FC United v Chesterfield FA Cup First Round match

FC United v Chesterfield FA Cup First Round match - club statement


Getting to the first round of the FA Cup is a significant achievement for the club and its players.

FC United has been informed by the FA that our home FA Cup First Round Proper tie against Chesterfield FC has been selected to be broadcast live television and that it will take place on Monday 9 November 2015 with a kick off time of 7.45pm. Under competition rules the minimum adult ticket price for a first round match is £10.

When we were informed of this, the FC United board contacted the FA to inform them of our views, outlining the club’s historical opposition to changing kick off times from their traditional slots as this can be inconvenient to fans and detrimental to the match-day atmosphere. We also referred the FA to resolutions passed by FC United members regarding changing fixture times which instruct our Board to take this inconvenience and the following guiding principles into account when deciding whether to accept an invitation to move a game to be shown on TV:

1. The time of kick off proposed.
2. The travelling times involved for the fans (FC fans for away matches, opposition fans for home matches).
3. The impact of a no decision on the other club.
4. The benefits to our club to be derived from this exposure.
5. The impact of any additional money in helping the club achieve its aims.

Furthermore, our recent survey of members gives further guidance to the board if games have to be moved for whatever reason. If games have to be moved then members expressed a clear preference, with Friday evenings, then Sundays being the favoured days with other days receiving very little support. Out of all the options, Mondays are potentially the most punitive for supporters. Monday is a working day as is the following day and Monday night football is a TV invention.

While recognising that TV is important to football, the club also has a stated pledge to seek to change football for the benefit of supporters, without whom the game would not exist. Having considered the club’s stated views on this issue as expressed democratically by members, the Board of FC United of Manchester has refused to agree with the move our FA Cup 1st round game against Chesterfield to Monday 9 November 2015.

The FA has responded this morning to inform us that they insist on the game being moved according to the FA Cup competition rules and therefore we have no option but to hold the match on the Monday evening at 7.45pm. We are deeply disappointed by the FA’s stance and have made them aware of this.

FC United has a proud history of campaigning for change on issues affecting the game and its supporters. The history of that protest has always been about respect for the integrity of the game and not disrupting the match or players. In that spirit, on this issue we believe that we need to make a stand. Protesting at the moving of this match to a Monday is a continuation of the campaign against kick off times and ticket prices supported by fans of clubs in this country and abroad. Most notably FC Bayern Munich fans spent the first five minutes of their recent Champions League game against Arsenal ‘below stairs’ before taking their place in the stands.

A similar protest at Broadhurst Park is not practicable on health and safety grounds as there is nowhere for fans to congregate safely although there is still much we can do.

FC United recognises that there is an inevitable price to be paid for TV but we believe that the stick has been bent too far and it is right that we take a stand on this issue.

FC United’s usual price is £9. If the minimum adult price of £10 is applied, FC United will be issuing a £1 voucher to all adult ticket holders that they can spend on food and drink or merchandise at the ground. This offer will be extended to away supporters. FC United will pick up this cost and this will not affect the division of gate receipts with Chesterfield FC.

The match against Chesterfield will be an all-ticket game. Full details will be announced later today on our website.

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Ticket prices


FCUM have designated all their games this season as £9 maximum, for adults.

Minimum prices set by the FA for the FA Cup are £10 for adults.

FCUM objected to the £10 minimum charge saying it went against their club regulations and will have to charge £10 per adult.

However, they are to give everyone a £1 voucher which can be redeemed against food and drink on the night in the ground.

A quality and principled response from FC United, Miserable likes this.

Les Miserable wrote:

A quality and principled response from FC United, Miserable likes this.

And me too!

I'm a bit puzzled with this. Were FCUM prepared to forego the money a tv slot on Monday night would bring? Were they basically saying "no thanks" to being televised, 'cos they didn't want to play on a Monday? Or were they refusing the Monday night slot but wanting the televised slot (and the tv money) on another more convenient day?

I read it as they were prepared to forego the tv money and stick to their principles, could be wrong mind.

I read it the same.

Les Miserable wrote:

I read it as they were prepared to forego the tv money and stick to their principles, could be wrong mind.

That's probably it, yeah. But the statement just says....

"....the Board of FC United of Manchester has refused to agree with the move our FA Cup 1st round game against Chesterfield to Monday 9 November 2015."

I guess with all the tie-ins the FA have with the tv companies, there'll be clauses that probably state that teams are required to bend over and be fooked in the arse as and when television requires.

Czarcasm wrote:

Les Miserable wrote:

I read it as they were prepared to forego the tv money and stick to their principles, could be wrong mind.

That's probably it, yeah. But the statement just says....

"....the Board of FC United of Manchester has refused to agree with the move our FA Cup 1st round game against Chesterfield to Monday 9 November 2015."

I guess with all the tie-ins the FA have with the tv companies, there'll be clauses that probably state that teams are required to bend over and be fooked in the arse as and when television requires.

I'm afraid that's probably about the size of it.  I'd love it if they told the FA to stick their competition, just as their splinter outfit  did a few years back.

Seems that they were prepared to forego the TV money but not withdraw from the competition, which is effectively what they would have had to do if they'd tried to fight the FA further on it.

I like what their constitution is trying to achieve but they'll find it harder if and when further success comes their way - this is early evidence of that.

The £1 voucher is a nice gesture.

FC United, seem to put their fans first which is a refeshing change, however i think Jimmy who see's the fans as some sort of docile cash cow would probably stick a few quid extra on the admission price no doubt supported by the AFT!

On a similar topic I notice that Leeds vs Blackburn was played tonight - on a Thursday, moved from Saturday. Apparently it is again due to TV - Sky this time demanding that random Championship matches are moved to what is effectively midweek instead of Sat at 3pm. Leeds fans not happy - as can be seen from the last few pages of the thread below.

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While laudable and a much needed stand, there's not much point in bothering if the first time you are tested when it matters, you basically cave in to the misused power of the FA. They are in a unique situation, and could really give the FA a run for their money and extract a token concession. But not one centimetre of movement from the FA.

The FA are lucky to still have a Cup competition, since the Premier split when it's teams used the early rounds as squad training sessions.
I can't help feeling they could have had a more robust approach. This swap of times is in effect a total capitulation to what is the greed of the FA, while giving TV companies total carte blanche. FC will not try again, would be my guess.

The admittance price for normal games is one thing they DO have control over, and there should be no reason whatsoever why anybody outside of the club can bully them into charging more for league games. If they eventually go down the route of putting up their prices in the future, it will be down to the club itself.

How TV control sport, The rugby world cup final today is at 1600hrs very bad time for Australia and New Zealand this is because ITV would not move X Factor