2013–14 Cambridge United F.C. season

Cambridge United
2013–14 season
Chairman Dave Doggett
Manager Richard Money
Stadium Abbey Stadium
Skrill Premier 2nd
FA Cup Second round
FA Trophy Champions
Top goalscorer League:
Luke Berry (12)
All:
Luke Berry (14)
Highest home attendance 6,262
vs. FC Halifax
(4 May 2014, play-offs)
Lowest home attendance 2,012
vs. Welling
(18 March 2014)
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
← 2012–13

The 2013–14 season was the 101st full season in the history of Cambridge United, during which they competed in the Conference National, finishing 2nd of 24, winning promotion to the Football League through the play-offs, and winning the FA Trophy for the first time in their history.

After relegation from the Football League in 2005, where the club had enjoyed a 35-year stay, the club started the season hoping to end their nine-year spell in non-league football during manager Richard Money's first full season in charge. After a club record 16 match unbeaten start to the season, the club's form dropped off allowing much-fancied Luton Town to fight back from their poor start and overtake them as Conference leaders, and ultimately Champions.[1] However, strong form in cup competitions - including a Second Round appearance in the FA Cup and the FA Trophy win - helped propel Money's team to second place in the league, and a successful play-off campaign.

The season has been hailed as one of the U's best ever campaigns. As well as the double Wembley triumphs, the team enjoyed a club record run early in the season of more than 10 hours without conceding (between the 43rd minute of their second game and the 15th minute of their 9th game),[2] and it won its first 12 home league games - a Conference record - conceding just 2 goals in the process and collecting the maximum 36 points on offer.[3] The club was top of the league for over three months (between 21 September and 28 December 2013), sitting outside the top two league places for only one week (gameweek 2, third position),[4] and also won the Conference Premier's Fair Play Award, for having the season's best on field disciplinary record.[5] The season culminated in an open top bus parade through the streets of Cambridge, followed by a civic reception at the city's Guildhall.[6]

Background

Cambridge United were founded in 1912 as Abbey United, named after the Abbey district of Cambridge. For many years they played amateur football until their election to the Football League in 1970. The early 1990s was Cambridge's most successful period; managed by John Beck the club won the first ever play-off final at Wembley Stadium and gained promotion from the Fourth Division before reaching two successive FA Cup quarter finals in 1990 and 1991 and winning the Third Division in 1991. The club reached the play-offs in 1992 but failed in their bid to become founder members of the Premier League.[7] This was the club's highest final league placing to date and since then it has been in almost constant decline.

The following season the club sacked Beck and were relegated from the First Division. Further relegation followed two seasons later. United returned to Division Two but were relegated in 2002. In 2005, after 35 years in the Football League, Cambridge United were relegated into the Football Conference. This brought with it financial difficulties and the club filed for administration,[8] coming out of it three months later after the intervention of sports minister Richard Caborn,[9][10] but not before selling their Abbey Stadium home to keep the club afloat and closing the youth system.[11] The club's first season in the Conference National was one of stabilisation, followed by a close shave with relegation. Under the stewardship of Jimmy Quinn and Gary Brabin Cambridge made two successive play-off finals but lost both to Exeter and Torquay in 2007 and 2008 respectively. This season began against a background of a number of seasons of mid-table rebuilding.

Competitions

Competition Started round Final position / round First match Last match
Conference - Runners-up 11 August 2013 26 April 2014
Conference play-offs Semi-finals Champions 30 April 2014 18 May 2014
FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round Second Round Proper 26 October 2013 8 December 2013
FA Trophy First Round Champions 30 November 2013 23 March 2014

