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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jamie Jackson

Poppadoms, protests and promotions: the first 20 years of ‘unique’ FC United

FC United of Manchester and The 1958, a Manchester United fan group, stage a joint action against 20 years of Glazer ownership of Manchester United in March 2025.
FC United of Manchester and The 1958, a Manchester United fan group, stage a joint action against 20 years of Glazer ownership of Manchester United in March 2025. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

On the Saturday in late March this year that FC United of Manchester and The 1958, a Manchester United supporters group, held a joint-action against 20 years of Glazer ownership of United, Tom Kerse displayed his own protest at Broadhurst Park, FC United’s home, which read: “The Glazers? FCUM Hall.” The 69-year-old, like many FC United fans, followed Manchester United before the American family’s leveraged purchase of the club in May 2005. “‘FCUM Hall’, as in ‘fuck all the Glazers’,” Kerse says, just in case anyone missed his point.

FC United were born 20 years ago on Tuesday, on 13 May 2005 in a Rusholme curry house named Dilda. Paul Hurst, a founder, is the board lead for communication and co-ownership, the latter a core value of the club, with all members having a vote on each key decision. “What we’ve seen [happen] at Manchester United is what we said [would happen] 20 years ago,” Hurst says. “It’s maybe taken a bit longer, that’s all.”

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