Cambridge United F.C.
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| Full name | Cambridge United Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | United, The U's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1912 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Abbey Stadium Cambridge |
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| Capacity | 9,617 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Lee Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Jimmy Quinn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Conference National | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Conference National, 12th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cambridge United Football Club are a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are playing in the Conference National in the 2006-07 season. Cambridge United have been one of the more successful smaller clubs in English football, having had two spells in the league's second tier and reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup twice and Football League Cup once.
[edit] Current Squad
Correct as of February 5, 2007
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[edit] History
[edit] From inception to the professional league
The club was founded in 1912 as Abbey United (named after the Abbey district of Cambridge in which they play). They played in local amateur leagues with some success. In 1949 the club turned professional and took the name Cambridge United in 1951. They played in the Eastern Counties League until a runners-up campaign in 1957/58 saw them promoted to the Southern League. Three years later, Cambridge United reached the Premier Division of the Southern League.
The club was elected to the Football League in 1970 to replace Bradford (Park Avenue), after back-to-back titles in the Southern League. Eight years later they reached the Second Division and peaked at 10th place in 1981, but went back down to the Third Division in 1984 after winning just 4 league games all season. A second successive relegation followed in 1985, and a year later Cambridge finished fourth from bottom in the Fourth Division - this was the last season in which the league's bottom four clubs had to apply for re-election. Luckily, Cambridge and the other three teams retained their league status.
Cambridge gradually improved as the 1980s drew to a close, and were soon looking like promotion challengers.
[edit] Dublin, Beck and company
Cambridge United's biggest successes came in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They won the Fourth Division playoffs under John Beck in 1990, and the following year were crowned champions of the Third Division. Their key player of this era was high scoring centre forward Dion Dublin, who had joined the club on a free transfer from Norwich City in 1988. Dublin powered Cambridge to their best-ever league finish in 1992 - they finished 5th in the Second Division and qualified for the promotion playoffs, full of hope that they would complete a unique third successive promotion and play in the first season of the new Premier League. After drawing 1-1 at home in the first leg of the semi finals with Leicester City, they were hammered 5-0 in the second leg and their promotion dreams were shattered. Dublin left soon afterwards, for Manchester United in a £1million deal. He has since turned out for Coventry City, Millwall, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Celtic F.C. and currently Norwich City. Dublin also claimed four England caps, all in friendlies in 1998, under coach Glenn Hoddle.
[edit] Post-Dublin slump
John Beck was sacked in December 1992 with Cambridge battling relegation from the new Division One, and Birmingham midfielder Ian Atkins, 35, was named player-manager. Atkins was unable to steer the U's clear of relegation and he was replaced by Beck's former assistant Gary Johnson.
Cambridge finished a respectable 10th in the 1993-94 Division Two campaign, but they struggled the following season. Although they were unlucky to be relegated since league reconstruction that season meant the team finishing 5th from bottom went down and that is where United finished.
[edit] Recovery in the late 1990s
Tommy Taylor was appointed manager just before Cambridge's relegation to Division Three, and they were among the pre-season favourites for promotion. A 16th place finish in 1995-96 was way below expectations, but a promising start to 1996-97 gave supporters hope for promotion success. Taylor then moved to Leyton Orient and was replaced by Roy McFarland, who delivered promotion back to Division Two in 1999.
[edit] On the slide
Since achieving promotion to Division Two in 1999, the club has suffered continual problems. Historically, United have relied on big player sales to fund wages. When the player market dried up, the directors turned to loans, supporter fund-raising and eventually a ground sale to pay debts.
[edit] Another relegation
McFarland left the club in early 2001, with John Beck returning and saving the club from relegation, however this time around Beck was less than successful and was sacked half way through the 2001-02 season, and was replaced by veteran striker John Taylor who was given the role of player-manager. Taylor took Cambridge to the final of the LDV Vans Trophy, where they made their only appearance at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The U's were easily beaten, losing 4-1. Taylor was also unable to prevent relegation to Division Three. He remained in charge until March 2004, with Cambridge struggling in the bottom half of Division Three, when the club's board terminated his contract and named Frenchman Claude Le Roy as his successor. Le Roy won four of the remaining eight matches and kept United in the league. The following season he made way for assistant Hervé Renard, who in turn lasted just five months before being sacked and replaced by Steve Thompson. The two brightest prospects, Dave Kitson and John Ruddy were sold in 2004 and 2005 respectively, but the club's debts remained at over £500,000.
