Cambridge United

Cambridge United FC is a professional football club from the university town of Cambridge, which is located fifty miles north of London. The club were formed as Abbey United in 1912, with Abbey the district that the club were based, playing in amateur friendly games at Midsummer Common until the outbreak of World War One.

In peacetime the club moved to Stourbridge Common, and then in 1923 a ground on land off Newmarket Road, which was dubbed 'The Celery Trenches'. The Cambridgeshire FA were not happy with the state of the ground, so United started the 1930-31 season on Parker's Piece. 

This venue proved unsuitable, leading to the club moving to the Abbey Stadium in 1932. 'The U's', as the club are nicknamed, became members of the Eastern Counties League for the 1947-48 season and turning professional a couple of years later before changing their name to Cambridge United in 1951.

After finishing league runners-up in 1957-58, United progressed to the Southern League for the following season. In 1960-61 the team won promotion to the Southern League Premier Division after another second place, to join Cambridge City, their more illustrious neighbours of the time.

After ending in runners up in 1962-63, United clinched consecutive league titles in 1968-69 and 1969-70 under manager Bill Leivers. Cambridge United were elected to the Football League to replace Bradford Park Avenue.

Promotion to Division Three followed in 1972-73 before the U’s dropped back to their previous status twelve months later. Ron Atkinson was appointed as the new manager in 1974, introducing quality players such as Brendon Batson, Steve Fallon, Steve Spriggs and Alan Biley.

United lifted the Division Four title in 1976-77. This was followed up with a second successive promotion in 1977-78, which elevated United to the second tier of English football while Atkinson moved on to West Bromwich Albion to be replaced by John Docherty who continued defying the odds with the team.

Fans favourite Lindsay Smith was added to the side prior to the U’s being relegated in 1983-84 and again in 1984-85. Both demotions saw the side well adrift of safety as crowds dropped under managers John Ryan and then Ken Shellito before Chris Turner took over at the helm.

In 1990 former player John Beck stepped into the hot seat and revolutionised the way the team played, although it wasn't to every one’s liking. Beck introduced a high powered game and strict discipline as players were made to take cold showers and train hard.

Sand was put in the corners of the pitch so that long passes held up for his wingers to cross onto the head of John Taylor and Dion Dublin. The 1989-90 season saw promotion won at Wembley with a 1-0 win against Chesterfield in the playoff final thanks to a goal from Dublin, after Maidstone United were defeated in the semifinals.

Cambridge also reached the FA Cup sixth round after a tremendous run, in which Aldershot, Woking, Darlington, Millwall and Bristol City were defeated. Crystal Palace ended the run at the Abbey Stadium with a 1-0 victory.

 

The following 1990-91 season was just as successful as the team ran away with the Division Three championship and again reached the last eight of the FA Cup. This time The U's run ended at Highbury against Arsenal after they had previously seen off Exeter City, Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday.

Amazingly United reached the play offs to reach the top flight at the first attempt, but they were beaten by Leicester City on aggregate in the semi-finals. Skipper Colin Bailie retired from the game after saying he'd lost all enthusiasm for the game after playing under Beck.

The manager was sacked the during the 1992-93 season to be replaced by Ian Atkins as United were relegated back to the third tier Division Two. In 1994-95 the club found themselves back in the League's basement after suffering a further relegation after Gary Johnson had taken charge of the side.

 

Tommy Taylor had a tenure as manager before Roy McFarlane led the team back up to the third level in 1998-99, but unfortunately, they were relegated once again in 2001-02 with club hero John Taylor then in charge. Taylor struggled on, hampered by financial worries at the club before departing.

The 2004-05 season saw several managers having a go, including Claude Le Roy and Herve Renard who caused a real stir, before making his name several years later as he led Zambia to the Africa Cup of Nations.

United were relegated at the end of the season to the Football Conference as the club entered into administration, leading to a deduction of ten points. The Abbey Stadium was sold to the Grosvenor Group keep the club in business, with the club becoming tenants.

In July 2005, the club made a deal with HM Customs and Excise to exit administration with the assistance of the Minister for Sport; Richard Cabourn. After a season of consolidation in their new surroundings, chairman John Howard announced plans for a new stadium in Milton.

Former Norwich City striker Lee Power took over as chairman and appointed Jimmy Quinn as team manager, after spells under Steve Thompson and then Rob Newman, who averted a relegation and then took the team to the playoffs in 2007-08, defeating Burton Albion, reaching Wembley, where they were defeated 1-0 by Exeter City.

Power departed after stabilising the club and Quinn followed soon after to be replaced by Gary Brabbin for the 2008-09 campaign. For the second successive season United were denied a League return at Wembley, this time going down 2-0 to Torquay United after earlier defeating Stevenage Borough to book their place in the final.

After a fall out with controversial new chairman George Rolls, Brabbin departed as did Rolls soon after an unpopular spell. Martin Ling took over the reins despite having resigned once after a disagreement with Rolls, but he couldn't deliver.

In January 2011, the owners put the club up for sale and dismissed Ling, with youth academy and CRC boss Jez George taking over in charge of the first team. The Grosvenor Group unveiled plans for a new community stadium at around the same time.

 

By September of that year, it was revealed that the plans for the new stadium would be at Trumpington Meadows and be the centre piece of a sports village that would also incorporate housing and retail developments.

In October 2012 Jez George returned to a role as Director of Football after a poor spell of results to be replaced by Richard Money. The 2013-14 season would be a glorious one the history of the club.

