VENUE #117 CAMBRIDGE UNITED Abbey Stadium

The main Cambridge Railway Station is over two miles away, so best to catch a taxi. The station is served by trains from Birmingham New Street, Norwich, Ipswich and London King's Cross. In May 2017 the new Cambridge North Railway Station was opened. At just under two miles away from the Abbey Stadium, it is slightly closer than Cambridge Railway Station, but still a fair way. It is also served by trains, from Norwich and London King's Cross, as well as London Liverpool Street.

 ABBEY STADIUM   

      The Main Stand on one side is a covered two-tiered all seated stand, part of which is used as a Family Enclosure. This traditional looking stand was built in 1967 and was later extended. It has a number of supporting pillars and the team dugouts are located at its front, either side of the player's tunnel. Opposite is the Habbin Stand. This covered terrace was opened in 1960 and named after a former Supporters Club President. It runs for almost the entire length of the pitch. It does though have a number of supporting pillars running across its middle.

     At one end of the ground is the modern South Stand, which was opened in 2002. This good sized covered single tiered, all seated stand, replaced a former open terrace. The seating area is raised in this stand, meaning that supporters enter the stand via a small flight of stairs. To one side of this stand, on the Main Stand side is a Police Control Box. The North Terrace at the other end of the ground is covered. However, it only runs for about half the width of the pitch, with one side ending in line with the eighteen-yard box. On one side towards the Habbin Terrace is a very small covered terrace that backs on to the supporters club building.

     Away fans are housed in the Marstons Smooth South Stand at one end of the ground, where up to 1,600 supporters can be seated. However normally only half the stand is open on match days on the Habbin side of the ground. This relatively new covered, all seated stand has good facilities. For some larger games then the South part of the Habbin terrace can also be made available. This covered terrace can accommodate almost 1,000 supporters.

     The entrance to the away section is reached by walking along a path through Coldham Common, which is a field that is used from time to time to graze cows (well judging from the number of cow pats!). Not much fun at the best times and especially when it is a bit more difficult to see for those night games!

GROUND LAYOUT

 A   MAIN STAND

 B   HABBIN STAND - COVERED TERRACE

 C   NORTH STAND - COVERED TERRACE

 D   SOUTH STAND (AWAY)

ABBEY STADIUM OPENING DAY

     The Abbey stadium opened on Wednesday 31st of August 1932 although being built some nine years previously, it was destined to become the home of Abbey United now known as Cambridge United and have been since 1951.  There was already a Cambridge United at the time but not connected.
     Abbey United played a friendly against Cambridge University Press on the Wednesday evening to officially open the ground, the club's president's daughter Mrs. KRJ Saxon kicked off the game which Abbey won 2-0 thanks to a brace by then teenager striker Jackie Bond.

Cambridge United had a great victory over Swindon Town on Tuesday night at the County ground, Reggie Lambe opened the scoring in the eleventh minute with Jevani Brown making it 2-0 a minute later.  The win lifts Cambridge up to 21st in the league table just two points clear of the relegation places, it was only the U's third win of the campaign which is turning out to be another relegation dog fight for the Cambridgeshire side.

Macclesfield Town ended last weekend on a high coming back from a goal down to beat Carlisle United and record their first win of the season at Moss Rose.  Ashley Nadesan gave the visitors the lead after 50 minutes but then a four minute spell with ten minutes to go saw the Silkmen take the three points, Michael Rose scoring from the penalty spot before Peter Vincenti struck the winner seven minutes from time saving an unwanted record of going 37 league games without a win.

     The Silkmen's winning spree didn't last long as they were thrashed 5-0 at home on Tuesday night by lowly Northampton Town recording their third win of this campaign and relieving the pressure a little on their selves.

     Honours are even between these two sides at the Abbey stadium in football league and cup matches with both sides winning twice and a solitary draw.  The most recent game was on 12th February 2005 a game which Macclesfield won by a single goal from Graham Potter in the 80th minute.

CAMBRIDGE UNITED ... 1   MACCLESFIELD TOWN ... 0 

     What an awful visit, one of if not the worst yet. The stadium is predominantly league 2 / National league standard which, in the main stand where I watched the game had roof supporting girders that impaired your view depending on where you were sitting.
     At the end of each row and in each section was a dividing wall which denied access and exit other than through a string of seated spectators which is not good in any respect.
     I will say this for the Cambridge United set up their on line ticket sale system is A1 one of the best I've come across, so easy to use which is not the case at many football club's websites.
     The football was awful two teams at the wrong end of the league table slugging it out hoping for the final whistle.  I was at a game last year at Crawley Town which also featured Cambridge United and it was almost a carbon copy of this game, a terrible standard of football between two relegation candidates and Cambridge managed to scramble a goal to win the game.  There were nearly 4 thousand people here today and it makes me wonder how they managed to keep getting, what is for league two, good crowds.  I suppose it's what you're used to at the end of the day.     

     Macclesfield should have took the lead in the third minute when Peter Vincenti's cross was flicked on to the head of Harry Smith who's effort was parried away by the strong hand of Cambridge's goalkeeper David Forde.

     Ten minutes later and the U's had their best chance of the first half a swerving shot from 25 yards by Reggie Lambe made the Silkmen's keeper Rhys Taylor stretch to tip the ball over the bar.

      Apparently, in the 59th minute Jabo Ibehre came on for George Maris for the U's and 21 minutes later the sub received a pass from Liam O'Neil and fired the ball home across Rhys Taylor.  I say apparently because I didn't see the goal cause I was boarding the train back home I had just seen enough in the first half.

     Now I've seen these two teams home and away I can cross them off my visiting schedule THANK GOD!!!

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