[edit] Loss of league status
Thompson was unable to save Cambridge from relegation and their demotion to the Nationwide Conference - after 35 years in the Football League - was confirmed on April 23, 2005. This downfall comes just 14 years after the club won the old Third Division title, and just 13 years after they almost gained promotion to the inaugural season of the Premier League. With no prospect of repaying its debts of nearly £1 million, the Club filed for administration on 29 April. As part of a cost-cutting exercise, Thompson and four other backroom staff were sacked by the administrators. Coach Rob Newman took over as team manager.
[edit] Club saved
On 22 July 2005 the club came out of administration with a deal being struck with HM Revenue and Customs at the eleventh hour, after the intervention of sports minster Richard Caborn, and had no worries about starting the 2005-06 Conference National campaign. Unfortunately, Rob Newman was was unable to bring anything greater than a 12th place finish in the 2005-06 Conference National final table.
[edit] Financial situation and collapsed merger
Financial troubles remain, although with the burden of huge debts now lifted, and in December 2005 it was revealed that the club were in talks with their city neighbours Cambridge City F.C. about a possible merger. It was suggested by both parties that Cambridge, with a population of only 110,000, was not big enough to support two professional football clubs and a merger would be beneficial for both teams and guarantee the future of at least one team in the city. However, both sets of fans reacted badly to the news citing their club's individual identities as obstacles, with City fans particularly anxious that it would be a takeover by United rather than a merger.
[edit] Management difficulties
Long standing Club Chairman Reg Smart resigned from his role in early 2002 after 12 years in charge. Following brief stints from Gary Harwood (2002-5) and Roger Hunt (2005-6), Terry Baker took over the reins in February 2006. However, Baker's tenure ended suddenly at a Board meeting on 5 June 2006 citing unworkable relationships within the board as his reason for resignation, which led to the appointment of Brian Attmore (Fans' Director) as Acting Chairman on June 6. The fallout from this event led major shareholder Paul Barry to claim there are "deep divisions within the club at staff and board level" and that a new board had to be put in place to ensure stability at the club so that it could achieve the aim of promotion back to the Football League. Any new board would have to continue to deal with financial troubles which were reaffirmed with the news in late June 2006 that fans group Cambridge Fans United had loaned the club £20,000 to pay wages.
[edit] New beginnings
On the eve of the 2006-7 season, it was announced that former Norwich City striker Lee Power would be the club's new chairman taking over from Brian Attmore's caretaking reign. Jonny Hon was also to rejoin the board as vice-chairman after John Howard's resignation on conflict of interests grounds (owing to his ownership of Bideawhile, United's landlords). Director Paul Barry also confirmed on 6 August 2006 that the club would breakeven for the forthcoming season after a fresh injection of funds following Howard's resignation. The team made an appalling start to the season, and Newman was sacked immediately after a 3-1 defeat by Exeter City. After speculation that Chris Wilder was leaving Halifax to take up the post, on 15 September 2006 the club announced Jimmy Quinn as the new manager, with Steve Castle as his assistant. In December 2006, the team suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat to local rivals Histon F.C. in the FA Trophy, and subsequently suffered a run of seven consecutive league defeats, which many supporters found unacceptable and led to calls for the manager's dismissal. A seven match unbeaten run gave renewed optimism, and although this was ended with two consecutive 5-0 defeats (against Altrincham and York City), the recording of a club record victory on March 31 (7-0 v. Weymouth F.C.), led to an atmosphere of positivity around the club. This came on the back of positive news off the field as an March 26 EGM allowed fresh investment in the club from current board members and American businessman Adrian Hanauer.
