I go to a lot of sport. Write about a bit of it, complain about most of it. Press Association correspondent for Cambridge United, dabbling in BBC commentaries.
I’ve seen Cambridge United lose midweek at Hyde and Southport and Salisbury.
I’ve just seen them win at Newcastle, one of the greatest results in the history of the football club.
The FA Cup will always be important.
Biggest EFL away following of the season? Two groups of Cambridge United fans,
@maxrushden
among them, have Airbnb’d flats in different corners of Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road
@Awaydays23
FA Cup third round weekend is always a good chance for fans to see players who operate at a level above what they’re used to seeing, so what a thrill if must be for Newcastle fans to get a close look at Wes Hoolahan this afternoon
Chelsea v Chesterfield
Spurs v Morecambe
Newcastle v Cambridge
Port Vale v Brentford
Even by the usual standards, this is an elite level of “fuck the small clubs” for televised FA Cup games.
When Mark Bonner took charge in 2020, Cambridge were among the favourites for relegation from League Two. That he leaves in 2023 with people unhappy at just surviving in League One is testament to how far the come has club in his tenure. One of the club's biggest legends.
In the last 15 days Cambridge United have won at Newcastle, progressed in the EFL Trophy and got nine points from crunch games v Lincoln, Doncaster and Crewe. You talk about fantastic one-off days but this must be one of the club's great fortnights.
Not spotted by officials: the headbutt by Bristol Rovers’ Chris Martin that led to him getting a retrospective ban and ruled Cambridge’s Mamadou Jobe out of the last three games of the season with concussion.
Forest Green boss Mark Cooper on Wes Hoolahan: “He’s 38 years old and I think he’s just gone up the tunnel, he gave his kit to their kitman, said ‘fold that up for me for next week’. He was that good. He didn’t even break sweat."
Mark Bonner on Harrison Dunk: "Took a whack on Saturday, really flared up his ankle. Couldn't walk yesterday. Rings in this morning and says 'I think I might be alright you know'. Finds a local park, does some running, rings us and says 'I'm ready for whatever you need.'"
All over bar the shouting. The team knows it, the staff know it, the fans know it. Cambridge United safe in League One with seven games still to play. Even the most optimistic U’s fan could scarcely have started the season thinking they’d be safe before March was out. What a club
Wes Hoolahan's departure confirmed by the club as expected. He was at the U's for only two years, but did more than enough to guarantee his place as unquestionably one of the finest footballers to ever pull on a Cambridge United shirt.
In the same season, little old Cambridge win away at Portsmouth, Newcastle, Ipswich and Wigan. Beating that many big guns by my reckoning must put them in the FA Cup semis.
Club legend Harrison Dunk, 400+ games into his Cambridge United career, thumps in a header from Adam May's brilliant cross to score his first goal since the last day of the season in May 2018, and quite rightly celebrates like he's scored the winner in the World Cup final.
Nine days after my wife and I had our best possible summer signing, a parcel turned up today from
@CambridgeUtdFC
.
Gestures that only require a little time get remembered far further into the future.
You don’t get this in the Premier League 💛
At 16 years and 102 days, Kai Yearn becomes the youngest goalscorer in Cambridge United history, on his senior debut. An England U17 player, the only one not to play for a category one academy club.
Joe Ironside, on his 28th birthday, solidifying his position as possibly my favourite Cambridge United number nine I’ll ever see play for the club. Battered from pillar to post throughout, got absolutely nothing off a referee, pops up with the 88th minute equaliser. Warrior.
Against the top scoring away side in League One, with a pair of 21 year old centre halves next to a 20 year old League debutant at full back, Cambridge United barely give Plymouth a sniff for all their possession. Fully deserved, superb U's victory.
Today is his 452nd game for the football club. You’d think he couldn’t do anything to make himself more of a Cambridge United legend. Harrison Dunk just did.
Regret looking online for the reaction to a U’s win y’day.
Cambridge fans in 2022: “How shit must you be, we’re winning away.”
Cambridge fans in 2012: “Good point at home to AFC Telford today.”
7th in League One. Can we never lose sight of how good United have it.
Believe the fee for Luton match being on red button is in region of £30k. Having made £138k for winning three rounds to reach that stage + taken 45% of the net from St James' Park gate receipts, Cambridge will have made over £300k from FA Cup this season + £100k from EFL Trophy.
The last two seasons have been the golden years for Cambridge United’s academy. To beat Chelsea, make the quarter finals and only lose on 90+2 at Arsenal and be genuinely gutted about it creates fantastic memories and points to a bright U’s future. A magnificent, heroic effort.
The kind of night that reminds you why you love football. Frantic, exciting game, Abbey raucous under the floodlights, late Cambridge winner and a 95th minute escape off the underside of the bar. Glorious.
Ten years ago today, Cambridge United hosted Alfreton Town in a league game having just played Bath City in midweek.
On Saturday, Cambridge United host Ipswich Town in a league game and then go on to play Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.
They say you should never look at the league table in August. Cambridge United, who had the hardest start to the season of any League Two club, are in the automatic promotion spots. It's four games in but I'm bloody well going to look at the league table.
Luke Norris unnecessarily giving it the biggun when putting Colchester ahead: cheeky. Harvey Knibbs celebrating the winner in front of the Colchester fans: marvellous karma.
