Thousands watch FC United win first ever game at Broadhurst Park

Tom Greaves became the first person to score at Broadhurst Park as FC United narrowly beat a team of former players 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

The brand new community football ground in Moston, North Manchester was packed out by 3,241 supporters, who helped to test the venue ahead of its official opening night on Friday 29th May when the club hosts Portuguese giants, Benfica.

Head of Player Development, Darren Lyons took charge of the first team as Karl Marginson enjoyed a rare day off, although he was still at the match. Coach Dave Brown managed an Invitational XI of former players, which played in FC United’s blue strip and was captained by former Glazer protestor, first team player and Board member, Rob Nugent, who played in the club’s first ever game at Leigh RMI in July 2005.

Nugent, who came out of retirement especially for the occasion, gifted Greaves the opening goal in the 60 minute match as he tried to guide a cross back to goalkeeping coach, Nick Culkin. The former Manchester United shot-stopper was caught off guard and Greaves pounced - slamming the ball over the line from less than a yard out. It was far from the most important strike of Greaves’ goal-laden career but it just may be the one that is talked about the most over the years and generations to come.

Greg Daniels then added two more with good strikes from the edge of the box in front of the noisy St Mary’s Road End as the visitors struggled to keep up with United’s pace. Into the second half, the match became 12-a-side as both teams’ managers decided to roll back the years and show their players how they used to do it.

Tunji Moses marauded forward in typical fashion and produced a finish rarely seen in his FC United days to make it 3-1. 10 minutes later, Nicky Platt, one of the club’s many FA Cup heroes in 2010, made it 3-2. Platt curled a great first time effort into the bottom corner after good work by the visitors’ star man, Carlos Roca.

There was to be no sporting draw though as the current team held on to gain victory over some of the players who helped lay the foundations for the club’s recent success. Special thanks to all of our former players who gave up their free time to come and play for the club once again, providing us with a spectacle to enjoy.

But to quote one of the club’s founder members and authors: "Anyone who knows anything about football knows that football is not really about football." That statement has never been more accurate than on Saturday afternoon at Broadhurst Park, Moston, Manchester when 3,241 supporters turned out, not really to watch a football match, but to test and enjoy the ground that thousands of us have helped to build.

Report by Matthew Haley