Assistant manager Dale Brooks recently agreed a one year contract extension to keep him at the Abbey Stadium for the next two seasons, and we thought it was time to learn more about his background and career so far.
Dale started out in football as a schoolboy with Ipswich Town, and it soon becomes clear that he was there during the highest point of the club's history.
Under manager Bobby Robson they enjoyed domestic and European success in the 1980s, and Dale explains, "In the years when I was an apprentice and a first year pro at Ipswich they won the UEFA Cup and finished runners-up twice in what is now the Premiership to Aston Villa and Liverpool.
"It was a fantastic learning curve for me," he adds. "Even though I didn't go on to play in the first team, on a daily basis I was training with the likes of Terry Butcher, Frans Thijssen, Arnold Muhren, Alan Brazil, Eric Gates, Mick Mills, George Burley etc.
"When I first went there Kevin Beattie and Alan Hunter were there, which again was an experience in itself because they were very good with the youngsters. They also played lots of practical jokes on us but that's part of growing up and part of your apprenticeship, and it was fantastic to train with and watch players of such a high calibre.
"At that time I think the only non-full international in the first team was the goalkeeper, Paul Cooper, so it was a fantastic club at the time, one of the best in the country."
The atmosphere and environment made a big impression on the teenage Dale, and he is in no doubt that it influenced the direction of his career.
"I was obviously observing the coaching staff and getting a taste and a feel for that side of the game," he agrees. "At that time the most important thing to me was trying to play and get in the first team, but you don't forget the things that you saw on the training ground; the discipline, the way people conducted themselves professionally, the way we were spoken to and the way the staff and the manager coped with different individuals on a daily basis."
Sir Bobby Robson went on to enjoy a successful career throughout Europe and as manager of England before settling at Newcastle, but Dale stresses that Robson was never a distant figurehead to the younger players.
"He was very hands-on, along with Bobby Ferguson his first team coach," he confirms. "The youth were very important because, in addition to the players I spoke of earlier, the likes of Russell Osman, Terry Butcher, George Burley and John Wark all came through the youth system.
"They had a fantastic youth system there at the time, one of the best in the country, so they were very involved with the youth and the reserves and they were good people as well as good coaches, and always there to talk to and guide you and share their experiences with you."
Their influence extends to the way Dale believes football should be played, which is a philosophy he has carried with him through the Centre of Excellence and youth teams, and now practices with the first team.
"Sir Bobby Robson and Bobby Ferguson liked to play the game the proper way," he recalls. "They were renowned for good passing football with an attacking theme to it, and it does stay with you because it was my first insight into football. I went through the system there, going on a regular basis from the age of 13, and it was the philosophy throughout the club."
The array of star players at Portman Road meant that Dale's path into the first team was blocked, but he is frank about the talent that was there at the time, admitting, "I was there as an apprentice and then I signed professional for one year, but at the time I wasn't good enough to knock out John Wark, Frans Thijssen or Arnold Muhren! It's not something I'm ashamed of, and you move on to other opportunities."
Having married young, Dale stayed in the area and played for Bishops Stortford while embarking on his coaching qualifications, and he soon returned to Ipswich as the community officer.
"I also worked in the evenings and the weekends in the Centre of Excellence, which is now their academy, taking the likes of Matty (Robinson), Ashley (Nicholls), Titus Bramble and Kieron Dyer," he continues.
"Quite a few have gone on to play in the lower divisions as well as the higher divisions and it's the next best thing to playing. Obviously playing is fantastic but being involved in coaching and managing is tremendous."
Dale reached a level where he is qualified to teach other coaches, although he is happy for that side of his coaching to take a back seat for now: "I embarked on the coach education side of it as well, but when you're involved with the first team then it's hard to find the time to attend the courses to take things on to the next level.
"A lot of the courses are in August, which is when you're into the season, and when I was doing the coach education I was the youth team coach here and Roy McFarland gave me a few days off here and there to go up to Lilleshall and do it.
"It's all being restructured now and when the time is right I can get back into it, but at the moment the most important thing is to do well here at Cambridge United."
During his courses Dale enjoyed the experience of working alongside many well-known managers and coaches, as he explains: "I've been on courses with some good managers. George Burley was on some of the courses, Paul Hart, Brian Laws, there were many. It was a process that we all had to go through because we had to convert our old qualifications and it was an experience and a learning curve to be in the same lecture rooms and seminar halls as some experienced former players and fantastic coaches.
"Obviously when you're on these courses you're up at Lilleshall for a week or two weeks, working in groups to problem-solve, and you share each other's experiences and opinions. It's good to interact with such people."
Dale had a spell as player-manager of Bury Town, where he faced many of the challenges he has faced since becoming assistant manager with the U's.
"Bury were in the old Beazer Homes League and that was an experience in itself. We were the paupers of the league and I had to scrape and scrap around to get players, but again it was a good experience.
"When you're managing there are pressures to try to assemble the best squad you can on the budget you have, and I think a lot of managers and coaches will reflect on when they first started, at whatever level, and the same principles apply - you have to decide the tactics, recruit the players, pick the team, work within a budget, and most of all it's a test of your man-management skills.
"In any industry you have to learn to cope with numerous individuals, because we all respond and react differently to being spoken to in different ways, so your man-management and communication skills are a very important part of coaching."
Dale came to Cambridge United as a part-time coach with the Centre of Excellence, coaching at under-15 and 16 levels but then was appointed as the full-time Centre of Excellence Director.
