Saturday's match marked the end of an era at the Abbey Stadium as it was the last match on which Randall Butt reported for the Cambridge Evening News.
After 30 years, during which he has interviewed and, no doubt, had a difference of opinion with every manager of Cambridge United from Bill Leivers to John Taylor, Randall hung up his Cambridge Evening News quill to take early retirement and concentrate on his freelance reporting.
After moving south from the wonderfully named Morecambe Visitor, Randall took over reporting duties from Mike Finnis towards the end of the Bill Leivers era. Since then he has overseen thirteen managers, five promotions, six relegations, appearances at both Wembley Stadium and the Millennium Stadium, and travelled - at a conservative estimate - a quarter of a million miles to away matches in the process.
His objective style and evocative match reports may not have always made comfortable reading for Club officials, but they have won him a string of awards within the newspaper industry. He is clearly respected by seasoned reporters up and down the country, and his reports in the News are the first item thousands look out for in the paper on a Monday evening.
It was perhaps appropriate that Randall would cover Cambridge United as he seems to have a natural affinity for the underdog - as witnessed by his support of Newport County as a youngster - but although he certainly has an affection for the Club, he never lets it get in the way of his searching questions as he roots out a story he believes will be of interest to supporters.
Randall will still be at the Abbey on match days in his capacity as a freelance reporter, and we wish him well in this venture. Whoever takes over from him at the News has very big shoes to fill.
Randall (centre) with directors Paul Barry, Richard Summerfield, Gerald Lowe, Chairman Gary Harwood, and Vice-Chairman Roger Hunt
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Gary Harwood's New Year Statement
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