Afternoon, all. Hope you enjoyed your football-free break. At least for you cricket fans out there(and there are many I know), the England team will return victorious from Australia shortly.
Welcome to Pompey this afternoon. Did you see that Fratton Park ranked at no 20 in FourFourTwo’s 100 Best Football stadiums in the UK survey? We’re at 81. We’re going back to our first fixture of 1983 for our stroll back down Cut Throat Lane way today. A home game in division two against Blackburn Rovers who were sitting ninth in the table at the time whilst we were struggling in the bottom four. In truth our second division days were starting to run out. We managed miraculously to stay up that season and actually finished a very creditable 12th, one spot below the Rovers. Looking at some of the crowds in the first half of that 1982/3 season it is clear to see that the Cambridge public were becoming disenchanted with second division life too. The 1983/4 season though was a disaster from the start and we finished rock bottom, 24 points from safety. The programme for the Blackburn game was a brief affair dictated by the time of year. Some interesting highlights though. The Goal Sponsors’ page is interesting and who could fail to notice a certain Peter Mills from Ditton Fields. He of indomitable Supporters’ Club doorman fame! Some of you older fans will recognise quite a few players in the Rovers line up. Simon “goals” Garner, Derek Fazackerley, infamously on the bench for Newcastle through various management regimes, now assistant to Karl Robinson at Oxford. And Mr Blackburn Rovers himself, Tony Parkes. Six spells as caretaker manager between 1986 and 2004 must surely be a record. When he left for Blackpool eventually he even got them promoted via the playoffs. I must also make comment about Blackburn’s shirts, surely one of the most identifiable in our game. Consistently in blue and white halves since 1878. Did you know though that the halves have been switched nearly ten times over the years? Looking at the shirts front on we have blue on the right hand side which has prevailed for three seasons following a switch from the other side in 2018-19. The halves design appeared for the first time in 1878 and then the blue(albeit navy) was on the left hand side. Clearly never set in stone. Finally for today a chance to celebrate the birthday on this day in 1892 of one John Ronald Ruel(JRR) Tolkien. Tolkien was English but actually born in Orange Free State in S Africa. Works such as The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion propelled his status and he became the Father of High Fantasy. Tolkien died in Hampshire in 1973 having been made a CBE just the previous year. In 2002 a poll conducted by the BBC voted him the “92nd greatest Briton”. Praise indeed. Enjoy the game. Harry, ![]() Afternoon and seasonal greetings from the old codgers at Coconuts. I hope those who travelled to the Valley by boat last week enjoyed themselves. I certainly did. Sunday was a very quiet affair. We’re travelling back to 18 December 1999 for our bout of reminiscence on the programme front today and a third tier encounter with the Latics from Oldham. This was our 21st competitive encounter since we entered the League in 1970 and to this day I still harbour bitter memories when I hear mere mention of their name; this goes back to the three epic Cup ties in the first half of January in 1974. Ending in bitter disappointment at the City Ground, Nottingham(home of Nottingham Forest, NOT Notts Forest as I was reminded recently by an avid reader) on a dank Monday afternoon on a ‘gluepot’ of a pitch. Even the Oldham manager admitted that the better team lost. Remarkably my old man let me go with him and miss school for the day. He was stricter than a methodist minister with a bull whip but suspect my old dear would have said he was a bit more selective when it came to the mighty U’s! Generally the atmosphere around the club seemed quite positive. Whilst the previous game against Barnet had been postponed we were still coming off knocking Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup third round. Redemption for nearly ten years earlier, maybe. That game was on a Friday night so early signs even then nearly a quarter of a century ago that the FA Cup was, let’s be honest, being messed around with. Anybody remember as well why the third round was as early as December? Me neither. Leafing through the programme I thought the sponsorship page was interesting. Whatever happened to “the Buglies”? Answers on a postcard please to CB5 8LN. And there is evidence that Cambridge United Supporters’ Club sponsored players. How times have changed, eh? And some very familiar old faces on Graham Eales’ PR page…..you know who you are. God bless Andrew Bennett. And lots of CUFC/Oldham connections highlighted which we don’t see so much of these days in programmes. Anyway, the Latics beat us 