Two goals from Ryan Donaldson along with others from Ryan Bird and Luke Berry helped United to a 4-0 win against Gosport Borough to win the FA Trophy. A win against FC Halifax Town led the U’s to the play-off final where Gateshead were defeated 2-1 with goals from Liam Hughes and Donaldson as the club returned to the Football League.

Shaun Derry arrived at the Abbey Stadium as manager in 2015, remaining at the helm for three years until he was replaced for a short spell by Joe Dunne until Colin Calderwood took over the position as the side finished near the bottom of the table in 2018-19.

Former coach Mark Bonner was appointed as manager in March 2020 after the 2019-20 campaign saw United in sixteenth place on a points per game basis after the season was ended early owing to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The goals of Paul Mullin helped fire the team to promotion in 2020-21 before being sold for a large fee to Wrexham. The team consolidated and held its nerve to narrowly avoid relegation in 2022-23. Bonner was replaced by Neil Harris in December 2023 before he headed off to Millwall a few months later.

Gary Monk was appointed as new manager at the Abbey in March 2024.

Cambridge United FC will play in the EFL League One in the 2024-25 season.

My visits

Cambridge United 1 Hull City 3 (Saturday 30th March 1985) Division Three (att: 2,137)

A group of us including Nick and John Groombridge travelled to this game by train, arriving really early in Cambridge, which was a bit silly as it was before the days when we'd go for plenty of beer before a game. 

The town seemed a very pleasant place, if a little quiet and we somehow ended up having a look where the original Cambridge City stadium stood at Milton Road. By the time we visited it was rubble waiting for development as City looked to upgrade their training ground at the back of it.

We walked through the Grafton Shopping Centre and went in a pub opposite the ground without any hassle. The locals seemed friendly enough, although they'd had all the fight knocked out of them by their teams disastrous campaign, which would eventually see them relegated with just six wins, and conceding 102 goals.

As was the fashion at the time we decided to sit at the game. We were placed down the side in the Habbin Stand, with terracing for the home fans next to us. The away Coldham Common End was to our right, and consisted of a small open terracing. The Main Stand ran the full length of the far side, with police boxes in the corner. Finally the Corona Stand was at the Newmarket Road End, which was a covered terracing with open standing to the side of it.

City were far too good for the youngsters of United, plus their sprinkling of experience, as they continued their march towards promotion. We were joined in the seats by some top lads from Goole, who were determined to have a good time and never stopped laughing.

At full time we were marched across the common and then accompanied along the way back to the station without going near to the town centre. We got home around 10pm after changing trains at Peterborough and having a beer. A top day out.

Cambridge United 4 Scarborough 1 (Saturday 4th November 1995) Division Three (att: 2,304)

I had come off my night shift for the very last time at Malton Bacon Factory although I didn't quite realise it at the time and had turned up to travel with the Supporters Club on their mini bus. Chewy, Mick Cammish and Baz Rewcroft also waited to get on board at the station, but it turned out that it had been over booked and someone had to miss out. Mick said he wasn't too bothered and kindly stepped down, or perhaps he had a feeling about what was to follow.

The good thing about travelling with the supporters was that Eric Pickup ran them superbly well and we always got to our destination for at least an hour for a beer, Mansfield aside when year when the coach driver somehow got it into his head that we were playing at Peterborough!. We went inside The U's social club and got nestled in for a few pints.

We were joined by some others including Fred Theobald. A gent joined in and asked what our impressions were of Neil Trebble? Fred didn't take long to tell him that he was utter crap, or something as derogatory, only for it to turn out to be our forwards Dad! It made the rest of us laugh anyway.

We stood in the away end and watched Boro take a real hammering against a very good Cambridge side with only an Andy Ritchie goal to cheer us. It helped that we weren't very good too. At full time Chewy and I got detached from the rest of the travellers on the bus, and for some reason I mistook where we were meant to meet. 

For the next forty minutes we went this way and that, across the common, up the road and everywhere we could think of. Things were getting desperate as it was before the days of mobile phones and we only had about thirty quid between us.

Eventually we were found by our kind colleagues. Baz was wetting himself, but the rest of the bus were very silent. We arrived back on Falsgrave for much needed beers around 9pm. I can recall it like yesterday as Pete Wilson was walking to the Commy as we jumped off. Some kids were collecting for Guy Fawkes and 'penny for the Guy'. Pete told them they were too early. Happy days!

Saturday 1st December 2012

One of my regrets throughout my travels is how few photos I used to take. A lot of the grounds have changed or disappeared completely, and I don't like using stuff off the internet if I can avoid it. With this in mind I was determined to call once again at The Abbey, without necessarily attending a game.

My opportunity came as I was on night shift and decided to go to the Conference North game between Histon and Bradford Park Avenue. By catching a slightly earlier train I could get to United and still make kick off at Histon. I also noted that United's development side CRC (Cambridge Regional College) shared the stadium for home games and were at home in the Eastern Counties League against Diss Town.

The walk from the station was a bit further than I remembered, but I walked through the terraced streets on the east side of the railway with the good old fashioned traditional floodlights in the distance and then walked across Coldhams Common behind the stadium and round to the front entrance. 

It had taken me thirty minutes. A gate labelled for stewards was open, so in I wandered. I was no sooner in than the PA started blasting out music, which I fond a little bit keen at around 1.40 and a crowd below a hundred expected.

The stadium was the same as my previous visit apart from the far end, where I'd stood seventeen years before. It had been replaced by the South Stand, which was a raised deck of seating. I took my snaps just as the away team arrived by mini bus. 

I exited the way that they'd come in and found myself by the bus stop for a ride to the town centre, where I was to connect with my service to Histon.