During the 1960's the Cambridge News produced the sports paper called the Sports Review and later on the  Light Blue each Saturday during the football season.

100yearsofCoconuts  have been donated copies of the Light Blues by Trevor Hobson-Frohock covering the period from the 60's 

Everyone of a certain age will remember the Light Blue that was produced on a Saturday evening within hours of the match ending. Remember it was in the days before modern technology and techniques were in place.

Phones were hardwired in those days and reports had to be rung in by the journalist and then transcribed. It would then need to be set up manually so the paper could be printed. The Cambridge News offices were based in Newmarket Road at the time

We have been able to re-produce the weekly copies on line for your information. Below is a selection from 1964 and 1965 season.
We hope you enjoy reading the papers and also the memories they hold within them

Thank you to James Taylor for scanning the copies and enabling us to enjoy them again

Click here to go to see the papers on line or on the photo above

Going through the photographs on my phone I came across these ones. They were taken on my last day we worked at the Abbey Stadium before the lockdown took place

The day was spent seeding the goalmouth areas and the the parts that needed attention
.
There is work still ongoing. Ian and Mick are carrying maintenance and pitch care at the site

We do generally cut the pitch all year apart from a 3-4 week window when we carry out the annual renovation although the time of year determines how often we cut and when we cut.

During the months of June, July & August we do tend to cut almost every day to keep the playing surface in top order and keep on top of the daily growth once we get to September the growth can start to slow a little and we drop the cutting to 3 days a week depending on what fixtures we have during that period.

Above cutting in progress with both mowers being used.

Our aim is to keep the grass as active as possible for as long as possible as this helps recovery after a fixture.

We are often asked why we walk with a mower and do not have a seat on the back well it is simple we always try to keep as much weight off the pitch as possible to avoid compaction as this causes serious problems within the turf and soil structure causing shallow root growth, water logging and anaerobic layering which leads to root break and an unstable playing surface. And let’s be honest it has other benefits in that it keeps you fit.

The winter months does see a reduction in the use of a mower and we generally mow before a fixture and after a fixture to clean the surface up after the game. We do also sweep the playing surface on a more regular basis from October to March to keep the mower shades in place and more importantly to dry the surface to help prevent disease within the surface.

As mentioned in one of the earlier questions we try to cut between 25-30mm in height.

The EFL and EFL Trust have today launched an online FIT FANS campaign to provide a safe way for fans to get active in the safety of their homes.

In support of Sport England’s ‘Stay in Work Out’ campaign, the programme will ensure fans have a safe way to start and maintain exercise safely, during this current period.

According to new research released by Sport England, over 65% of people believe that exercise is helping them with their mental health, making an active lifestyle more important than ever for EFL fans and the nation.

Over the next 12 weeks we will feature sessions developed by two fitness coaches, Scott Copeland and Steph Thompson from the Club Community Organisation (CCO) network and will be released twice a week for fans to follow and get involved.

The sessions will introduce the concepts of safe warm up and cool down, increasing daily step counts and activity levels gradually, before moving onto sessions including aerobic strength and training. The exercises will vary and be fun to really give fans the chance to keep moving and see improvements in their fitness.

The sessions will be released each week on Wednesday at 5pm and Saturday at 11am on the EFL and EFL Trust YouTube channels, and will be available for fans to watch at their own leisure within the safety of their own homes.
Stay home, save lives and join the FIT FANS movement as we find new ways to keep moving in around our homes.

Can you name the players and can you remember anything from their time at the club?

The cutting height of the grass can vary from manager to manager although most will allow me to operate between 25-30mm

Cutting heights

Typical heights of cut;
The pitch: playing season ideally 25 – 30mm
Training ground ideally 25mm to 30mm to ensure protection of the surface and allow the players to adapt to the playing height.

The above heights are recognised across the football world as a guide. Pitches cut higher than this will result in dramatically slowing down the roll of the ball and make its movement erratic across the surface so reducing the quality of the game. It will also make running more difficult and be tiring for the players as well as increasing the risk of injury.
 
Quality of cut is one of the most important areas of management of a football pitch

Quality of cut is affected by the setting of the mower blades. Implications of incorrect mower adjustments are:
a. ribbing
b. tram lining
c. tearing.

