FCUM MEMBERS

MATCH ARRANGEMENTS: Bradford (PA) v FC United
On Saturday 12th January, FC United travel to the Horsfall Stadium, Cemetery Road, Bradford BD6 2NU to play Bradford (Park Avenue) in the National League North kick off 3pm.

This will be the fifth game in a row against a top six side in the National League North, with the previous 4 all ending in defeats. However, with better luck we could have taken points from those previous matches and we continue to play good football.

We just need that bit of luck to get a win and the general consensus is when we do get it we’ll then be up and running and pull away from the relegation zone.

We urge supporters to travel in numbers on Saturday and back Renno and the lads in the first of what the manager has designated as 17 cup finals!!!

Admission is pay on the gate

Adults £12
Concessions £9
Students (with NUS card) £7
Under 16 £2

Car parking is £2 accessed via Park Road or by the driveway at the back of the Main Stand from Cemetery Road.

The club are running an official coach to this match. A 24 seater will depart Broadhurst Park at 11.45 am, Chorlton Street 12.00 noon and TGI’s Prestwich 12.15pm. The fare is £10.

To reserve a place email tomstott@fc-utd.co.uk, or message Tom on twitter @TomStott2 or call the office on 0161 769 2005.

OUT NOW: Swampy's Red Rebel Radio

Swampy and Ben return for the first Red Rebel Radio of 2019, providing you with a fixture preview for this weekend's league match at Bradford Park Avenue.

https://fcumradio.podbean.com/e/swampys ... uary-2019/

The current Bradford Park Avenue club date back to 1987. The original club were founded in 1863, played in the Football League between 1908-1970 and folded in 1974.
Midfielder Ben McKenna played in a friendly for FCUM at South Shields in July 2017.
The Avenue have beaten FCUM 10 times, more than any other opponent. Their 41 goals scored (in 21 games) is also a record.
Salou Jallow became the 44th player to appear for FCUM this season, a record for the club. 9 have been loan signings.
FCUM have won 2 and lost 6 of 11 previous visits to the Horsfall Stadium, but have won all 3 meetings in the month of January.
The Avenue has lost 8 games in 2018-19. Altrincham have beaten them in 3 different competitions.
The Reds are battling to avoid losing 5 successive games for the first time in their history.

Paul Hinson wrote: ↑Fri 11 Jan, 2019 8:10 pm The current Bradford Park Avenue club date back to 1987. The original club were founded in 1863, played in the Football League between 1908-1970 and folded in 1974.
Midfielder Ben McKenna played in a friendly for FCUM at South Shields in July 2017.
The Avenue have beaten FCUM 10 times, more than any other opponent. Their 41 goals scored (in 21 games) is also a record.
Salou Jallow became the 44th player to appear for FCUM this season, a record for the club. 9 have been loan signings.
FCUM have won 2 and lost 6 of 11 previous visits to the Horsfall Stadium, but have won all 3 meetings in the month of January.
The Avenue has lost 8 games in 2018-19. Altrincham have beaten them in 3 different competitions.
The Reds are battling to avoid losing 5 successive games for the first time in their history.

Wow

FC LIVE PREVIEW:

FC United travel east this afternoon to take on Bradford Park Avenue in The National League North.

Here is Statto Paul's Preview....

https://audioboom.com/posts/7141370-fc- ... k-avenue-a

And remember if you cannot make this game in person, you can tune in on http://www.fc-radio.co.uk from 2.30pm

PRE MATCH INTERVIEW:

We caught up with FC United Manager Neil Reynolds last night to hear his thoughts heading into this afternoon's match at Bradford Park Avenue.

https://audioboom.com/posts/7141384-pre ... dford-pa-a

League video highlights:

http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/mat ... /1-3614557

OUT NOW: This week's This Club is My Club

With reaction and interviews from Saturday's win for FC United at Bradford Park Avenue.

https://fcumradio.podbean.com/e/this-cl ... uary-2019/

Steve Wood's match reprt

FC United bounce back by beating Bradford in five goal thriller

FC United bounce back by beating Bradford in five goal thriller
FC United stopped the rot of fourth consecutive defeats with a priceless 3-2 victory at second place Bradford Park Avenue with goals from Chris Sharp, Kurt Willoughby and Jack Banister.

Neil Reynolds entered the game with a depleted squad with Tom Peers and Mike Donohue both suspended, Chris Lynch injured and Mike Potts also only named on the bench due to injury.

He was forced to name two 18 year old loanees at centre-back in Zehn Mohammed from Accrington Stanley and William Sass- Davies from Crewe in his starting line up.