[edit] League history
| Division | Seasons |
|---|---|
| Division 4 | 1970/1 to 1972/3 (promoted 3rd of 24) |
| Division 3 | 1973/4 (relegated 21st of 24) |
| Division 4 | 1974/5 to 1976/7 (promoted 1st of 24) |
| Division 3 | 1977/8 (promoted 2nd of 24) |
| Division 2 | 1978/9 to 1983/4 (relegated 22 of 22) |
| Division 3 | 1984/5 (relegated 24 of 24) |
| Division 4 | 1985/6 to 1989/90 (6 of 24, promoted as divisional play off winners) |
| Division 3 | 1990/1 (promoted 1st of 24) |
| Division 2 | 1991/2 (Premier league founded) |
| Division 1 | 1992/3 (relegated 23rd of 24) |
| Division 2 | 1993/4 to 1994/5 (relegated 20th of 24) |
| Division 3 | 1995/6 to 1998/9 (promoted 2nd of 24) |
| Division 2 | 1999/2000 to 2001/2 (relegated 24th of 24) |
| Division 3 | 2002/3 to 2003/4 |
| League Two | 2004/5 (relegated 24th of 24) |
| Conference National | 2005/6 |
[edit] Ex-players
Cambridge United have a reputation for developing and discovering excellent young footballers. Since 1992, they have made more than £7,000,000 by selling players. Some of the players who have passed through the Abbey and on to greater recognition include:
| Player | When | Bought from | For | Sold to | For | Largest Fee | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Sinton | 1983-85 | Trainee | Brentford | £25,000 | Sheffield Wednesday | £2,750,000 | |
| Alan Kimble | 1986-93 | Exeter | Free | Wimbledon | £175,000 | Wimbledon | £175,000 |
| Dion Dublin | 1988-92 | Norwich | Free | Manchester United | £1,000,000 | Aston Villa | £5,750,000 |
| Phil Chapple | 1988-93 | Norwich | Charlton Athletic | £100,000 | Charlton Athletic | £100,000 | |
| Liam Daish | 1989-92 | Portsmouth | Free | Birmingham City | £500,000 | Coventry City | £1,500,000 |
| Lee Philpott | 1989-92 | Peterborough | Free | Leicester | £350,000 | Leicester | £350,000 |
| Steve Claridge | 1990-92 | Aldershot | £75,000 | Luton | £160,000 | Leicester | £1,200,000 |
| Gary Rowett | 1991-94 | Trainee | Everton | £200,000 | Leicester | £3,000,000 | |
| Jon Sheffield | 1991-95 | Aldershot | Free | Peterborough | £150,000 | Peterborough | £150,000 |
| Steve Claridge | 1992-94 | Luton | £195,000 | Birmingham | £350,000 | Leicester | £1,200,000 |
| John Filan | 1993-95 | Budapest St. George | £40,000 | Coventry | £300,000 | Blackburn Rovers | £700,000 |
| Carlo Corazzin | 1993-96 | Vancouver 86ers | £20,000 | Plymouth Argyle | £150,000 | Plymouth Argyle | £150,000 |
| Jody Craddock | 1993-97 | Christchurch | Free | Sunderland | £300,000 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £1,750,000 |
| Danny Granville | 1993-97 | Trainee | Chelsea | £300,000 | Leeds | £1,600,000 | |
| Micah Hyde | 1993-97 | Trainee | Watford | £250,000 | Watford | £250,000 | |
| Trevor Benjamin | 1995-00 | Trainee | Leicester | £1,500,000 | Leicester | £1,500,000 | |
| Martin Butler | 1997-00 | Walsall | £22,500 | Reading | £750,000 | Reading | £750,000 |
| Zema Abbey | 2000-00 | Hitchin | Norwich | £350,000 | Norwich | £350,000 | |
| Dave Kitson | 2001-03 | Arlesey Town | Nominal | Reading | £150,000 | Reading | £150,000 |
| John Ruddy | 2004-05 | Trainee | Everton | £250,000 | Everton | £250,000 |
[edit] Former managers
Significant former managers of the club include Bill Leivers, Ron Atkinson, John Docherty, John Taylor, Roy McFarland, John Beck, Gary Johnson, Tommy Taylor, Chris Turner and Ian Atkins.
[edit] Honours
- FA Cup best sixth round: 1989-90 (lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace), 1990-91 (lost 2-1 to Arsenal)
- Football League Cup best fifth round: 1992-93 (lost 3-2 to Blackburn Rovers)
- Football League Division Three (old) champions: 1990-91,
- Football League Division Three (old) runners up 1977-78
- Football League Division Three (new format) runners up: 1998-99
- Football League Division Four (old) champions: 1976-77, promoted 1972- 73
- Football League Division Four (old) play off winners: 1989-90
- Highest league placing: Football League Division Two (old) 5th: 1991-92
[edit] Records
- Biggest win: 7-0 v. Weymouth FC, March 2007 (Conference National)
- Biggest defeat: 0-7 v. Sunderland, October 2002 (League Cup second round)
[edit] External links
- The Cambridge United Website: the official website of the club
- Amber And Black Unofficial Site Of Cambridge United. Match previews, reviews and the latest news. Amazing stats section with every United stat from 1970 onwards. Also an unofficial message board to air your views without being censored.
- Amber Army: The biggest unofficial Cambridge United site, Amber Army is a site for all U's fans to keep up to date with all the latest news and allows fans to discuss whatever they like on the Amber Army messageboard.
- Cambridge Fans United: website of Cambridge Fans United, the main fans' group associated with Cambridge United
| Conference National 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Aldershot Town • Altrincham • Burton Albion • Cambridge United • Crawley Town • Dagenham & Redbridge • Exeter City • Forest Green Rovers • Gravesend & Northfleet • Grays Athletic • Halifax Town • Kidderminster Harriers • Morecambe • Northwich Victoria • Oxford United • Rushden & Diamonds • Southport • Stafford Rangers • St Albans City • Stevenage Borough • Tamworth • Weymouth • Woking • York City edit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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