FOOTBALL CORRUPTION
A number of supporters’ trusts have been trying to encourage their MPs to table an Early Day Motion in the Commons on the topic of Football Governance. You will see that this
has now been placed.

Please actively lobby as many MPs to sign up to the EDM as possible. Would you be willing to contact your local MPs and ask for their support.

That this House is concerned by the widening detachment between the fans who love the game and a growing number of football owners, authorities and leading figures; is shocked that the England manager has resigned after just 67 days for what the Football Association has called inappropriate conduct and a significant error of judgment; is alarmed by a continued lack of transparency in football, given that a newspaper investigation was required to bring these allegations to light; is further concerned by the widespread nature of the problem, since there is evidence of improper transfer activity by a number of managers; notes the comments of Gary Lineker that it is time for a proper police investigation into such allegations and that the game is rife with corruption;

Read more here

https://www.parliament.uk/edm/2016-17/611

Just to clarify - the motion is titled 'Football Corruption' but it is broad based and does not allege corruption at Blackburn, Charlton, Coventry, Leeds or Blackpool, just notes the lack of faith in the ownership and the failure of the fit and proper person test.

Thank you for your continued support of the CUFC Lottery.

CUFC Lottery 'Accumulator' Results (28 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Accumulator' numbers are (2045)
-there were no winners of the weekly 'Accumulator' this week, meaning next weeks 'Accumulator' will be £1800.

CUFC Lottery 'Main Draw' Results (28 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Main Draw' numbers are (2541)
-there were no winners of the 'Main Draw' jackpot this week.
-next weeks 'Main Draw' jackpot will be £300.00.

As the 'Main Draw' jackpot was not won this week
-there are 3 CUFC Lottery members matching the first pair winning £10.00 each
-there are 2 CUFC Lottery members matching the second pair winning £10.00 each

If you are a winner of either the 'Accumulator' or 'Main Draw' you will be notified individually by email.

Cambridge United Futsal side were invited on Sunday to St Georges Park to play a match against the national side.

See the photos of the afternoon below and via the link.

Cambridge United are lucky to have one of the top sides in the country representing them.

CFU are proud to be one of their sponsors.  We help by sponsoring their training tops

To find out more about the side click here or visit the Fan Zone page

Link to the St Georges photobook here

Full link below
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPpRkERw3Ngj0dYNTmYc4w06AeyZH6FpGL8okieMX5-y8Q8BUa0QK_NVQRQoCoi9A?key=cXQ4ZGNXZWprTWZNem85NHhxRjl6VExPX1hKaC1R

There are some more photos below

Well  Done to everyone involved

Dear all,

For those of you who have already commented in support of Grosvenor’s plans to develop a Sporting Village in Trumpington and to partially redevelop Cambridge United’s Cambs Glass Stadium in Abbey – thank you!

 For those of you who haven’t yet – now is your opportunity!

 Please take 10 minutes to follow the instructions in the attached document. By doing so you will give Cambridge United the best possible chance of securing the long term future of the Club, and give us the platform to continue the fantastic growth of all of our community activities. The deadline for this is currently the end of November. PLEASE DON’T FORGET!

 For more information on any of the plans, or what you can do to support, please get in touch by return email to planning@cambridge-united.co.uk.

 If you want to do more than just place comments, spreading the word to family and friends (and your representative local councillors!) would be extremely helpful. The more people who know about these plans and what they could mean for the city the better!

 Kind Regards

 Cambridge United FC

Many of you will have heard in the past couple of weeks about the Club’s progress with the planning applications for a Sporting Village and Community Stadium. We are now asking for 10 minutes of your time to help us positively affect the outcome by registering your support with the local councils and councillors.

Details of how to do this are attached, along with the most important benefits.

The determination date is set shortly sure to register your support before then. The earlier the better!

 Thanks,

 Cambridge United

Please take 10 minutes to follow the instructions below and register a comment in support of the applications. For more info about the applications click here.
 
