FC United of Manchester vs. Chesterfield: Winners and Losers from FA Cup
Gboly Ariyibi and Lee Novak scored in the first half as Chesterfield moved into the FA Cup second round with a comfortable 4-1 victory at FC United of Manchester on Monday night.
The match marked FC United's first full FA Cup match at their new Broadhurst Park, which opened in May. However, the visitors scored twice in the opening 12 minutes, through Ariyibi and Novak. Then, Rai Simons and Ollie Banks added second-half goals before Luke Ashworth headed in a consolation goal for the hosts.
Here, B/R selects winners and losers from the game.
Winner: FC United of Manchester
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On the pitch, FC United of Manchester were decidedly second best to Chesterfield on this night. Reflecting on the outcome, Patrick Jennings of BBC Sport noted:
"There are 78 league places between these two sides and it really showed here. Had the home side got a decent start instead of conceding two in the first 12 minutes, then maybe you're talking about a different game. Sometimes in the FA Cup, the big teams actually do beat the minnows you know.
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Monday was a special night for FC United, though some at the club would have preferred it to happen on a Saturday. To understand why, some context is needed.
FC United formed in 2005 as a group of fans separated from Manchester United following the club's takeover by Malcolm Glazer. The new club has risen quickly through the divisions to reach the National League North while staying true to certain core values. One of those is keeping the traditional 3 p.m. kick-off time on Saturdays, which allows more fans to attend matches in-person.
So when BT Sport and the Football Association moved this match to a Monday night, some of FC United's fans were upset. Understandably so.
“This is another very special occasion for us, the culmination not just of the qualifying rounds victories, but of 10 years’ work,” Adam Brown, an FC United board member told David Conn of the Guardian. “To have an FA Cup tie in our own stadium is a magical thing but the FA has tarnished it.”
Broadhurst Park is not just any stadium, either. FC United supporters, upset by the Glazer family's debt-driven takeover of Manchester United, conceived of, planned and built Broadhurst Park themselves. All in 10 years.
Now they've hosted an FA Cup first round proper match at the stadium. That is an amazing achievement.
Winner: Lee Novak
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The famed magic of the FA Cup produced a few upsets in this first round proper, but not on this night. Chesterfield dominated from the start, scoring four good goals to claim a richly deserved victory.
The pick of the goals came from the boot of Lee Novak in the 12th minute. Daniel Jones sent in the cross from the left, and Novak flicked his first touch into the net with the outside of his boot.
You can see the goal here.
That's enough to make Novak a winner in this slideshow, but the Chesterfield striker is also a proud new father. According to Chesterfield's official Twitter account, Novak's wife gave birth just 10 days before.
Winners: The Local Fire Brigade
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Monday night's kick-off might not have happened without the help of the local fire brigade. After rain soaked the Manchester area on Monday, the pitch at Broadhurst Park might not have been ready for the game.
But according to the Daily Mail (scroll to the entry at 19.00), local fire engines came to the ground to pump away 30,000 liters (almost 8,000 gallons) of water away from the pitch.
Monday marked a major moment in the history of FC United. The workers who helped clear the pitch of rainwater deserve credit for their part in the story.
Winner: The Gap in Quality (or Chesterfield's Left Flank)
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As noted in the first slide, 78 places separated FC United and Chesterfield in the English football pyramid at kick-off on Monday. The gulf in quality was correspondingly clear.
The Spireites stormed into a two-goal lead within 12 minutes as Ariyibi and Novak fired in the goals. Both came from the left flank as Chesterfield tore through FC United's right.
Two more goals followed in the second half, with Rai Simons providing a classy finish for the third. At full time, it was clear which side belonged in League One, and which was non-league.
That's not to say FC United can't make up the difference in the coming years. The hosts showed admirable fight in the second half in trying to mount a comeback. But for now, the Reds aren't there.
"The tie was on television because they thought there might be an upset," Chesterfield manager Dean Saunders said, per BBC Sport. "We had nothing to gain and would have got hammered if we had lost. All in all, I'm pleased."
Losers: The FA and BT Sport
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Some FC United supporters mounted a boycott in the first half, refusing to take their seats for the match. As Chris Slater of the Manchester Evening News noted, the fans are winners because they forced BT Sport to acknowledge the situation and even "address the fans’ complaints after the visible and audible protest."
In considering the event as a whole, the FA and BT Sport come off as losers. For any neutral, the FC United fans represent a welcome deviation from the commercialization and globalization of football. By forcing the club to move the match to Monday night, those two entities came off as bullies.
Their actions will only strengthen FC United's resolve, and it probably won the club a few new fans, perhaps even in far-flung locations.
As an American writer, I realize the inherent disconnect here. As a foreigner, I have no connection to the club, and yet I can't help but feel an affinity with FC United and their fans. These people only want to support their club, and they've shown that they can thrive by conducting their dealings in traditional ways that have little use for Monday night kick-offs and giant television-rights fees.
As FC United continue to climb the ladder of English football, they will no doubt encounter further roadblocks. On this occasion, though, the club have won even in defeat.
