Thursday, June 01, 2006

Dearly beloved



There has much debate (some would say mass) recently about who should and shouldn't be welcomed to FC United games. It has often been said that we are a broad church but how broad is broad.
Should the crowd just be made up of ex and current MUFC matchgoers, any football fans who buy into it as long as they aren't scouse, ciddy or lids, or do the Gigg gates get flung open and all let in (the jibbers amongst us would be happy with that!!)
To be honest, there is merit in all 3.
The club was set up by "disaffected and disenfranchised Manchester United supporters" and so, there is a sound argument that that is what the crowd should be made up of. That's all well and good, but that rather limits the potential for future crowds. The 2nd also has merit. Surely any football fan who agrees with the ideals and principles of FC should be welcome to watch the shirts (and there are more than you think, that agree with it all) but of course, coming from a MUFC background, some things transend this, and standing next to a scouser or lids fan should fill us with dread and loathing. Of course this is true, but how do you know the background of the guy standing next to you at the Bar in the Pack Horse. Lets remember that one of our regular matchgoers comes from the wrong end of the A580, ok he is a red (and a sound guy to boot) but if you had never met him before and didn't know his background, you would hear him speak and would probably be quick to judge him.
The 3rd is the one causing most concern and debate, that anyone should be allowed onto the hallowed terraces of Gigg. This would include haters of M16. There are two sides to this, that as our doors are open to all, they should be welcome as long as they buy into the ideals of the club and leave their hatred and predjudice at home. The other side is that they should never be welcome and should stay away. I would say there are two ways of looking at this.
a) If someone has some much hatred for all things United, they wouldn't give it time of day anyway.
b) If they do come along, and shall we say, don't exactly play along to our rules (remember our club, our rules), then maybe a little "self policing" could be used.
And the upshot of all this?
Well there is no right or wrong answer to be honest, and as long as that is the case, the debate will rumble on and on.
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

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