Have the boys reached their level?

robertsoncrusoe

What's happened this season- are they slow getting started or have they just reached the limit with the current players?
Is support dropping off too? i see the were only about 600 at the recent skelmersdale game.
I was hoping to see a relentless march up through all the leagues so- More information please!!! from somebody.

londonredmaniac

from what i have hears its been difficult..but then Curzon have blitzed it and United looked every bit as good if not better than them last season

i dont know how much Curzon have added to their squad though

Its probably going to be about consolidation, then moving on next season

fredthered

FC are finding that teams arent lying down so much nowadays, and when teams get stuck into them their flowing play is badly affected.

No one expected them to relentlessly climb up the league and there was always going to be a level at which point they stopped, and that could well be the case now.

Many players left last season, and the new players appear to be struggling to cope with the demands of the Unibond league, but experience will guide them through it. Its all a learning curve. After all, some clubs have been in existence for over 60 years and still havent ever made it to the Unibond league. So for FC to do it in two years is a miracle in itself.

As for attendances, I wouldnt take Tuesday as a guide. The average home gate is 2200 or so, and if you look at Bury on the same night, they only had 1600 at Gigg Lane and their average home attendance is something like 2500.

The sad truth is people just dont have the money for football these day, and whilst FC is still cheaper than many clubs, if you havent got the money in your pocket you havent got it.. And I know for a fact I cant afford to go as much as I used to, so thats bound to be the case for others too.

ralphie88

Also, I really don't think it's in FC interests to go up to much more. I reckon Unibond Premier would be the ideal level - the alcohol legislation and the banning orders legislation doesn't kick in at that level and there's no pressure to be all seated.

girish

If I were at England I'd be there to support FCUoM. I hope they'll make it big one day.

Man Utd Mrs

How much is it to watch FCUM?

fredthered

About £7 per game plus about £40 beer money..

robertsoncrusoe

Fred - you said players left- why was that? were they replaced with better ones suitable for a higher league- or is the novelty wearing off?
I imagine that since FC have such great support that they should be able to attract players from higher up-true?

fredthered

Of course some have reverted back to OT, that was natural. Some just dont go to football anymore.

But FC are doing fine... Its not all about the result. Its about why FC is there..

Man Utd Mrs

Jack in the booze and you can still go and watch them..........

mickthered

Curzon have added quite a few players to their squad this season mostly from higher up the leagues and talk about them also paying out big money in wages to them as well

mickthered

They do have the ability of attracting players from higher up the league
unfortunately these players also want the extra money they think they will get at FC however thats not the case

Margy asked over one player after the Rossendale game and he wasn't interested as he was already on more money at Rossendale then he would get at FC

mickthered

There was never going to be manny at Skem on a tuesday night,United live on tv and a very difficult ground to get to
If going by train you would have had to have left after 10 mins of the second half to get home

MUFCTheReligion

This is one aspect of FCUM I have never understood.

People parade on about the 'Ten year dream' marching throught leagues so on and so forth.

But surely this couldnt be done without paying mega wages, and signing sponsorship deals etc?

PS How you keeping fred?

fredthered

WHo says it cant be done ?

Its never been tested before, a club trying to compete without selling its soul to the businessmen.

The problem is that no one thinks that football can survive without a huge influx of cash, yet for decades thats precisely what did happen.

Many non league teams survive on gates of 70 and 80 and still manage to pay players. They dont get much more than a kit paid for each season by the sponsors. So how do they survive?

FC wont ever get to the premiership, at least not in my lifetime, and I actually hope to fuck that the never do. I dont want FC to end up as just another club sold out to businessmen.

At some stage we may need to compromise on certain things, but the core ethic of the club is that the club is ran for, and by the fans, and the fans choose how we progress. If it means selling our soul, believe me it wont happen..

MUFCTheReligion

Yes fair enough, I just feel some fans got carried away / are getting carried away with what can actually be achieved without comprimising the clubs ethics.

For me, FC fans should be happy where they are, playing entertaining football for affordable price, acting as a stepping stone for potential footballers.
Run by the fans, no businessmen.

ladybarnred

I think the rise through the leagues was always going to slow but we're still likely to be in a "play off" place at the end of the season.

I thought crowds would rise a bit this season with loads more jacking in their STs at OT, but I think it's leveled at a core of about 3,000 fans who do "most games" with another 2-3,000 who go a few times a season. Most people I know only do 4-5 games per season.

We've lost some REALLY good players and I'm not 100% sure we've replaced them with equal quality, but some we're suffering from "big-time-charlie-itus" so needed to be fucked off (*COUGH* rhodrigiggs *COUGH*) plus because we're not paying "top whack" wages some don't want to come just for the big crowds... in which case... fuck 'em. I remeber we (United) stood alone in top playing high wages in order to test if players wanted to come for the right reasons, and I think FC should follow the same tack.

northroad1878

The boys in the team might have reached their level (though I would dispute that) but the club hasn't yet.

This is football. It's not easy. You lose when you're better sometimes and you just can't expect teams to roll over. We've got a cup final factor to deal with as well. We're a big game for every club we've played in the league so far. And that's not arrogance, it's a simple fact.

I'm loving it whatever. I reckon we'll reach the Conference one day. The rest I'm not sure I even want - have got MUFC for that.

Wibble

What sort of money do players get at this level?

The Hairdryer

Sack Giggsy's brother.

mickthered

players on a contract about £120
Players not on contract £40 a game if they play

ladybarnred

You'll have to speak to Curzon Ashton about that...

http://www.curzon-ashton.co.uk/Players/Rhodri-Giggs.htm

Elliott

Approx how many left and how many are back?

Wibble

I suppose it is going to be hard to attract decent players long term for that sort of dosh. Is the club making money from gates, sponsorship or whatever?

Any idea how the money players get alters as you climb towards the Conference?

ladybarnred

Anecdotally I only know of 2 people who "went back". I know about 7-8 who decided "it wasn't for them", 3 who have "just started" and about 30-40 who still go.... BUT most don't go as often.

Therefore I'd say the numbers are static but people don't do 20-30 games a season like they did the first year. I've only done 4 games this season! *blush*

mickthered

could differ drastically from club to club
I know someone who works for Altrincham and he was telling me how a certain club signed a couple of players from them last season and paid them £500 each just to play against FC then back to Altrincham they went
They had also signed 3-4 other players from other clubs under the same terms

One player in the league played about eight games against FC for different clubs all in the same season