Add the  email addresses into the address bar of  the Councillors who represent your ward. Councillors will make the decision of whether or not to approve the planning applications, so showing your support to them is vital.
 
Start your email with a salutation, for example “To whom it may concern,”.
 
Write a paragraph to say why you believe the development of the Cambridge Community Stadium should go ahead. We believe that the key points in favour of this part of the proposal are

• Provision of the new community facilities
• Helps to secure the future of Cambridge United and its Community Trust
• No public money required
  
• Please make this personal to you and avoid copying exact phrases. The more genuine the supporting comments are the more weight they will have!
  

Write another paragraph to say why you believe the development of the Cambridge Community Stadium should go ahead. We believe that the key points in favour of this part of the proposal are:

• Provision of new community facilities
• Helps to secure the future of Cambridge United and its Community Trust
• No public money required
  

Again, please make this personal to you and avoid copying exact phrases. The more genuine the supporting comments are the more weight they will have!

Sign off your email making sure to include your address, as Councillors will be motivated to act when they know there is support from within their own ward, but DO NOT SEND YET! Before you send we would like you to copy the relevant parts of the email onto the official planning portals.
 
Click Here - If you do not have an account with Cambridge City Council’s website: you will need to register before submitting your comment. Click “Register here” and follow the instructions. This will not take long. Once you have done this and validated your email address by clicking through from the email you will receive, you can click “Make a Comment”.
 
If you do have an account with Cambridge City Council’s website: then click “Login and Make a Comment”. Then enter your login details to proceed.

1. Your personal details will automatically appear on the comment page. Choose the correct “Commenter type” and please choose “Support” in the “Stance” section.

1. Copy your paragraph supporting the Cambridge Community Stadium application from your email into the comment section and submit.

1. Click Here – Click on “Comment on this application”.

1. Fill in your name, email address and postal address details.

1. Copy your paragraph supporting the Cambridge Sporting Village application from your email into the comment section and submit.

 
 

Are you involved in grassroots football in England? Have your say in the Grassroots Football Survey

More information here and link to survey below

The FA has today launched the 2016 Grassroots Football Survey, which will run  Friday 28 October. 

In October 2015, more than 28,750 players, coaches, referees, staff and volunteers completed the inaugural online poll to assess public opinion around the grassroots game.
The results provided valuable feedback and revealed a number of positives, but also highlighted some areas for improvement.

http://www.thefa.com/news/my-football/2016/sep/grassroots-football-survey-2016-190916

Winter break or winter windfall? from TGOP
Neil Fredrik Jensen on October 16, 2016 •

I WAS recently at Soccerex in Manchester and listened to the “vision” of the Football League. I wasn’t sure exactly what that vision was other than people are engaging in dialogue, but something that came out was the recalibration of fixtures to allow for a winter break.

We hear a lot of mumbling about the possibility of a mid-season holiday, perhaps after the Christmas period, and at the highest level, it has some credibility. But mention it in non-league circles and the response is mostly negative. Why? Pure and simple, non-league fans don’t like anything that gets in the way of their habit and clubs need to keep the cash flowing.


But when the weather gets really cold in January and February, arguably the most miserable time of the year, those bone-numbing evenings under floodlight do deter some people from a trip down the road to see Ham & Egg Sandwich Albion take on Stilton Cheese Rovers.

https://gameofthepeople.com/2016/10/16/winter-break-or-winter-windfall/

Robert Osbourn’s “View from the ‘Van”

FOOTBALL FANS BEHAVING WELL!

A newspaper headline which we are unlikely to see, anytime soon, given the apparent propensity of some sections of the tabloid media to seek out the negativity in situations, especially those surrounding  the game that we love and support.

However, the past week has, at least so far as the fans of Cambridge United are concerned, been one in which it would have been apposite, I feel.

The Amber Army has demonstrated, once again, that our fans are amongst the best in the land as close to 500 made the longish trip to Blackpool in support of the team, many taking in the game as part of an extended seaside stayover. There was almost continuous vocal support echoing round a Bloomfield Road stadium shorn of a significant proportion of regular home supporters by the boycott of matches in protest to the harsh treatment meted out by the club’s owners.

