Union 1908 is the independent supporters’ group for West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC (West). We represent fans, support the club, and build a community rooted in inclusivity and solidarity. We believe football is at its best when it is welcoming, accountable, and accessible to everyone. This is what we stand for:

We are inclusive.

We’re proud that so many of our members – and the wider West support – come from underrecognised groups in football and tell us that they come to West because they feel welcome here. 

We’ll keep working to make sure our members can enjoy football and related social activities free from discrimination, harassment, violence, or abuse. This includes (but is not limited to) age, ability, gender, race (including migration status), ethnicity, religion, sexuality, size and/or class/economic status.

Anyone who cannot respect these values is not welcome in the Union or at Brookburn Road.

We’ll challenge discrimination wherever we see it, give members the tools and confidence to report incidents, and work with the club and authorities to deal with issues quickly and effectively.

We are supportive.

Many of us came to West because we’d heard about the positive, vibrant atmosphere. We will continue to promote that environment, make sure newcomers feel part of it and resist behaviours that don’t belong at our home ground.

We will support the club not only with our voices, but with our time, skills, and resources. That means fundraising for new facilities, sharing expertise, and volunteering where we can.

We’ll lobby the club to give more backing to our women’s teams, who remain underfunded. We want to see financial investment that sees our women’s teams thrive.

We are united.

Two of the founding aims of the Union were: “supporting the club (both on and off the field)” and “supporting one another.” West’s following is one of the strongest in the non-professional game, and our size gives us influence.

We’ll use that influence to ensure fans’ voices are heard in decisions, to campaign nationally where needed, and to keep bringing people together – whether they’ve been here for years or are walking into Brookburn Road for the first time.

We are community-minded.

Our ground sits in one of Manchester’s most exclusive areas – but just beyond Chorltonville, half of households in Chorlton Park ward face deprivation, and across Greater Manchester, over 200,000 children live in poverty.

We believe that football must face outwards. We’ll run campaigns, collections, and outreach to fight poverty and inequality, and we’ll work to bring excluded groups – including refugees and asylum seekers – through the turnstiles at Brookburn Road.

We aim to be accessible.

Disabled supporters deserve the same experience as everyone else. At our level, including at Brookburn Road,  facilities often fall short, so we will push for a fairer matchday.

We’ll raise funds to make tangible improvements at our ground, support organisations working for accessibility, and campaign for change across football.

We aim to be sustainable.

There’s no football on a dead planet. We’ll model greener practices locally – such as encouraging cutting single-use plastics and promoting sustainable travel – and use our collective voice to press for better standards across the game.

We aim to be diverse.

The same old faces bring the same old ideas. Both the Union and the club need leadership that reflects the diversity of West’s fanbase. Without it, we weaken our representation and limit our collective imagination.

We’re committed to modelling the change we want to see. We’ve already taken steps to diversify Union leadership, and we’ll continue to do so until it reflects the breadth of our support. By leading in this way, we set the standard for the club to follow. 

If you’re a West fan and share the values set out in this mission statement, we’d love to welcome you to Union 1908. To join, head to union1908.com to become a member.