All of the above will detract from the look of the pitch and are easily avoided by attention to detail when setting the mower up and ensuring that the mower cylinder has a re-grind and set which involves a new bottom blade and the cylinder being sharpened.

Dear supporter,
The COVID-19 pandemic has, quite clearly, brought about challenges which extend beyond the game we all love, and led to an unprecedented and testing situation for everyone.

In these circumstances, open and honest communication is more important than ever, and it is with this in mind that I am writing directly to supporters of every EFL Club today on the 132nd anniversary of the foundation of the Football League.

I want to start by offering my condolences to those who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease. I would also like to acknowledge once again the incredible work being carried out by key workers, including front-line NHS staff and carers, at this difficult time. Their collective sacrifice for the health and wellbeing of others is something to be truly proud of, and one which – on behalf of the EFL – I would like to sincerely thank them for.

It is often said that football is like a family, and we have seen that many of those undertaking vital work are fans of EFL Clubs. From Bristol to Bolton and Colchester to Carlisle, supporters across the country are among the heroes making a positive impact, and it has been heartening to see and hear the stories of people coming together at such a crucial time.

Our Clubs are also rising to the challenge and are carrying out important work in their local communities. We know that eight in 10 people in England and Wales live within a 15-mile radius of an EFL club, so whether it’s offering practical, emotional or physical support, the help football Clubs are providing should not be underestimated.

It is, of course, by continuing to adhere to Government guidelines that we can all play our part in the national effort against coronavirus and so I’d also like to take this opportunity to urge you all to stay at home. In doing so, you will save lives.

When it comes to footballing matters, I understand the desire among fans for definitive answers, particularly around the conclusion of 2019/20 campaign. As I am sure you will appreciate, the situation presents significant operational and financial challenges, including the logistics of Clubs returning to full operational status, the practicalities of playing football behind closed doors, and the possible knock-on effects for the 2020/21 campaign. Please be assured that we are working hard on these and will update you as soon as we can once decisions have been made.

To give you an honest assessment of the current situation; the point at which you will be able to attend games again remains unclear. Please be assured, however, that we are going to welcome you back to stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so. Your contribution to the matchday experience and atmospheres created in stadia up and down the country is something we should never take for granted. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you today when football will resume, though whenever we do return, matches are likely to be played without crowds.

And whilst we are unfortunately without the presence of the hundreds of thousands of supporters who pass through EFL turnstiles each week, we will endeavour to bring live football direct into your homes once it returns. Plans are continuing to be worked up for all games to be broadcast either via our broadcast partners, iFollow or equivalent Club streaming services. We will update you on this once we know when matches will recommence.

The contribution to football’s finances made by match-going supporters should not be underestimated. It is critical to the business model of league football. Perhaps the biggest challenge right now is not knowing when we will be able to reintroduce football in front of crowds. We can only hope that the situation develops in such a way that we will be able to do with the shortest possible break.

With or without spectators, delivering a successful conclusion to the 2019/20 season remains our goal to ensure the integrity of our competitions. This, of course, means that a number of factors – including when, where and within what timeframe fixtures will be played – must be given careful consideration in line with Government advice. Similar factors must also be taken into account when agreeing an approach towards player training and testing, not least the appropriate level of medical resource and creation of an effective and efficient medical matchday protocol.
As we’ve previously stated, the health and wellbeing of our Clubs, their players and staff, and you – the fans – remains our first priority, and so you can appreciate that we want to give thorough and rigorous thought to these matters.

From the outset, we have committed to regular dialogue with each of these groups, as well as the Government, in order to tackle the challenges we face as effectively as possible. As well as taking into account the current climate in terms of public opinion, including those views of fans, we are regularly taking ideas and suggestions from our Clubs.

Aside from two catastrophic World Wars, this pandemic is arguably the most challenging issue to have affected football since the League was founded 132 years ago. Our Clubs have been left with significant outgoings while facing a sudden loss of income. With this in mind, I’m sure you will be aware of talk about wages and deferrals. Good progress is being made in these areas, with a view to this assisting in delivering medium to long-term solutions that protect our game for years to come.