It is so difficult for genuine football fans to stay away from supporting their team, but when you look at the reasons for it, in this case, our understanding and empathy must be with the Blackpool Supporters Trust and I hope that their actions may ultimately bear fruit, in terms of a change of heart (or maybe, ownership).

Some of our own fans had, in conscience, decided to boycott the Checkatrade Trophy game against Middlesborough U23s in the same week, to show the EFL that its revamp of the competition had, in fans opinion, missed its mark, by some way. With one more match in the mini-league to come, the U’s have already qualified for the knockout stages and further progression and the income that would bring may go some way to justifying things – who knows?

Another example of fans behaving well took place on Sunday when, as has been reported extensively elsewhere, supporters of many local clubs, as well as current and past players took part in the Football Family Day for Shaun and Joey. Willing giving their time for nothing, the teams from Cambridge City, Newmarket Town, Soham Town Rangers and Fulbourn Institute entertained the good humoured crowd, packed with families, whilst raising much needed funds to support the lads in the future. Great to see people waiving aside their change, as I was selling them tickets and programmes, just to add a little extra.

Talking of adding extra, James Cutting (Business Development Manager) has been talking to me this week about how we can improve fans’ experience of the 50/50 half time draw and increase participation, and hence the income generated for the club and the value of prizes on offer to those who buy tickets. For those not yet aware of the draw, half the income it makes from ticket sales goes to the club and half is paid out in prize money, usually with some additional non-cash prizes offered by sponsors.

A key bugbear for people and a reason for not getting a ticket seems to be that they often leave the ground without knowing what the winning numbers are. We are aware that the clarity of the tannoy is not perfect in all areas of the ground and that folk also have other activity to pursue at half time, which means they don’t always hear the numbers called.
This is something which we agreed must be addressed without delay and we also looked at the range of prizes on offer, with a view to making the whole thing more attractive. Look out for some tweaks soon, and let us know what you think.

COYU’s!

Robert
www.cambridgefansunited.org   www.100yearsofcoconuts.co.uk
07957 344005  @followCFU

Thank you for your continued support of the CUFC Lottery.

CUFC Lottery 'Accumulator' Results (21 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Accumulator' numbers are (6194)
-there were no winners of the weekly 'Accumulator' this week, meaning next weeks 'Accumulator' will be £1750.

CUFC Lottery 'Main Draw' Results (21 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Main Draw' numbers are (6147)
-there were no winners of the 'Main Draw' jackpot this week.
-next weeks 'Main Draw' jackpot will be £300.00.

As the 'Main Draw' jackpot was not won this week
-there are 0 Lottery members matching the first pair
-there are 0 Lottery members matching the second pair

If you are a winner of either the 'Accumulator' or 'Main Draw' you will be notified individually by email.

Exeter City v Cambridge United
Saturday 22 October 20165, KO 3pm
 
We look forward to welcoming your supporters back to St James Park.  You will find most of the travelling information you need on the  club website.  

Link to sitehttp://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/fans/away-fans/

Exeter are keen to encourage an harmonious, friendly, family atmosphere at St James Park. 
 
Any supporters who need assistance will find our Supporter Ambassadors dotted outside the Stadium.  To help our “It’s More Than a Kick in the Grass” Leaflet is attached.  Accordingly supporters will be most welcome to use our facilities before or after the game.  As example,  they will be welcome in the Centre Spot/The Park bar and the open air patio bar in “Smirnoff Village.”  In the Centre Spot/The Park your supporters will be able to use our Camera certified “Famous Exeter City Real Ale & Cider Emporium.” 

The games being shown “live” on the 5 Centre Spot/The Park giant screens include:

AFC Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 12:30

Liverpool v West Brom 17:30
 
In addition early arrivals will be welcome to go on the FREE Exeter City Supporters Trust stadium tour which starts at 11am.  Please note, however, spaces must be booked in advance for the tour through our Reception (01392 411243).
 
