I have ticked off another item on the Bucket List.

I am now a very proud owner of a football club.

An owner of United.

FC United of Manchester, that is.

The story starts ten years ago. In 2005 the Glazer family acquired Manchester United and riddled the club with debt. The hostile takeover was the final straw for many fans and another example of football becoming about business and television and no longer about football or the fans.

Excessive ticket prices and variable kick-off times ruled by TV companies have ruined the experience and accessibility of every day Mancunians (or any English), watching the game and the club they love (whichever club that is).

So a group of fans set up their own rebel fan club called FC United of Manchester. The reason for being is simple. Taking football back to it’s roots. Saturday 3pm kicks off most of the time, terraces to stand and active support. No selling out with the over commercialisation of football at the expense of the fans. £9 tickets. As a policy, the shirts still don’t bear a sponsor.

Fast forward 10 years and the club has been promoted five times and is one level off becoming professional, currently in the sixth tier of English Football. They just beat local rivals Stockport County away, who were in the same division as Manchester City just a few years ago. After ten years of sharing and renting other clubs’ grounds, they have built their own ground, Broadhurst Park. 5000 capacity.

The club is about more than just recreating the Manchester United of old, who they now describe as “two clubs, one soul”. They are ambassadors for fan owned football and the revolution of taking the power back and having football for footballs sake. Another motto of the club is “Making friends not millionaires”. It is the most family friendly and welcoming environment I have ever been to at this level of football.

The club is built by the fans and funding and exists for the fans and the community. I spent my Saturday with 20 fans in the pouring Manchester rain planting trees around the ground, part of ongoing work being done. Although there is the new ground, there is alot of room for growth with new stands planned in the future. The fans are putting in alot of the legwork. That is what the fans do, and what a club built by the fans for the fans means.

I took my good friend from New Zealand (and massive Arsenal fan) Richard Boyd along to watch a game. It was one of the most memorable games of football in my life, and even had him chanting “United” by the end too. It was up there with the Phoenix’s first ever home game and New Zealand qualifying for the football World Cup. 3-1 down with minutes remaining, the terraces were a wall of noise and roared the team to two late dramatic goals. A great video of this experience is here, filmed on Rich’s GoPro.

So, what is my financial stake in the club?

£12.

I get a membership card, rights to buy tickets to any big home games in advance (most are cash at the gate), and a vote in different decisions the club makes.

I get a sense of belonging, a team that plays for the fans, and I am joined on match days with fans who stand and sing for the duration of the match. This is real community football, not a TV game show to sit and watch. We are active participants, not passive consumers.

You can become a co-owner too.

If you want to sign up to become a co-owner yourself, sign up here. If you live in New Zealand please send me your details and I will deliver it to NZ for you.

We need to take football back. For the people.

“Won’t pay Glazer, work for Sky. Still sing City’s gonna die. Two Uniteds but the soul is one as the Busby Babes carry on.”