• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fishing Fiend

Mad About Fishing

Fishing Fiend Ltd Logo
  • About Me
  • The Anglers Challenge

FC Utd And The Fenix Part 1

16th September 2022 by Mike Duddy

After 360 articles on fishing, I’ve decided to change the subject of my next post article from fishing to football. ( I might do a few more football ones in future).

Here goes….

I’ve always enjoyed going to a match. As a child I used to watch both Man United and Manchester City on alternate weekends with my dad.  He was a school teacher with 5 kids and not so much spare money, so sometimes as a treat we went in for the whole game, but more often than not we sneaked in for free to watch the last 10 minutes of a game when the large exit doors opened. I used to love it, the hot dog wagons, the End Is Nigh – Repent men, the huge crowds and the noise.

As i grew older it was Bolton Wanderers, Bury and Oldham Athletic with school friends, then Bournemouth when I was at university, and Leyton Orient when I used to live and work in London.

So for me I’ve never had “a team” so to speak, I’ve been a sort of floating voter just going along to enjoy a good game.

The wild wild days of my youth, being chased by mounted police down the back alleys of Manchester and Salford, watching the harder teenagers fight on the Manchester Road in Bolton, and outside the Pack Horse in Bury. The officer mounted on the white horse at the gate to the Stretford End who used to give us all the evil eye… I’ve always had that feeling that most police enjoyed football match duty and the opportunity to engage in a bit of violence with the fans. There was an edge to it, and I loved that edge.

Sadly as I grew older this all became stale for me, with all seater stadiums, smoking bans, no beer while watching the match etc and the slow death of the traditional atmosphere inside modern stadiums..

Lets face it. Modern football is shite. A mere shadow of how it used to be.

Sit down, shut up and spend lots of money is what football clubs want from their fans, and as this became more pervasive, I spent more and more time fishing with my friends and football became something that I used to do.

Then back in 2005, FC United formed as a protest to the takeover of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer and financial shenanigans which enabled them to do this at the fans expense. It stank, but the new club that emerged from this shambles, and the passion of the fans that created it caught my attention, especially as they played their home games at Burys ground Gigg Lane, only a mile or two up the road.

It took a year or two before I got round to going to a match (children, divorce, dating again, work the trappings of early middle age and lots of fishing), then for some unfathomable reason I decided to go and watch an FC United away match one evening in Clitheroe.

Bloody Hell !! What a night. The singing started 10 minutes before the kick off, lulled a bit at half time, then continued all the way through a 0-3 win for FC and continued out into the street as the fans left the ground to make their way home. The atmosphere was amazing, the football was good, the standing up, the drinking beer, being part of a big tightly packed crowd who were enjoying themselves. I was hooked again.

I dipped back in and out of FC over the next few years, just as I had done when watching teams in my younger years but as my eldest son Matthew became interested in playing Rugby, me doing a lot of fishing, and other work stuff taking up a lot of my time football and FC Utd remained an interest rather than a passion. As FC moved from their home in Bury first to Stalybridge and then Ashton I was more dipping out than dipping in. Even when FC built their own ground at Broadhurst Park I was more interested observer than passionate supporter.

Then one day, my youngest son Tommy who was as the time 5 years old told me that it was about time I took him to a match. So the next Saturday was a nice bright April afternoon, FC United were playing Darlington at home, and we went along, FC United lost but Tommy was hooked.

The following season 18/19 FC had a torrid time, sacked their manager, lost every single match that we went to watch and ended up being relegated.. the football was shite and the players didn’t appear to care. However, my young man had the bug and he loved going to the matches, and I loved taking him.

The following 19/20 season was what I call “the Tunde year” a poor start to the season was followed by an explosive period as FC signed a new striker Tunde Owalabi who literally set the place on fire with his skill, goals and friendly personality. Tommy had a hero and unlike most childhood heroes this one was approachable, friendly and a great role model.

All boys need a hero – and Tunde not only happened to be a football god, but also a very nice fella.

The season could have ended in promotion but then Covid came in with a cough… and the season was over before it was over…. what could have been eh ?

Season 20/21 just didn’t happen and then season 21/22 started, and was then shortly followed by an announcement that FC were entering a European Competition for non-league clubs of a special nature, and that FC had been selected as the British representative in the competition.

By now – I can assure you that my son Tommy eats, sleeps, drinks and sleeps football. Playing as star striker for his local team in North Manchester — already gaining the reputation as a ruthless striker with many hat tricks to his name. Whilst refusing to tackle anyone, run, track back etc. His relentless occupation of the space between penalty spot and goal line has earnt him the title of “Tommy Tap In”… the prospect of his team FC United entering into a European Cup for non league teams excited him so much that he could hardly sleep in anticipation of the draw.

We watched the draw live on Youtube together for the Fenix as FC were drawn in group 2 along with AKS ZLY from Poland, Brera Calcio from Milan and DWS from Amsterdam.