Any supporters requiring an upgrade to hospitality (2 course meal, programme, team sheet, interviews, half-time teas & coffee etc) should also contact our Reception.
 
Please be aware that it is standard practice for stadium entry to the Away end to be by ticket only.  On the day tickets can be purchased through the ticket booth nearby.  Access for your supporters to the seating in the Main Stand and Terrace standing area will now be made through separate turnstiles in St James Road. 

 The Terrace standing area is still uncovered.  If it rains supporters should be made aware they will get wet and store spare clothes with them on the coach.  If it is persistent efforts will be made to offer standing supporters space in the covered seated area but this cannot be guaranteed.
 
Please note that the ground is in a residential area and resident parking schemes are widespread.  Car drivers should head for local car parks. Details are on the website.
 
Supporter coaches (and the away team bus) will return to the ground immediately before the end of the game.  They will be positioned immediately outside the away terrace. 

For supporters travelling by train there are several easy services up to 10.15 departure from Cambridge.  At Exeter St Davids there is a 4 minute train service direct to the ground for those who don’t fancy the walk.  Alternatively buses or a taxi are the best option (rank outside the station) but a leisurely walk would be possible.  Return services are frequent from Exeter St David’s with 17.03/17.23 the first realistic services.
 
Our principal sponsor, Flybe, offer services from Norwich and might be convenient for those wanting to make a weekend of the visit west. Depart Friday and return Sunday.
 

Damian Collins for Chair of CMS Select Committee
On Weds October 19th MPs will be electing the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. The role of this committee will be filled by a Conservative MP and Damian Collins MP stands out for those of us who want to see reform of football.

Damian Collins has been a leading voice on football reform both domestically and internationally. His relentless campaign for reform of FIFA has particularly brought him into the spotlight. However he has a long standing commitment to football reform domestically and is committed to continuing this work. The role of Chairman of the CMS Select Committee would enhance the opportunity to pursue this reform agenda so we feel it is worth supporters asking their own MPs to support him.

Read more and help elect him here

http://votefootball.org/Campaign/Damian4CMS

The Football Supporters’ Federation’s campaigns are always led by our members’ priorities – in the men’s game that tends to be ticket prices, safe standing, away fan issues, policing/stewarding matters, ownership problems, and tackling discrimination.

There are FSF-affiliated fan groups in the women’s game, and we have individual members who attend games in the WSL 1 / WSL 2, but it’s an area we are very keen to strengthen.

We’re on the lookout for individual supporters and fan groups who are regular attendees of the women’s game at any level, and can help develop both FSF understanding and policy in this area.

www.fsf.org.uk/blog/view/fsf-wants-to-hear-from-fans-of-the-womens-game

Thnk you for your continued support of the CUFC Lottery.

CUFC Lottery 'Accumulator' Results (14 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Accumulator' numbers are (1625)
-there were no winners of the weekly 'Accumulator' this week, meaning next weeks 'Accumulator' will be £1700.

CUFC Lottery 'Main Draw' Results (14 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Main Draw' numbers are (6093)
-there were no winners of the 'Main Draw' jackpot this week.
-next weeks 'Main Draw' jackpot will be £300.00.

As the 'Main Draw' jackpot was not won this week
-there are 4 CUFC Lottery members matching the first pair winning £10.00 each
-there is 1 CUFC Lottery member matching the second pair winning £10.00

If you are a winner of either the 'Accumulator' or 'Main Draw' you will be notified individually by email.

A starlet at a Premier League club is to be promoted to the first team. His agent has represented him since the age of 16 and they enjoy a good relationship. Then, the manager informs a different registered intermediary (the official term) the player will be catapulted from earning a few hundred pounds a week into the £20,000-a-week bracket. What else is the intermediary, who does not represent the young hopeful, told?

Dan Chapman, a lawyer and intermediary at Full Contact, a sports law firm, takes up the story. “This manager says: ‘There will be a new contract on the table for him [the player]. It’s massive. That means his agent is going to pick up a nice fee. But what I want is to destabilise the relationship between player and agent. The big agent’s fee will go to you instead.’

