If we think back to last July’s match in Manchester we could say with a certain degree of certainty that everyone enjoyed themselves, but then it was one of those fantastic days that will be long remembered.

We could say, also with a certain degree of certainty, that the hospitality we received was a major factor in making our big day so memorable. Unless it's my shaky recollection coming into play again I remember that everyone we met seemed glad that we had turned up and they spoke with a real sense of affection. I've heard enough since the day to suggest that our fans were deeply touched by the welcome we received.

If we move past our wonderful memories does FCUM's example provide any tips for our potential future? We may not be as large a club as they are but their example does suggest a general method of approaching football matters.

The first, and most obvious, tip is; we should aspire towards retaining our friendly and welcoming atmosphere. While this may sound obvious it doesn't hurt to remind ourselves of that once in a while.

The second thing is that merely by existing FCUM show us is that fan owned football has a future. When FCUM were founded some cynics suggested that they wouldn’t last past their first Christmas but FCUM are not only still around they have prospered; since 2005 they have earned three promotions and built their own ground. Therefore fans are capable creating a club and running it themselves.

The next thing that FCUM show us is that we should not be scared of showing our own identity. Two phrases seem to help FCUM display their identity. The first phrase is "Our Club Our Rules", you may remember this phrase from the interview with FC fan Phil Bradbury a few weeks ago.

“Our club, our rules“ are four simple yet profound words that state "We control our destiny". At FCUM the emotions connected to those four words have been the catalyst for everything. For example they helped to channel the frustration and distaste with the premier league model towards the foundation of a one member one vote football club.

Those four words work in practical terms as well as FCUM have shown the value of a one member one vote structure. Their democratic structure has allowed their fans to have a say in the running of their football club as owners. A good example of their democratic control is the fact that FCUM's shirts have remained free of sponsors’ logos for the entirety of their existence.

The value of a one member one vote system, and its associated transparency, has been reinforced since FCUM's move to Broadhurst Park in 2015. The democratic nature of FCUM has allowed the fans to help their club adapt to changing circumstances. With football being football and people being people mistakes are made, a fan-owned structure allows fans to reassert their democratic control over the course of their club.

The fact we have already founded a club shows that we are already familiar with the “Our Club, Our Rules” approach and FCUM have shown us we must never forget this principle. Bangor 1876 is our club and our members will be able to direct its journey by taking an active role to help to shape our destiny.

The second FCUM phrase is “Doing Thing Differently”. Mancunian swagger has been at the heart of their club since the beginning and so the idea of "doing things differently", including the "Our Club, Our Rules" ethos, has been a central part of that.

Sponsor-free shirts, end of season "European aways" to like-minded clubs and a “club night in the afternoon at the wrong end of the tram tracks” are just three examples of FCUM doing things differently.

We saw a couple of examples of things done differently on our visit. As soon as you enter Broadhurst Park you notice that it has slightly different feel to other grounds. Consider the imaginative banners and flags. Banners and fags are a fairly common sight at football but a lot of FCUM's flags are different. You see wry witticisms, self-deprecating irony, references to Manchester's radical spirit and history and designs based on the well-known Mancunian music scene.

The other example was the live band playing in the space beneath the SMRE terrace before the match. When our fans watched the band they had stumbled upon the cultural happening known as "Course You Can Malcolm" (CYCM).

CYCM began when FCUM played at Gigg Lane and it soon was dubbed the “club night in the afternoon at the wrong end of the tram tracks” To give you an idea about CYCM here's a quote from the FCUM website:

“Over the years there was music, poetry, theatre, comedy and more. Everything from death metal to rap to harp music to belly dancers to a city-supporting journalist reading from his latest book; talented people giving up their time on a Saturday afternoon to play or perform for free.” Even Maxine Peake once graced CYCM.

Let's consider the implications of the last phrase for 1876. We have already done things differently by creating a functional fan-owned and community-centred football club from scratch but perhaps we need to think about tweaking the look of our club.

How should our club look? How do do we want our club to feel? How do we continue to do things differently?

On one hand the first two questions seem pointless because the look and feel of our club will develop naturally over time. On the other hand, we may need to borrow an idea or two to point us in the right direction, would the Beatles have existed if they hadn't listened to '50s Rock N Roll?

We could use CYCM as an inspiration. We may not have the scope to put on a fully fledged event like CYCM at the moment but we could still offer our own pre-match cultural happenings.

Can we nurture a distinctive culture around Bangor 1876? 'Course we can!