Proposals for new ground at last

mickthered · 18th January 2010, 07:28

Quote:

Rebels plan home fit for their heroes

FC United have submitted proposals for their own 4,000-capacity stadium to Manchester council.

Although a final location for the project is yet to be confirmed, the club say they are hoping to complete the planning process before the end of the season.

"We've been working on the business plan for a few months and had meetings with the council before Christmas to talk about our draft proposals," said general manager Andy Walsh.

"The final draft has now been sent in, and we hope to make an announcement about when work will begin in the next few months." Walsh estimates that the stadium will cost around £3-4m to build, and says that funding for the project will come from several sources.

"We'll be using our own resources as well as some grant funding to help us.

"Obviously, it's not the best time financially to be asking for funding, but we're in discussions at the moment."

FC are also keen to ensure that the stadium will be available for other uses as well being as their home ground.

"This is not just for FC United and it's important that the ground is used as a community facility," said Walsh.

"We will consult with local residents, as well as all of our club members, about things such as the name of the ground because we want their input." The Rebels currently play their home fixtures at Bury's Gigg Lane, and have also used Stainton Park in Radcliffe and Altrincham's Moss Lane ground since their formation in 2005.

However, it now appears that they will have their own place to call home in the near future - news that will be warmly received by fans as the club aim to continue climbing the non-league ladder towards the Football League.

The club's determination to own their own ground has received the backing of Sir Richard Leese, leader of the city council, and Walsh believes his support could be crucial.

"He says he wants FC United to stay within the city boundaries, which is good, so now it's down to us," said an optimistic Walsh.

"There's still work to be done before the final plan goes before the councillors, but we're as confident as we can be about it at this stage."

Rebels plan home fit for their heroes - FC United - Football - Sport - Manchester Evening News

SecondFig · 19th January 2010, 00:24

Great news, now fingers crossed the funding can be found

ralphie88 · 22nd January 2010, 16:19

Good news, fingers crossed the application's a success and the funding comes through.

Great Hat · 23rd January 2010, 00:21

Good to hear things are underway with this as it's been discussed for ages. Hopefully permission will come through and it'll get underway.

Are there a few potential sites outlined Mick (The article says there's no agreed one yet), or will that mostly be sorted if and when the permission comes through?

mickthered · 23rd January 2010, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Hat

Good to hear things are underway with this as it's been discussed for ages. Hopefully permission will come through and it'll get underway.

Are there a few potential sites outlined Mick (The article says there's no agreed one yet), or will that mostly be sorted if and when the permission comes through?

Nothing official yet although the the club and council seem to have a site in mind and that is the only site they are said to be looking at but that cant be announced until it all becomes more official and the planning is at a further stage

Great Hat · 23rd January 2010, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickthered

Nothing official yet although the the club and council seem to have a site in mind and that is the only site they are said to be looking at but that cant be announced until it all becomes more official and the planning is at a further stage

Fair enough, cheers Mick.

Are you fairly confident it'll go through? If you've got Leese supporting the proposals then that's obviously a boost for the chances of it happening.

mickthered · 23rd January 2010, 19:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Hat

Fair enough, cheers Mick.

Are you fairly confident it'll go through? If you've got Leese supporting the proposals then that's obviously a boost for the chances of it happening.

Leese is definitely supporting the bid even turned up at the AGM took a lot of stick when he announced he was a blue nose but still has a lot of time for FC
Also announced that even as a blue the council would never consider selling the council house to citeh due to the money they make from it
never realised until reading this mornings free local advertiser how money they actually make and how much citeh have to hand over far more then I thought

mickthered · 12th February 2010, 17:40

Article on WSC mentions Nwton Heath application:

Quote:

FC United's opportunity

Image 12 February ~ FC United of Manchester's recent announcement that they have submitted proposals to the city council to build their own stadium could not have come at a more significant time, with the the "green and gold" uprising against the Glazer regime continuing to gather pace among Man Utd fans. Born in 2005 out of the original fan disillusionment that greeted the Glazer takeover, FC United have used Bury's Gigg Lane as their makeshift home ever since. After three consecutive promotions and one season of consolidation, the "Rebels" now find themselves in the Unibond Premier League. Owning their own ground is now seen as a necessity if they are to climb the final two rungs of the non-League ladder.

Hence the 4,000 capacity stadium they hope to begin building in the coming months. That it's to be located in Newton Heath only adds to the symbolic significance. This, of course, is the area where the club now known as Manchester United formed in 1878. This season's average home attendance of around 2,000 makes FC United one of the best-supported non-League clubs in the country. Away fixtures are often transformed into smaller, more intimate versions of home games as their support usually outnumbers their hosts. But it is their potential fanbase that makes them a Football League club in waiting.

FC already attracts players that would otherwise play at a higher level. "This is a unique club and any player would want to play here," said ex-Doncaster midfielder Adriano Rigoglioso after signing for the club in December. "I could've gone elsewhere for more money, but opportunities like this don't come around very often."

As Man Utd fans run out of patience and, perhaps more pertinently, money, they could turn to a club that truly represents them. FC United have the fanbase of a League club, they have the name and now they may soon have the stadium too.

When Saturday Comes - The Half Decent Football Magazine - FC United's opportunity

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19th January 2010, 00:24	#2 (permalink)
SecondFig First Team Sub Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: ▲ You Are Here? - Maybe you think we were all a sheet in the wind's eye. But I'll tell you I was sober Posts: 5,718	Great news, now fingers crossed the funding can be found

22nd January 2010, 16:19	#3 (permalink)
ralphie88 First Team Regular Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Stretford Posts: 14,336	Good news, fingers crossed the application's a success and the funding comes through.

23rd January 2010, 00:21	#4 (permalink)
Great Hat Reserve Team Player Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Take yourself to that football ground Posts: 2,265	Good to hear things are underway with this as it's been discussed for ages. Hopefully permission will come through and it'll get underway. Are there a few potential sites outlined Mick (The article says there's no agreed one yet), or will that mostly be sorted if and when the permission comes through?