“The proposed new agent, who’s never spoken to the player in his life, thinks: ‘How can I destabilise him?’”
Once it was discovered that two of the player’s family members were out of work, Chapman says that both were given expensive gifts and told “‘You need to persuade your boy to sign with this guy,’ not withstanding that’s in breach of contract. It ended up in a court dispute and a settlement.” 

For more click on the link below


www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/09/world-football-endemically-corrupt-player-transfers-agents

CUFC Lottery 'Accumulator' Results (07 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Accumulator' numbers are (8531)
-there were no winners of the weekly 'Accumulator' this week, meaning next weeks 'Accumulator' will be £1650.

CUFC Lottery 'Main Draw' Results (07 October 2016) - this weeks winning 'Main Draw' numbers are (6731)
-there were no winners of the 'Main Draw' jackpot this week.
-next weeks 'Main Draw' jackpot will be £300.00.

As the 'Main Draw' jackpot was not won this week
-there are 0 Lottery members matching the first pair
-there are 0 Lottery members matching the second pair

If you are a winner of either the 'Accumulator' or 'Main Draw' you will be notified individually by email.

THE latest report from Football Benchmark highlights how social media has grown at an astonishing rate over the past few years.

When Manchester United won the Premier in 2013, the club’s twitter page was followed by around one million people. In three years, that has grown to almost 10 million. And this is only part of the story, for clubs like United have vast audiences on facebook and Instagram.

Read more via the link below

https://gameofthepeople.com/2016/10/09/social-media-and-football-value-to-be-leveraged/

We have recently produced a new page on the CFU website called Fanzone.

See link here

The Fan Zone has been created to be a one stop shop for both Cambridge United Supporters and visiting fans wanting to know more about their visit to Cambridge United.

If you believe there is a subject that has been missed off or information that needs changing  please contact me via the contact form on the page

Being a football fan in the 1980s was not easy for Asians, according to Jasvir Singh Sandhu.

Originally from Leicester, before moving to Scotland, he would visit Filbert Street "back in the day" to watch his local team.

"The atmosphere, especially if you were Asian, was very intimidating, not very welcoming at all," he said.

"These days I would say the situation has considerably changed and for the better."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/get-inspired/37543789

BUY THE BOOK BY CLICKING ON THE PHOTO BELOW
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(It costs just 20 pounds to join CFU and your membership makes a difference) CFU.

CUFC Lottery supporting CRY click here  www.play2winlottery.co.uk/bull-cry.html

FACEBOOK   www.facebook.com/CambridgeUnitedFootballClub

TWITTER       https://twitter.com/followCFU

Could a Swedish football project help ease tensions between supporters and the authorities in Scotland?

Alasdair Lamont has been to Malmo to examine whether a similar approach could work in Scotland.

Stand up for FootballThe relationship between Scottish football supporters and the authorities - football and otherwise - is at times fraught. Recent high-profile issues include the Scottish Cup final pitch invasion and subsequent skirmishes between Hibernian and Rangers fans, distasteful banners and effigies being displayed at the Celtic-Rangers game, where toilets were badly damaged and an ongoing debate over strict liability and the effectiveness of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.

Parallel situations undoubtedly exist across the world. In Sweden, where crowd violence had been a problem, a project called Stand Up For Football was introduced in 2012 to try to improve the relationship between supporters and the authorities.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/37547997

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(It costs just 20 pounds to join CFU and your membership makes a difference) CFU.

CUFC Lottery supporting CRY click here  www.play2winlottery.co.uk/bull-cry.html

FACEBOOK   www.facebook.com/CambridgeUnitedFootballClub

TWITTER       https://twitter.com/followCFU

This article appeared in the Cambridge United official programme for the game against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, 1 October 2016.

Footballers’ nicknames can be really boring, can’t they? Too often it’s just a case of adding a ‘y’ or an ‘o’ to a surname – Mooro, Bally, – or shortening the name and adding an ‘s’ – Becks, Blatts, Cholmondeley-Warns.

