FCUM Radio has pie eating

Why not listen to the match and watch one of the commentators stuff a pie and other carbohydrates away? From today's match of Kendal Town v. FC United.

Another gem from the ever entertaining FCUM-TV Radio. FC United went on to win 1-2 and get back into the play-off zone. As a diversion I browsed into Lakeland Radio which broadcasts online from Kendal. Let's check out their sports coverage, if any? Another tin-pot local station wanting you to phone in right now, playing a selection of 20th Century hits. Hit the close button - why bother?

FCUM-TV Visual Radio

FCUM-TV Visual Radio from biffadigital on Vimeo.
Still at home recovering from whatever virus it is this year. FCUM-TV's visual radio service kept my spirits up. You don't see much but the commentary is entertaining, and my mate Les is up there this week making an appearance. A bit of the old teletext updated scores service from the BBC makes up the afternoon. I'll miss the old teletext when Tv goes completely digital next year. Digital text is slower, and more cumbersome to operate the buttons on the remote.

A good win for FC United against top of the table Hednesford Town. 3-0 in the fog at Gigg Lane, attendance 1,946.

FC beaten at Prescot

Prescot Cables 4-3 FC United
listening live to FCUM-TV Radio
It had been a dull day with more rain so decided to have an evening indoors. Turned off the Tv and tuned the laptop to FCUM-TV Radio. At 3-1 down it looked all over. But three attacking substitutions changed the score to 3-3. A penalty was the equaliser. First time I've seen a penalty on the radio. You get a blurry picture of one half of the pitch. What you can't see clearly you make up with imagination. Scored by Kyle Wilson at the Safari Park End. Apparently Knowsley Safari Park is behind those goals. But the defence was caught napping again and Prescot got a 4th goal.

This is going to be tough, tough season for FC United. P7 W2 D1 L4 Points 7 position 15/22. Just as long as we don't leave this division from the bottom end. Prescot hadn't won a game until tonight so they'll be well pleased. Attendance 704.

FC in goalless thriller

Listened to the second half of Bradford Park Avenue against FC United tonight. When the game started coming to an end it got to be the proverbial edge of the seat listening. Record number of listeners of 325, it informs you on the screen, it's not made up. But after all that it ended 0-0. Oh well, at the moment there still have a play-off place with six league games left to play, but all before the 27th April....
FCUM Radio

FC United might make the play-offs

FC United's chances of winning this league are fading, but they still have a chance of a play-off place. Too many games in too few days. Six matches in 12 days is ridiculous. You really need a big squad to get maximum points from that fixture list. Lost tonight 3-1 (att: 456), and then matches to follow on Saturday, Monday, then Wednesday.

A few technical difficulties with FCUM-TV visual radio tonight, but they eventually managed to get a signal out of West Yorkshire. Thought I'd better make a donation 'cos at one point they ran out of credit. It's a good service run by unpaid volunteers for the benefit of the armchair army- 235 listening in tonight.

Writing about the hybrid visual radio then you should check BBC Radio 5 Live on Freeview. Along with the commentary you have pictures of the team sheets and a scrolling bar of other latest scores. I'm a fan of football on the radio, many a time it's been the only option. My wish would be for someone to sell a portable radio that receives just the audio channels from Sky satellite signals - there are about 200 of them.

FC Win 5-1 Hurrah Huzzah

The joys of the web for on a bitterly cold night you can be part of the armchair army. But you have to hand it to the 1,691 who went to Gigg Lane, Bury to watch FC United come back from 0-1 down to put 5 past Rossendale United. Once again the Visual Radio at FCUM TV proved excellent. Listen and surf - the hours just fly by. Match Report.

A few people I've met said it would be good if FC United stayed down in this division for a season. What defeatist nonsense. Winning two consecutive promotions to rise out of the North West Counties is hardly high flying. Getting to the Unibond Premier next year means there is still a long way to go, before you reach a national league which is the Blue Square Premier, formally the Conference. What football fan is happy when there team looses? Only a deluded one.

