FC United of Manchester FC United of Manchester FC United of Manchester Badge FC United of Manchester Pitch In

Update on our response to the FA Survey about the 2020/21 season

Update on our response to the FA Survey about the 2020/21 season

At such a difficult time we would like to start by wishing all our supporters well: as you may be aware, the FA has written to all clubs at our level of the men’s game asking for feedback on how we should proceed with the 2020/21 season and we would like to update our supporters as to the club’s position.

We have carefully considered the different options suggested in the survey and the Northern Premier League (NPL) management committee’s recommendation that the season be ended now and voided.

It won’t now be possible to complete a full season by the agreed completion deadline of Monday 31st May and introducing an alternative outcome during the season would be complex. However, we feel that to abandon a second successive season at this stage, without having fully explored the alternatives, would not be the best option for the non-league system and that with a bit of creativity and willingness to compromise, it could still be possible to achieve an outcome to this season.

It is impossible to predict how the pandemic and the current lockdown will evolve over the next couple of months and there appears to be little obvious advantage in jumping the gun now as the government furlough scheme will protect our players, staff and clubs until at least the end of April in the same manner whether we cancel now or continue the pause and use that time to seek consensus for an alternative outcome to null and void. 

There are many obstacles to resuming this season and we should not be playing again until it is safe to do so with sustainable levels of spectators and food and beverage sales. For the welfare of players, staff and volunteers we cannot play three matches a week regularly; but if there is a chance that we can bring our players off taxpayers’ support and provide them and our supporters and volunteers with an outcome that we know is important to their mental wellbeing, we owe it to them to at least try.

As part of the survey, we were asked if we had any alternative ideas for this season and we have indicated to the FA that should it be possible to resume league matches by the first week of April our club would support a season where each team played each other once.

This format would require us to play 14 more matches and would be feasible to complete in April and May, and we feel would balance compromise and integrity. We have also indicated that we are open to other suggestions.

We will update you again when we receive further information from the FA or NPL as to what will happen to our season. In the meantime: stay safe and we hope to see you at Broadhurst Park again in the not too distant future.

The FC United of Manchester Board


First Posted ~ 18:42 Tue 26 Jan 2021
News ID ~ 8872
Last Updated ~ 16:00 Fri 19 Feb 2021