13 minute read
Tonight’s Opposition: Cambridge United
The club was founded in 1912 as Abbey United, in respect of the area of Cambridge, and largely played in local amateur leagues, before turning pro in 1949 and changing their name to Cambridge United in 1951. The U’s entered the Football League for in 1970, replacing Bradford (Park Avenue) and three seasons later won promotion to the Third Division, but relegation followed immediately. Under Ron Atkinson they won promotion back to the Third Division, then after he left for West Brom in 1978 a second successive promotion to the Second Division was secured under John Docherty - just eight years after becoming a Football League club. A highest position of eighth was achieved in 1980, but in 1983-84 and 1984-85 the U’s suffered back-to-back relegations, and in 1986 had to apply for re-election. They were successful, and in May 1990 won promotion back to the Third Division when Dion Dublin scored the only goal when beating Chesterfield in the play-off final. John Beck led the club to the Third Division title in 1991, and in 1992 they finished fifth in the Second Division to qualify for the playoffs. However they came up short in their attempt to become a founder member of the newly-formed Premier League. Beck was sacked in 1992-93 and the club were relegated from the second tier. Two seasons later they dropped again to Division Two and in 2001-02 they were relegated to Division Three. The slide continued and in 2005, Cambridge were relegated to The Conference. They filed for administration and sold the stadium, but a deal was made with HMRC to keep the club in business. Their first attempt at promotion back to the EFL came in 2007-08 when the club finished second under Jimmy Quinn, but they lost the play-off final to Exeter City. Another second place finish under Gary Brabin followed in 2008-09 but again they lost the play-off final, this time to Torquay United. It was third time lucky in 2013-14 when after a second place finish, they beat Gateshead in the play-off final at Wembley. Since being back in the fourth tier, the U’s highest place finish has been ninth, however this season has been their most promising campaign yet. After a surprise slip up last week at home to Stevenage, the U’s arrive at The EnviroVent Stadium this evening with their eyes firmly fixed on maintaining their position in the top three, intent on lifting themselves up a level again for the first time since 2002.
FOUNDED 1912
NICKNAME The U’s
ABBEY STADIUM Capacity 8,127
RECORD SCORER John Taylor 84 (1988-92 & 97-04)
RECORD APPEARANCES Steve Spriggs 416 (1975-87)
RECORD TRANSFERS Paid £190k Steve Claridge Luton Town November 1992 Received £1.5m Trevor Benjamin Leicester City July 2000
THE U’s PLAYING SQUAD
BETWEEN THE STICKS
1. Dimitar Mitov
Signing for the U’s in June 2017 after his release from Charlton Athletic, the 24-year-old progressed through the Addicks youth system, playing regularly at Under-23 level before moving to the Abbey Stadium. The former Bulgarian U21, U19 and U17 international has racked up more than 80 appearances for the U’s since joining.
25. Callum Burton
The 24-year old joined United in July 2019 having left Hull City. A former England U18 international, he started his career with Shrewsbury Town and built experience with loan spells at Market Drayton, Workington, Southport and AFC Telford, prior to signing for the Tigers in July 2017. Callum had further loan stints at Salford City and Chesterfield before linking up with the U’s. Since late January, Burton has made the number one spot his own.
AT THE BACK
2. Kyle Knoyle
Signing for the U’s in May 2019 after leaving Swindon Town, the former West Ham United trainee spent five years with the Hammers before penning a pro deal in 2015, making his debut in a Europa League tie away to Romanian outfit FC Astra Giurgiu. He then had loan spells at Dundee United and Wigan Athletic before joining Swindon in June 2017 where he racked up 69 appearances and the Player of the Season award for 2018-19 before joining Cambridge.
3. Jack Iredale
Joining the U’s in the summer after leaving Carlisle United at the end of last season, the 24-year-old played youth football with Perth Glory, before joining Western Australian outfit ECU Joondalup. Relocating to the UK in 2017, he signed for Greenock Morton and appeared 50 times for the Scottish Championship club, as well as taking in a loan spell with Queens Park. He signed for Carlisle in May 2019, playing 30 matches last season.
