FC United of Manchester is a community football club owned and democratically run by its 2,000-plus members. Its corporate structure is a Community Benefit Society and membership is open to all, with everyone an equal co-owner, holding one voting share in the club.
The club was founded in 2005 and is a semi-professional football club, currently playing in the Northern Premier League. The club regularly attracts crowds of more than 2,000 – several times the league average - and boasts many on and off the field achievements including three consecutive promotions and a number of trophies. It is unique at its level of English football in having its obligations to its fan communities and local communities written into its Club Objects (the constitution is available on our website). The club was awarded Cooperative UK’s Cooperative Excellence Award in 2009 for its cutting edge work with local communities. FC United seeks to change the way that football is owned and run, putting supporters at the heart of everything. It aims to show, by example, how this can work in practice by creating a sustainable, successful, fan-owned, democratic football club that creates real and lasting benefits to its members and local communities.
FC United are back on track now with a new set of proposals to develop a 5,000-capacity home on Moston’s Ronald Johnson playing fields . The site was identified as an alternative to Ten Acres Lane, Newton Heath, after Manchester council reallocated funding
General manager Andy Walsh said: "This development isn’t just about football, it’s about creating a community facility with open access to the people of Moston and north Manchester. It’s about proposals that create the opportunity to enhance the existing provision in the local area. We are working in partnership with Moston Juniors and Manchester council and we’ve been in discussions with them for around 10-12 weeks. Many football club developments place their clubs in debt or place the club in the hands of major investors. With your support we can show a better way. The Board believe that your investment will be for long term benefit and will help FC United succeed in its mission, creating social, environmental and financial returns."
