Author: passionsofyouth

By Adam Lockett

FC United Of Manchester is a fan owned football club in the seventh tere of English football. They have a first team, a reserve team and a youth team. The youth team is where the players aged 16-18 start and try and make there way into the reserves. The reserves is the team below the first team and is set up with players all pushing for a place in the first team. Lastly, the first team is the main team where the players are paid and who fans go to watch on a weekend.

This season, all of the teams are doing well and the club as a whole are aiming for treble success. The first team are top of there league with only a few games left, as are the reserves who have only 5 games left in there league. The youth team are second only 3 points behind the leaders. However, they have two games in hand on the leaders so therefore, they have a major advantage on the team at the top. It is vital that all teams win their league to boost their hopes of getting the club recognised on a more broad prospective.

The youth team boosted their title hopes majorly yesterday with a 9-1 win over mid table Macclesfield. This win didn’t only boost their title hopes, but highly lightened team morale as Macclesfield have already previously beaten them twice this year. Another positive from yesterday’s game is that there were between 40-50 fans watching the game, cheering the up and coming youths on. Youth team captain Adam Lockett was interviewed after the game and said, “The win is massive, not just on a mental note but it helps goal difference and league position. The win shown how serious we are about winning this league and showing what we can do.” He later went on to say that the win “felt even better” because of the two previous defeats to Macclesfield this season.

Many of the youth team have already progressed into the reserves already this season and have shown what they are capable of doing and the club plan on pushing many more of the youth team into the reserves as the season goes on. All of this is down to the first team manager Margy for watching the young players and seeing how good they actually are. He has previously said, “The club will go far with the young players coming through.”

Overall, I believe FC United will go far and will make a name for themselves as the years go by and become a team to watch as they rise through the tere’s of English football.

By Jack Tinning

On Thursday 26th March 2015, I came to Manchester Metropolitan University to further my education about the history of my sport. The first part of the session was all about the history of my sport; what sport used to be like and how things have changed. We looked at articles written about football and also looked at videos of football games from the World Cups from 50 years ago.

We were then treated to a free lunch in the Geoffrey Manton building canteen. The food was enjoyable and a friendly atmosphere.

After lunch, we then moved on to ‘The Shed’ where we learnt about the different ways that business people and designers come together to make a perfect idea. This comes from people intergrating their imaginative sides that are creative and also intelligent to make things work.

The most exciting thing about the day was learning about 3D printing. We were shown how designers come to these 3D printing designers with their ideas and prototypes. Then a they make a real exact prototype of their product. For example, Nike could come to a 3D printing designer with a product and get them to make it to show the company what it would look like properly and give them an idea of how the item will look to its exact dimensions.

By Alec Robinson

Yesterday was a great result against for us against a team who we have never beaten before, and who have beaten us on the 3 previous occasions we have played them.

Despite not playing, through injury, which was frustrating, it was great to see the lads put in a quality performance from start to finish against a good team. Everybody on the pitch played there part, starting from goalkeeper Ben Jupp who was left with nothing to do for large periods of the game but was still reliable as ever when called up on.

The defence was solid and communicated well, with right back Dom Williams scoring an unlikely brace including the opening goal. His partner on the right flank Sam Summerbee scored a hat trick, including a brace before half-time, then completing the hat trick with an exquisite chip with the game drawing to the end. Jacob Holt and Robson Buckley also netted before the interval to help us go in with a 6-0 lead and the points all but assured.

Macclesfield didn’t just roll over and come back out in the second half and began to make us work, scoring a well taken goal after a very good diagonal ball from left to right. The boys then stood up again to the challenge and continued the rout with Toby Wright getting himself on the scoresheet, Sam Summerbee completing his hat trick also, along with Zac Cooper who scored the final goal of the game with a brilliant chip over their keeper.

We wouldn’t have been finished there either if it wasn’t for Macclesfield keeper who, in truth may of had a poor game, but pulled a few good saves off towards the end from Jordan Sellers and Alfred, to prevent the scoreline getting even more embarrassing.

All in all a great performance by the boys and an important 3 points taking us to 3rd place in the table.

By Jake Shawcross

On Thursday 26th March I spent half of my day at Manchester Metropolitan University. I enjoyed being here and seeing new things and meeting new people. The university gave us a free lunch which was enjoyable as the squad had a laugh.

Today I discovered that things such as football boot prototypes are made by a 3D machine. They are made to perfect spec so that companies such as Nike or Adidas can come and see what the new shoes will look like and feel like in person.

Yesterday we played in a fixture vs Macclesfield Town FC. We won 9-1, I only played 10-15 minutes but I was very delighted for the squad. Our recent performances have shown we are good enough to make it in the football industry. Players that are here now have been knocked down by professional clubs and been told they are not good enough. The players are showing them that they are wrong and with the right mentality and coaching we can all improve and make it in life.

I love being on the end of a great win such as yesterday, we deserved every minute of it and played some great football. It was disappointing that we conceded in the last few minutes but we must take what happened and improve in training and our next games.

We have a chance of winning the league if we win all of our games left. We are into the quarter finals of the cup so we must go on as we have been playing.

In the future I would love to become a professional footballer as it has been a childhood dream. I was a late developer and always learning week in week out. I love to train and get game time for my youth team and u21′s team. Playing for the reserves will help me become a better player as it is more physical because of the men that are older.

I hope my future is bright and I become better as soon as possible so I can make it in the game.

By Ben Jupp

FC United, of Manchester, is a fan owned club in its building stages as a club looking to establish themselves in the English game. For the first time in the club’s existence they have a youth team full of aspiring players looking to make their way into the FC United first team in the coming years.

They are currently in the Northern Premier League where they currently sit top of the league with 8 games left and 7 points ahead of the team currently in second. The club as a whole is looking for multiple success as the First team are top of the league and the reserve team is top of their league. The youth team, after a difficult start to the season, now sit in 2nd place, 3 points behind the team on top and on a good roll having won the last 5 games and are in the quarter final of the county cup playing Bolton college next week.

Finally there is the Women’s team who have also been on a role of late as they won a previous game 24-0 and won a top of the table battle against Heyside.

By Zac Cooper

There are 4 different sections to FC United of Manchester. We have the youth team which is between the age group of 16-19 years old. We have the reserve team which is a step higher from the youth team and normally holds players between the age of 19-22. Finally we have the first team which is the highest level possible, where dreams are created and legends are made. We also have a girls team which is open age – this enthisises the depth of the club as anyone is welcome to join the family of FC United!

FC United is a fan based club which means the fans own the club and fund them with there facilities and basic needs. Our team is known for the biggest fan base in the lower league history, taking a staggering average of 2000 fans to semi pro games at home.

Respect is gained through the ranks of FC United. Whether you play for the first team or the youth team everyone is treated with the same respect. No one gets left behind. Players are encouraged to conduct themselves with a respectable manner on and off the pitch to make the reputation of the club even higher than it already is.