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100 YEARS OF COCONUTS

Attu Mensah

6/9/2021

100yearsofcoconuts are saddened to hear about the recent death of Attu Mensah.

Attu was the first black player to play for Cambridge United although he only played once for the U's while on trial at the club.

The 20-year-old Ghanaian came to England in 1964 and did the rounds of trials at Charlton, Norwich, St Neots, Newmarket and Cambridge City before landing at the Abbey.

His only U’s appearance was in the Mithras Cup, in which United had drawn Hornchurch. In the second leg at the Abbey on October 5, Mensah scored his team’s second goal in a 4-1 win, dictating the midfield play and supplying pinpoint passes. ‘The crowd loved the Ghanaian, who responded to the praise of the fans,’ said the Cambridge Daily News.

Sadly, that was the last those fans were to see of Mensah. He moved on to Ely City, St Neots and Port Vale.

Read the match press report from the Hornchurch game below

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY - CUFC V HARROGATE TOWN 9/1/2021

6/6/2021

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY

Afternoon, all. Bit of a mixed break, wasn’t it? A good way to end the festive season at Blundell Park. I actually started the break on Christmas Eve in bed with Gastroenteritis so, after waxing lyrical about bubble and squeak in the last programme, you can imagine that was a fair way down my list of priorities! I pretty much surfaced in time for the Stevenage game which let’s be honest set me back another 24 hours.

Anyway, enough of my “man ‘flu”(my new name in the house here over Christmas), welcome to the Sulphurites from Harrogate. I genuinely don’t know the history of the nickname but am speculating that it comes from their bright yellow shirts? In which case I’m surprised we haven’t adopted that sobriquet in the past……..(needle stuck, I know). If you didn’t know better you might guess they’d have a nickname with a posh tea rooms connection……? For example, the cake trays or the crustless cucumber sarnies or even the tea leafs. Wait a minute, we’ll stick with the Sulphurites.

Let’s not forget that Harrogate were competing in the Northern Counties League as recently as 2004 and gained two promotions in as many seasons 2019 and 2020. And not to be confused with Harrogate Railway Athletic FC who remain ensconced in said Northern Counties League. Name of their ground? Station View, of course.

Our little nostalgia trip today takes us back to 1970/71 again and our baptism in League football. 9 January 1971 saw us hosting the Shots from the Recreation Ground. Our second meeting of the season after a 2-2 draw at the Rec back in September. The return saw another stalemate at 1-1 in front of 4,823 at the Abbey, King Bill Cassidy netting for the U’s. the match programme followed the INTO THE LEAGUE livery constant all that inaugural season, with the famous(infamous?) UIE badge under the club’s name. Sorry to see that the Black & Amber Shop wasn’t quite ready but all things black and amber et al could be purchased at the CUSC and the pools office, wherever that was. Good to see adverts from Jim Reynolds the Rock King (eat ya heart/sugar mouse out, Nick Hornby) and the ABC BAR BQ on Mill Road, never the same by the way since my mate from school’s family sold up and moved on over ten years ago.

Finally, just to remind you all that on this day in 2007 Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, let a little new ‘phone out of the bag at a convention in San Francisco. A smart move it seems. Enjoy the game and stay safe.

Bye for now,

Harry

Read the Aldershot match report below by clicking on the image

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY - THE U'S V THE O'S BOXING DAY 2020

6/6/2021

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY

Festive greetings, all. One of my favourite days of the year and looking forward already to my favourite meal of the year later, cold meat, pickles and good old bubble and squeak! Once I’ve finished that wonderful fare I do tend to find myself in the dining room on my own which is strange.

Anyway, the O’s on Boxing Day always brings to mind the same day on 1997 which is the featured fixture and programme for today. As well as all the post-Christmas day delights, a home win, a Wanny scorcher and some great banter in the Habbin in the days when we stood over the seated away fans. All 360 of them on a good day. A crowd of 4,808. And I could have sworn the O’s wore their ‘Croatia’ shirts that day but the historians tell me not(and see programme). That would have been the following season, 12 September 1998 to be precise(another 1-0 home win in what became the promotion season). We had already beaten the O’s at Brisbane Road 2-0 on 5/9/97 so a decent double against our ‘M11’ rivals.