As I said when I arrived, the EFL and its Clubs matter to many people, but most of all to the supporters. It is natural, at this stage, that you will have many questions, and we will endeavour to continue to provide answers and solutions, but we must do so with your health – as well as that of the entire nation - in mind.

I thank you for your patience so far and ask for more of the same; this is a serious situation which is changing by the day, and one which requires informed and considered decisions. The next few weeks will bring more clarity when it comes to our operational plans and, as always, we’ll look to maintain regular communication.

One thing we can be sure of is that football, and normality, will return, and will so do more quickly if we remain united.

For now, thank you for your ongoing support and, please, stay safe.

Yours sincerely,

Rick Parry
EFL Chair

Dear CUFC Lottery Member,

Thank you for your continued support of the CUFC Lottery.

CUFC Lottery 'Accumulator' Results (17 April 2020) - this weeks winning 'Accumulator' numbers are (0146)
-there was a winner of the weekly 'Accumulator' this week winning a total of £1300.
-next weeks 'Accumulator' will be £500.

CUFC Lottery 'Main Draw' Results (17 April 2020) - this weeks winning 'Main Draw' numbers are (9247)
-there were no winners of the 'Main Draw' jackpot this week.
-next weeks 'Main Draw' jackpot will be £300.00.

As the 'Main Draw' jackpot was not won this week
-there are 2 CUFC Lottery members matching the first pair winning £10.00 each
-there are 0 Lottery members matching the second pair

If you are a winner of either the 'Accumulator' or 'Main Draw' you will be notified individually by email.

Yours sincerely,
The CUFC Lottery Team

The following article was first added in August 2018

We recently put a story online about when Chelsea came to town click to see May 1st 1970 & Chelsea came to town see the video 

Please see below some of the replies that were added onto facebook concerning the match. If you would like to add a comment please add one below

The video was taken from near where I was standing, behind the 'allotment end' goal. I remember David Webb and Ron 'chopper' Harris raising the FA Cup and punching the air as they went past on their lap of honour before the match. It was said that Chelsea manager Dave Sexton had originally visited The Abbey on a scouting mission to watch goalkeeper Keith Barker (sadly no longer with us). However, he ended up taking Ian Hutchinson instead.  ---- Paul Captain
 
I went to see that match --- Carol Wood
 
My husband and I were at the station, when the Chelsea fans train arrived all were frisked as they were let through, a couple of American tourists could not believe there eyes asked my husband is this normal thing in this country. Then to see police escort them out of the station and up the road to the match. Jean Farrington
 
I was there too ---- Marion Fry
 
I was there too ----- Hilary Tunnicliffe

I was there also, a 14,000 crowd. It was great to see Ian Hutchinson again after his relatively short stay back at The Abbey, I remember his long throw in's, as good as a free kick back in the day. A great player whatever shirt he wore ... Geoff Peters
 
I was there!!! ---- Robert Lewin
 
I was there!!!!  ---- Martin Coxall
 
I was there after saving up my paper round money. When Ian was at United he was also a gas fitter at the gas works over the road where my dad trained him. I knew everything about United as a kid. I think he came from Burton albion for about £2.000. When i moved to Park avenue Histon in 1983 the great Bill Leivers lived in my road and we used to chat for ages. ---- Billy Thompson
 
I was there in the corner of the allotment end with my dad. ----- Paul Driver
 
The first game I went to at the Abbey ---- Kevin Bane
 

I was there too, company my Dad worked for (as did I four years later) printed the programme so I had mine the night before the game!!! Also at the last game of the season (and Southern League) the next day -----Kevin Price
 
I was there! Still got the programme. Went with dad mum and big sis. Dad supported Leeds Utd.. .. so was peed off when they ran with the cup around the pitch. ------ Tony Mansfield
 
Yup ! Me too, have the program somewhere ! Biggest crowd I ever saw at the Abbey. ---- Peter Warren
 
I was there with my Dad. Hutchison, king of the long throw played along with Chelsea stars like Harris, Hollins, Osgood and Bonetti. I believe Hutchinson was related to my Dad’s brothers wife’s side of the family. There’s a connection! ---- Chris Ward
 
