Ahead of the weekend's Emirates FA Cup tie, we spoke to Sam Turner, one of our volunteers at Course You Can Malcolm, to understand more about the event and its history.
How would you describe Course You Can Malcolm?
Course You Can Malcolm (CYCM or Malcolmses for short) is our ‘club night in the afternoon’, held in the SMRE Bar before most Saturday home games. The shows are entirely run and funded by volunteers. All the acts give up their time for free, and we sell our world-famous pie and peas on match days. Lynette also bakes muffins! Any money made goes directly to the club. Last year we contributed almost £2,000 to FC United, helping to fund community projects in North Manchester in the process.
Can you tell us a bit about the history of CYCM?
CYCM is now in its 18th year. From it's origins at Gigg Lane, to our new home under the terrace at Broadhurst Park, we have a track record of attracting both upcoming and well-established performers down to FC United on match days.
The name is a nod to a classic catchphrase from a 1970's advert, but it's also an obvious swipe aimed in the direction of the Glazer family (and now Ratcliffe too). This is our club, our rules, and CYCM is symbolic of the club's DIY spirit.
What sort of acts can we expect?
We pride ourselves on having a real mix of genres down at CYCM. This season alone, we’ve had hip hop artists, hardcore punk bands, indie groups and bedroom producers onstage, alongside award winning writers and stand-ups. Variety is the spice of life, and key to keeping Malcolms relevant to the FC fanbase.
In the past, we've had the likes of Maxine Peak, Shame, The Goa Express and The Slow Readers Club come down to play for us. We're getting booked up for this year too, with BBC 6 Session guests British Birds & Stuart Pearce (not that one!) already in the diary. There's lots to look forward to for 2025/26!
What's the format of the event?
We usually start around 1.45pm. Our resident MC Baz opens things up each week, followed by a spoken word act, and then a live band. This week looks great: we'll have a Q&A session with the club captain Charlie Ennis, followed by Nottingham band “No Peeling” playing live. Everyone's welcome and we hope to see you there!