The 1997/8 season indeed very flatly for the U’s in sixteenth position although with hindsight, as Roy Mac’s first full season in charge, one could argue it was a proper launch pad for better fortunes round the corner. And thank heavens for Martin Butler. The programme reminds us of some names from the past, secretary Steve Greenall - on the tv the other week working for a firm near St Neots, Carla Frediani, a very amiable individual, wonder what happened to her?

And those that have passed away, eg Wally Rookes and Dave Brown, bless them. And does anybody remember the third string ‘keeper, Jed Sumner? Not a lot on the www but he did come from Coventry City. Finally, an honourable mention for the birthday wishes on page 12 and a right load of reprobates listed there. Well one, anyway.

Just for a little bit of perspective, it was sixteen years ago today that a massive tsunami hit India, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia killing over 200,000 people.

Bye for now,

Harry

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY - Programme v Col U 15/12/2020

6/6/2021

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY

Evening, folks and a warm Tuesday night in December welcome to our friends from Britain’s oldest registered town. Col U seem to feature a lot in this column lately. I am reminded of Layer Road and what a hovel that was but at least hovels are lived in, eh…

In terms of the programme of the day we’re going back to 15 December 1979 and our second season in the heady heights of the second division. The Cottagers from SW10 came to town that day, we had already beaten QPR in our previous home game at the Abbey so confidence was high. Wasn’t it just? A 4-0 thrashing with an Alan Biley hatrick. The crowd was phenomenally low at 4,778 for London opposition, in fact from the programme attached you’ll see we were already bottom of the crowd table. When you consider that the following May we finished the season 8th(out of 22) then it is difficult not to feel the directors’ frustrations. It got worse of course.

Couple of nuggets in the Fulham programme, take a look at their line up and you’ll recognise three names absolutely synonymous with CUFC glory days. And the Vice-Presidents roll call is interesting too. A certain C Proctor in there as well as Gerald Lowe the coal merchant and Forgecliffe Ltd, owned by a certain chairman of the board of ours, at various times. And Keith Loring, commercial manager, who I didn’t realise flogged Mercs as well(happy to be corrected) and who went on to be chief exec at Derby, amongst other places.

In the Fulham team were two future Cambridge United Managers that have changed the course of the club during their time at the Abbey. Who are they?

Enjoy the game, a repeat of the end of the last time we met here would be quite nice, wouldn’t it! And in case you were wondering, on this date in 1966 Walt Disney, subject of these pages formerly, passed away.

Bye for now,

Harry

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY Programme article Programme v Oldham 5/12/2020

6/1/2021

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY

Hullo, again. Most readers will not know the ad slogan “I told ‘em Oldham” but it’s something I have always treasured as my old man always used to pipe up with it, particularly around games involving the Latics. It was a brand of car battery by the way.

Many special games involving these guys over the years but most of all the groundbreaking FA Cup ties in January 1974 involving ‘free’ admission on a Sunday and two replays culminating in defeat for the U’s by 2-1 at the neutral City Ground in Nottingham on a dank Monday afternoon.

Coming back to today’s date and 5 December and it’s only right that we concentrate again on our inaugural season in the Football league and yet again we must confront our early nemesis, Col U. Remember we had already been trounced at Layer Road 5-0 in the first round of the League Cup just four days after our FL baptism against Lincoln. A week later in December we were due to meet them again but this time in the FA Cup second round which saw a pretty resounding 3-0 reverse. Less than two months later we were back at Layer Road for a D4 fixture which saw their U’s run out 2-1 winners. You may say the pointers for this home fixture on 5 December were not good but who said “football, bloody hell!”?*

George Harris and Roly Horrey ensured we ran out 2-1 winners in front of a decent derby crowd of 5,183. Not even Ray Crawford, who felled the mighty Leeds the following February in the FA Cup(a week after our encounter), could stop the mighty U’s although he did level Harris’s early opener. Enjoy the programme for today and don’t get too misty-eyed over what one shilling would buy you in the day!

*Alex Ferguson, May ‘99, Barcelona, post Champions League Final.

And just a moment to pause and reflect that on this day in 1901 Walt Disney was born. That’s all folks!(I know, wrong one).

Bye for now,

Harry

Read the Light Blue from 5th November 1970 by following the link
https://www.100yearsofcoconuts.co.uk/uploads/9/1/6/2/9162503/701205sa.pdf

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY Programme v Mansfield T 2/12/20

6/1/2021

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY

Evenin’, all. “A large number of people gathered together in a disorganised or unruly way.” Now that’s the OED definition of a “crowd”. Sounds a bit harsh? Anyway, welcome back, behave yourselves and follow the obligations.

