So FC United have taken the TV money. Sell-outs? Hypocrites? Not in my eyes but it’s easy to see why people looking in might suggest it all looks a bit pot kettle black.
3,200 tickets sold as of this afternoon would suggest supporters aren’t too fussed about playing on a Friday night, although it is in Rochdale which is a 15 mins train ride from Victoria. Maybe if it was Brighton away it might have been different, but then again maybe not.
Rochdale took the step of cutting the price of a ticket in half when it was decided the game would be shown on ESPN on Friday night. Twelve notes for a ticket, 15 on travel and some for the chippies. All in all it’s going to be a decent return on a Friday night out.
This is affordable football for fans of football. No one at the Barrow game will forget the moment Roca poked the ball home. Everyone went ballistic at a goal that saw a team progress into the first round of the FA cup following four qualifiers and all for less than a tenner.
Quite a turn around for a group of fans used to not taking interest in the FA cup until the new year and that’s if they choose to enter it in the first place.
FA competitions take on a completely different meaning at lower league level. They offer teams exposure, giant killing opportunities/potential for embarrassing exits and prize money that can turn a club around.
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Hailing from Glossop, I went to a few of the games on route to the 2008 FA Vase final. Wembley was a decent day out but it was the second leg of the semi at Surrey Street that was the highlight of the run.
A 123rd minute equaliser in front of some vociferous home support sent the tie to penalties, which saw a teenage ‘keeper make the winning save and send the town down to the Big Smoke - a trip made by 6,000 Glossopians.
The club made a few baht from the journey and got shot of the bobbly old pitch and replaced it with a flat new one. Since then the old sheds have been torn down to make way for terraces that would allow the Hillmen to move up a division - the only major hurdle is getting enough points to seal a promotion.
While there will never be a return to the top tier of English football - Glossop played in it for one season in the early 20th century and got beat 9-2 by Chelsea along the way - for one of the oldest teams in the country, at least a legacy from the cup run is being created.
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FC on the other hand are writing their history as they go along. By taking the TV money they are doing what is best for the club by accepting a handsome cheque that will buy a fair few bricks to go into the new ground at Newton Heath. Not mercenaries, just good business.
Five years ago no one could have predicted what would happen to the club as it was borne out of disillusionment with the Glazer ownership. Since then some choose to buy a new United shirt and wear a green-and-gold scarf to OT like as if its a fashion statement.
There are plenty who ‘get it’ as was shown by the protest before the Spurs game last Saturday and it would not be surprising if a fair few involved in that march are not in Rochdale on Friday. People who support FC still follow ‘big’ United, there's just a few issues that need sorting out concerning the ownership.
An easy counter-argument to that is to point out the clubs record under the Glazers: three league titles in a row, a champions league trophy and a few others to boot.
Counter this with a massive hike in ticket prices and the club being saddled with hundreds of million pounds of debt.
It’s a contentious issue and I’ve met loads of United fans who say anyone going to FC is a deserter and should remain loyal no matter what.
From a personal point of view I want to see United win trophies but refuse to pay the prices. FC offer an alternative, offer brilliant value for money - and they play at 3pm on Saturdays.
Most of the time anyway.
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Whether FC fans are particularly interested in the politics of the club or not, the crowd who turn up to watch get behind the side, stand up for ninety minutes and sing - anti-Glazer, old favourites and new FC songs - all the way through, making for a proper atmosphere the like of which is apparently hard to come by at OT these days.
So given a choice of 40 pound all in for Friday or 40 to contribute a nominal amount towards Rooney's wages, sit down at OT on a Saturday/Sunday and hope for a ticket in one of the noisier parts of the ground, I’ll take Spotland every time.
The Soul is One.
