10 local derbies, 3 new grounds and 3G Pitches

Following the publication of the 2016/17 fixtures we take a more detailed look into the season ahead.

Like last season, there will be 42 matches in the National League North, the team finishing top will be automatically promoted with the teams placed 2nd to 5th competing in the play-offs in early May. The teams finishing in the bottom three will be relegated.

There’s a busy schedule in the first month of the new season which takes in seven matches, four of which are at home.

The season starts with a short trip up the M61 to Chorley on Saturday 6th August - always a popular away trip for FC’s travelling army. Our first home match is against Telford on Tuesday 9th. Yet again, Telford fans may feel a bit aggrieved by another midweek fixture. Last season we played Telford 3 times, and not one was a weekend fixture.



We then welcome Stockport County back to Broadhurst Park. Due to city playing at home on Saturday 13th and the restrictions that we can’t play on the same day as an event at the city stadium, it’s looking very likely the Stockport match will now take place on Friday 12th, due to both sides having a game the following Tuesday. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we’ll let you know when we know.

On Tuesday 16th we take the short journey to newly promoted Salford City. City’s Moor Lane ground is one of the smallest in the league so this match will undoubtedly be a sell-out. We’ll just have to wait and see how many tickets we get allocated.

We’ve then got Worcester at home on Saturday 20th August followed by the long trip to Brackley the week later. We welcome supporter-owned Darlington 1883 to Broadhurst Park on August Bank Holiday Monday. Like Stockport a few weeks earlier, we expect Darlington to bring a large away following with them and Broadhurst Park could see near capacity crowds for both these fixtures.

September starts with a cross-country trip to Boston and also sees two matches to be played on 3G pitches away at Harrogate Town (on Tuesday 6th) and Tamworth (Saturday 24th) who are installing the pitches as we speak. Artificial pitches have come a long way since United’s eighties trips to QPR and Luton but you always feel it gives the home side a real advantage.

We have a carpet at The CNG Stadium! (Pic by @spencerhudson) pic.twitter.com/kE2nQRdeJ5

— Harrogate Town AFC (@HarrogateTown) July 5, 2016

Hopefully the Harrogate and Tamworth players will be still adjusting to their new pitches, but fortunately the FC United players are familiar with the surface as they train on a 3G pitch at Broadhurst Park each week. September also sees two home games versus AFC Fylde and Curzon Ashton as well as an FA Cup Qualifying Round match.

October sees us play home games against Alfreton and Gloucester and two away games against teams relegated from the National League last season, FC Halifax Town and Kidderminster Harriers.

In November we face Bradford PA at home, Stalybridge away and Nuneaton at home followed by the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy.

As proper big coat weather kicks in we head to Gainsborough Trinity at the start of December and then hopefully an FA Trophy 1st Round tie the following week, before hosting Boston on Saturday 17th December. Last Christmas our Boxing Day fixture at Bradford was postponed but this year, to save us from tears, we’ll hopefully be enjoying a beer at Alty as we make the short trip to Moss Lane to take on Altrincham.

Six days later on New Years Day, we play Altrincham again at Broadhurst Park. January also sees us visit AFC Fylde’s brand new 6,000 capacity stadium, Mill Farm, followed by another trip to a new ground, this time Bromsgrove’s Victoria Ground, where Worcester City are ground sharing this season. The month ends with two home fixtures; Harrogate Town on Saturday 21st, followed by Salford City on Saturday 28th, which may see some of the Class of 92 make the short journey to Broadhurst Park.

We’ve got three away games in February; at Telford (on a Saturday), Stockport and Gloucester City and one home match against Chorley.

In March first time visitors in the guise of Kidderminster and Halifax come to Moston. We’re also at home to Tamworth and away to Alfreton and Curzon Ashton. The Curzon match on Monday 20th March is a midweek evening match.

We start the final month of the season with a home match against Stalybridge. After an away trip to Bradford and a home match versus Brackley, on Easter Monday we make the journey to our third and final new ground of the season, Blackwell Meadows home of Darlington 1883 who have moved back to Darlington this season to ground share with the Darlington Rugby Club having played the last few seasons in Bishop Auckland.

As the season draws to a close we’re off the Nuneaton before finally finishing the season with a home game against Gainsborough.

Don’t book your holidays too early the play-offs start the week later!

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