Callum Burton
6. Declan Drysdale
Greg Taylor Joining the U’s in the
January transfer window on loan from Coventry City until the end of the season, the 21-year-old started his career in the youth ranks at
Tranmere Rovers, making two first-team appearances before joining Coventry. He has appeared four times for the Sky Blues, and spent the first half of this season on loan at Gillingham in League One, where he made 17 total appearances.
15. Jubril Okedina
Another January loan signing from Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season, the
5. Greg Taylor
c
The centre-back has been a mainstay in the U’s defence since joining the club in 2013, and has racked up over 300 appearances. One of the longest-serving players at Cambridge, Taylor was involved in United’s return to the Football League in 2013-14. The 31-yearold started his career at Northampton Town before joining Kettering Town in 2009, and moving to Darlington in 2011.Next was a loan spell at Luton Town followed by a permanent move to Kenilworth Road, then loan stints at Tamworth and Mansfield Town. Taylor’s spell at The Stags culminated in promotion to the Football League before moving to the Abbey.
20-year-old captain of Spurs’ U23s has been with the North London Club since emerging at U16 level. Since then he’s played his way through the Club’s U18 development side, stepping up into their U23s at the start of last season as well as featuring and scoring in the EFL Trophy in recent seasons.
16. Aji Alese
The 20-year-old joined the U’s in February on loan from West Ham United until the end of the season. Having been with the Hammers since the age of eight, he has represented the club at U18, U21 and U23 levels and made his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup last September. Last season he had a loan spell at Accrington Stanley, for whom he played 15 games.
17. Leon Davies
Coming up through the Cambridge youth system, the 21-year-old started to feature more regularly at the start of last season. He was just 16 when he was given his first start in the EFL Trophy against Shrewsbury Town, and featured in the rest of The U’s games in that campaign. During the 2018-19 season he spent time on loan at Bath City and has now made nearly 70 appearances in black and amber.
THE ENGINE ROOM
4. Paul Digby
Joining the U’s last summer from Stevenage, the 26-year-old started his career in Barnsley’s youth set-up and going on to make 25 appearances for the Tykes before switching to Ipswich Town in 2016 following a loan spell. He signed for Mansfield Town in July 2017, before moving on a year later to Forest Green Rovers. After 37 League Two appearances for Rovers in the 2018-19 season, helping them reach the Play-offs, he joined Stevenage at the end of that campaign. He has also represented England at U19 and U20 level.
Mark Bonner
Appointed: March 2020 Age: 35
Mark Bonner was appointed Cambridge manager in March 2020 after overseeing four games in his first four matches as interim boss after the departure of Colin Calderwood. The 35-year-old has been affiliated with the Us for a long time after joining in 2011 to work in the academy set up, where he has been both an Under-18s coach and Academy Manager. In 2018 he stepped up to the first team frame as First Team Coach, before becoming Assistant Head Coach to Joe Dunne. Following Dunne’s departure in December 2018, Bonner had sole charge for a couple of games before the arrival of Calderwood when he returned to his coaching role.
7. Luke Hannant
The midfielder returned to Cambridge in May 2019 having formerly been on the books at United as an Academy player, joining from Norwich City’s academy in 2010. He left in 2012 for Dereham Town before studying at Northumbria University for a Sports Science degree, and playing for the University and South Shields. He then joined Gateshead in 2016 and made 45 appearances
Luke Hannant
IN THE DUGOUT
before following Manager Neil Aspin to Port Vale in January 2018. He racked up 68 appearances at Vale Park, before a return to the U’s following his release by Vale.
8. Liam O’Neil
Signing for the club on the final day of the January 2017 transfer window from Chesterfield, the 27-year-old was originally in United’s academy before leaving for Histon in 2005 and then West Bromwich Albion where he signed his first pro deal in 2012. He made three Premier League appearances for the Baggies before being loaned to Finnish side Vaasan Palloseura, playing 18 games in the Finnish top flight, prior to another loan spell with Scunthorpe United. He switched to League One side Chesterfield in August 2014, appearing in 49 matches for the Spireites before signing a deal at the Abbey Stadium, where he has now made over 120 appearances.
11. Harrison Dunk
The U’s current longest-serving player having signed from Bromley in 2011, the 30-year-old is approaching 400 appearances in the black and amber and has scored 22 goals in his time at the Abbey. He was an integral member of United’s Conference Play-off and FA Trophy doublewinning side of 2013/14.
