Rebels chase Barca in twitter stakes

FC United of Manchester have a long way to go to catch Barcelona in the social media stakes but they’re well on their way after entering a prestigious league table of the world’s most followed clubs on Twitter.

According to the specialist Twitter counting website folos.im who list the top 300 clubs worldwide, the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Rebels are 154th with nearly 30,000 followers.

Luton were the only other Non-League club to have made the website’s roll of honour, the Conference Premier outfit squeezing onto the list at 300 soon after their FA Cup heroics. Sadly for the Hatters, they’ve since dropped off with Italy’s Sampdoria replacing them!

Folos.im do not measure 'mentions or hastags' on the social media network. FCUM are in exalted company with their confirmed followers. While Barcelona count more than seven million, FCUM’s fans are sandwiched between Spain’s Real Zaragoza at 153rd and 154th placed Cardiff City.

FCUM General Manager Andy Walsh is delighted the fans-run club is flying the flag on planet football for the Evo-Stik NPL and Non-League football.

He said: "We're very proud to be raising the profile of all clubs at our level and around the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League. Through our success we're showing that Non-League football is well worth supporting, just as much as other forms of the game that often receive more attention than we do."

He added: "As a supporter-owned community club, social media is a great way for us to engage with people and something that we use on a regular basis. With over 29,000 followers on twitter we are never short of people with a view on what we're doing."