FC score 5 against Bamber Bridge

A power cut across north Manchester, Salford and even at the Reebock in Bolton delayed the start by half an hour. But when you're in the ranks of the armchair army you find other distractions. This is the President's Cup, so it shouldn't rate as a priority when your chasing promotion at No.2 in the league. But a win is a win especially when it's against Bamber Bridge who are chasing a promotion place as well. Four goals in the first half, and one in the second. The result that will count is in 18 days time when FC United visit the Irongate Ground to play Bamber Bridge in the league.

Oh the FCUM-TV visual radio, believe me that's what it is a hybrid new media is improving all the time. Better captions, faster commentary but keeping the jokes and references to pies.

FC beat a Conference side

Let's not get too giddy this was the Manchester Premier Cup 1st round. But let's enjoy the victory over Blue Square Premier side Droylsden - a whole three divisions above FC United. Droylsden are not doing to well so far this season with only 5 points from 17 games.

Now if only all radio could be like this by having the current score on display. It means you can watch the Kiev v. United match and keep up to date with events on the other side the city.

Highlights of the no games United week

Though the week has lacked Premiership football I've managed to find some highlights.

(a) Sir Bobby Charlton has a 70th birthday.
(b) United Reserves managed a 1-1 with Liverpool. I remember Sir Alex once saying something like, a game of tiddley winks between United and Liverpool would draw a lot of interest. Well over 2,700 turned up at Northwich to watch the match, including Sir Alex and Rafael Benitez.
(c) Got a new tap fitted by Tony the Plumber who is a big United fan though he now rents out his ticket. The auto-cup scheme was the last straw. We chatted about how we were freezing at the Youth Cup final against Liverpool last season. They now have some good young signings from South America who haven't made the first team yet, and we've got Dong firing them into Row J.
(d) The Times published the top 50 United moments - here.
(e) Highlights of September published at United On Fire - he has a better memory than me.
(f) That cheating goalkeeper Dida of AC Milan gets a 2 match ban for his falling down antics against Celtic. There is a little justice sometime.
(g) The FCUM-TV radio commentary on Wednesday. It's somewhere between surreal and Test Match Special. Gems like "I wonder what time it is in Equatorial Guinea? " - not even Stuart Hall could top that. Plus you send in text messages and they read them out on air.

Squeeze Those Rights

No broadcasts of FC United on Channel M this season..."Despite a frantic round of last minute talks regarding next seasons FCUM.TV show, Channel M have unexpectedly pulled out of the deal citing exposure to legal challenges."

Channel M needs all the viewers it can, and I was one of them every Monday night (Sky 203) watching the highlights, I'd then check out the schedules to see if I was missing anything else like Frank Sidebottom. Well not this year, won't be watching anything now.

Every last bit of filming and audio rights are being licensed to various small time operators to squeeze another few quid out of the football fan. FC United and FCUM.TV are a refreshing exception - online match commentary and video clips on the web all for free. Say unlike the Ryman League who want you to pay for a 60p a minute phone call to hear an interview with the manager of Wealdstone. They've also put an end to Dons Online service (AFC Wimbledon) with their plans to maximize revenues from your credit card.

If you're a long suffering fan of a lower league team you are expected to fork out another four or five pounds a month. That's just for the not so comfortable privilege of sitting in front of a small picture on a computer screen. Nor can you listen to online commentary even though the BBC local radio are at the match, doing an excellent job with our license fee.

FC Vase Cracked

Got home after the Derby game, cup of tea, a little kip..then clicked onto the radio coverage of the FC United match against Quorn. Down to 9 men, extra time...but the commentary is amusing. What other station would invite its listeners to text in abuse about the referree's bad performance. Couldn't even see the ref but it sounded like he'd booked the about 20 players. Thought it was going to go to a replay but lost 2-3...oh well that's cup football. You struggle to follow the match 'cos the commentary is like having a bloke next to you giving snippets of the play whilst you have your eyes shut. But for sheer partizan bias and general good humour they're doing a great job at FCUM Radio.
Just make sure you press F5 on your keyboard every so often because the stream rewinds itself to 15 minutes ago. You get confused being trapped in Groundhog Day match .