14. Wes Hoolihan
Boasting nearly 600 appearances as a pro, including at both Premier League and international level, the 38-yearold started out at Irish Premier Division club Shelbourne, winning three league titles and playing several times in the Champions League, before a move to Scottish side Livingston in 2005. After a loan spell with Blackpool, he signed permanently for the Tangerines and impressed hugely in his 99 games - prompting Norwich City to swoop. During the following ten years at Carrow Road, Wes won a further three promotions – two of those to the Premier League - racking up 354 appearances, a vast number of which were in the top flight, whilst also scoring 54 goals. A move to West Bromwich Albion brought further experience but, after being released at the end of the 2018/19 campaign, he relocated to Australia for a spell with Newcastle Jets, before returning to the UK last summer and joining the U’s. He also has 43 caps for the Republic of Ireland, including at Euro 2016.
Wes Hoolihan
18. Shilow Tracey
Another January loan signing from Spurs until the end of the season, the 22-year-old began his career with Ebbsfleet United before joining Tottenham’s academy in 2016. After progressing through the age groups, he featured prominently for Spurs U23s before making his first team debut in a pre-season friendly against Girona ahead of the 2018/19 season. Since then, the winger has gained EFL experience whilst on loan with Macclesfield Town last season, and then at Shrewsbury Town for the first half of the current season in League One.
19. Adam May
Joining the U’s in September, the 22-year-old came through the Portsmouth Academy, before making 30 appearances for Pompey during his time at Fratton Park whilst also having loan spells at Sutton United and Aldershot Town. He played 13 times during a loan spell with eventual promotion winners Swindon Town last term, before spending the second half of last season at Boreham Wood before the season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
44. Hiram Boateng
Having originally signed on a short term loan from MK Dons in October which has since been extended until the end of the season, the 25-year-old began his career at Crystal Palace, for whom he made three appearances including one as a sub in the Premier League. Whilst at Selhurst Park, he also had loan spells at Crawley Town, Plymouth Argyle, Bristol Rovers and Northampton Town in League Two between 2014-17. In August 2017, he moved to Exeter City before joining League One MK Dons in May 2019 having played 77 times for the Grecians.
UP TOP
10. Paul Mullin
League Two’s top scorer, the 26-year-old has found the back of the net a staggering 28 times so far in the league this campaign. Having signed for the U’s in July, the former Everton and Liverpool youngster ended up at Morecambe in
2014, scoring 28 goals in 140 appearances over the next three seasons before moves to Swindon Town and then Tranmere Rovers where his goals to games ratio continued to be high. He was part of the Rovers side that won promotion to League One in 2018-19, but with opportunities limited he went on loan to Cambridge in January 2020 and signed permanently in the summer.
Paul Mullin 20. Joe Ironside
The former Town loanee moved from Macclesfield Town to the Abbey Stadium last summer. The 27-year-old began his footballing journey with Sheffield United, signing his first professional contract in 2013 and going on to make 23 appearances for the Blades whilst also having loan spells at Halifax Town, Harrogate Town, Alfreton Town and Hartlepool United. He joined Alfreton permanently in January 2015 and then Nuneaton a year later, netting 20 goals in 49 matches. His next move was to Kidderminster Harriers in January 2019 where he scored 48 goals in 96 games. After a loan at York City, Macclesfield snapped him up in June 2019 following their promotion to the Football League where he scored 7 goals in 36 appearances before his switch to Cambridge weighing in with 14 goals so far this term.
Joe Ironside
26. Harvey Knibbs
Signing for the U’s in June 2019, the 21-year-old made the move from Aston Villa having been at Villa Park since the age of 13, progressing through the development ranks.
RECENT LINE-UP
v Stevenage (H) L0-1
Saturday, 24 April 2021
Boateng
Iredale Ironside
Hoolahan Mullin
Digby
Taylor Drysdale Hannant
Knoyle
Burton
SUBSTITUTIONS:
75’ Hannant ‹› Tracey; 82’ Boateng ‹› May; 83’ Iredale ‹› Dunk; 83’ Digby ‹› O’Neil Subs not used: Okedina, Alese, McKenzie-Lyle
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