Non league club takes issue with Man Utd’s planned matches in Asia immediately after season ends

Non league club FC United of Manchester takes issue with Man Utd’s planned matches in Asia immediately after the Premier League season ends.

Manchester United’s decision to schedule post-season friendlies in Malaysia and Hong Kong comes amidst financial challenges, including recent staff redundancies and over £300 million in losses over five years.

The move follows FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup and UEFA’s larger European format, which have increased the workload on elite players, prompting the scrapping of FA Cup replays to ease calendar congestion.

The club plans to return to the United States for a pre-season tour in late July 2025, after the Club World Cup, as part of broader efforts to generate revenue through overseas matches.

BBC Sport report that while nothing has been officially signed off, it is almost certain United will head to the Far East for two fixtures against opposition yet to be agreed.

There is a window of a week between the last match against Aston Villa on the 25th of May and the Champions League final on the 31st of May, after which players have to be released for international duty.

Man Utd want to take advantage of their massive fan base in Malaysia with Malaysia Airlines the club’s official commercial airline partner. But, they last played in the country in 2009, and last made a trip to Hong Kong in 2013.

FC United of Manchester, of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, who also exists to provide affordable, supporter-owned, community-focused football for supporters who are tired of modern football’s constant pursuit of further riches at the expense the fans, have tweeted their frustration after seeing Man Utd’s plans.

The 7th tier outfit tweeted: “FA Cup replays scrapped to “protect players” yet here is the latest example of big clubs jetting off for overseas post-season friendlies.

“Fixture congestion is a convenient excuse which always seems to disappear when money is involved.

“The game is being sold off.”

FA Cup replays scrapped to “protect players” yet here is the latest example of big clubs jetting off for overseas post-season friendlies.

Fixture congestion is a convenient excuse which always seems to disappear when money is involved.

The game is being sold off.@WeAreTheFSA https://t.co/2d4b2RsKiB

— FC United of Manchester 🟥⬜⬛ (@FCUnitedMcr) February 26, 2025

£66 gets you just ONE ticket at Old Trafford… 🧐😮😤

But at Broadhurst Park, it gets you all THIS! ⚽️🇾🇪🤩

Want to experience it for yourself? Join us this Saturday as we take on Bamber Bridge! 🙌

Affordable football for everyone. See you there! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/rkAuW4dCcj

— FC United of Manchester 🟥⬜⬛ (@FCUnitedMcr) February 13, 2025

Twitter users reacted after the non league club takes issue with Man Utd’s planned matches in Asia immediately after the season ends…

@AndrewSlaughte1: Only reason FA Cup replays have been scrapped is to give the bigger clubs more chance of progressing in the competition. Prime example Tam vs Spurs. The game has gone, all about money too, the scheduling of the games is a disgrace, no thought for supporters. Support non league

@Trickypig74: Spot on. Support Forest but hate the fact that Exeter didn’t earn a well deserved trip up to the CG the other week.

@Jack_Baker01: Couldn’t agree more, and that’s coming from a spurs fan, tamworth deserved a trip down to London to play us at our state of the art stadium, would’ve earned them millions and could improve their team massively

@PhilGibson1973: I couldn’t have put it better myself, especially considering it’s FC United themselves who put this out!

@lennyb1983: Its an absolute disgrace

@Stephenken68425: Busy sacking staff and charging kids and O.A.P’s £66 admission time for fans to vote with their feet good luck to FCU for the rest of the season hope more alienated UTD fans follow you 👍⚽️

@DWA2005: For those who bought the argument about scrapping replays was all about player welfare, here is another example of how naive that was. Spurs played Newcastle in Australia even before last seasons FA cup final was played. It’s clear that it’s the @premierleague who run the game

@BigG2369: 🤬🤬🤬🤬 Lower league clubs robbed of vital replay income so these idiots can line their coffers in Asia whilst also laying off hundreds of average joes and continue to pay Shaw £150k a week to be…. well what is he?? Onana £200k to be decidedly shite…

@RochdaleAFCcom:
Things that tire out elite players:
The Club World Cup ❌
Two extra Champions League games ❌
Pre-season tours in far flung corners of the globe ❌
Post-season tours in far flung corners of the globe ❌
FA Cup replays ✅
Get to fuck.

@MikeyMcMahon: Thank god we scrapped FA Cup replays, the poor loves!

@Capeldearnelabs: Thank god those FA Cup replays have been scrapped 🙏. Sooner these “top” clubs clear off to a super league the better.

@LouisGutto2000: Getting rid of FA Cup replays is one of the worse decisions this sport has made. For it to then be taken the piss out of, with games being played abroad, instantly after the season by clubs like this is a joke. Embarrassing

@Tom_Morken: Why are we not surprised? Couldn’t care less about the overpaid primadonnas in the PL. It’s all about the money.. 🙄

@oldtronwellian: Disgusting but no surprise

@DaveHo1mes: The FA Cup isn’t adding fixtures, it’s the European competitions, international games, and nonsense pre and post season games on the other side of the world. Ratcliffe will still be sacking some dinner ladies this week regardless of how much money these tours bring in…

@wearebrighton: I am old enough to remember when Premier League clubs told us an FA Cup replay between Tamworth and Spurs would cause player burnout

@oscar_vernall: And yet these scum can’t play an FA Cup replay due to ‘burnout’

@swanniens: And fa cup replays are the issue

@Haud_Yer_Weesht: Paying for squad to go to Asia while they sack ordinary workers and close the canteen. Banter club

@Chesney_1995: Sure am glad we got rid of FA Cup replays to help with player fatigue!

@nismoneil: Wasn’t the FA Cup replays stopped because these teams moaned about playing to many games?

@MarkoPo15264429: I thought Premier League players couldn’t cope with the amount of games they play ? Long haul trips abroad no problem.

@Love_non_league: Enjoy Asia @ManUtd, don’t play too many games as you will get tired – whilst you’re there, please think about all those Non-League clubs that should have had @EmiratesFACup replays this season, which would have secured their financial future

@BuckleyCharliee: I am FUCKING FUMING can’t play FA cup games btw because too many games in a season… This is just another middle finger to the lower EFL teams and non league teams

@finnrbond: This ANGERS me so much. No FA Cup replays but they go this this instead. Tamworth would have profited massively this year from a replay at spurs. But NO let’s go to Asia or the USA instead to play MEANINGLESS MATCHES FOR MONEY.

@NewmanHay: Making 200 people redundant but sure, fly out to Asia for needless games… not to mention the “wE pLAy ToO mAnY GamEs” BS they push every fricking week.