3-2 that day and completed the double the following April with a 1-0 victory. Finally, on this day in 218 BC, which even Colin Proctor won’t remember(!), Hannibal’s Carthaginian army commenced battle with the Romans in the second of the Punic Wars in the battle of the Trebia fought on Italian soil. By 23 December Tiberius Sempronius Longus had been heavily defeated and it took until 202 BC for the Romans to finally tame the leader/warrior from N Africa. You are duly enriched. Enjoy yourselves. Harry, ![]() Afternoon, all. This feels like a big game, especially when you hear the opposition are running coaches to the Abbey from East Anglia. Well I keep saying this but it’s been a while since we last crossed swords. Given the size and history of Sunderland AFC our record isn’t so bad but it’s probably not worth mentioning the last time we met, in the League Cup at home on 1 October 2002. I always liked that fizzy lemon and lime concoction, mind. If 2002 seems like a long while ago then how about 27 November 1965? The Linnets from King’s Lynn were in town for a Southern League Premier fixture. Fascinating programme, not least the cover featuring the original United in Endeavour badge. Why oh why did the badge never feature on a U’s shirt? Don’t get me started so let’s move on…… One spectacularly unusual feature of the programme in that era was that you had to turn to the centrefold for the basic match details including date, opposition, line ups, etc. Never seen that before or since. There is of course an argument to say that the programme cover adornment is such a thing of beauty that………….there I go again. I know ads are boring but somehow when you look back to those days there is a certain air of romanticism. Some cracking pubs in there, some still with us, some not; I particularly like Mr and Mrs Prong at the King’s Head in Fen Ditton. The pub’s still there and funnily enough sits on a fork in the road off the High St. Think about it. And no King’s Lynn team of the 60s can go without mentioning Malcolm Lindsay, idol of The Walks and later of course of the Abbey. He scored 321 goals for the Linnets in a career spanning 740 games. He joined the U’s in February 1970 for £750(!) at the age of 29 and made an important contribution to the gaining of Football League status with eight goals in 17 Southern League appearances. He had returned to The Walks after a spell at Boston after leaving the Abbey at the end of 1970 after a mediocre start to life in the FL whereby he made 6 league appearances scoring just once. Finally, on this date in 1920 English actor Buster Merryfield was born in Battersea. Known most popularly as ‘Uncle Albert’ in Only Fools & Horses, Merryfield learnt his trade as a fitter but later became a bank manager! A big Millwall fan. He died in Dorset in 1999, aged 78. Enjoy yourselves. Harry, ![]() Evening, campers and a warm welcome to one of the Latics teams from Lancashire. It’s been a while since we last met you know, 5 March 2002 to be precise. The 4-1 thrashing we endured that day at what was then the JJB Stadium was probably a decent portent of how life at CUFC was going to unfurl in the next three years or so. Enough of that misery. Let’s travel back to this day in 1996 when we entertained the O’s in an old division three fixture. Interesting programme and just £1.50 for 32 pages. All your old favourites in there including “Memories” which no doubt could have been an inspiration for this feature. Roy Mac has just joined as manager after the Tommy Taylor affair and we have just scraped through against Welling in the FA Cup. It’s easy to forget isn’t it how long it can take to assemble a promotion-winning has taken the squad although there is probably some context to how long it has taken the existing incumbent to round this lot up and having a good old crack at the division above, in what 18 months? The Orient squad line up was interesting in those days…. Scott McGleish, an old foe Carl Griffiths and Alvin Martin. I don’t remember him being there? And another Martin for your delectation, Ling. Remember him! Anyway we won 2-0 in front of 4,360 to keep up a good record v the O’s which to this day shows us on 21 wins v 14 in our favour since we first met in 1978. One final thing, and I can’t let this pass, our very own DMJ has a page in the programme. If that teaches you anything then don’t get involved deeply with your football club if you want to preserve your looks and youth! Finally, on 23 November 1961 one Merv ‘the swerve’ Hughes was born in Victoria. As some of us cricket-lovers anticipate the start of the Ashes next month, bit of a thorn in our side this guy and infamous for taking the art of “mental disintegration” aka sledging to a new level in his time. Took 212 Test wickets at an average of 28 before retiring in 1994 and now makes his money leading cricket tours for Aussies around the cricket world. Enjoy yourselves.
