I went to the Abbey Stadium tonight to attend an important and exciting initiative for everyone concerned with the club. Further news will follow.

I hope that it will change and help all supporters and customers of the club in the future.

However, real reason for the post is to share what looks on an warm summer night a photograph of the ground looking splendid. 

CFU is living proof of the fact that any football club is its supporters and the mark of a club is the quality of its fans. A lot has been said about the loyalty of our fans and, rightly so, about our proud history as a family club. Tom, who died on June 1st at the tragically young age of 55, was one of the very best. Loyalty was at the heart of everything he did. He worked for 40 years at Sainsbury’s on Coldham’s Lane and devoted much of his spare time to Cambridge United.

Anyone in the habit of sitting in the Supporters’ Club after home games, or who was a regular at away games, would have known Tom. Often he would have been with his best friend Terry O’Dell who regularly travelled with him on the ‘away’ coaches for over twenty years.

In a moving Eulogy at the Catholic Church on June 16th, Terry referred to his friend as the brother he’d never had and as a man who lived for Cambridge United. He was a big man with a big heart whose compassionate nature was remarkable.

He loved meeting fans of other clubs and his respect for them should be a model for all real football fans who appreciate that, despite our fierce rivalries, football fans are essentially a family.

Dave Doggett’s attendance at the funeral was testimony to the high regard the Club has for dedicated fans like Tom. Tom himself would have been amazed at the number of fans who attended his funeral. We have lost one of our best. I hope the Club will choose to mark his passing – perhaps with a minute’s applause at our first home game. It has been earned.

RIP Tommy

My first memory of the Abbey Stadium was in the 1950's. There was no Habbin Stand in those days, just a line of railway sleepers to act as terracing. But I do remember one game with my father, they must have opened the gates up with 10 minutes or so to go. This bloke wanders in from the allotments across the way, pipe in his mouth, garden fork in one hand and a lead with his spaniel attached in the other. The dog thought this was great fun, I have a feeling this would not be allowed today though. (what would Van Gaal have said? “ze doggie err was very frightening and err barked at our players and err frightened them err away from one err side of ze pitch, the tripody err thing was an offensive weapon and his mouth bonfire blinded our players who are so much better than yours). I also remember, or seem to, in that decade standing watching a game on Christmas morning, perhaps I dreamt this though?

The article appeared in the newsletter read more see http://www.cambridgefansunited.org/june-2015.html

Contact CFU | Join CFU | News | Join play2win Lottery

Contact CFU | Join CFU | News | Join play2win Lottery

Personal recollections from the period of Administration

If you have one please add a comment.

Ian Carr feared taxman would stand firm against Cambridge United’s bid to exit administration
Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Ian-Carr-feared-taxman-stand-firm-Cambridge/story-26767843-detail/story.html#ixzz3eFV5941K

Godric Smith glad to play a role in Cambridge United’s bid to stay alive
Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Godric-Smith-glad-play-role-Cambridge-United-8217/story-26767846-detail/story.html#ixzz3eFVF8h38

Ashley Nicholls: Cambridge United players were left totally in the dark over club finances
Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Ashley-Nicholls-Cambridge-United-players-left/story-26767848-detail/story.html#ixzz3eFVWeSDB

If there is ever a reason for having a Supporters Trust or joining one it was for the following reason. Read what Nick says.. Think it can not happen again think again it could so easily. We can not predict the future. One bad season and you can not say what would happen

There was a large number of people who helped during the period and helped save the club during this period.

They worked long hours starting early in morning and working into the early hours. Many get little credit but still go to matches. They sit or stand where they always have. We should thank them. Many go unrecognised .

Lifelong friendships were made and relationships broken through the strain at the time.  Bridge The Gap and administration is really when the club was saved.

Most of what has happened since does not compare to facing the taxman trying to cease the business on a matter of principal. Should a footballer be paid his debt 100% where an employee of the club did not

I remember agreeing to administration as a quick in and out process. I would never change that however it really could have  ended up so different and far more serious. One that could have ended so badly

Read what Nick Pomery says  and remember a strong trust is one worth having and something supporters should be involved with

We had a back door plan to save Cambridge United, says former finance director Nick Pomery

Dave Matthew-Jones

Read more:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/door-plan-save-Cambridge-United-says-finance/story-26767794-detail/story.html#ixzz3eCDYcTKa

One important reason for the Sport Village.

Young becoming hostages to handheld devices, says charity

Future generations of young people risk becoming "hostages to handheld devices" and disengaged from physical activity, a sports charity says.

The Youth Sports Trust report suggests that nearly a quarter of children see playing computer games with friends as a form of physical activity.

Read more here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-33227471

Contact Us | Join | News | Lottery

Listen to Dave Matthew-Jones (Cambridge Fans United Chairman) talking with Julian Clover on Cambridge 105 about recent announcements.  A very informative interview about the history of Cambridge United and how 100yearsofcoconuts.co.uk has an exciting future following the Heritage Lottery Funding announcement.  Their interview also discusses players, the proposals for the Abbey Stadium and much more.