The U’s have been as guilty of this lazy practice as any other club. On the other hand, we have a proud history of nickname creativity: who was the genius who first dubbed John Taylor ‘Shaggy’? How did Gary Clayton become Hedgy? Was Lindsay Smith’s ‘Wolfie’ moniker the result of a Habbin wit’s contribution to a Saturday afternoon?

Go further back in U’s history and you’ll come across the likes of Buzzer, Cruncher and Scobie. But if you explore the period covered by Andrew Bennett’s wonderful book Newmarket Road Roughs, published this month by Lovely Bunch, you’ll be able to mine a fabulously rich seam of nickname gold. Click on photo below to order a copy

http://www.100yearsofcoconuts.co.uk/blog/nick-knack

Contact CFU | Join CFU | News | Join CUFC Lottery

(It costs just 20 pounds to join CFU and your membership makes a difference) CFU.

CUFC Lottery supporting CRY click here  www.play2winlottery.co.uk/bull-cry.html

FACEBOOK   www.facebook.com/CambridgeUnitedFootballClub

TWITTER       https://twitter.com/followCFU

Please see below a copy of the letter sent from the Blackpool Trust reference this weeks match on Saturday.

Dear Visiting Supporters,
 
I write to you on behalf of the Blackpool Supporters’ Trust (BST) to ask for your support on your upcoming visit to Bloomfield Road.
 
As you may be aware, Blackpool fans are currently undertaking an ethical boycott against the club’s owners, whose treatment of supporters has arguably been as dreadful as their management of the club. This ethical protest has seen many Blackpool FC fans take a ‘Not A Penny More’ stance, which means they have chosen to not renew season tickets, and/or not to purchase match day tickets for home games, not to purchase any club merchandise and if they do go to home games, not to purchase programmes or refreshments inside the stadium. BST is also organising an ethical boycott of those businesses that sponsor the club as well as other local businesses run by the club’s owners. Quite simply, many supporters will not give the club another penny of their money and have withdrawn their custom.
 
This decision has not been taken lightly, but over 1,750 BST members, who dearly love their club as you do yours, felt that this was the best choice they could make in trying to rescue our club.
 
We would initially request that you reconsider visiting Bloomfield Road in the first instance. However we do appreciate that you too want to support your own club and completely respect your decision to do so. It is quite often the case that there are more away fans than home supporters at Blackpool games these days.
If you do choose to attend the game at Bloomfield Road, we would ask that you support our actions by doing the following:

1. Not purchasing any match programmes or lottery tickets when at the ground.
2. Not purchasing any food or drinks from the kiosks on the concourse inside the ground.
3. Join us in the spirit of fans united and show solidarity with any pre-match demonstrations arranged by Blackpool fans (if such are organised for the game you are attending).

 
We greatly appreciate your support. Please let us know if you or your fellow fans have any questions or suggestions on the contents of this letter.
 
Yours in sport,
Blackpool Supporters Trust.

If you wish to know more about the campaign and the Blackpool Supporters Trust see the link below

http://blackpoolsupporterstrust.com/Site/Aims.aspx

Cambridge United 2-1 Accrington Stanley: Where there's a Will
Andrew Bennett drawing breath following a tumultuous final few minutes at the (Cambs Glass) Abbey Stadium:
High visibility replica kits must be worn

No parking the bus in front of this goal
Reconstruction work of season in progress
Warning – look out for overhead kicks
Caution – live wires (numbers 7 and 11)
Designated moaning area
Oversize load on substitutes’ bench
Danger – demolition work on opposition defence in progress
Caution – trip hazard (the two centre-backs in red)

Sometimes all the health and safety notices in the world cannot prepare you for what might happen at a football match. And on very rare occasions, the climax of a game can literally leave you breathless, heart pounding and elated. In recent years, who can forget that seemingly endless added-time siege from Gateshead in the playoff final at Wembley in 2014, or Scott Rendell’s last-minute winner against Stevenage in the playoff semi-final of 2009? Well, today just about trumped the lot for drama, excitement and a happy ending.