Was it really a Friday match ?? Thought I missed the match as it clashed with our wedding on 2nd May 1970 ??? ---- Robert Dunlop
 
We were there!! -----John McGivern
 
Remember going was something else back then, can't remember the outcome. ----- Les Pawley
 
Me too ----- Roy Alan Etheridge
 
There were 2 programmes for this match. Got both ---- David Pearson
 
Yup me too ,have the utd signed by some of both sides ---- Millers Arms Martin
 
I went with my brother . First time I went to a match. I was 8. Still got the programme. ----- Ivor Wilson
 
Went with my dad, got Dave Webb’s autograph! ----- Andrew Holdsworth
 
Only time I ever went with my dad, he was a big Hutch fan. ------ Roger Thorogood
 
I was there, some Chelsea players played for United in the second half. “United” won 4-3. ---- Paul Cardwell
 
The Abbey was packed solid, tremendous atmosphere. The U's had a game next day they had to win to clinch title, they did. Hutch was in the stand to cheer on the U's I recall ------Rick Pearson
 
Was there in north stand, brilliant atmosphere, the score was irrelevant. Miss going now after 48 years but will always be there in spirit. -----  Roy Leinwebber
 
Yes l was there, blue is the colour. ----- Trevor Shield
 
My grandad asked me if I wanted to go to the game I said no but didn't know he had brought tickets, that was the only time he asked to take me to a game, sorry ' Bim' -----Andy Sindle
 
I was there with my dad. ------ Carol Ann
 
I was there, my 8 year old brother had his Chelsea kit on & as we stood at Newmarket road end, he kept his coat on. ----- Diane Lloyd
 
Beverley Mayne I remember going with Stephen Mayne and Harry Barnes
Stephen Mayne I remember Nan filming some of the game
Roy Leinwebber The Chelsea supporters were sat on the roof!
Gerald Harrison The Habbin was so full us children sat pitch side
 
I also went with my dad ----- Chris Brown
 
Think Sandra and I were in the Habbin with her Dad Les Ablett . John McGivern
 
My long ago claim to fame. I was Miss Cambridge United in 1970. Attended a Civiv Reception at the guildhall for the team, & they were on the TV news. ----- Sheila Jenkins
 
Cannot believe Sandra and I met up last week after 63 years,! My Dad used to take me to see Cambridge City play!,!,x  ------- Gillian Foreman

You may have missed some the items added to the 100yearsofcocnunts or Cambridge Fans United Official Matchday Site facebook page. Catch up with whats been added and see if you can answer the questions

Who is in the team photo?  What is the year? Do you know the whereabouts of any of the players?

This is the unbeaten under 17’s south east counties youth team -

What is the year?

Who are the players in the team and where are they now?

And for a bonus point would anyone know the match the photo was taken at?

Thank you to all the NHS staff and emergency services that we put together today from Cambridge United FC and the Groundstaff

During my 40 years at Cambridge United I was very fortunate to work with all the emergency services for 30 years whilst acting as the Football

Club match day safety officer and the Doctors,Ambulance Officers, Paramedics , Police and Fire service who all worked together when an emergency situation occurred be it a supporter having a heart attack or stroke or other condition.

I have always been amazed by the quality of service all the staff provide whilst putting aside their own safety I feel very privileged to have worked alongside so many outstanding people.

I felt that we had to say thanks to all the very brave caring NHS staff and emergency service staff for working in such challenging times.

Ian Darler
Stadium Manager

The following article was added on line in August 2018

It's 1970 and Chelsea had just beaten Leeds United in the FA Cup Final replay.

It had been agreed that the two clubs would play a match as part of the transfer of Ian Hutchinson to Chelsea. 

Watch the video below that was kindly provided by David Smith several years ago to be uploaded onto the old 100yearsofcoconuts site.

It is one of the earliest videos that exist of the club - unless you know better. You may be able to spot yourself in the celebrations

For many of my generation the match is still remembered and also produced many new supporters

The video shows some of match that took place the next day which saw the club win the Southern League. The rest is history, however, it is still a remarkable feat how the club grew from being in the local football leagues to joining the ranks of the league is such a short period.

Can you remember the match against Chelsea? Leave your memories here.

Can you remember who we played on the Saturday and what are you memories?

