Cambridge United are proud to announce the return of the Abbey name and will play our home matches at “The Abbey Stadium” with immediate effect, thanks to the support of key Club partners including Cambs Glass.
The Club is proud of its roots within the Abbey Ward and is acutely aware of the significance of “The Abbey Stadium” to our supporters. The Abbey name has been part of the fabric of the Club since its formation in 1912, so we are delighted to now be in a position to reinstate the traditional title to our home.
Stadium naming rights are commonplace in the 21st Century, and are a hugely important source of revenue, so this decision could simply not have been taken without the extended support of one of our club partners’ and the generosity of another.
The return of The Abbey Stadium has been made possible through the generous support of Cambs Glass, part of Bloor International Enterprises, where Group Chairman Michael Bloor is a lifelong U’s fan. Bloor International Enterprises, who provide trusted commercial and domestic solutions to the construction industry, have agreed to continue to work in partnership with the Club, but will step aside from the Stadium so the Abbey name can be reinstated. This new significant partnership with Cambs Glass’s Parent Company (bloorie.com) will be announced in the coming weeks.
Today we are also pleased to announce that AstraZeneca has agreed to extend their Active Science partnership with our Community Trust to become Cambridge United’s Community Sponsor.
The global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, whose headquarters moved to Cambridge in May 2016, will continue the collaboration on the Active Science Programme, which began at the end of 2015. This programme incorporates science and well-being, benefitting 800 children across the City and region. The partnership with AstraZeneca will now be expanded to support other community initiatives including social isolation amongst the elderly, childhood obesity, literacy and digital access and adult education, particularly in the Abbey Ward.
Cambridge United Chief Executive Jez George: “Today’s announcement means a lot to everyone associated with Cambridge United Football Club. The Abbey is our home - and we want the Club’s link to its locality and its history to be preserved and strengthened, now and into the future.
“We would like to thank Cambs Glass and Bloor International Enterprises for their magnificent gesture in fully supporting this idea. We would also like to thank AstraZeneca for extending their support beyond the Active Science programme which they have developed with our Community Trust over the last two years. As the Club’s first ever Community Sponsor, they will enable us to contribute even more in the coming years to the well-being of our immediate and wider community.
“It is testament to Cambs Glass, Bloor International Enterprises and AstraZeneca and our ever expanding portfolio of partners, who all share our vision, which enables us to make this decision to ensure the stadium naming is now sacrosanct rather than a commercial imperative.
“Sport, particularly football due to its universal popularity, can be a real force for good and Cambridge United recognises the responsibility associated with this privileged position. The Partnership with AstraZeneca is born from shared values from two organisations, one having recently relocated to Cambridge and one having been in Cambridge for more than one hundred years; both committed to the community.”
Picture: Shaun Grady of new Community Sponsor AstraZeneca and Jez George Cambridge United CEO.
AstraZeneca VP Business Development Shaun Grady: “We’re really pleased with and proud of the progress made with the Active Science collaboration with Cambridge United and the Community Trust. It has contributed to AstraZeneca and MedImmune’s initiatives within the community. Active Science promotes science in schools through sport, and, like all our community initiatives, enables colleagues from across our company in Cambridge to get directly involved in the delivery of the programme. Having seen the tremendous work the Club and Trust do across the community, it is a pleasure and privilege to have the opportunity to expand the work together on other really great community initiatives. The stadium being called The Abbey again is a fantastic added bonus.”
Picture: Nick Fairbairn, Cambridge United's Head of Partnership and James Blair, Sponsorship Manager of Bloor International Enterprises.
Bloor International Enterprises Sponsorship Manager James Blair: “We are extremely proud to have helped to facilitate the naming of the ground back to ‘The Abbey Stadium’. First and foremost, we are fans of the club, so when Jez first contacted us about reinstating the Abbey name, we knew we had to do everything in our power to push it through. We also remain keen to support the club and are finalising a significant new deal which will be announced over the next few weeks. From a personal perspective, I can’t wait to watch the U’s playing back at the Abbey!”