United’s season has received a belated kick start over the past week while Shaun Derry supped nervously in the last chance saloon; but both their victories were against very poor sides. Today they were presented with a rather sterner task against an Accrington Stanley side which narrowly failed in the playoffs last term, albeit two of their players, Piero Mingoia and Brad Halliday, now sport the black and amber of the U’s, and a pitiful midweek attendance of 1,134 against Mansfield at the Kajagoogoo Arena, sorry, Wham Stadium, demonstrated that this is a club which United really should be overcoming.

It was a damp, cool autumn’s afternoon as the 98 intrepid away supporters, exactly the same number as came from Yeovil on Tuesday night, took their places in a corner of the South Stand, expectations reasonably high after their team had remained unbeaten in the League during September. Scott Brown returned from suspension to captain their side while their substitutes included a famous(ish) name in former Burnley winger Chris Eagles, who is still only 30 years old.

United line-up: Norris; Halliday, Legge, Roberts, Taylor; Mingoia, Berry, Clark, Dunk; Williamson, McGurk
On the bench: Gregory, Coulson, Dunne, Newton, Gosling, Pigott, Ikpeazu
The only change from Tuesday was the return of Mingoia from injury to replace Jake Gosling, making for a trio of ex-Stanley players with Halliday and Mark Roberts, while there was a welcome return for James Dunne among the substitutes. Max Clark sported a fetching pink headband a la Mark Knopfler to protect a head injury incurred in midweek.

Early exchanges were inconclusive although United looked organised and motivated in a 4-4-2 system which suited all of the players. Mingoia forced the first corner on 8 but the first shots of note came shortly afterwards from Romauld Boco and Paddy Lacey for the visitors, both high and wide.

An early breakthrough was needed and it was United who gained it on 14. The busy Ben Williamson was fouled by Omar Beckles deep out on the left, Mingoia swung the free-kick into the box and Leon Legge rose highest at the far post to power a header past gigantic keeper Aaron Chapman. 1-0.

The contest continued in fairly undistinguished fashion with United just about on top against the visitors’ rather ineffective short passing style. Legge picked up the first booking on 23 for a foul on Lacey and goalmouth incidents were few and far between. It could and should have been two-nil just before the half-hour, though, when Williamson burst pacily clear down the right, reached the byline and pulled it back for the unmarked Adam McGurk, but with the entire goal at his mercy he scooped his first-time shot lamely over the bar from just inside the box.

Clark tried an ambitious long-ranger six minutes later which sailed past the right-hand post, and Stanley at last managed a shot on target in the last minute when his low drive at the far post was blocked away by Will Norris. The half-time whistle signalled the end of a largely satisfactory first period for the U’s, who had rarely hit the heights but remained broadly in control without their own goal being especially endangered.

Part two began in rather livelier fashion, with Roberts heading Dunk’s free-kick wide at the far post and Lacey drawing a save from Norris inside the first three minutes. And on 51 the visitors were level when Beckles met a corner from the right unmarked at the far post, Norris made a tremendous diving save, but Billy Kee was on hand to ram home the equaliser from close range. 1-1.

Janoi Donacien was next into the book two minutes later for a foul on Mingoia, and United strove manfully to get the advantage back, making good use of wide men Mingoia and Harrison Dunk. The latter caused problems on 62 with a cross which Beckles headed onto the roof of his own net under pressure from Williamson, but Derry rang the changes four minutes later in replacing Clark and Williamson, who had both performed creditably, with Dunne and Uche Ikpeazu.

Big Uche is one of the best impact subs seen here for many a year, reminiscent of a cross between Trevor Benjamin and Marcus Richardson with all the power, pace and unpredictability that might suggest, and he quickly made an impression. Jordan Clark was carded for a block on Greg Taylor, and from the ensuing free-kick, taken by Mingoia, Ikpeazu tried an audacious overhead kick which flew just wide.