"It was my job to produce and endorse a technical programme for the lads from eight to sixteen, then on a daily basis I would go out with David Batch, who was then the youth team coach, and do the evenings with the younger ones.
"When David left the club Roy McFarland asked me to step up as Youth Team Manager, where I worked with some of the current squad and also helped out with the reserves, and then when John Taylor became manager he asked me to step up with him, and here I am now still working alongside the new manager Herve Renard."
Of the current first team squad, Adam Tann, Daniel Chillingworth, Luke Guttridge, Franco Nacca and Dan Gleeson came through the youth team during Dale's time in that role, and he added, "It's fantastic to see these youngsters come through and get their chance, but ultimately it's them who have to take the credit.
"You share your knowledge with all of them, but it's the ones who can retain that knowledge and also put it into practice when the pressure's on. We stand this side of the white line and we might shout and rant and rave and encourage the players from the outside, but they have to make the decisions so it's right that they should take all the credit."
Having worked with four United managers in his time - Roy McFarland, John Beck, John Taylor (right) and now Herve Renard - Dale is well placed to answer a question about how they compare, and he responds, "They're all different characters and different types, and they obviously have different levels of experience.
"But ultimately they're all very hardworking men who have the same goal - to put the best team out there on a Saturday and a Tuesday night to win that game.
"Roy was obviously very experienced. John Beck - whether you like his style of play or not - is still the most successful manager at this football club. John Taylor was a legend as a player and was embarking on his first role as a manager, and it was very tough for him at the time, and now we've got Herve, another young manager who's working very hard to make his mark in England."
Dale and Herve share a similar footballing philosophy and quickly struck up a good understanding and relationship, and he explains, "The only real problem you'll have is if your philosophy on the game is different, and then as an assistant manager it's wrong to sit there and be a nodding dog. You give your opinion and the manager listens to you and either acts on that or he doesn't, but it's a lot easier when you like to play football in a similar way.
"If someone wanted to play a certain way and you didn't feel comfortable or agree with, then maybe that's the time to move on. But that's not the case at the moment.
"Every manager wants to play winning football, but the way Herve is trying to achieve it at the moment is to try to play with the ball on the floor, quick, attacking football, to be compact and work very hard as a team."
So who is the best player Dale has ever worked with as a coach?
"You meet players at different ages, from 13 up to their 20s, but I think ultimately when I used to coach and meet Kieron Dyer at Ipswich you could see he was always destined for a bright future. He was a very talented young boy, and although he struggled a little bit from a physical point of view when he started out, he was always a talent that was going to go on and play at a very high level. Now Kieron has to kick on and get himself back into the England team."
Looking to the season ahead, Dale comments, "We've assembled a squad within our budget and we're working very hard. We've recruited Igor Latte-Yedo who is a big, strong player and I think he'll do well in this country, and Abdou Elkholti obviously has experience of English football from playing with Yeovil and he's a good player and very fit.
"The thing that governs whether you do well is obviously the results but I do feel there's an element of luck.
"People say 'I'm not so sure about that, Brooksy', but for instance let's say you recruit a very exciting young talent from France with lightning pace (Georges Mongin) and in his first training session the poor boy is left in a heap on the ground and now faces a long fight to get himself fit again. That's your luck.
Dale with Herve Renard
"I don't mean like hitting the post and things like that, but a situation where you have three or four strikers out over the course of a season, so with a small squad that's the type of luck I mean. But we'll work very, very hard.
"It will be a tough season and I don't think we should kid ourselves that it won't be," he warns, "but perhaps we have to look at the Euro 2004 Championships and the likes of Greece. They weren't the biggest name in the world but they collectively had a system, they worked very hard, they were very disciplined and ultimately they were the winners, which I think surprised most people.
"It's important that we're together, that we work hard, that we have confidence in ourselves, and that here at the Abbey the supporters get behind us like they do tremendously on our travels. It won't be easy and no one is saying it will, but I think we have a squad here that can compete in the third division (Coca-Cola League Two) and ultimately we have to look to finish in the top half again."
With our small squad there should be plenty of opportunities for the many talented youth team players to make appearances this season. Asked which of them is currently most likely to break through this season, Dale pointed to midfielder Darren Quinton.
"I think at the moment Darren (left) is knocking on the first team door. He's improved naturally on the physical element and I think he'll get a few opportunities this year.
"He's showing the potential and pushing for his position, but - as I said earlier - once he gets his opportunity and crosses that white line then it's down to him to stay there, and if he does then it's all credit to the boy because it's difficult to make that transition.
"We talk about how well people play in the youth team and reserves - and you can only compete at the level that you're given a shirt for - but it's a massive step to go into the first team at any level, and those players who embrace it and hold onto that opportunity will ultimately be the ones who go on to do well for themselves."
In conclusion, Dale stresses, "I'm looking forward to this season and I've signed an extension to my contract, which is something that Herve wanted, so I'm here for this season and next season, and we'll all be working as hard as we possibly can to bring the good times back to the Abbey."
Interview by Andrea Thrussell.
A shorter version of this interview was published in the match programme v Shrewsbury on Saturday 14th August 2004
Previous features:
In Conversation With Gary Harwood (August 2004)
In Conversation With Herve Renard (August 2004)
Season Preview - team by team (July 2004)
Redevelopment - The Way Forward (June 2004)
End of Term Report 2003/04 (May 2004)
Randall Butt - The End of an Era (May 2004)
Gary Harwood's New Year Statement (January 2004)
'Bridge The Gap' - The Background (December 2003)
Abbey Stadium Plans Unveiled (October 2003)
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