CAMBRIDGE CITY F.C.

'Cambridge City Football Club' is an English association football club currently playing in the Conference South.
Founded in 1908, they were known as 'Cambridge Town F.C.' until the city of Cambridge was formally granted city status in 1951. Both they and their neighbours Abbey United F.C. then applied to change their name to Cambridge City F.C. Cambridge Town's application was approved because it arrived first and therefore Abbey United changed their name to Cambridge United F.C..
In the 1960s and early 1970s Cambridge City were a dominant force in local football, commanding attendances into the 5,000's. However, since Cambridge United F.C. got elected into the Football League, City have struggled to attract as many supporters to their games. By the early 1980s, the club were attracting fewer than 200 supporters to each game. Gates have improved steadily in recent years and City now average approximately 500 per game. After many years avoiding relegation, the club have recently managed to maintain higher standards; they had a good FA Cup run in 2004-05 and are consistently in the top half of their league. Since United's relegation from the League in 2005, the two Cambridge clubs are now only one division apart.

Contents

The City Ground

First-team squad

History

Reserve team

External links

The City Ground

The City Ground (also known as ''"Milton Road"''), has been their home ground since 1922. It is located in the Chesterton area of the city, approximately 1km north of the city centre. The ground was one of the largest outside the football league and was estimated to have a capacity in excess of 20,000, although the highest recorded attendance was 12,058 against Leytonstone on 11th Feb 1950. From the early 1970s, the ground was used for greyhound racing, and crowds were often higher than for football matches. However, dwindling gates and crippling debts led to part of the site being sold for development in 1985 and a much smaller but functional ground was built in its place, which the remainder of the site being developed for offices. The club has a bar and lounge which is open on match days, and available for hire to the general public.
The ground itself has a capacity of 3,000. The Main Stand, together with its recent extension (built to house the Cambridgeshire FA) seat approximately 1,000 people. Opposite the Main Stand, a narrow terrace provides covered terracing for approximately 1,000 supporters. The middle section is popularly, though not officially, known as "The Shed" and attracts City's more vocal supporters. At each end of the ground, the School End and the Westbrook End are narrow and have no cover or formal terracing.
In 2004, the ground was sold to an Isle of Man company called Ross River - which is a corporate veil for former City Director, Brian York. The price was £1.3million plus 50% of future profits ("overage") and a lease until 2010. In 2005, the overage was bought out by Ross River for £900k and the lease altered to last only until May 2006 (later amended to May 2007) - so the total sale price was £2.2million.
In July 2007 the club was involved in a seven day High Court action seeking to overturn the sale of the ground. The basis of the club's claim was that that the former Chairman in charge of the sale, Arthur Eastham, took a bribe, and that Ross River's representatives deliberately withheld information that the club was entitled to see in considering the ground sale, which amounted to fraudulent misrepresentation.
The club is remaining at the ground at least until the outcome of the legal case is determined. The judgement is expected in September 2007.

First-team squad

''As of 7 December 2006, according to official website: [1].''
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History

★ '1908' - Formed as 'Cambridge Town'

★ '1936' - Refused an invitation to join the Football League ( Ipswich Town, were also invited and joined) on account of the club's amateur principles

★ '1945-50' - Won Spartan League three times in five seasons

★ '1950-51' - Joined Athenian League

★ '1958-59' - Joined Southern League South Eastern zone as a professional club

★ '1962-63' - Southern League Champions

★ '1968' - Relegated to Division One - club goes semi-pro

★ '1969-70' - Southern League Division One runner-up; promoted to Premier Division

★ '1970-71' - Southern League runner-up (on goal average)

★ '1972-73' - Notable friendly result: Cambridge City 3 Borussia Dortmund 0

★ '1976' - Relegated to Division One North

★ '1979-80' - League re-organised to Southern & Midland Divisions (no Premier); placed in Midland Division

★ '1982-83' - Switched to Southern Division

★ '1985-86' - Southern League Southern Division Champions (on goal diff.); promoted to Premier Division

★ '2004-05' - Joined Conference in newly-formed Southern Division

★ '2005-06' - Cambridge City Supporters Trust takes over running of the club.

★ Best league position: 1st in Southern League, 1962-63

★ Best FA Cup performance: 2nd round, 2004-05

★ Best FA Trophy performance: 5th round, 2004-05 & 2005-06
Source:

Reserve team

'Cambridge City Reserves F.C.' joined the Eastern Counties Football League in 1959 and won the Division One title in 2004. They were replaced in the league in 2006 by the newly-formed feeder club Cambridge Regional College F.C..

★ '1959-60' Joined Eastern Counties League

★ '1961-62' Runners-up

★ '1963-64' Joined Metropolitan League

★ '1965-66' Rejoined Eastern Counties League

★ '1966' Left Eastern Counties League

★ '1973-74' Rejoined Eastern Counties League

★ '1976' Left Eastern Counties League

★ '1991-92' Rejoined Eastern Counties League, in Division One

★ '1995' Left Eastern Counties League

★ '1996-97' Rejoined Eastern Counties League

★ '1998' Left Eastern Counties League

★ '1999-00' Rejoined Eastern Counties League

★ '2003-04' Eastern Counties League Division One Champions; Promoted to Premier Division

★ Best league position: 2nd in Eastern Counties League, 1961-62
Source:

External links

★ Official site

★ Cambridge City Supporters Trust Website

★ CCFC Fans Forum

★ Unofficially City Fan Site

★ Cambridge City on Myspace