The actual head of the sprinkler sits 10mm below the surface and those heads within the actual playing surface have a turf cup on top of them which prevents injury to players and makes them almost invisible when they retract.

Sprinkler heads around the edge of the pitch have a soft rubber cap on them which sits flush with the turf and eject when in operation as shown in the photo above.

The brains of the irrigation equipment sits in two other locations the solenoid that controls the individual sprinkler sits directly below the sprinkler head in the pitch 40cm below ground with all the electrical cables built in to it. We do have to change the solenoids every few years as they get contaminated with lime scale from the hard water around Cambridge and this prevents the solenoid from shutting down which means the sprinkler continues to run instead of shutting off and would cause water logging if not dealt with.

This means that we have to excavate the ground around the sprinkler ensuring we do not hit the electric cables the solenoid is removed and new one plumbed in.

The control panel for the overall setting of the system is located elsewhere and each pair of irrigation heads has a separate setting we can water from a minute to 2 hours per head.

Supporters will have noticed that we generally water for 1 minute before kick –off and 1 minute at half time this is generally a management and player decision as this quickens the pace of the ball across the surface and is seen generally across most stadiums within the current game.

We hope you are  well and keeping safe at this time.

The next project involved and by far the largest sum the CUFC lottery has ever paid out (£10,000.00) has been completed

To explain briefly, the lease on the tractor (used daily by Ian Darler and Mick Brown on the pitch) came to an end after 5 years.

After a month's grace the tractor and it's equipment were removed from the ground.

Due to current financial restraints the club was unable to finance another lease and it was paramount that a tractor was available at the club.

Subsequently Ian Darler, Earnest Doe, Club officials and the LotteryTeam literally put their heads together and came up with a cunning plan within 72 hours to resolve the situation.

Consequently the tractor is now back in the tender hands of Ian and Mick and is  owned by the club.

Suffice it to say the situation was and is more involved and a fuller explanation will be forthcoming in due course.

The followimg article is from 2018. We still no further information about the origins of the clock. If you can help provide any details please contact us

Over the years I have admired the clock that hangs in the Supporters Clock. It is the one tat has the ball above

However, I have no idea of its history.

• When was it purchased?
• Who made it?
• Who decided upon the design?
• How much did it cost?
  

Any information concerning it's history would be gratefully received.

It is part of the club's history and the information should not be forgotten.

If you were involved in the Supporters Club in the early days or know about its history in the early days please get in contact via the the form below.

Thank you

DMJ

What are your memories and what was the Wall of Fame?

Who are the players in them?  What the occasion the players are celebrating

See more photos and stories click here  or via the 100earsofcoconuts site

Fusarium patch is often seen when cool, wet weather and moist surfaces persist. The pathogen can be active across a broad range of cooler temperatures.

Identification of the disease is relatively easy, with the turf grass having irregular tan/orange coloured spots of damaged grass, varying in size (20-35mm) with a pale pink/white colour mycelium.

Initial symptoms are seen as small orange / brown spots, which will rapidly enlarge and cause scarring of the turf when conditions are favourable. These scars will be difficult to heal and repair during the winter months, so early recognition and treatment is important to reduce scarring of the turf surface.

All mature turf containing the following grass species will be susceptible to an attack of fusarium:
 (Bent grasses)
     (Fescue grasses)
(Rye grasses)
                   (Annual meadow grasses)

Poa is the most commonly attacked, however, this grass is able to recover easily because of its seed bank presence within in the soil.

Spores can remain viable for up to two years and they can be spread by wind, water, and by foot traffic. These spores germinate infecting new plant tissue (pale pink and white mycelium), which can be seen around the edge of the patches, indicating that the disease is active.
 
In severe infections, the fungus may penetrate as far as the crown, but will usually not kill the plant. Infected turf will generally recover when the plant becomes more active in the spring and is able to produce new healthy leaves, restoring its vigour and colour.

The fungal pathogen has a disease life-cycle, which continues when conditions are favourable. Understanding this cycle will enable you to control the pathogen by effective management to break the cycle of disease.

