Union F.C.
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| Full name | Union Internacional Manila Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Blue Machine |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Chairman | Rafael Rodríguez |
| Manager | Dan Padernal |
| League | UFL Division 2 |
The Union Football Club Manila or Union Internacional Manila F.C. is a Filipino football club based in Manila. It was established in 1996. The club currently plays for second division of the United Football League.
The club made its first appearance in the second season of the UFL playing in division two. The club ended their league campaign in fifth place behind division winner Manila Nomads.
The origin of Union FC is clearly associated to the Spanish company Union Fenosa (Soluziona).
In 1996 the company brought several consultants to lead the different projects it was engaging. Most of these consultants were from Spain, Uruguay, and also from Venezuela and Peru, countries with long history and great passion for football.
Immediately they organized regular informal games at the Jollye field inside the Meralco compound in Pasig City. This field was originally a baseball pitch, so it was reconditioned to suit football demand. Even the goals, in a country where it seemed that football did not exist, were specially made for the team by Meralco blacksmiths.
Union Fenosa's official debut was in 1997 against the Philippines National Women's Football Team. The girls were no match for the tough and dirty Union players. It was a milestone in Union’s history. By this time, the indisputable leader and coach was the Venezuelan Jose Lupo.
From there, every week, more and more people came to play to Jolly and joined the team. One of the most active recruiter was the Chilean Francisco “Trompeta” Devia, who did a great job recruiting players among the foreign diplomatic corps in the Philippines. The group grew in quality and quantity.
Through the years Union joined almost all football tournaments or events where there was a round ball to be kicked: futsal, 7 aside, beach soccer and of course, 11 aside games. By September 2000, Union Fenosa became Union F.C. when it joined the Ateneo Football Tournament, losing the word “Fenosa” because most of the players were not related to the original company, and at the same time reflected better the spirit of the team, composed by people from all the corners of the world.
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