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AFLM:SPG issue four - out Saturday

The fourth installment of A Fine Lung Manchester: Spirit. Patience. Gentleness is out in time for Saturday’s home game against Retford at Gigg Lane. It will be on sale before, during and after the match.


The quest for home is on. That talking chimley breast in our own club house of our own home in our own city will one day become a reality.

But before we can enjoy the thrill of hearing a breast telling the likes of Andrew Walsh to take his coat off, because it’s boiling as there’s a rip-roaring fire on and he should have done his ironing instead of walking that daft dog, we need to stack up more of our hard earned. And what better way to do so than by buying a piece of heart-warming Mancunian loveliness, put together by odds and sods from across our city, and beyond, for your delectation, with all proceeds going to the FC United of Manchester Development Fund. A Fine Lung has drifted into its fourth issue, two years after its first. We said we were unreliable and a bit too laid back, but we’ve got there and our original aim of funding that dream is getting closer with every issue. If you buy this one, we are looking at nearly £2,000 raised so far.

We’re calling this the feminist and family issue. All will become clear when you buy it, we’ll leave it at that. It’s perfect for reading while in trap two at work, on the tram or while the missus watches Don’t Tell the Bride.

Andrew Davies, who wrote a book about back-scuttling, has now taken to researching Billy Butler, or someone. We all sing ’Hello, hello, We are the Busby Boys...’ and Andy will take you on a journey that endeavours to explain its origins. The specky done good. We’ve been warned about the word ’exclusive’, but this is, so let’s not pish aboot the boosh.

Scott Taylor, who you may know from listening to the wireless or travelling on the rattler, spent a week with Margy. He slept in the dog basket at the family’s Urmston home and he lived off scraps from the dinner table. And if you’ve seen Karl recently, you will be aware that not much is going spare. Scott enjoyed an insight into coaching and scouting players for the season ahead. He then wrote a wonderfully indepth piece on the genius that was Sly Stone.

There are pieces from familiar names like Mike Duff, Maurice Twomowers, Life of Smiley, Fraudulent, Mad Cyril and talented new writers alongside other FC United members and volunteers. The odd (very odd) board member pipes in, as do members of the original steering committee that began the search for home back in 2005. That reminds me, Spock also gets a mention.

So part with your £2 at Saturday’s match against Retford at Gigg Lane, safe in the knowledge that you’re doing your bit to get us back to where we began our football lives and you’ll also bag yourself a piece of Mancunian art to cherish.

- If you can’t wait until then, cough, or you’re looking for something productive to do on work’s time you could do a lot worse than visiting afinelung.com



First Posted ~ 09:52 Fri 27 Aug 2010
News ID ~ 3056
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021