10 replies to this topic

[l'angelo mysterioso]

my son watches Whitby Town
he says FC Unitedfans are a nightmare. He's been to see them play Garforth as well, same thing.

[Jonty]

my son watches Whitby Town
he says FC Unitedfans are a nightmare. He's been to see them play Garforth as well, same thing.

One of the problems that faces FCUM is that United fans that are banned from Premiership and Football League grounds often go, and often look for a bit of myther. The other major problem is that the fans travel in such numbers that many non-league clubs are just unprepared for them, especially as there is quite a drinking culture at FCUM.

But that's just one side of the coin. The club demographic is very different from other clubs of similar size. There is a large family following and an extremely vibrant youth-led junior supporters club, spurred on by the £2 admission fee. The club is also welcoming of ethnic minority groups, and has run successful initiatives with the asian community and also with refugees, somthing many soccer clubs have struggled with.

They also developed quite innovative schemes to make matches welcoming and accessible to youngsters that are in care, and offer a community programme that is competitive with many much more established Football League clubs.

Probably the best soccer atmosphere I've experienced is at FCUM games, especially the FCUM v Quorn FC FA Vase game in 2006/7.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

One of the problems that faces FCUM is that United fans that are banned from Premiership and Football League grounds often go, and often look for a bit of myther. The other major problem is that the fans travel in such numbers that many non-league clubs are just unprepared for them, especially as there is quite a drinking culture at FCUM.

But that's just one side of the coin.

it's the side that matters if you are having the main street of your town smashed up and terrorised as happened at garforth.

Edited by l'angelo mysterioso, 09 December 2010 - 05:33 PM.

[KNIGHTS2009]

my son watches Whitby Town
he says FC Unitedfans are a nightmare. He's been to see them play Garforth as well, same thing.

I am a York City fan and i must admit i have heard various bad reports about FCUM supporters.

[Severus]

my son watches Whitby Town
he says FC Unitedfans are a nightmare. He's been to see them play Garforth as well, same thing.

OT but Whitby is a cracking little club. One of the few places I've watched soccer live. The people are very friendly and welcoming, good club house that sold real ale. It reminded me a lot of watching rugby.

[Kenilworth Tiger]

It reminded me a lot of watching rugby.

Oh dear God........

let me be the first to totally derail this thread?

I thought UNion was your game Sev, what were you doing watching rugby?

[Severus]

Oh dear God........

let me be the first to totally derail this thread?

I thought UNion was your game Sev, what were you doing watching rugby?

I'm sure it was a lot like watching either code.

[Jonty]

it's the side that matters if you are having the main street of your town smashed up and terrorised as happened at garforth.

OK... I didn't realise that happened, and it wasn't anything I experienced in the year I was involved with them. In many cases away clubs actually welcomed the visit and the attitude of the fans, but that must have changed since 2006-7, which is when I followed them at home, and at many of the away games.

Something that did happen, and might be the case with Garforth, is that certain fixtures attracted a small idiot element of hooligans banned from MUFC - often these fixtures were regarded as a comparison to a MUFC fixture. eg. Garforth v FCUM treated as a Leeds Utd. away game. Given the relationship between fans of the two United's, this could be what happened. The club was usually pretty swift at banning such people - they had quite a loyal "self-policing" policy amongst the fan base. Sometimes such fixtures attracted "firms" from other clubs. Again though, I'm going back four years to when I was involved. One such instance was where some Stoke City hooligans turned up at a game against a non-league side in Staffordshire.

Probably the most annoying thing that occured week-in, week-out were the hundreds of "Love United Hate Glazer" stickers that appeared in and around away stadia.

I suppose, as they have risen through the leagues, they are now meeting clubs that actually have a genuine fanbase, and are not just followed by volunteers that are directly involved in their clubs. FCUM fans, at least when they were in the NW Counties Leagues, would make a point of drinking in the clubhouses of the teams they were playing, putting money back into their opponents, and socialising afterwards. Now they face teams that have a fanbase that could be between 500 and 1500, I expect that is more difficult.

I'm not condoning what goes on - far from it - but the vast majority of FCUM fans are a breath of fresh air that really appreciate the ethos of their club. The idiot element was, often, out of control of the club, and swiftly dealt with in-house.

Regardless, drinking in an opponents clubhouse, socialising with away fans, experiencing a family atmosphere, drinking on the terrace and wearing club colours as you walk to an away ground are all things we take for granted in either rugby code, and one of the reasons why I haven't been to a soccer match since 2007.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

OT but Whitby is a cracking little club. One of the few places I've watched soccer live. The people are very friendly and welcoming, good club house that sold real ale. It reminded me a lot of watching rugby.

I've been to a few dos there and it's just as you say.
It's one of the reason my lad watches them
same with Garforth. They're a really off the wall outfit. You never know what they're going to come up with and very friendly as well

[l'angelo mysterioso]

OK... I didn't realise that happened, and it wasn't anything I experienced in the year I was involved with them. In many cases away clubs actually welcomed the visit and the attitude of the fans, but that must have changed since 2006-7, which is when I followed them at home, and at many of the away games.

Something that did happen, and might be the case with Garforth, is that certain fixtures attracted a small idiot element of hooligans banned from MUFC - often these fixtures were regarded as a comparison to a MUFC fixture. eg. Garforth v FCUM treated as a Leeds Utd. away game. Given the relationship between fans of the two United's, this could be what happened. The club was usually pretty swift at banning such people - they had quite a loyal "self-policing" policy amongst the fan base. Sometimes such fixtures attracted "firms" from other clubs. Again though, I'm going back four years to when I was involved. One such instance was where some Stoke City hooligans turned up at a game against a non-league side in Staffordshire.

Probably the most annoying thing that occured week-in, week-out were the hundreds of "Love United Hate Glazer" stickers that appeared in and around away stadia.

I suppose, as they have risen through the leagues, they are now meeting clubs that actually have a genuine fanbase, and are not just followed by volunteers that are directly involved in their clubs. FCUM fans, at least when they were in the NW Counties Leagues, would make a point of drinking in the clubhouses of the teams they were playing, putting money back into their opponents, and socialising afterwards. Now they face teams that have a fanbase that could be between 500 and 1500, I expect that is more difficult.

I'm not condoning what goes on - far from it - but the vast majority of FCUM fans are a breath of fresh air that really appreciate the ethos of their club. The idiot element was, often, out of control of the club, and swiftly dealt with in-house.

Regardless, drinking in an opponents clubhouse, socialising with away fans, experiencing a family atmosphere, drinking on the terrace and wearing club colours as you walk to an away ground are all things we take for granted in either rugby code, and one of the reasons why I haven't been to a soccer match since 2007.

thanks Jonty. I rememeber you telling me about FC united last time we met. I'd forgotten about that. I hope you are ok mate.

[Jonty]

thanks Jonty. I rememeber you telling me about FC united last time we met. I'd forgotten about that. I hope you are ok mate.

Yeah, grand thanks.

My first experience of FCUM was when they played Holker Old Boys FC at Barrow's Craven Park ground in 2005. The FCUM fans treated it as a "European away match", due to it being the furthest away game that season, travelling in numbers (think the crowd was about 2,600) and many staying overnight.

Can't remember any trouble, but can remember (partially) drinking with their fans in Ulverston until God-knows what time of the morning. In fact, I think a Barrow branch of their supporters club was formed off the back of that game.