Couple of pretty eyebrow-raising signings at Cambridge United in the last three days. Gary Gardner, who has never played lower than the Championship. Now Korey Smith, who played 37 times in a promoted Derby side last season. Some real pedigree in the door this week.
Cambridge United entered the Football League in 1970. Their record for league goals in a season since then was 24 which has stood since 1985-86. Paul Mullin has just broken that with his 25th of the campaign with eight games still to go.
Two years ago today Cambridge United, six points above relegation in League Two, sacked Colin Calderwood after a 4-0 home loss the night before.
Today they completed an unbeaten January that sees them nine points above relegation in League One.
Wes Hoolahan signs up for another season, ensuring that Cambridge United vs Ipswich will be an Abbey sell-out with Norwich fans picking up all the remaining tickets.
Jensen Weir, hero of the hour, first ever senior goal, clearly not fully media trained yet after saying to the microphones that the Cambridge team will “work their bollocks off”
Uche Ikpeazu heading north, seemingly to Hearts. People knock Scottish football but no doubting the appeal of them as a club. I expect he'll do well there and a Championship club to take a punt on him in a few years.
Michael Morrison captains Cambridge United today against Burton Albion, whose captain is John Brayford. Both of them started for the same clubs when the two teams played each other in December 2006.
16 years ago yesterday Cambridge United’s relegation from the Football League was confirmed.
10 years ago yesterday ten-man Cambridge United beat Hayes + Yeading to move clear of relegation to regional football.
Today they could be promoted to the third tier.
After losing 7-0 at Luton, U’s drew 0-0 at Cheltenham on a cold Tuesday night. Shaun Derry had a pop at me on the Saturday for saying it was so dire, not trying to win the game. It was only four years ago. A division higher, U’s have just won 5-0 at Cheltenham. Parallel universe.
Mark Bonner has the final word on Cambridge's 21/22 campaign 🧵: "I was the guy who wasn't supposed to get the job. Lots of the players that stayed weren't supposed to stay. Lots of the ones we released weren't supposed to. Lots that we signed weren't the right ones."
Paul Mullin's goal means that he and Joe Ironside go through the season with 46 goals in 46 League Two games between just the two of them for Cambridge United.
16 April 2012: Arsenal 1-2 Wigan in a league game.
17 April 2012: Cambridge 0-1 York in a league game.
16 April 2022: Wigan 1-2 Cambridge in a league game.
Angel di Maria becomes the first man ever to score in a World Cup final having been part of a team that couldn’t win at Cambridge United in the FA Cup.
Garry Monk on Mamadou Jobe: "There's a young defender there and Chris Martin decides off the ball to headbutt him straight in the face. We lose a player for the rest of the season because he's on a concussion protocol. He's been sick all that night. I'm a bit fuming with it."
Throw away your pre-season expectations, things have changed. If Cambridge United fade away and don't challenge it'll be a disappointing season. This U's team are challengers. Fighting past good teams like Newport and Port Vale, blowing away poor ones. This team is something.
Cambridge United are top of the league. It’s January, so this isn’t just flash in the pan early season stuff. Who knows if it’ll last, but you don’t get the chance to say this too often so I’m saying it again. Cambridge United are top of the league.
Particular shoutout to the moronic element of this fanbase for bringing smoke bombs in at all, but to lob it into the goalmouth U’s were attacking needing a late equaliser is an all time level of stupidity.
Mega week for Cambridge United. Jack Iredale has played in three positions in three games and been great in all of them. Digby immense in last two games. Masterson not lost a header in that time. Weir had taken colossal strides forward in last few weeks. Worman announced himself.
The year is 2082. I am 93 years old. Cambridge United have just gone 2-0 down at home to Little Shittington Rovers in the cup. I regale everyone in the Paul Barry Stand about the best of times when we had Wes Hoolahan. My grandkids roll their eyes and say I'm off again.
Mark Bonner: “It’s moments like this you think that 16 years ago we got relegated from the FL. We’ve come a long way since then. 22 years ago I was a season ticket holder watching us play Brentford on the last day of the season + whoever won won the league to get into League One"
Given the table, the opposition and the pressure of what’s at stake, that’s unquestionably one of Cambridge United’s best results in their five years back in League Two
Consecutive home attendances of over 7,000. Points against two giants of the division. Mitov with two top class saves. Jensen Weir superb in only his second league start. Adam May continues to thrive. The ref even gave Joe Ironside two free kicks. Positives all over the shop.
Cambridge United v Northampton gets a crowd of 764 in the
#EFLTrophy
tonight. Before the competition was revamped the U's lowest League-era (post 1970) gate was 857. Tonight is the seventh time in eight home matches since the overhaul that they've gone below that
@AgainstLeague3
Leyton Orient promoted back to the Football League. Defying an owner who nearly killed the club. Josh Coulson back at the Abbey next season. Belting away day. Keeping Salford away from the title. Clapping emojis all round.
First out of contract U's player signed up. Can't really imagine the club without Greg Taylor as part of it, and there will be some fans who weren't around at the Abbey before he first signed. Double promotion winner, club captain, deserves his chance in League One post-injury.
Liam Bennett heading out on loan will likely be unpopular with U's fans who see him as the real deal, but he's hardly likely to start over Williams. Walsall only one league below so a proper test, + Michael Flynn likes attacking full backs. Should be a good move for all parties.