hats off to all the volunteers who made it all happen so smoothly and a great afternoon out, apart from one thing that is….