We play em on 26th Jan at home so might find out then.

The club have set a precedent now so if it happens to a home game they would have to take the same approach or face the backlash.



If you look at the link that GT provided, it's not just the fact that the game has been moved that is the problem, it is the fact that it has been moved despite previous assurances from the league that no games would be moved unless both clubs agree, and in this case, both clubs objected to it being moved, yet they still changed the kick off time anyway.

Great result for the Celts today... 3-0 win over Halifax and now 5 points clear from the relegation zone.

T'was a great win - and some good results around us as well. Northwich beat Alty with Stafford and Droylsden both losing as well.

Fair enough. In which case FCUM should be concentrating its energies on discouraging people from watching the internet coverage, not from attending the game live. If the internet coverage gets zero viewing figures that would be the best verdict, surely?

Maybe so, but I think they have still got the sponsorship from the internet tv anyway regardless of viewing figures.

FC are encoraging fans to go and watch their reserve team on the day of the Curzon game so I would imagine that this will mean that many fans will choose this rather than watching the 1st team game on the internet.

The standard of football at our level may not be the greatest, but the drop-off in refereeing standards is more alarming and probably more annoying.
We had a reet clown today. Booked Stuart Elliott for nowt first half, but when he did something worthy of a yellow in the second, failed to send him off. Gave a series of baffling decisions both ways, but none worse than in the last minute. Martyn Woolford springs the offside trap and bursts clear. One-on-one with the keeper, his quick feet take him round and all he has to do his roll it home. Which he would have done had an arm not come out and taken his legs. Over 3,000 people all thought it was a penalty. One man thought Woolford had dived and out came the yellow card again. Fecking clown. What possible purpose would diving have had anyway? Gah. Makes my blood boil thinking about it.

You want to try dropping another three levels down the pyramid!

I'm often just bewildered by decisions I see these days. It's not just a case of referees missing things occasionally, which is understandable. They often seem to see offences that no one else sees. Any sort of challenge using superior body strength to win the ball by standing your ground (not pushing or tripping, obviously) seems to result in being penalised for a free kick. It's infuriating.

Well, I think MrMystery's covered most of the other points there, but...



It's been said from the beginning, we go as high as we can go without compromising our principles. You'll find a lot of people who'd be happy for us to spend our days in the North West Counties League...


We finally got a game in yesterday after three matches on the trot had been called off. 1-1 away to Radcliffe, lethargic performance yet we were denied a late winner by one of the worst decisions I've ever seen given at any level of football. Shot comes in, the furthest play forward's a good yard at least onside, the 'keeper spills the ball by which time said player is through the defence and slots the ball home. At which point the linesman puts his flag up.

Seems to be a theme this year, the standard of refereeing in the Unibond is God-awful.

The "Goals" section in the Sun continues to get the names wrong of the Maidstone scorers. Mo Takaloo (or Mo Takalobigashi, brother of the Margate boxer) has been known as Bakalogigashi for the last few weeks and after his brace against East Thurrock yesterday in a 3-1 victory he is now known as Bighafhi!



Thankfully Lee Shearer's name is slightly easier and has been spelt correctly

Chorley are starting to play better recently.They won the local derby on boxing day 2-1 against Bamber Bridge.

The Unibond League's response to the FC United TV disagreement: www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=6292

The Unibond League's response to the FC United TV disagreement: www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=6292

We beat Workington 2-1 two early goals from Mark Smyth getting us off to a good start.

Bring on Saturday and Stalybridge!!

Quote ="bramleyrhino"The Unibond League's response to the FC United TV disagreement: www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=6292'" More on 'Curzongate:' fcumfiles.co.uk/story.php?story_id=1389

Quote ="bramleyrhino"The Unibond League's response to the FC United TV disagreement: www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=6292'" More on 'Curzongate:' fcumfiles.co.uk/story.php?story_id=1389

Quote ="bramleyrhino"The Unibond League's response to the FC United TV disagreement: www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=6292'" More spin and deceit than New Labour.

Quote ="bramleyrhino"The Unibond League's response to the FC United TV disagreement: www.unibondleague.com/news.php?nid=6292'" More spin and deceit than New Labour.

Without wanting to get into a slanging match here, the impression that comes across in my view is that the Unibond League are in the right.

The operational rules are in place. The UL are sticking to them. If FCUM don't agree with the operational rules, then they don't become a member of the Unibond League.

Like most people, I don't know the in's-and-out's of the situation and I won't pretend to. I'm forming my opinions on what I'm reading in the press but the impression that I get is that FCUM are trying to use their to become an exception and/or, thrust their ideas onto everybody else.

I'm pretty sure that the FCUM press officer can spin an issue as well as the UL but on balance, I think that the standpoint being taking Re: Curzon comes across as a small-minded spat after something that they agreed with comes back to work against them.

If I'm getting the wrong end of the stick with this then I'm happy for someone to point that out.

I don't like games being moved at the last minute as much as the next guy but I can also see TV as a necessary evil. Whilst the FCUM principles of "giving football back to the fans" is commendable, there's a very good reason (IMO), why fans aren't involved in the running of sports clubs.

