Fans rush to sign for FC United
MANCHESTER UNITED have spent the week firefighting the Super League shambles and trying to placate angry fans – but breakaway club FC United of Manchester have had a battle on their hands too.
The Northern League Premier side was formed following the Glazer takeover at Old Trafford back in 2005.
And this week they’ve been flat to the boards handling the increasing number of fans who are switching their allegiance from the Premier League giants, after the decision to sign up to the ESL – just the latest shocking PR failure for a club with a recent history of alienating its fan base.
FC United of Manchester chairman Adrian Seddon said: “It’s very difficult when you’ve been told by your club that you don’t matter any more – and it’s very hard to back-track from that.
“The ESL announcement was big news everywhere and we’ve seen an upsurge in interest in us in the past week.
“This is the time of the year where we offer our membership for next year.
“We opened up the membership a week before the ESL news came.
“We usually see a trickle of uptake, people taking their time to either renew or to join for the first time.
“In the first week we had 250 people take it up.
“Then suddenly we had 700 in four days.
“It has had a big effect on us. Some of those will have been our fans already, the ESL story has reminded them to re-join.
“But about 60 per cent are new members.
“We’ve also sold 300 season tickets in the last four days – and we usually target selling just over 1,000 all told.
“I think a new group of Manchester United supporters have had their line in the sand moment.
“It’s 16 years after I had mine – but they’ve come over for the same reasons, they’re not comfortable with what’s happening.”