Welcome to the Stags this evening for this 24 hour-delayed fixture, nicely coinciding with the ending of lockdown. Mansfield are common opponents for us and we have met them 14 times since returning to normal duties in 2014, including a couple of cup ties.

A bit mixed in truth in that time and overall the Stags have the upper hand since we first locked horns with them in the 1972/73 season. Us oldies of course remember how that season ended up and whom we beat to clinch promotion to the third division! “And the whole of Barnwell shook with the deafening roar”.

Wandering down Cut Throat Lane it seems that not an awful lot has transpired on this date in the past. With the promotion season of 1972/3 above in mind we are focusing on 2 December 1972 and a home fixture with the Gulls from Torquay. This ended in a rather turgid 0-0 draw in front of just 3,244 although we had suffered a preposterous 5-1 thrashing at Workington the previous week. Not promotion form, seemingly although remarkably after the Workington thrashing we were still third in the table. This week’s featured programme from the Torquay game shows us as well that at that point the Stags were heading the table after twenty games which if nothing else demonstrates a season is a marathon not a sprint. Note the programme price of 5p including the Football league insert(about a fiver in today’s money), manager Bill Leivers was due to collect the October manager of the month award that afternoon(sponsored by Bell’s Scotch Whisky of course) and for Christmas you could buy a Utd rosette for 15p! Enjoy that and of course your return to the Abbey.

Finally, on this day in 1988 “Naked Gun”, based on TV’s Police Squad series, premiered in the US. Always worth a laugh.

Bye for now,

Harry

Bill Leivers was the manager who took Cambridge United to Southern League titles in 1969 and 1970 and guided the club through its first few years in the Football League.

The 100yearsofcoconuts interview was carried out at his home in Cornwall in 2014 The interviewer was Patrick Morgan.

This interview is in seven parts and Bill discusses his time time at Cambridge United, transfers, players and moves towards League status, his time in the Football League as manager and his later days at the Abbey.

See https://www.100yearsofcoconuts.co.uk/news/bill-leivers-the-100yearsofcoconuts-interviews

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY Programme Article Programme v Barrow 14/11/20

6/1/2021

Afternoon, all. So we entertain today the Bluebirds from Holker Street. It’s been a while you know. If (and we should) discount nine seasons of purgatory aka The Conference Years, then the last time we faced off was 15 April 1972, at the Abbey. I can’t be bothered to work out the number of days but it’s more than 48 and a half years ago. Anyway, they have a nice badge too, do Barrow. Bit of thought gone in to it….

I did my usual metaphorical stroll down Cut Throat Lane in the week to check out home games from the past on this date.

Five games it seems since 1970 including a cup tie v Farnborough in 1987 (scraped home 2-1), a 2-1 reversal v Barnsley in our second and final season in D2, that thrilling win against the Cobblers on a Friday night under the lights in our first season back in the League in 2014. And we also played Kettering in 2009 but that’s enough of that.

The focus for today and programme feature is the Newport fixture back in 1970, just three months in to our inaugural campaign. Our ninth home game of the season saw us turn the Ironsides over 3-2 (read the Light Blue from 1970 below) with a brace for George Harris and one for Ivan Hollett, (photo below) his first of the season, who ended up our top scorer that season with eleven. The crowd was 3,608 which was 600 down on the previous home game five days earlier although we did lose to Workington.

Those were the days! Good to see that fickleness isn’t a modern day phenomenon. Enjoy the programme and see what one shilling bought you in the day.

Bye for now,

Harry

Read the Light Blue from 1970

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY Programme v Shrewsbury Town FA Cup 1st round 7/11/20

5/25/2021

Afternoon. The magic of the FA Cup, eh? I struggle with it a bit these days but there again I never did complete my programme notes for 10 March 1990!

There is nothing like a break from the twice-weekly drudgery of the League programme, is there? All those pointless away trips and struggles at home in front of a 3-4,000 gate.