Uche also has the effect of galvanising the supporters with his infectious up-and-at-‘em approach, and United now took the game to their opponents, Dunne having a goalbound shot blocked on 70 then Ikpeazu also had an effort cleared away moments later. Sean McConville was next to see yellow, once again Mingoia the man sinned against, then from a Stanley corner Mingoia broke swiftly downfield and sent McGurk clear on goal, only for the latter to be flagged marginally offside when he really should have had the wit to stay on.

Accrington remained dangerous on the break themselves, though, and on 78 a raid down the middle was temporarily halted by Roberts’ sliding block, only for the ball to run to Boco just outside the box, and his low drive beat Norris but cannoned off the inside of the right-hand post then rebounded to safety. Let-off.

The visitors continued to press, but when the ball was cleared out to the left flank on 81 following their corner, Ikpeazu gave chase, controlled it on the touchline then galloped down the line like a runaway tank, trailing defenders in his wake. Nearing the penalty area, he checked, looked up and saw Mingoia haring into the box at the far post, and his cross was inch-perfect for the little winger to volley spectacularly past Chapman like a guided missile to bring the house down. What a goal! 2-1.

Now the Abbey was really buzzing, hotter than Sam Allardyce’s voicemail. Stanley introduced two subs on 85, Eagles and Terry Gornell replacing Donacien and Clark, and Derry responded cautiously by bringing on Conor Newton for McGurk, leaving Ikpeazu as a lone striker. There was a danger now of the U’s sitting too deep and inviting the visitors on to them, and their probing passing gained its reward a minute into added time when Gornell was quickest to latch onto a dinked ball over the top and Legge got into a tangle of legs which brought him down inside the box. Penalty.

Under the new rules the United skipper only received a yellow card, but it was his second of the match and he strode towards the dressing room as Eagles lined up the spot-kick, usual penalty-taker Kee still on the pitch but reluctant to step up as he was carrying a knock. Eagles’ kick was well struck, but Norris dived low to his right to save superbly and the ball was scrambled away for a throw-in near the corner flag, the keeper trying to divert his colleagues’ congratulations away as his goal was still in danger.

The throw was taken short then the ball was floated into the middle, and Matty Pearson aimed a looping header towards the United goal. As it dropped under the bar Norris seemed able to scramble back to deal with it, but on the line Halliday panicked under pressure from a red-and-white striped shirt and punched it away. The ref spotted it and, unbelievably, it was a second dismissal and a second penalty in the space of a minute.

As Halliday walked off to join Legge in the dressing room amid an atmosphere of growing hysteria, it was the other sub, Gornell, who stepped up this time. His kick, though, while also well struck, was too near Norris, who leaned to his left to block and the clearance was completed by his grateful colleagues. What drama. What nerve. What the hell was going on?!

It was Norris’ fourth penalty save of the season, a club record. And the drama did not end there. As Stanley continued to probe and push against United’s nine men, a clearance sent Ikpeazu galloping away again down the left channel. He could have headed for the corner, but he controlled, cut inside, beat his man and shot into Chapman’s arms when he should have squared it for the unmarked Mingoia.

No-one had the faintest clue how much time was left, brains still frazzled by the extraordinary events of the last few minutes, but Stanley could not create another clearcut chance and there were tumultuous cheers as the final whistle sounded at last. Ikpeazu collapsed to the ground with exhaustion as his team-mates all ran to congratulate the triumphant, pink-shirted Norris and the Accrington players slumped disbelievingly onto the grass. Such was the celebration in the ground, it was as if United had won the league, the Cup and the Champions League in one afternoon. Man U v Bayern Munich 1999? Ha! A minor footnote in history. This was truly extraordinary. This was what football was all about, the reason why we supporters sit and stand through endless dull draws and forgettable defeats, a day of drama, glory and triumph against the odds. The Beautiful Game.

When the dust settled, it was good to reflect on a deserved win against a very decent team and United’s continued rise up the league table. With this spirit, allied to better quality finishing, there is no reason why this team should not continue to progress after looking dead and buried a fortnight ago. And they don’t need a health and safety certificate for that.

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