A great insight to what CFU is all about.  Hear the full interview with Dave Matthew-Jones here.

Contact Us | Join | News | Lottery

CFU recently asked you to complete a couple of questions concerning the Sports Village and Abbey Stadium.  Thank you to everyone who did so. Your replies where forwarded onto Grosvenor for consideration. If you still want to give thoughts please do so.  If is never too late and provides useful information for everyone involved in project.


You can still complete it via the following link - www.cambridgefansunited.org/your-views.html

Everyone who asked about helping on a consultation group will be contacted shortly.

Following a great response. The original date for registering your support of the Sporting Village at Trumpington where the club and its Community Trust will continue to grow and also plans to redevelop the north stand of the Abbey have been put back to allow even more supporters to registrar.

The more  who add comment or provide views the stronger the case will be. You can find out more information via the CFU link below -

www.cambridgefansunited.org/show-your-support-for-ccst.html or click on the pictures

Once again thank you and we will be keeping you involved in the future.  We all need to work together to make this work and for the project to conclude successfully.

If you want to involved with CFU please follow the links below.

Contact Us | Join | News | Lottery

Cambridge United will play Peterborough United on Saturday, August 1 in their final pre-season fixture as a tribute to Chris Turner.

Mr Turner is a legend at both clubs. He passed away in April following a battle with dementia.

The match will be played at Peterborough's ABAX Stadium on August 1 (3pm kick-off).

"Chris was one of those rare breed of people who have played for and managed both Cambridge United and Peterborough.

The game is a chance for both sets of supporters to pay their respects and thank him for what he did for the two clubs, and we are looking forward to taking our team and supporters over to London Road.

In terms of what he achieved for Cambridge United, he signed many of the players that formed one of our most successful teams.

He loved by both clubs, was equally adored by many people and we look forward to the occasion doing his memory justice."

– Dave Doggett, Cambridge United Chairman

Learn more about Dementia here

Everyone needs to support the Grassroots. It can help to reduce incidents of crime and anti social behaviour

The new £750,000 facility in Liverpool hosted the 2015 Premier League Kicks Cup, part of a project across England and Wales offering free opportunities in football that help to do that. A sporting village in Cambridge and a community club can help achieve those goals in Cambridge

When the antiquated changing rooms at Jeffrey Humble playing fields in Liverpool were burned out in 2012 it was, according to Barry Kushner, “the low point for an area that had been suffering for 10 years”. Three years on a new £750,000 community facility stands on the same site, a symbol of recovery and testament to the importance of investment in grassroots football, when it comes. “It has restored hope,” adds Kushner, a local Labour councillor for the Norris Green ward that incorporates the playing fields where Wayne Rooney, Jamie Carragher and Steve McManaman started out.

Read more of the Guardian story here

The Cambridge Women’s side recently merged with Cambridge United. The women's World Cup is currently taking part.  But how much do you know about the history of Women’s football in this country?

Learn more by reading about the Secret history of women’s football here

Read more about the merger between the sides -

Cambridge United are delighted to confirm a merger with Cambridge Women’s Football Club.

The link will see the club change its name to Cambridge United Women’s Football Club and operate with full assistance from the U’s as the two clubs join forces.

As part of this new, exciting partnership, the side will take on the official Cambridge United badge and playing kit next season, as well as receiving additional support from the U’s who will provide further funding and sponsorship opportunities, a growing media presence and the opportunity to increase staff.

Read more at here

Many of you will have now seen details of the latest plans for the Cambridge Community Sporting Trust at the Abbey Stadium and in Trumpington. Grosvenor and USS are currently running a consultation on its plans to redevelop the north stand of the Abbey - making the stadium more community focussed - and create a Sporting Village at Trumpington where the club and its Community Trust will continue to grow. 
 
Both proposals are essential to the project's success. Unless planning approval is obtained at both, nothing will happen at either as the two sites are intrinsically linked by cross-funding, operation and a single management structure running both, in the form of the Cambridge Community Sporting Trust.
 
As a Cambridge United fan with an invested interest in this vision, we wanted to make sure that you have the best possible opportunity to give us support for both proposals.
Please visit the links below to leave your supportive comments by registering on the project consultation website and clicking on ‘Add Comment’: 
 
Link to leave support for the Cambridge Sporting Village: 
https://ccst.commonplace.is/schemes/sporting-village/overview/details

Link to leave support for the Cambridge Community Stadium: 
https://ccst.commonplace.is/schemes/community-stadium/overview/details
 
We hope that you can show support for both schemes. All comments will be shown to the council when the application is submitted and will provide a strong message of support from the club's fans. 
 
Should you wish to know more about the two proposals in general, the webpage http://ccst.commonplace.is contains information on the overall project, together with news and updates. You will also be able to leave further comments on specific aspects of the two proposals.  
 
Thank you for your help and support. 

An extra 16 editions of the CFU newsletter "Amber News" have now been made available on-line.  These include the very first edition dating back to August 2010.  Please check out the back catalogue here.

There are still a few gaps to fill, but hopefully they will be made available shortly.