October 2013 Half Term Play Schemes

FC United’s community team aimed to help lift half term boredom across North Manchester over the holiday by running a number of play schemes. Local children braved the stereotypically Mancunian weather, turning up in numbers at Abraham Moss, the Cheetwood Centre, the Aquarius Centre in Hulme, Park View in Miles Platting and the Manchester Communications Academy in Harpurhey.

The training sessions ran for three days with the coaches putting the emphasis as much on fun as education. The children were ran through drills, skill games and matches, with almost 70 turning up across all age ranges. Many of the faces were familiar to the staff from previous sessions, whilst a large number were new to any FC United coaching sessions.

On Thursday all the groups came together on Abraham Moss’s all weather 3G pitch for a final tournament. Split in to Under 13s and Over 13s, the matches were played in a good spirit, with no shortage of skill as everyone’s competitive spirit came to the fore.

FC United first team manager, Karl Marginson, was also in attendance and watched on as a young Cheetwood side, made up of players he coaches at the centre, took part in the Under 13s tournament. It proved to be a nice break for him, with marginally fewer tears and tantrums than he is used to.

After every team had played each other once in the Under 13 age group, an end was called to proceedings and medals were handed out. Meanwhile in the older age group a playoff was taking place to see who finished first, second and third. A team from Park View in Miles Platting, coached by former FC United player Nick Swirad, ended up victorious, walking away with medals, Trafford Centre vouchers, and most importantly the glory.






Report by Chris Taylor