The football club five miles from the Etihad with Man City in their blood who face an uncertain future

Maine Road Football Club were borne out of a support for Manchester City but while Pep Guardiola's side are chasing a Premier League title, Maine Road will finish bottom of the North West Counties First Division North

This weekend Manchester City will tackle Arsenal in a Premier League showdown in front of more than 60,000 people, with more than millions watching on around the world.

Twenty four hours earlier, another Manchester team playing in blue, with a familiar-looking badge, and named after City's old ground, will draw the line under a disappointing season and face up to an uncertain future.

Maine Road FC play under five miles from the Etihad but the two sides are poles apart. City are an all-conquering global super power, Maine Road play in front of fewer than 100 people most weeks in the North West Counties First Division North. And this season they've mustered just six wins.

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It means they will end the campaign bottom of the pile, regardless of how they fare in the season finale against Ashton Town on Saturday afternoon.

In theory that means relegation, in practice it adds uncertainty as the club await the outcome of ground grading applications, play-off ties and FA decisions with an answer on which non-league level they will be playing at not expected until mid-May.

"It is very uncertain and makes it very difficult for us," admits Maine Road committee member Peter Johnson.

The club will appoint a new chairman in the coming days and a manager in the coming weeks. A reset is planned as they try and keep pace with the changing scene of non-league football and the need to increase their profile using tools like social media to engage fans and entice potential supporters.

"It's been a bit of a slow decline but we've seen the rise of West Didsbury, Cheadle, Abbey Hey in this area," added Johnson. "They all have a model of bringing young players through, picking up decent players and maybe paying players as well.

"Those other clubs have progressed and made strides and at Maine Road, and we all admit it, we have been a bit slow in modernising. We've been slow to change and are behind the curve. The committee is getting older, understanding new technology is less, none of which are blameworthy but it's just happened, and now hopefully if things go to plan we will move forward on all fronts. We may have to take a step back but we hope to move forward generally."

Maine Road were formed more than 70 years ago by a group of Blues supporters and took their name from City's former home. They are still sponsored by the City Supporters Group.

"We have a great name and a great history in terms of where we came from originally and our ties with City are through the supporters," added Johnson.

"We have a relationship with City in that we know people at City and the supporters club really help us. One of the committee members has ex-players as friends. We've a relationship but not one at the highest level. We would love them to send a team down every season with their youth team, that would be fantastic but it has never materialised."

Instead, Maine Road will spend the summer trying to turn the tide.

"We are not sure where we are going to be next season but we are looking to it with a degree of optimism," concludes Johnson.