Posted on 15th December 2015
This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.
Stuart Roy Clarke’s photography gets to the heart of football – here he tells us about two classic shots from Carlisle United after the club was recently forced out of Brunton Park by flooding…
Bobby Moore recalled in Snow, Carlisle United, 1993, by Stuart Roy Clarke
The chairman’s dream of too much on his plate, Carlisle United, 1993, by Stuart Roy Clark
George (Og) a striker was said to have stolen an ironing-board. This strangely allured him to the fans. If he could do that with a board what could he potentially do with defences.
And besides, who hasn’t tried to impress the Missus?
All this was put to one side the moment Bobby Moore, beacon of Englishness, was to be remembered for his foreshortened life, in a snow-storm of 1993. George is there, shoulders out. The tribute was nationwide but Carlisle being the most northerly outpost got the snow.
The tribute connected Carlisle with everyone. Surely with even the man upstairs. (Not Michael Knighton, he had an elbow on the dugout).
Immediately the beautiful white carpet would be messed with chaotic patterns and United dazzling themselves and Rochdale with an inspired 3-0 win.
A winning streak to last a fortnight …before abject failure. Beautifully managed. Wonderfully orchestrated.
Opening the door for the big man to tear up all other peoples poxy little scripts.
Michael Knighton had seen aliens. Juggled with the other United of Manchester.
OH YE OH YE OH YE…CARLISLE ABOUT TO BE FLOODED WITH AMBITION.
Happy New Years.
In March 2001 a meeting of four football supporters occurred in a pub outside Carlisle. They didn’t know each other, but they all had a common goal – to get an organisation together that could ultimately buy a share of their local football club. Different groups had been talking separately about setting up such a venture but that day, four of them came together to pool their collective talents and get a committee up and running to do just that. These were:
In 2004, CCUIST became The United Trust. Acronyms were proving unpopular so the new name, together with new logo, were largely welcomed by members. Kate Rowley was put as chair and board rep in place of the departed Alan Steel. However the new identity and new personnel at the top didn’t mean a smooth year ahead. It turned out to be anything but. On the pitch, United had just been relegated to the Conference, ending their 76 year stay in the Football League. Problems quickly developed off the pitch, too.
Fan groups across the country have been looking at ways to raise money to support their club’s survival – we’ve already reported on stories from Exeter City and Grimsby Town.
Witnessing the events at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday, FSF National Council & Spirit of Shankly member Roy Bentham saw a lot of similarities between Liverpool fans’ own struggle in the late-noughties and West Ham United’ fans against their current directors. Here he tells us what its like fighting for your club…
