Whilst Saturday is the first time that we have played Wrexham at this level, battles between us were much more frequent and often close encounters during our time in the Football League. Having said that our last meeting was a 5-0 thrashing at the Racecourse Ground in April 2003.

I, along with many other Cambridge United supporters, prefer to remember the classic match at the end of the 1977-8 season. A packed Abbey Stadium saw the U's triumph 1-0 against the League leaders with the helping hand of a 'headed' Gordon Sweetzer goal that virtually sealed our promotion to the Second Division (that's the Championship in today's game) for the first time.

Relegation from the Football League is hard for clubs and their fans to take. As we endeavour to rebuild and hopefully return there a stronger club, so I am sure Wrexham and their followers will strive just as hard to do likewise.

Last month our youth team visited North Wales to play our visitors in a Pre-Season Friendly. They, similarly to us, will shortly be losing the funding provided by the Football League for their Youth set-up. Many talented youngsters in that region could/will have their opportunity to progress into professional football taken away from them purely because the Club's first team finished in the bottom two of Division Two last season. To have the long term benefits of a good youth organisation taken away by something that is out of the boy's control is not right.

Nearly 500 United fans made the trip down to Ebbsfleet on Tuesday evening and the praise for the support was generously acknowledged by our hosts. It was a tough game for the team and they performed well despite a mounting injury list.

Having taken the lead it would have been great to have come away with the three points but in all honesty the result could have gone either way. Most of the after-match talk was about the referee, who lived up the reputation he gained as being card happy after our game at Oxford two seasons ago.

It was a memorable debut for teenager Rory McAuley. Denied the winning goal by an offside flag, then sent off in time added on. This has resulted in a three match ban. That means that he is not available for selection again until after the Mansfield game at the end of this month. In the meantime he cannot play for the youth team who have a couple of midweek games. In effect he misses five games. One gets less for abuse with a racial element!

Tuesday's game followed swiftly after many people made the long trip down to Weymouth three days previously. It was a particularly harrowing journey for those on the Away Travel coach. Due to a culmination of traffic issues, their fears that they would miss the start of the game were realised. Thankfully they saw nearly 80 minutes of the match and the goals. The Club have offered anyone on that coach free travel to Forest Green next month [article].

The Club are delighted for everyone involved in the writing, production and distribution of this programme to gain the Non-League Programme of the Year Award for 2007-08 by Programme Monthly. It is a most prestigious accolade and well deserved. The programme plays an important role in communications for the Club and I thank everyone who buys and reads it.

Thank you all for your support it is much appreciated.

Brian Attmore

You are respectfully reminded that any article, as with all content on this website, unless otherwise stated, is subject to copyright © and the Official Cambridge United Website must be acknowledged as the original source including all quotes.

AT080906