A FOOTBALL team that had Sir Matt Busby’s blessing to share the name of Manchester United for years looks set to fold.
It was back in 1962 that Gibraltarian top-flight side Manchester 62 FC were formed by a group of supporters from the island.
And it was more than just the name they had in common with the Premier League giants.
United’s legendary former manager Busby also gave his approval for them to share the same kit colours.
However, the team’s name was changed to Manchester 62 in 2013 after Gibraltar were accepted into Uefa.
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American Michael Monsour, who founded Pittsburgh City United in his homeland, bought them back in 2022,
Since then they have led the attempts to raise awareness of CTE and to tackle the issue of concussion and its impact in football.
In January last year they partnered with the Concussion Legacy Foundation as they became the first top-flight European side to field a team with its 10 outfield players wearing protective headgear.
Now after the exit of an investor from the club, Monsour has revealed how Manchester 62 FC are facing its “darkest hour”.
And the seven-time title winners may cease to exist inside a fortnight unless new funding is secured.
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Monsour told the MEN: “What we’re trying to do at Manchester 62 is powerful, we’re trying to have a purpose beyond the game itself.
“We had a lot of success early on, but unfortunately we had some investors back out and it's been a fight of survival to balance it out ever since.
“It's a difficult scenario, I’m not a wealthy benefactor. I wish I could go to a bank like Barcelona or Manchester United and just say, ‘Hey, guys, you know, we need £360,000 to survive’. So I have to fight tooth and nail to keep this alive.
“Being that kind of blue-collar person that I am, and to keep the mission alive,is so important because I kind of roll it back to say if we're successful, we can save so many lives in the future, current and future football players lives.
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"But if we fail, I think it's very unlikely that people will try to do this again, and that's, that's what this club has had to face.”
He continued: “It's a difficult thing when you're trying to do something different.
"But there's a connection there and I still believe that there's an opportunity, and we have we have some pretty incredible people that have jumped on board to try to help and save the club.
“But we are where we are in the darkest hour of this, and it's because we've got tried to do something different.
"I came in and wanted to do the right thing for the game and put safety first. It's really important.”
Ex-Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers defender Todd Kane and former Inverness, Raith Rovers, and York City striker Manny Duku have played for the Gibraltar Premier Division club.
And ex-Woking, Grimsby Town, and The New Saints boss, Anthony Limbrick enjoyed a spell as manager there.