Football Conference

League Table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Luton Town (C) (P) 46 30 11 5 102 35+67 101 Promotion to 2014–15 Football League Two
2 Cambridge United (P) 46 23 13 10 72 35+37 82 Qualification to Conference Premier play-offs
3 Gateshead 46 22 13 11 72 50+22 79
4 Grimsby Town 46 22 12 12 65 46+19 78
5 F.C. Halifax Town 46 22 11 13 85 58+27 77
6 Braintree Town 46 21 11 14 57 39+18 74
7 Kidderminster Harriers 46 20 12 14 66 59+7 72
8 Barnet 46 19 13 14 58 53+5 70
9 Woking 46 20 8 18 66 69−3 68
10 Forest Green Rovers 46 19 10 17 80 66+14 67
11 Alfreton Town 46 21 7 18 69 74−5 67‡
12 Salisbury City 46 19 10 17 58 63−5 67
13 Nuneaton Town 46 18 12 16 54 60−6 66
14 Lincoln City 46 17 14 15 60 59+1 65
15 Macclesfield Town 46 18 7 21 62 63−1 61
16 Welling United 46 16 12 18 59 61−2 60
17 Wrexham 46 16 11 19 61 610 59
18 Southport 46 14 11 21 53 71−18 53
19 Aldershot Town 46 16 13 17 69 62+7 51†
20 Hereford United 46 13 12 21 44 63−19 51
21 Chester (R) 46 12 15 19 49 70−21 51 Relegation to 2014–15 Conference North/South
22 Dartford (R) 46 12 8 26 49 74−25 44
23 Tamworth (R) 46 10 9 27 43 81−38 39
24 Hyde (R) 46 1 7 38 38 119−81 10

Updated to games played on 26 April 2014.
Source: Football Conference
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
† Aldershot Town deducted ten points for entering administration
‡ Alfreton Town deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results by matchday

Matchday12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
GroundHAAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHHAHAAAAHHHAHAHHHAHAHAHAAHA
Result W D W W D W W W D W W D W W D W L W D W W L W D D W D L L D L W L D D W W D W W W W L L L L
Position 2 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Last updated: 6 August 2014.
Source: Statto.com
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Matches

Play-offs

FA Cup

Main article: 2013–14 FA Cup

FA Trophy

Main article: 2013–14 FA Trophy

Statistics

Summary

Games played 61 (46 Football Conference, 3 play-offs, 4 FA Cup, 8 FA Trophy)
Games won 33 (23 Football Conference, 2 play-offs, 2 FA Cup, 6 FA Trophy)
Games drawn 16 (13 Football Conference, 1 FA Cup, 2 FA Trophy)
Games lost 12 (10 Football Conference, 1 play-offs, 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored 93 (72 Football Conference, 4 play-offs, 3 FA Cup, 14 FA Trophy)
Goals conceded 45 (35 Football Conference, 2 play-offs, 3 FA Cup, 5 FA Trophy)
Goal difference +48 (+37 Football Conference, +2 play-offs, 0 FA Cup, +9 FA Trophy)
Clean sheets 28 (21 Football Conference, 1 play-offs, 2 FA Cup, 4 FA Trophy))
Most appearances 43(3) England Greg Taylor
Top scorer 14 England Luke Berry

References

  1. ↑ "Luton Town win Conference Premier and Football League spot". BBC Sport. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  2. ↑ publisher=BBC Sport "Alfreton Town 1-1 Cambridge". Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  3. ↑ publisher=BBC Sport "Alfreton Cambridge 1-2 Grimsby Town". Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  4. ↑ 2013–14 Cambridge United F.C. season#Results by matchday
  5. ↑ publisher=The Official Football Conference "Football Conference AGM & Awards Evening". Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  6. ↑ publisher=ITV "Cambridge celebrates United's promotion". Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  7. ↑ Cambridge United Potted History Cambridge United. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
  8. ↑ publisher=BBC Cambridgeshire "Cambridge United file for administration.. is this the end of the U's?". Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  9. ↑ "Cambridge United – A Fresh Start". www.cambridge-united.co.uk. 22 July 2005. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  10. ↑ "Cambridge United Clear Last Hurdle". www.cambridge-united.co.uk. 18 July 2005. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  11. ↑ "Abbey sale keeps Cambridge afloat". BBC. 1 December 2004. Retrieved 8 June 2008.