100yearsofcoconuts recently re-ordered all four books in the Celery and Coconuts series. The books are now in stock and available to order. You can either order them individually or you can order all four books together here details here in the series here
Written in Andrew Bennett’s distinctive, expressive style, the books are illustrated as well as providing vital statistics - it will merit a place on any Cambridge United supporters bookshelves. They can be purchased on line see below for details or click here 100yearsofcoconuts can arrange for the books to be posted out or they can be collected on matchdays from the Programme Exchange in the main car park outside the club shop. Whichever, option you choose you will enjoy reading and collecting them. Celery & Coconuts: Volume I – Newmarket Road Roughs The Story of Abbey United and Cambridge United Football Club: 1912-1951. In the early years of the twentieth century, many residents of the Cambridge district of Barnwell had little going for them. It would take a long time for the poverty and squalor of the dense warren of housing, erected hurriedly during the Victorian industrial boom, to be alleviated. Abbey United sprang up in the gloomy streets and on the bumpy commons of Barnwell. Sustained by the aid of the church, local benefactors and a steadfast band of devoted supporters, the club made rapid strides. As the 1950s dawned, it was contemplating the big time. Celery & Coconuts: Volume II – Risen from the Dust The Story of Abbey United and Cambridge United Football Club: 1951-1970 by Andrew Bennett Paperback; In 1951, Cambridge United were a lowly United Counties League football club, although one with huge ambitions. As they prepared for their first season in the Eastern Counties League, they appointed their first full-time player-manager and looked towards the stars. Supporters and players alike rolled their sleeves up and started work on the rapid rise that in 1970 took them to their promised land: the Football League. Risen from the Dust, the second volume of Andrew Bennett’s brilliant Celery & Coconuts, the definitive history of an extraordinary club, takes readers on a breathtaking surge upwards through the leagues. Backed by painstaking research and Bennett’s eye for a story, Risen from the Dust reveals what can be achieved by a community determined to succeed. Champagne & Corona The third volume of Andrew Bennett’s brilliant Celery & Coconuts history of Cambridge United, relating the incredible story of the 1970s, is available to order now. With a foreword by star 70s striker Alan Biley, Champagne & Corona tells the tale of a revolutionary decade – one that saw the club continue its irresistible rise to claim a place in English football’s second tier. The Moose that Roared - is volume four of the books documenting the clubs history. This volume features one of the most successful periods & exciting times for Cambridge United fans & with a foreword from a legend from that period in Shaggy it should be an exciting read for fans. You can order all the books or individually via the following link here ![]() Afternoon, all. With the FA Cup approaching it seems apposite, whilst trundling back down Cut Throat Lane this week, to dig out an old fixture from 30 October 2007 and the FA Cup fourth qualifying round replay against the black and whites from the county town of Staffordshire. I have said on here many times that the Conference years were a blur period(no apologies to Oasis) so it was interesting looking at the attached programme and thinking I was only 33 at the time(sic - ed). The U’s had drawn 1-1 at Marston Road the previous Saturday which had been our second visit there in a month. And of course another showing for the infamous “Newmarket Town” third strip of yellow/royal blue/yellow