Manchester United and Manchester City have long written the script for footballing drama in Manchester, but when the FA Cup came to town in November, a new set of rivals were courting the cameras.
FC United of Manchester, FCUM for short, have defied hipster convention by remaining vogue throughout their eleven year existence, whilst Salford City’s glamorous owners have injected Hollywood into a club whose fans could never have expected anything of the sort.
Of course, both clubs were beget by Manchester United, and when you’re fathered by such a notorious brand the press are always sure to come calling. Just ask the Beckham brood.
First, the introductions. FCUM were set up in 2005 when disenfranchised Red Devils refused to accept the Glazer regime, set up their own club and began a romantic crusade to reach league football through the force of fan power. And it’s going well for them, with 2015 marking their arrival in the Conference North – two divisions below the professional ranks – and the grand opening of their stunning first home, Broadhurst Park.
Salford on the other hand were unaware that theirs was a club set for the bright lights until a consortium consisting of ‘The Class of ‘92’ – United legends Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville and Nicky Butt – and Singaporean businessman Peter Lim announced their intention to buy it in 2014. Since that purchase was ratified in November that year, the club have won promotion to the league below FC, the Evo-Stik Premier, been the subject of a BBC documentary, reached the third round of the FA Cup and quadrupled their average matchday attendance.
It’s fair to surmise that there is a market for the clubs, but is that a good thing? And what does it mean for the rest of the Manchester non-league scene? Are they drawing attention to the grassroots of the sport at a time when the common consensus is that just that needs to happen? Or are they media whores starving their hardworking neighbours of fans, attention and income?
“Both FC United and Salford City have raised the profile of non-league football as a whole, though the effect for other clubs has been marginal.”
So says Jez Sayle, press officer at Ashton United, one of the clubs most familiar with the amateur heavyweights.
This season Ashton are embroiled in a promotion battle with Salford – they lie fifth, City third – as they attempt to exorcise their demons from last year, when they failed to join FC United in promotion at the final hurdle, losing to Curzon Ashton in the play-off final.
An inter-town derby in a play-off final surely should have registered on the national consciousness? Don’t count on it. Whilst the Daily Mail and the BBC were amongst those whose journalists bore witness to FC’s promotion days earlier, a story covered in every national outlet in the country, a quick Google search of that dramatic Evo-Stik play-off final reveals that the Manchester Evening News were the only publication to give it credence.
“I want more people to come and watch non-league football in general and good publicity will be one part of the way a club builds interest, be it through an FA Cup run or over a longer period of developing relationships with local partners that is of interest so the local media will output it,” Sayle said.
“Both FC United and Salford have a novelty value, they are different from run of the mill non-league outfits due to their backgrounds and there is going to be more media interest in them as a result.
“There is always a pecking order in football. Many Ashtonians follow FC and turn their back on their hometown teams. Some Salford fans travel many miles to come and watch ‘their’ club, whilst bypassing their own local non-league clubs. I was speaking to an ex Man United fan at Moor Lane earlier this season who came from Chadderton but had never been to watch Chadderton, instead he drove around the M60 to Salford.”
As Sayle states this there is no resentment, more a resignation that football fans will always flock magpie-like to the latest shiny attraction. In fact, he was complimentary of how both clubs operate, explaining how they “appear grounded and there’s very little that I’ve seen that is even remotely controversial or holier than thou”.
That viewpoint is reflective of the consensus of clubs at this level; most are ambivalent to their success, welcome of any slipstream publicity, realistic that their supporting acts will rarely receive credit.
That FCUM and Salford are so often spoken of in conjunction with each other is remarkable considering their differences. They are polar opposites, capitalism and socialism live in effect.
In October 2014 FC became the first football club in England to sign up to becoming a Living Wage Employer. They are the flagship for the fan ownership revolution, their raison d’être is to give back to the community.
Salford? Well the Ammies’ chairman Karen Baird put it best herself.
“I like FC United, I think they’ve done a great job growing it organically with the fans. But it’s different really isn’t it, we’re just doing things in a different way, they’ve done theirs organically and we’ve…”
Baird deigned not to end that sentence, but the sentiment is clear – Salford are happy to dine out on their new found wealth and celebrity to achieve their goals.
And it is that difference that irks Mark Phillip, a Greater Manchester sports reporter who, forgoing the political constraints of running a football club, was more vociferous in his opinions of FCUM especially.
“I imagine the more cynical of non-league fans were initially sceptical about the Salford takeover, but personally speaking, I can’t see how a few former United players will have a detrimental impact on the club,” he said.
“I know a few people who feel a little bit disheartened at the way in which Salford have been glorified by the media. Undoubtedly, Salford’s foray in the FA Cup caused a huge tremor in non-league football. But what about local clubs such as Curzon Ashton? They’ve arguably become one of the most successful teams in Greater Manchester, yet the media have been reluctant to give them a fair share of the limelight.
“As for FC United, I can see why the club was originally established, but the arrogance of some supporters has been quite off-putting. For instance, with the BT Sports TV deal in the FA Cup, the club were forced to move their first round tie against Chesterfield from a Saturday afternoon to a Monday evening.
“I can understand and sympathise with the FC United fans on this issue. However, it was an FA Cup tie, with a lucrative TV deal. Why couldn’t FC United fans take it on the chin? Did it really warrant such a pathetic, childish response? ‘Fuck BT Sport’ – really? Fuck the sports channel that provided your club with a massive financial boost?
“It’s laudable when a club attempts to distance itself from big money deals, but in the case of FC United, it was more than just a protest – It was about FC United dictating the terms.
“You can safely say that the majority of non-league clubs could only dream of securing an FA Cup TV deal. What non-league club in their right mind would do their upmost to reject that kind of money?”
It’s hard to imagine that any other non-league club would have attempted to turn its back on the financial might of television; it’s hard to imagine that any other club could afford to.
Principles are a rare commodity in football, and whilst a strict adherence to them is sure to create resentment in some, it is equally likely to inspire admiration in others.
When assessing whether the publicity enjoyed by either club has had a positive affect on non-league football, it is important to remember that both clubs are ambitious – and ambitious for personal progression, not grassroots revolution.
However, they have certainly become trendsetters. Altrincham, another successful Greater Manchester non-league outfit, hosted BBC television cameras in the first round of the FA Cup whilst, although it may be a passing trend to support a non-league team, that it is a trend at all speaks volumes of its progress.
In August 2015 the Non-League Magazine was released for the first time, an ambitious 100-page publication covering the grassroots game in the North West. It is still going strong, sold outside grounds on matchdays for £3, with £1 of each sale going back into clubs.
In its first edition, five stories were promoted, the articles the magazine thought to be strongest. Amongst them? An interview with Andy Walsh, FC United of Manchester general manager. A one-on-one with Anthony Johnson, Salford City joint-manager. It may be that their peers are yet to feel any substantial difference in exposure. But with the gaze of the media turned on the non-league sport, those in the peripheries will have a chance to attract attention. It is up to them to take it.
You can follow Andy Donley on Twitter (@AndyDonley)
