In the week following our Play-off Final defeat at Wembley, U's supporter Russ Greaves writes:

It was an emotional and poignant moment for me to see over 21,000 people at Wembley supporting Cambridge in some way, shape or form. I have been at matches with less than 0.5% of that total number of U's fans, so in many ways it was a testament to our progress that so many people wanted to come and lend their support to this fantastic football club.

It was a moment I wanted to savour, so thanks to all of the 21,000+ who made it possible.

Much has been made of the atmosphere, or lack thereof, but I'm not too interested in debating that, I know over the season this set of fans have given fantastic support to their team, and those that have played their part can and should be very proud.

Now to the real issue I wanted to address - the average home attendance at Cambridge United was around 3,400 this season. Naturally the draw of Wembley and the magnitude of the game meant that exiled U's fans, lapsed U's fans, inquisitive Cambridge citizens and many more 'day-trippers' were in attendance - in their thousands.

It is to those lapsed fans, who perhaps found the strains of the past few years all too much to justify the expenditure and time that supporting a team demands, and to those 'day-trippers' to whom I wish to appeal with the following...

I believe the Cambridge fans have spoken about the lack of atmosphere on Sunday are sincere in their intentions. We are all desperate to see this club achieve its potential again, and we recognise what influence the fans can have. What we all want is for more people to share in our passion, and join us at the Abbey in getting behind the team, vocally and, of course, financially.

Cambridge United and its staff have given the city of Cambridge a club to be proud of this season, and a day which I'm sure the majority of the 21,000 people in the United end enjoyed tremendously. I hope that every single person who was in attendance at that game, in the Cambridge end, will be at a United game in the future. The very near future, if possible.

Hopefully Sunday gave you a taste of what it's like to be part of something special, and that's what this football club can offer you on a week-to-week basis during the football season! Those lapsed fans will know that, and maybe Sunday helped stoke up old, deep-rooted feelings of loyalty and passion.

If Wembley was your only Cambridge game of the season, you missed the best bits really, but next season will offer you the opportunity to be a part of it again. Please come back - every fan, even the most ardent, had once been to just one match!

I remember my first game, there were only 1,600 U's fans that day and we lost, but it was the start of something very special in my life, and I hope Sunday's match, and perhaps moreover the occasion, will be the start of something equally special for many of the so-called 'day-trippers'.

One Tuesday night on a rain-soaked terrace, miles away from home, I'd like to be stood there with a couple of hundred other U's fans, several of whom will proudly say "My first game was May 18th 2008... I hardly ever miss a match now."

Russ Greaves

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