Cambridge United Vs West Bromwich Albion

Matchday 41 was a revisit to Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium, following our disappointing visit on the 6th of February when their game against Bolton was postponed after only 8 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch. This time, we decided to complete this stadium visit during the summer to prevent any risk of it being abandoned, especially considering the journey from the Midlands. Fortunately, Cambridge announced a pre-season friendly with West Bromwich Albion, a team grandad Steve supports, so we felt this was a great opportunity to complete this stadium visit.

The journey to Cambridge took about 2.5 hours, which was pretty impressive considering the motorway traffic between Oldbury and Coventry during rush hour. Parking, as we remembered, was a nightmare and it didn’t change this time, even for a friendly. We went to the same place we parked last time only to find it was now permit parking. After driving up and down side streets, we finally found some street parking that involved a short 10-minute walk.

The weather was amazing, so shorts and t-shirts were the dress code. Due to our previous visit, I had contacted Cambridge United to provide feedback and was contacted by their Supporter Liaison Officer, Dave, who asked me to contact him once we were in the ground. Just before the game started, Dave called me as he walked to the away end where we were sitting this time. I introduced myself, Liam, and Grandad Steve to him. He provided Liam with a sheet listing the team squads and asked us to meet him after the game at the club shop.

The away standing area was a brand-new temporary stand. The seats were pretty big and spacious, although they did become uncomfortable during the game as time went on. I think the seating capacity for this area was just 100, and the standing area next to us could hold 1,000 away fans. Despite the away fan turnout of just over 600 for this friendly, it was a great showing.

Albion’s team consisted mainly of U23 players, which was a bit disappointing for the traveling fans, but this was due to another friendly arranged for the following day with one of their West Midland rivals, Birmingham City. The game itself started with a goal scored by West Bromwich after just a couple of minutes, only to be disallowed for being offside. Unfortunately for Albion, things got worse when a contentious penalty was awarded to Cambridge, who duly converted, scoring the only goal of the game. Despite the hard work from both teams in defence and midfield, both forward lines struggled to even hit the target.

After the game, we walked around the stadium, which surprised me with how poorly lit the area was. This concerned me, especially in the height of winter, as fans could struggle walking around to the front of the stadium. We walked through home fans, dodging numerous cyclists on our way to the club shop located at the front of the stadium, where Dave was waiting for us.

Dave then escorted us inside and outside the stadium, giving us a fantastic insight into what the club is trying to achieve by bringing more families in and explaining why the away fans have been relocated to the stand we were in. The stand behind one of the goals is now specifically for families, aiming to create a positive environment for fans of the next generation. What an incredible idea! I fully believe more clubs should take a leaf out of Cambridge’s book for doing this. Well done, Cambridge United!

Dave continued his tour, allowing us to take some incredible photos and creating memories that will last forever. One of the highlights was that Dave allowed Liam to pretend to be a goalkeeper in one of the goals, which shocked me with how big they actually are. Dave was amazing and an incredible ambassador for the club. We will never forget the time he took with us, and on behalf of the 92FCChallenge team, a huge thank you.

The journey home was a bit of a nightmare with a couple of diversions, meaning we didn’t get home until 1:00 AM, with an alarm set for 6:30 AM for Matchday 62, a trip to Exeter. We knew sleep would be limited.

Five Facts About Cambridge United:

1. Club History: Cambridge United FC was founded in 1912 as Abbey United and later merged with Cambridge Town FC in 1951 to form the club as it’s known today.
2. Stadium: The club’s home ground, Abbey Stadium, has been their venue since 1932 and has a seating capacity of over 8,000 spectators.
3. Achievements: Cambridge United’s most notable achievement came in 1990 when they defeated Chesterfield in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, earning promotion to the second tier of English football, then known as Division Two (now League One).
4. Supporters and Community: The club has a strong supporter base and community engagement, with initiatives aimed at fostering youth development and supporting local charities.
5. Rivalries: Cambridge United shares a local rivalry with Peterborough United, known as the A14 derby. Matches between the two teams are eagerly anticipated by fans on both sides.