FC United were in the same group as three other teams from Amsterdam, Milan and Warsaw, so seeing as though this fishing blog has now started making me some money, I decided to spend some of it and go to all the matches I could home and away in Europe with Tommy.

The tag line of this Fenix Competition is #makingfriendsnotmillionaires (a line they appropriated from FC United) and I already approved and thought it would be a good opportunity for Tommy and I to spend some lad and dad time.

First up was Warsaw away – a very cheap Ryanair flight and a decent hotel in the City Centre of Warsaw only a short taxi ride away from the ground.

Now I thought FC fans were loud and passionate but the fans from AKS ZLY of Warsaw were on another level. Fireworks, flares, drums, megaphones and they sang their way through the match despite being on the receiving end of a 1-6 drubbing by FC who were much the better team.

Heres a couple of photos from that night.

Lads And Dads at Football Away Days
AKS ZLY Passion
AKS ZLY fans
FC United Fans In Warsaw
What a night

What an amazing night that was. And I think I sealed the deal in the eyes of Tommy – that he has a cool dad (despite all the fishing).

Could anything beat this – well yes actually…

Read on… in part 2 (next week) for the second part of this football story, as FC United made it all the way through to the tournament’s final in Rimini earlier this summer in 2022. We had some great trips and matches, met some amazing people, snagged some unbelievable souvenirs and made a couple of special friends.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: FC United, Fenix, Football

Primary Sidebar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOM-emZ1Wkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEJLElb6HUc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEQlDACC1WI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cne7QOilerQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm0KDPjP1J8&t=9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ZAuuDTsQs

Archives

Tags

5 Bar Gate Agecroft Pond Anglers Challenge Anular Bream ashton canal Bass Beach Fishing Birkenhead Dock fishing Bitterling blank Bradshaw Hall Bread Punch Bream Bridgewater Canal Bridlington Carp cheshire ring Chub Cleveleys Cod Common Blennie Common Comber Cornwall Crucian Carp Dab Dace Drinkwater Park Drop Shot Dropshot Drop Shotting Dusky Grouper European Eel FC United Fenix Flounder fly fishing Football Fuerteventura Fuerteventura Fishing Githead Bream Gynn Wall Heaton Park History Holiday Fishing Ide Irwell Isome Issos Beach Corfu Kelzo Labranda Beach Fishing Lesser Spotted Dog Fish Lesser Weever Live Bait Liverpool Docks LRF Lure Mackerel Madeira Goby Madeira Rockfish maggot Mariners Wharf New Brighton Old River Irlam Ornate Wrasse Painted Comber Pandora Perch Perch Rock Pike Pilsworth Pollack pollution Pollys Flash Prison Pond Rainbow Wrasse Roach Rochdale Canal Rockpool Blenny Rudd Salford Quays Sand Smelt Sarga Sea Fishing sewage litter Smoothhound Starry Smoothound Steenbras Striped Sea Bream Tench Three Bearded Rockling Tope trout walking Wallasey Dock fishing wallasey docks Whiting Worm YoZuri Minnow

