Change Is In The Air At FC United of Manchester
Recently appointed as Chief Executive Officer at FC United of Manchester, Natalie Atkinson discusses some of the developments at the club following the launch of its new business plan, vision and operating structure.
FC United of Manchester’s (FCUM) rise up the leagues has been remarkable given their start in life, but 17 years on from its inception and a mid-table finish in the Northern Premier League last season, the club is now looking to the future with renewed purpose and ambition.
Having left Oldham Athletic in the summer of 2020, Natalie Atkinson has the task of guiding FCUM to the next level on the pitch whilst unlocking the club’s commercial and business potential that has to be balanced against its ethical values laid out in its founding manifesto.
A Different Way
Set up in response the rampant commercialisation in the Premier League which led to the contentious takeover of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer in 2005, FCUM was built on a set of values that still remain today and a membership that includes over 3100 members.
The launch of the break-away European Super League (ESL) last year, of which Manchester United was a part of, further cemented the importance of clubs like FCUM and highlighted the crucial link fans play in the game.
The ESL debacle saw a spike in FCUM’s membership which, despite the club being unsure if it was a direct result of the issue, shows they are still regarded as one that adheres to a set of core values.
“We saw a spike during that period which was really fascinating,” explained Atkinson who was fast approaching 100 days into the job when fcbusiness spoke to her.
“The reason FC United is here is because of the ownership that came into a club that wasn’t listening to its fans, wasn’t listening to the needs of its community and wasn’t doing the right things for its community.
“This club is 100% fan owned – everyone owns part of this football club and there’s real value in that – you become a member because you get to have your say.”
The club which started life all those years ago has risen steadily through the leagues and the development of their home ground, Broadhurst Park has allowed them to flourish financially after a nomadic start.
But there is still a lot of work to be done and they are ambitious in their aim of returning to the National League, having been relegated from the National League North at the end of the 2019/20 season.
Run primarily on the help of volunteers and a small core of paid staff, FCUM have re-launched its vision and structure to open up new areas of opportunity and enhance the commercial and community potential in those that already exist.
“We have established a new committee structure that is made up of volunteers who are the most incredible people,” Atkinson explained. “We have football, communications, co-owners, strategy & governance, commercial and community committees that underpin the board and have been set up to help make strategic decisions.
“We’ve thrown ourselves into developing a really robust strategy that has seen us delve deep into our budgets like never before. We’ve really scrutinised every element of the football club, every element of spend, everything we deliver and the resource that goes with that.”
Commercial Growth
The club recently announced the appointment of a new commercial manager, and a new events and hospitality manager after they were identified as departments capable of driving more revenue from. However, the challenge the club has is finding a balance between the need to increase revenues from commercial activities against its manifesto pledge of ‘avoiding outright commercialism’.
Atkinson adds: “We still don’t have a front of shirt partner and I think that is really unique because it’s how we pitch it. We approach businesses and say ‘you’re not going to be on the front of shirt but there’s other unique ways of getting your business name out there’.
“We’ve got new partnership strategies that we’ve written around the women’s and first team for club partners and we’ve looked at how we can make Broadhurst Park the premier events and hospitality space in north Manchester.
“For our community programme, we’re now looking at what is our purpose – how can we commission programmes, how can we work in partnership and how we can collaborate to deliver the programmes needed in north Manchester.
“Our academy programme has been a huge success and as of September 2022 we are aiming to have 90+ students and by 2023, we’ll launch a girls academy as part of our new women’s and girls’ strategy that we’re writing for the whole of north Manchester.
“The girls’ league is located in this area under Manchester FA but we don’t just want to push women and girls into playing, there are other opportunities like administration, refereeing, governance, volunteering – whatever it maybe I want us to be a hub for women and girls’ activity and we’re going to work closely with Manchester Active on that.
“There’s so much we can do but the business plan is really focused on how we engage with the people of north Manchester and that is where we want to go.”
Those people will be key to the club’s future success as a new generation of fans come through that were not born when FCUM was established.
“We have just over 3100 members and we’ve sold just 1300 season tickets,” Atkinson continued. “You can be a member and not be a season-ticket holder and vice-versa but we’d like to reduce that gap between members and season-ticket holders.
“We’ve just completed some analysis through one of our committee members which shows that the number of members that did not buy a season-ticket last season stood at 1751. But why are those members not season-ticket holders? That’s the next step in what we need to do – we need to reach out and understand why.
“There are those that became members 17 years ago and have just continued to renew but still go and watch whoever it may be that they watch, but because of the values and the ethos that this club has they still put their £15 in.
“Another question is how do we get more people engaged in what we’re doing? I guess members, by putting in their £15, think they are doing their bit which is amazing and we appreciate it but our doors are always open and the phone is always on. We want members to come and be involved, provide ideas and have their say. I’m here to guide the football club for them. It’s a very different way of working but also fascinating.”
Good Governance
The recent issues in football with the ESL and the Fan-led review have once again highlighted the importance fans play in the overall governance of the game. FCUM, like other fan owned clubs subscribe to a set of principles that are enshrined in their founding manifestos. FCUM have a unique place in British football history and their future depends on the continued support of both the local community and a wider support base whilst building a sustainable commercial base.
As Atkinson concludes, the outlook for FCUM is positive and their renewed focus on strategy and sustainability will no doubt see it move forward in the coming years.
“The outlook is one of opportunity and positivity,” Atkinson continued. “We’re moving the club in a direction that the co-owners want, need, value and they are supported by being involved in it. We are building a club to be promoted to the National League whilst being realistic about what level our should be.
“But the big project is that we make Broadhurst Park a real hub for this community and is not just all about football. When people drive past I want them to think ‘I can do an education course there’ or ‘I know I can volunteer there’, ‘I know I can access mental wellbeing help there’. I also want them to know that they can play football here, or coach, or be involved in the club in some way. That is the vision.
“I don’t want people to drive down the road and just see a big building, I want them to see what that building represents and that is community pride.”
Image: Will Matthews/Sports Press – Imago Images