which was to appear later in the season again at Forest Green. In the day the concept of a third kit was pretty alien, even in the Premier League. How things have changed, eh. I see Coventry have just brought out a third kit, in the last week of OCTOBER! Anyway, back to the game, a Scott Rendell penalty ensured a replay three days later. And this time we made no mistake trouncing the Rangers 5-1 with a double for Olly Knights and one each for messrs Boylan, Rendell and Wolleaston. In the squad that evening for the visitors were none other than Tom Youngs and Fred Murray…. The prize? A home tie with either Crawley or Aldershot Town in the first round proper on 10 November. Turned out to be Aldershot whom we beat 2-1 in front of 2,641 but our journey ended in the next round. Just glancing at the roll call of United officials in the programme, anybody remember a director called Geoff Peck? I don’t. On this day in 1960 Diego Armando Maradona was born in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. He made his senior debut in Argentina ten days short of his sixteenth birthday. Scored 34 times in 91 appearances for his country and participated in four World Cups. He played in Spain for Barcelona and famously won two Serie A titles(including their first) for Napoli in 1986/7 and 1989/90. He had tattoos of Che Guevara and Fidel Castrol on his arm and left leg. He died on 25 November 2020, fifteen years to the day after the passing of another footballing great, this time from the back streets of Belfast. Enjoy yourselves. Harry, ![]() Evening, all. I always think it makes sense to play Wednesday on a Tuesday, don’t you? We haven’t lost at home to the Owls in the league you know since March 1984 so let’s hope that weighs heavy on their scapulae. On our trip down Cut Throat Lane this evening we are travelling 22 seasons back to the Roy Mac era and life in the third tier following promotion the previous season. A miserable Tuesday night in October and a crowd of just 4,328 witnessed a sorry 0-1 from Utd’s perspective. All this after a rip-roaring derby win v Col U the previous Friday evening.The Clarets doubled us that season and we haven’t met them since! Flicking through the programme good to see Martin Butler had pocketed his second hatrick of his U’s career against said Col U. Remember his first………………...7-2 v Mansfield. I was unable to resist calling the Utd club call number. Remarkably the line is live and a robot answered reminding me the service is administered by I-Line Services(?) but that’s as far as I got… I loved Colin Davies the general manager’s optimism with his vision of a refurbished Abbey in a few years’ time. Probably good for his mental wellbeing that he didn’t predict potential armageddon in 2005, instead. Finally, some interesting names in the Burnley squad. Merry- go- round manager Micky Mellon, Paul Crichton in goal(booooo!), another ex-U Tom Cowan and even the lead singer of The Jam and Style Council graced the side at that time. On this day in 1973 the Sydney Opera House was officially opened by the Queen. Designed by a Dane it was estimated to take four years to build but took fourteen. The original budget was 7 million dollars but in the end it cost 102m. The roof has over one million tiles, all shipped not from Thailand(sic) but Sweden! And it meant employment for 10,000 construction workers. You are truly enriched. Enjoy yourselves. Harry, It feels like I have been waiting for this game for a while. In League terms it’s been 10,801 days but who’s counting, eh? I bet Steve Claridge and his manager still remember that day well! Our track record with today’s visitors is indeed one of sporadicity. It took 75 years to meet the Tractorboys for the first time and it’s been 29 years since the last duel, in League competition anyway.