These are the key points from the unibond statement:

[iThe league officers attending the meeting on July 10th categorically refute the accusation made by FC United of Manchester that a verbal agreement relating to kick off times was made. Had they done so, then these officers would have been acting outside their authority[/i

[iDifferent recollections of what was said and what was meant at an informal meeting in July between League representatives and FC United of Manchester officials seem to be at the centre of the problem, and without notes of the meeting, there can be no satisfactory conclusion.[/i

I'm not saying FC are totally in the right, however from the above the league aren't denying saying to FC that games wouldn't be switched without agreement, which also puts them in the wrong, as their league officers have failed to follow the correct procedure.

FC 2-0 up for those who are interested.

GT has broken the boycott.

RMI lost 3-1 at home to Stalybridge in the rain after being 1-0 up. The long winter continues

In trying to rectify the situation, threats to those charged with facilitating the broadcast ain't a great way to go about it.


Anyway.... Someone explain this to me. You set your stall out for a 0-0 in an away game at an in-form opponent. When the in-form opposition score, why would you continue to play for a 0-0?

Curzon Ashton 0 (0) – (1) 2 FC United of Manchester
Att: 297………………….........S. Carden 32
……………………………...........Nugent 64

On a landmark day in the history of FC United – a club whose fans are famed for making a huge racket wherever they go – it was the silence that rang out around the Tameside Stadium that spoke loudest.

In a well organised and brilliantly executed boycott, only 20 or so away fans were visible among the 297 in attendance, with an estimated 1,500 refusing to trek to Ashton for the puzzling 12.45pm kick-off arranged at the whim of an internet television channel and without the approval of both clubs.

A few miles away at the home of Abbey Hey - just as captain Rob Nugent was powering home United’s second, building on Simon Carden’s first-half tap in - about 500 reds were watching the first-place reserves outfit beat nearest league rivals Club AZ.

It meant that for the first time in the club’s short history, as the first-team shirts put on an impressive display on the field, there was no singing, no merriment, no smiling young faces or joy expressed off it.

The mood of the day was reminiscent of the emotional Sunday back in May 2005 when 100 or so ‘Big United’ fans dressed in black to mourn the loss of their club to current owner Malcolm Glazer, but those taking part will this time know that, unlike on that dismal Cardiff afternoon, they’ve won their battle.

The Curzon fans, who have seen their savvy team rise to the top of the table in a promising five months, seemed to have no problem with having the league puppet them about on their Saturday afternoon.

One middle-aged man queuing up for a much-needed steaming cup of coffee at half time seemed to sum up the apathy, or just downright stubbornness, of his fellow Curzon supporters.

“What’s the point in staying away? It won’t achieve anything. People need to realise it’s not the 1960s anymore. You just have to get on with it,” he said.

But, according to some of those who do have the power to change the status quo, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

The magnitude of the boycott certainly seemed to home with today’s grim-faced match commentator John Warrington, head of In Vision, who said he is confident such a situation will not be allowed to take place in future.

Speaking at half-time, he said: “It is hugely disappointing that the attendance is so low for everyone involved, especially Curzon Ashton, who have lost out on a big slice of revenue.

“When the board of FC United announced that they would be in favour of a boycott of this game, I was in Las Vegas and I was disappointed that Andy Walsh was not prepared to wait just one more day until I got back to discuss the issue with me so we could have talked it through.”

He added: “As it is, I cannot see any club being shown more than once before the play-offs on a Saturday.

“But when there are concerns of the change of times, we will certainly be prepared to hold discussions with the league in order to find a solution.”

Indeed, Mr Warrington admitted he did ask the league if they would move the fixture back to 3pm, with In Vision showing the game in full at 5pm. The league refused.

League secretary Phil Bradley was at today’s game, but wasn’t too prepared to make himself available for a comment. He left right on the final whistle.

Curzon chairman Harry Galloway said that, while he expected a low attendance, it was still a blow for his club to miss out on an estimated £10,000 windfall from a bumper attendance.

FC United of Manchester general secretary Lindsey Robertson, meanwhile, said she was delighted with the success of the boycott – and that, according to Mr Warrington, it could avoid kick-off times changing in future without agreement of the clubs involved.

She said: “It just shows how strongly the supporters feel about this matter. I know it is hard for them because they want to support the team, especially in such a big game, but it’s important we stand up for what we believe in.

“If what has happened today provokes discussion about whether this will happen again, it has been worth it and it will show how essential it is for supporters to have a voice.”

The Unibond league stated no games would be moved in 2007. They stated that no games would be moved without the consent of both clubs. They've also stated that a communication was made to all league clubs that would've absolved them from any wrong-doing in this instance. FCUM never received said communication and I also received a text from a Bamber Bridge committee member yesterday stating they'd never received said communication, either. No other club has been able to produce this communication and the league can't produce any evidence of it.



I'm still waiting for someone to point out just what threats have been made, by who they were made and who they were made to?

As for breaking the boycott, I was stood in the car park. So ner.

I was there! I questioned my sanity as I trecked through Leigh through the rain and then when I was cold and sat down in the stand. The rain was bloody horizontal! I think RMI only had the lead cos the wind was behind them.

Farsley at Halifax for me today, hopefully.

Against your wiser judgement with the benefit of hindsight.

2-0 defeat despite playing against 10 men for about an hour.

Most people question their sanity as they walk through Leigh.

Crikey. That was something else at Droylsden this afternoon.