WE'LL START A NEW UNITED Feb 20 2005
EXCLUSIVE
Simon Mullock
MANCHESTER UNITED fans are planning to form a breakaway club if Malcolm Glazer wins his Old Trafford power struggle.
The coalition of supporters currently trying to thwart Glazer's latest £800million takeover bid will mount an organised campaign of resistance if the American is successful.
And Sunday Mirror Sport can confirm that plans are already at an advanced stage to form a club that will begin life on the bottom rung of the English football ladder to give fans the chance to watch an alternative team founded on old United traditions.
In a remarkable twist to the bitter battle for the hearts and minds of the estimated 50million supporters that United have around the world, we can confirm:
The club name will be FC United;
Old Trafford legend Eric Cantona will be invited to become president and talks have already begun to persuade the Frenchman to come out of his seven-year retirement and play for the club;
Founding members are ready to make a bold enquiry to Manchester City Council about the possibility of playing their home games at the City of Manchester Stadium;
A badge and kit have already been designed for the team;
And founders of the club hope to be able to call on support from at least the 20,000-plus members of Shareholders United - the group set up to keep Old Trafford out of hostile hands.
An application for membership of a league has not been made but FC United would probably look to play in the North-West Counties League - 10 levels below the Premiership.
It is a bold move by United fans determined to uphold the beliefs they cherish rather than surrender to a figure they regard as being motivated by greed.
An FC United insider said: "The idea was first put in place when Rupert Murdoch tried to take over the club in 1998 and has now been resurrected.
"We haven't given up on defeating Glazer, but we have to have contingency plans in place. It's like preparing for an evacuation in wartime - you don't want to do it, but there might be no other option.
"People shouldn't think this is some kind of crazy idea. We have already had pledges of money and support from a lot of fans involved in the anti-Glazer campaign and we estimate we would have perhaps 20,000 members from the very beginning. It won't be some daft little club. There are thousands of fans who will refuse to go to home games and will abandon club merchandise and sponsors if Glazer takes control.
"By founding FC United we are announcing a new beginning and with the backing we think we will get, we would hope to be in the Football League in four or five years."
United's fans resurrected the idea after discussions with the group responsible for setting up AFC Wimbledon.
The London club was founded by outraged Wimbledon fans who refused to support the move to become Franchise in 2002 and are currently top of the Ryman League.
If Glazer's takeover plan succeeds, the fans' coalition - Shareholders United, IMUSA, the Manchester Education Comittee and fanzines like Red Issue - will call on supporters to boycott United's home games until the American quits the club.
United currently play to 67,000 packed houses every time they are at home - worth £61.2m a season to the Reds in the latest figures published by Deloitte and Touche - although work is now being undertaken on increasing Old Trafford's capacity to 75,000.
They also hope that if United are no longer playing to capacity crowds, it will have the knock-on effect of inflicting damage on sponsorship deals like the mega-money tie-ups the club currently have with Nike and Vodafone.
Cantona is known to oppose Glazer's takeover bid and has been kept informed of the campaign being waged against the American.
It would be a massive coup for the fans if he took up the offer to lead FC United.
And pressure will also be exerted on Manchester City Council to allow FC United to use the City of Manchester Stadium - a move that is certain to infuriate City fans.
The Lottery-funded stadium must be given up by City for public use for 130 days a year - and there is also the precedent of City allowing United to play at Maine Road after the Second World War because of bomb damage to Old Trafford.
If permission to use Eastlands is denied, the club will turn to Rugby League club Salford City Reds for permission to play games at their Willows home.
The insider added: "AFC Wimbledon have a hard-core support of 3,000, so this would be much bigger - and we are certain that it would do serious damage to the income streams that Glazer wants to exploit.
"We also think we have a right to use Eastlands because the whole thing was built on Lottery money.
"It would be a symbolic return to the roots of Manchester United because the club's first ground was North Road and they also played at Bank Street, which are both close to Eastlands.
"Eric Cantona has pledged his support to the 'Not for Sale' campaign and we will keep him informed of developments regarding FC United."
A prospectus for those fans who want to pledge support for FC United will be in the latest issue of Red Issue, which will be on sale this week. The club can also be contacted at
fcunited@hotmail.com.
FC UNITED'S 8-POINT CHARTER
-An outright refusal to recognise Malcolm Glazer's franchise.
-Ownership of FC United to be held by a supporters' trust.
-All profits to be reinvested in the club.
-FC United will play in red, white and black.
-The club will never carry a sponsor on the front of its shirt, while tie-ups of any kind will only be accepted from reputable companies.
-Support among the youth of Manchester and Salford will be a priority and actively encouraged. Discounts will be available to all Under-18s and OAPs.
-FC United will encourage local businesses whenever possible.
-The club will actively encourage local talent through its proposed Junior Athletic Club
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