Today’s old programme focus is a division two fixture against our next opponents, Sheffield Wednesday, this time played on 16 October 1982, our fifth season of six in said division. Our visitors were managed by none other than Jack Charlton and it is fair to say their squad looked, shall we say, decent for the time. Some interesting comments in the programme from schoolchildren who had been guests at the previous home game against Carlisle. Apart from anything else they seemed to enjoy the “food” on offer at the game. The “look back in time” feature was interesting too, 1972 at Southport in front of a crowd of over 7,000(yes, 7,000). What would the Sandgrounders do today for a crowd of even half that? Anyway a decent game that day ended in a 2-2 draw. We were though two down within ten minutes of the restart(both from Gary Bannister, remember him?) but Floyd Street and Chris Turner saved the day in front of a crowd of 5,677, which I sincerely hope is bettered this time round. And to end on a really cheery note. Ten Nazi leaders are hanged as war criminals after the Nuremberg war trials on this day in 1946, including Joachim von Ribbentrop who was the first. He had been responsible as foreign secretary for the non-aggression pact signed with Russia in 1939. Which lasted until the advent of Operation Barbarossa and the invasion of Russia in 1941! Enjoy yourselves. Harry, ![]() Terry Eades 1944-2021 The Cambridge United family is mourning the death, at the age of 77 on October 4, of Terry Eades, a hugely talented defender whose career in black and amber spanned two eras of the club’s history. Universally liked, admired and respected, Terry was signed from Southern League rivals Chelmsford City in February 1969 and, on his way to a total of 366 U’s matches, six substitute appearances and 12 goals, proved an influential and popular member of teams in both the Southern League and Football League. His place in club legend was recognised by induction into the Cambridge United Hall of Fame in 2019 – only the second of the famous side that gained election to the Football League in 1970 to be so honoured. Born in Banbridge, County Down in 1944, Terry joined Chelmsford at an early age following his family’s move to England. He starred for the Clarets in several late-1960s clashes with United before becoming, in the early weeks of 1969 at the age of 25, manager Bill Leivers’ fourth and final acquisition from the 1968 Southern League champions. A fee of £2,500 changed hands. After seven years at New Writtle Street, he arrived with hopes that the U’s would be the non-League club chosen by Football League chairmen in the event of an existing club being voted out. Praising United’s professionalism, he had, he said, been unsettled by rumours that Chelmsford would move to semi-professional status. Vying with Gerry Baker for the centre-half position, he made his Southern League debut at Bedford Town at the end of March and starred in a 2-0 win, contributing the first goal. With Leivers encouraging him to forage forward, he scored again as United won 1-0 at Nuneaton two days later. Terry’s cultured, calm and skilful presence was a huge influence on the team as they claimed two successive titles and were elected to the Football League in the summer of 1970. He was one of only two United players making their League debuts as the first season kicked off against Lincoln City on August 15, but he never looked out of place as the U’s established themselves. Voted player of the year by supporters on several occasions, he was often described as inspirational and outstanding. The Cambridge Evening News said on one occasion: “He cannot be a one-man team, but he tried.” On 6 January 1974 Terry wrote himself into the history books when he became the first United player to score on a Sunday, as the U's drew an FA Cup tie with Oldham Athletic 2-2; United’s first had been an own goal. Soon afterwards he was recommended to Republic of Ireland manager Johnny Giles – his father had been born in Tipperary. So it was that he found himself marking teammate Graham “Willie” Watson, who was being tried out at centre forward as Ireland’s squad played a practice game against United at the Abbey. He began a long association with the motor trade when he began working part-time for Holland Motors. As the club captaincy passed from Terry to Brendon Batson under Ron Atkinson, Brendon spoke generously of his friend: “He has been one of the best centre halves I’ve seen in the Third and Fourth Divisions and I’m surprised he has not gone on to higher things.” After a short loan period at Watford, Terry was granted a testimonial in 1977 as his remarkable contribution to the United cause was recognised with the granting of a free transfer. But it wasn’t long before he was back as a non-contract player, passing on his knowledge and experience to younger players in the reserve side. His last game came in May 1977, and in 1978 he signed for Histon. He became the Stutes’ manager when fellow ex-U David Bradford stepped down, but he couldn’t resist playing for long. Terry’s long-delayed testimonial match finally came in April 1980, when Atkinson showed the respect in which he was held by fielding a strong West Bromwich Albion side at the Abbey. A single-figure handicap golfer for nearly four decades and a member of the Gog Magog club for 50 years, he also took pride in his garden, particularly its roses. Terry leaves children Anthony, Catherine and Dominic, and five grandchildren: Victoria, Luke, Josh, Ceci and Daniel. His wife Helen, whom he married in 1964 at Great Dunmow, died in 2018 after a brave fight against cancer. Terry showed similar character in his battle before succumbing to the disease at the Arthur Rank Hospice, a stone’s throw his beloved golf course. |
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