It was BPA who saw most of the ball early on, but it was FC who had the better early chances. On five minutes Steve O’Halloran capitalised on some ponderous Bradford defending to fire a shot into the side netting and on 11 minutes a flowing FC move saw a cross found Elliot SImoes who side footed wide when he probably should have done better.

Two minutes later, the FC woodwork was rattled when Lewis Knight smashed a volley against the bar, the referee giving a corner suggesting that Lloyd Allinson had got a touch. On 39 minutes, the home side took the lead when the ball found its way to Oli Johnson who turned and fired a shot into the bottom corner of Allinson’s goal.

Just as the PA was announcing two minutes of stoppage time, the ball found its way to Sharp who rifled a great low shot past Steven Drench and into the net to level up the scores and possibly give FC the advantage given the strong wind that would be at their backs in the second half.

Willoughby was looking dangerous and he gave notice of his intent to the BPA defence early in the second half with a turn and shot that was easily saved by Drench.

FC haven’t scored a goal all season between the minutes of 46 and 60 and this wasn’t to change at Bradford but they did take the lead on 64 when Banister blasted home from 25 yards into the top corner of the net.

The lead was doubled just over a minute later when Willoughby was released down the left and he finished superbly into the far corner.

BPA did come into the game and pulled a goal back on 78 minutes with a well taken free-kick from Knight that found the top corner.

The goal then saw some pressure on the FC defence, Jake Beesley slicing wide when he should have hit the target and in 90 minutes sub Adam Nowakowski fired a shot that was well saved by Allinson.

In fact Allinson, who has had some well documented sticky moments in the last few weeks ensured that FC took the three points home with a wonderful reflex stop deep into injury time, tipping a powerful drive onto the crossbar.

This is a well won and deserved three point for Reynold’s men and sets the side up nicely for the crunch clash at Ashton United next Saturday.

Report by Steven Wood

Website man of the match - William Sass-Davies. A very tough game to be thrown into but Davies coped superbly in the first half in the face of a strong wind and looked assured when both defending and with the ball at his feet starting attacks.

The view from Bradford
The home side were firm favourites as they were second while FC United of Manchester were third from bottom and on a run of four defeats on the spin.

However, the table counted for little as the visitors left West Yorkshire with a 3-2 victory.

When Avenue broke the deadlock it looked as though they were back on track and heading for a win.

But the visitors equalised on the stroke of half-time and a rapid fire double midway through the second half silenced the home fans.

Avenue reduced the deficit and piled on the pressure but FC United rode their luck and banked three hard earned points.

Park Avenue manager Mark Bower was disappointed with the result but not by the efforts of his squad.

He said: “With that strong wind it was always going to be a game of two halves and that’s what it proved to be.

“We had the wind at our backs in the first half and we had a lot of the play in and around their area. It took us a while to break them down but once we did we looked in control. The goal they got just before half-time was a game changer.

“They came back out for the second half all square with the wind in their favour and used the conditions well.

"They had a bit of luck to get in front – there were a couple of ricochets in midfield that went to their players – but for the lad to finish like that from 25 yards, you can’t legislate for things like that.

“You can look at the quality of all three of their goals and just hold your hands up and say 'well done'.

"It just highlights the fact that we didn’t do enough of that in the first half. For all our possession in the final third I don’t think we tested their keeper enough.

"Overall I still think we created more than they did and we ended the game strongly and positively. It would have been easy for the players to switch off at 3-1 down playing into a gale force wind but they kept going.”

It was Oli Johnson who broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. A good ball into the area found him with his back to goal but the striker spun and sent in a low shot. It lacked pace but was accurate and crept over the line.

It should have been two two minutes later as FC United centre back Will Sass-Davies misjudged his header in the strong wind with the ball dropping to Ben McKenna, but the forward delayed his shot and keeper Lloyd Allinson managed to block with his foot.

Into first half stoppage-time former Avenue striker Chris Sharp was left unmarked and, after cutting inside, he beat Steve Drench with a superb shot from the edge of the area to net FC’s leveller.

The game was turned by the two goals in as many minutes from the visitors. Jack Banister curled a stunning effort into the top corner in the 64th minute and just over 60 seconds later Kurt Willoughby broke through the inside right channel and lashed a shot across Drench and into the far bottom corner.

Avenue substitute Alex Hurst was fouled just outside the area in the 77th minute and Lewis Knight halved the arrears with a spectacular free kick.

Into stoppage time, a Nicky Wroe shot was deflected onto the bar as Avenue searched for an equaliser that never arrived.