Keeping the sward healthy, and reducing the conditions that favour this disease should be the first priority:
• Carry out programmes of aeration to help keep the surface free draining 
• Prevent moist conditions remaining on the surface by brushing surface to remove dew
• Apply a balanced fertiliser low in Nitrogen (less than 3-4%) to keep the sward healthy
Look to remove thatch layers, as thatch provides a good environment for the disease.

Thank you for your continued support of the CUFC Lottery.

CUFC Lottery 'Accumulator' Results (10 April 2020) - this weeks winning 'Accumulator' numbers are (2085)
-there were no winners of the weekly 'Accumulator' this week, meaning next weeks 'Accumulator' will be £1300.

CUFC Lottery 'Main Draw' Results (10 April 2020) - this weeks winning 'Main Draw' numbers are (8623)
-there were no winners of the 'Main Draw' jackpot this week.
-next weeks 'Main Draw' jackpot will be £300.00.

As the 'Main Draw' jackpot was not won this week
-there are 2 CUFC Lottery members matching the first pair winning £10.00 each
-there are 4 CUFC Lottery members matching the second pair winning £10.00 each

If you are a winner of either the 'Accumulator' or 'Main Draw' you will be notified individually by email.

Yours sincerely,
The CUFC Lottery Team.

 It is Rodney Slack's 80th birthday today.

Rodney was one of Cambridge United greatest ever players

Listen to his story recorded in 2014 by the 100yearsofcoconuts team

Happy Birthday Rodney.

Read Rodney’s HoF citation here:
http://cuhalloffame.org.uk/index.php/11-inductee-profiles/43-rodney-slack

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PUT NEW PATTERNS ON THE PITCH

It may surprise people to know that the designs we install on the pitch when cutting all take a similar time to string out design and then cut.

The design below had a little piece of everything.

Diamonds in the centre circle followed by 5 circles leading in to straight lines with diagonals running through them which is a very simple process which takes 3-4 hours per cut.

It is which way that the grass lays that’s determines the light and dark shades that you see on the pitch.

The enjoyment comes when the cut is complete and you can stand back and take a look at the design.

I GUESS IT IS LIKE AN ARTIST LOOKING AT A Canvas AFTER IT HAS BEEN PAINTED

The Christmas design was installed just to put a smile on people’s faces and from the comments and media coverage we received it certainly did just that.

Above you can see the strings set out to ensure we had the Christmas tree shape to the correct dimensions.
 
To install the 2 trees and other decorations around the pitch only took a couple of hours.

During this period of isolation. Keep involved with some of the sites we are involved with -

See below the links. You should be able to hover over the links to enter the sites.

If you need to contact someone the Community Careline Number is below

CFU ---- http://www.cambridgefansunited.org/

100yearsofcoconuts ---- http://www.100yearsofcoconuts.co.uk

CUFC Lottery ----  www.cufclottery.co.uk

Facebook Coconuts ----- www.facebook.com/100-Years-of-Coconuts-240094772737189/

Facebook Cambridge Fans United Matchday Site ----- www.facebook.com/CambridgeUnitedFootballClub/

Twitter  100yearsofcoconuts   -----  https://twitter.com/100yearcoconut

Twitter Cambridge Fans United ----- https://twitter.com/followCFU​
​
Twitter SLO Page (if you are on twitter please follow)-------  https://twitter.com/slocambridgeut1

The following article was added in April 2018. We thought we would re-publish it again in case it was missed at the time and for feedback

The 100yearsofcoconuts website have added a photo of John Docherty  to their facebook site. Click here to see.

John joined Cambridge United as coach during Ron Atkinson's time at the club and went onto manage the side during the period when we were in Division Two, the now equivalent to the Championship. There were big sides coming to the Abbey week in, week out in those days. He also had to manage the reduction to the way teams were funded via the split gates that dramatically reduced our income at the time. This would eventually cause many clubs to have difficulty competing against the big boys. It was the beginning of the polarisation of the funding within the game and the smaller sides not being able to compete.

He was part of the coaching and management team that helped the club to achieve one of its most successful periods. If not the most successful period

When supporters talk about great managers. John does not seem to get the recognition he deserves for the contribution he made to the club.

How good was he? Is it me being sentimental or was he one of the best if not the best manager the club ever had?

What do you think?