Our email enquiry to the PFA about the current status of the award met with a response from no less a personage than the union’s chief executive. ‘Yes,’ wrote Golden Gordon, ‘the award still exists, with prize money of £15,000 for community work and players and management.’
Established in 1988, it was of course named after a man who exemplified the spirit of fair play and was also one of the game’s greatest practitioners. Bobby Moore was, according to Franz Beckenbauer, ‘the best defender in the history of the game’, and Jock Stein observed: ‘There should be a law against him. He knows what's happening 20 minutes before everyone else.’ United’s connections with Moore don’t end with the capture of the 1997/98 trophy. As Andrew Bennett revealed in Risen from the Dust, the U’s provided the opposition to an all-star XI in Chelmsford manager Peter Harburn’s testimonial on 10 May 1966, and Moore and Geoff Hurst were among the guest players. Hurst nabbed three goals in a 4-3 win for the stars. I wonder when his next hat-trick was. Cheerio Harry
Golf courses, greyhound tracks, shooting ranges, bare-knuckle boxing, barrow racing – Barnwell’s had them all, as well as a football and cricket ground or two.
Who knows? Perhaps one day Coconuts will be able to link up with his tours, which offer revelations about our city’s many sporting stories and achievements. While enjoying a pleasant walk, you get to see the wonderful new sculpture on Parker’s Piece that celebrates Cambridge’s position as the birthplace of the laws of modern-day football; hear about Henry VIII’s football boots (although you can't try them on); discover the story of the USA bobsleigh champion who was killed in World War II; find out where the only Olympic medal winner to win a Nobel Prize was a student; learn where the town’s bullring was situated; and a lot more besides. If you hurry, you can book yourself on to a tour majoring on the history of Cambridge football and local and World Cup stories and personalities. Nigel also has a rowing experience and a cricket tour up his sleeve. To book or find out more, go here: https://www.cambridgesportstours.co.uk.
That's not strictly true … not every single one of Cambridge United Former Players' Association's 133 members was in the Supporters' Club last night, but the occasion was all about quality, not quantity.
And what quality! First-time attendee Alan Biley was in sparkling form, recalling some of the many goals he cracked in at the nearby Corona End. A good number of them were supplied by midfield craftsman Graham 'Willie' Watson. 'He's the man who made me, as he never tires of telling me!' cried Alan gleefully as Willie embarked on another scandalous reminiscence. It was also good to see CUFPA get-together debutant Brian Grant, stalwart left back of the Bill Leivers era. 'I was Brian Clough's first ever signing,' he recalled of his Hartlepool days. He delighted in swapping memories with the likes of CUFPA chairman Rodney Slack, 1950s goalkeeper Derek Haylock and Tony Willson of roughly the same era. For Alan and Brian, the evening presented a first chance to sign the visitors' book at The Story of the U's, Coconuts' mini-museum recounting the history of Abbey/Cambridge United. The exhibits provoked another round of reminiscing and storytelling, as they're designed to do.
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Happy Harry's blogI'm the living embodiment of the spirit of the U's, and I'll be blogging whenever I've got news for you, as long as I don't miss my tea. Archives
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