Well looking back down the old Cut Throat Lane thoroughfare of memories, just the one fixture on this date sticks out, it is not the FA Cup however it is the little shrews of Salop again, back in 1981 in the old D2 days. A brace from Joe Mayo without reply did the trick - anybody remember “we’ll take more care of you, Joe Mayo, Joe Mayo” to the tune of the old British Airways advert? Just me, it seems!! A crowd of 3,851 attended that day. We went seventh that day (seventh in the CHAMPIONSHIP for younger readers) although we ended up fourteenth at the end of the campaign but respectable enough in what was our fourth season at that level.

Take ya pick for famous birthdays today by the way……..Butch Cassidy, Leonard Cohen, Joe Frazier. Paul Newman gets my vote though, wearer of the Baracuta Harrington jacket. Just cool, peppermint cool.

Bye for now,

Harry

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY 2020/2021 Season Programme Salford 03/11/2020

5/12/2021

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY

Evening, all. Welcome to the other Manchester reds, let’s hope we fare better than the two encounters in their inaugural season last year which saw us doubled and, if I recall correctly, the 0-4 stuffing at home on 28 January this year saw off our head coach the following day. You know why we have short memories in football!

To be fair 3 November hasn’t exactly been a happy hunting ground for us over the years. Looking down CT Lane I see four fixtures of note over the seasons, two involving our part time rivals down in Bedfordshire.

The first was in our second season in division two in 1979/80 which saw us on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline in front of a decent crowd of 8,104. You know it took us 15 years to beat the Hatters? We didn’t manage it on this day in 1992 either however the 3-3 draw felt like a moral victory as we were 0-3 down come early in the second half. Goals from Lee Philpot and a brace from supersub John Francis(remember him?) sealed the draw. The Bulls from Hereford stole the points on a miserable day in 1987 in front of a measly 2,257. Their first ever League win at the Abbey.

Our concentration this evening (and the match day programme focus) is that competition we all forgot about, the Cambs Professional Cup. Is it still going? I’m not sure. As you can imagine it was usual for the two senior Cambridge teams to compete in the final back in the day(it started in 1958/9) although Utd’s elevation to League status in 1970 did rather diminish the competition, at least in our eyes, and the 1971 final was was not played out until the November of that year, over two legs, and 3 November saw the first leg at the Abbey and a 2-0 win to the U’s(Greenhalgh and Horrey). The return was the following May(!) and the U’s came out 2-1 winners. Looking at the stats it seems we persevered with said competition until the end of the 2008/9 season (lost to Histon, urgghh), a one off final by then. In the intervening years we played many non-Cambs sides as City effectively dropped out and these included Luton Town (winners in 1978), Norwich City (throughout the 1980s) and particularly oddly, a Canadian Olympic XI in 1992.

Enjoy the programme!

Finally, on this day in 1952 a certain Clarence Birdseye marketed frozen peas for the first time. He died less than four years later.

Bye for now,

Harry

MEMORIES DOWN CUT THROAT LANE WAY 2020/21 Season Programme Bolton Wanderers

5/12/2021

Afternoon. Thick and fast, eh? You know I said winning all the time can get boring well…... I lied!

Today we welcome the Trotters from Bolton. Some of you out there are still smarting I hear from the last time we played Bolton...Trevor Benjamin is still seething. The thirteenth and unluckiest fixture for the U’s saw us pitted against the Premier League opposition on 29 January 2000(OMG) in the FA Cup 5th round and the visitors were fortunate to escape in to the next round after some questionable refereeing decisions. I’ll leave it there. The previous dozen encounters saw three wins and five draws for the U’s, I’d suggest the most significant being one evening on 2 April 1991 when a 2-1 home victory saw us continue our rampage towards the D3 title that season. And I can still smell Phil Neal’s sour grapes in his post match interview.

So 24 October, what have we been up to on that date in the past? Looking down the Lane I see four home fixtures since we entered the Football League and all round a bit average, two home defeats v Colchester and Northampton in 1987 and 2000 respectively. A goalless draw v Shrewsbury in 1998 and saving the best until last, an emphatic 4-2 win v Port Vale in our first season in division three in 1973. Messrs Greenhalgh, Ferguson, Foote and Lennard got the goals in front of 3,612. We won only two games away from the Abbey though that season which tells you how it all ended up. Immerse yourselves in the programme from that day.

Finally, spare a thought (but not for long) for this day in 1933 when a couple of famous East End gangster twins were introduced to earthly proceedings. I think football was probably a little pedestrian for them.

Bye for now,

Harry