recent posts

  • Back On The Bank 12th December 2022
  • The Fenix Trophy Final 2022 14th November 2022
  • FC Utd And The Fenix Part 2 17th October 2022
  • FC Utd And The Fenix Part 1 16th September 2022
  • Fishing Issos Beach Corfu – Summer 2022 3rd September 2022
  • A New Logo – time for a refresh 14th August 2022
  • Fishing For Big Perch At Bradshaw Hall 24th December 2020
  • El Blanko And Sancho Phil Ride Again 14th December 2020
  • Chasing Perch On The Worm Dropshot 23rd November 2020
  • Pilsworth Fishery Dropshot 9th November 2020
  • Fishing Cures The Blues 26th October 2020
  • Fishing Salford Quays – Smash And Grab 10th October 2020
  • Fishing Liverpool Docks 6th October 2020
  • Artists On The Irwell 1st October 2020
  • Drop Shotting Wallasey Docks and Salford Quays 29th September 2020
  • Its Like February Again 26th September 2020
  • Drinkwater Park Again 20th September 2020
  • A Summers Evening Fishing Drinkwater Park Lake 1st September 2020
  • Holiday Fishing Cornwall 24th August 2020
  • Ashton Canal Fishing Free Parking 20th August 2020
  • A Good Read ? 31st July 2020
  • Driving Me Up The (Gynn) Wall 30th July 2020
  • I Smelt A Record But Let It Go 27th July 2020
  • Out Fishing Again 19th July 2020
  • Attack Of The Killer Crabs 3rd July 2020
  • An Evening On The Prison Pond 27th June 2020
  • Bitterling and Bream 6th June 2020
  • Out On The Ocean Wave 1st June 2020
  • Only Mad Dogs And Englishmen 29th May 2020
  • Back In The Saddle 27th May 2020
  • Excitement Turns To Disappointment (again) 15th March 2020
  • New Season Excitement 14th March 2020
  • Waiting For The Tide To Turn 8th March 2020
  • An Anglers Challenge 29th February 2020
  • Piss Off February 24th February 2020
  • Fishing Fiend Species Hunter 2020 1st February 2020
  • In Search Of Pike 21st January 2020
  • Fishing Fuerteventura (again) 12th January 2020
  • Bringing Things Up To Date 11th January 2020
  • Tackle Shed 26th December 2019
  • The Friendly Anglers Fund 2nd July 2019
  • Dace Fishing On The Irwell 27th June 2019
  • Happy Times 25th June 2019
  • Parklife Fishing 9th June 2019
  • New Kit 6th January 2019
  • A Little Perspective – Pike 30th December 2018
  • Irwell Barbel Quest – Part 12 – Utter Frustration 23rd December 2018
  • An Artists Palette 15th December 2018
  • Hungry Pike 10th December 2018
  • The 2 Hour Rule 3rd December 2018
  • Black Death On The Irwell 30th November 2018
  • Using A Pole Float For Trotting The River 27th November 2018
  • My Most Successful Lure This Year 25th November 2018
  • Washed Up On The Beach 19th November 2018
  • Fishing At Monton Lighthouse 27th August 2018
  • Out With The Kids 17th June 2018
  • Winter Bream 5th February 2017
  • Manchester Grayling 31st January 2017
  • Pleasure Fishing Bradshaw Hall Fisheries Lake 7 25th January 2017
  • A Fish At Last 19th January 2017
  • A Bit Rubbish – Part 2 3rd January 2017
  • A New Year – An Old Challenge 1st January 2017
  • A Bit Rusty 10th November 2016
  • A Bit Rubbish 1st November 2016
  • Holiday Fishing Tenerife 5th July 2016
  • The Irwell Imp 22nd May 2016
  • Daddy Daddy Lets Play Fishin Lod 21st April 2016
  • Scratching The Itch 29th March 2016
  • A Great Day 25th March 2016
  • Holiday Fishing Fuerteventura 11th March 2016
  • Mersey Salmon Video 31st January 2016
  • Fishing On Christmas Day 25th December 2015
  • Going Fishing With My Dad 10th December 2015
  • I’m Still Here 6th December 2015
  • Walking The Cheshire Ring Pt2 1st April 2014
  • Walking The Cheshire Ring Part 1 31st March 2014
  • Is Back On The Bank 19th January 2014
  • A Stolen Hour 28th October 2012
  • A Day Out At Gingham Fishery Nr Horwich 30th September 2012
  • Irwell Barbel Quest part 11 13th August 2012
  • Full House 1st August 2012
  • Back On Th’Irwell 30th July 2012
  • Warning – Fishing Pox 19th July 2012
  • Your help needed 23rd June 2012
  • Duchy Lagoons 5th June 2012
  • All Quiet 31st May 2012
  • Right On My Doorstep 1st May 2012
  • Longer Evenings 17th April 2012
  • Shore Fishing Tenerife 15th April 2012
  • Trout In Dirty Places 2nd April 2012
  • Caddis On Steroids 29th March 2012
  • Irwell Pollution 19th March 2012
  • Fishing and Blogging With The BBC 15th March 2012
  • Always A Wag 2nd March 2012
  • Long Overdue 29th February 2012
  • Roach 23rd February 2012
  • Hooked 22nd February 2012
  • Trout Fishing At Pendle View 19th February 2012
  • The Quarry 18th February 2012
  • An Impressionist On The Irwell 5th February 2012
  • Angling Research – The Social And Community Benefits Of Angling 31st January 2012
  • Casting About 22nd January 2012
  • Church Gardens 21st January 2012
  • Golden 15th January 2012
  • A Different Kettle Of Fish 13th January 2012
  • Not A Just Reward 7th January 2012
  • Blanking On The Quays 4th January 2012
  • On The Rocks In Lanzarote 14th December 2011
  • Bloggers On The Box 23rd November 2011
  • Irwell Barbel Quest Part 10 15th November 2011
  • On The Canal In Manchester 5th November 2011
  • Roaching On The Ribble 31st October 2011
  • Fishing On The Ship Canal With The BBC 28th October 2011
  • October Kick Sampling With The Riverfly Partnership 15th October 2011
  • Angling Trust North West 11th October 2011
  • Donegal 6th October 2011
  • Rochdale Canal Tench 19th September 2011
  • 8th October Match – River Irwell Old Course Irlam – Top Hat Optional 17th September 2011
  • Canal Tench 10th September 2011
  • Pommie Bashing 2nd September 2011
  • River Irwell Old Course Match Aug 2011 29th August 2011
  • Road Trip 25th August 2011
  • On The Canal 19th August 2011
  • Starlight Express 15th August 2011
  • Bitter – ling 11th August 2011
  • Ouch 28th July 2011
  • A Warm Glow 18th June 2011
  • Inspiration 22nd May 2011
  • Not Another Bloody Blog 17th May 2011
  • River Irk Polluted Again 14th May 2011

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in