Cambridge City fc.

[B Block]

I sometimes imagine what if City had taken Ipswich’s place in the league all those years ago. Would they have had the same success domestically and in Europe and attract the same sized crowds? We will never know but it’s quite possible that they would have done. And it would have been United playing in the lower reaches of the Isthmian league and losing to the likes of Newmarket.

[blockcboy]

Nov 21, 2024 4:28:19 GMT hersey said:

Didn’t it kick off in the county cup around the same time?

It kicked off at virtually every game with them. I disliked them as much as I do Peterborough now. I remember they once reached the 1st round proper of the FA Cup many years after we had left them behind. They played on a Sunday to avoid clash with us on Saturday. Someone asked my dad if he fancied going along to Milton road to watch it. He replied "the only reason I'd go to Milton road is to burn it down".

[El Goodo]

Funny how times change really. Obviously nothing on the same scale in terms of history or length of "rivalry" but I do wonder how many of our young(er) fans harbour a smouldering resentment towards, say, Histon.

[milesfenton]

Nov 21, 2024 9:29:06 GMT El Goodo said:

Funny how times change really. Obviously nothing on the same scale in terms of history or length of "rivalry" but I do wonder how many of our young(er) fans harbour a smouldering resentment towards, say, Histon.

In my lifetime the only "beef" between us and City I can remember is with us as the bad guys, with whatever exactly happened with Jez and the Simpsons. Otherwise we've been too far apart.

Histon on the other hand I'm very conflicted about because I'm sure the current club bears virtually no resemblance to the Impington Lumberjacks we all hated so much when they nearly made it into the EFL.

[El Goodo]

Nov 21, 2024 9:45:14 GMT milesfenton said:

In my lifetime the only "beef" between us and City I can remember is with us as the bad guys, with whatever exactly happened with Jez and the Simpsons.

Never forget Gash

[madmarvin]

Nov 21, 2024 0:06:44 GMT smartspud said:

After W W 2 city were offered the chance to join the football league. They turned it down to stay true blue amateur. Ipswich were the offered city's place, and they accepted.
The battle between U's and City, fans and others was around 1967 68 I think. I was there. It was an amazing spectacle!!!! It was on a Tuesday night in the eastern professional floodlit cup. The Mickey mouse cup of it's day.

It was actually in the Cambs Professional Cup on the 15/5/68.

[rewsan]

I see Sooty is posting on their news article.

[foolhandy]

I've always aspired to be as knowledgeable, brilliant, perfect, and humble, as dear Sooty.

[imp566]

Nov 21, 2024 8:57:01 GMT B Block said:

I sometimes imagine what if City had taken Ipswich’s place in the league all those years ago. Would they have had the same success domestically and in Europe and attract the same sized crowds? We will never know but it’s quite possible that they would have done. And it would have been United playing in the lower reaches of the Isthmian league and losing to the likes of Newmarket.

I wonder how many of our fanbase would have been City fans had they taken the election to the League and made a success of it? History can't be rewritten, but I went to my first match when United played Lincoln in 1970 - there is every likelihood that it could have been City I was supporting if we hadn't been elected to the League. Would we even have been in a position to have got elected if City were already there? Can you imagine if we had two professional clubs in the City, divided by the river. That would certainly have ensured the rivalry was maintained!

[rewsan]

Nov 21, 2024 12:36:07 GMT imp566 said:

Nov 21, 2024 8:57:01 GMT B Block said:

I sometimes imagine what if City had taken Ipswich’s place in the league all those years ago. Would they have had the same success domestically and in Europe and attract the same sized crowds? We will never know but it’s quite possible that they would have done. And it would have been United playing in the lower reaches of the Isthmian league and losing to the likes of Newmarket.

I wonder how many of our fanbase would have been City fans had they taken the election to the League and made a success of it? History can't be rewritten, but I went to my first match when United played Lincoln in 1970 - there is every likelihood that it could have been City I was supporting if we hadn't been elected to the League. Would we even have been in a position to have got elected if City were already there? Can you imagine if we had two professional clubs in the City, divided by the river. That would certainly have ensured the rivalry was maintained!

If they had maintained their league status I'm sure i probably would have been, I grew up on Arbury Road and only gravitated to the Us in the mid 90s because they were the league club in Cambridge. I went to a handful of matches at Milton Road when we were playing away but never considered swapping allegiances.

[Funky Monk]

Nov 21, 2024 9:29:06 GMT El Goodo said:

Funny how times change really. Obviously nothing on the same scale in terms of history or length of "rivalry" but I do wonder how many of our young(er) fans harbour a smouldering resentment towards, say, Histon.

Ehh don't think it's much more than a bizarre footnote tbh. It was always a bit odd seeing people you'd seen up the Abbey a year or two earlier giving it the big one from the other side.

I doubt anyone much younger than (what I presume is) our cohort really would know a great deal about it full stop.

[zx10racer22]

The only club I have ever hated is Peterborough. Call it arrogance perhaps, but the city-based clubs are just far too small to be relevant.

City were left far behind us before I was even born, 40 years ago. I wish them well and hope in future that they can be another option for us to loan young players to, as it can be mutually beneficial. The Histon "rivalry" was borne only from a village club having the run of their lives (at a great cost they are still paying for) at a time when gross mismanagement had left us punching well below our weight. Histon deserve great credit for getting so close to the football league and having a magic moment against Leeds in the FA Cup, but even then they barely managed to average crowds over 1,000. It was never sustainable.

I actively dislike certain other clubs, like Stevenage and Southend, but it's more because my personal experiences have shown those clubs to be full of unpleasant people and unpleasant fans, located in cesspits. With Northampton, it's a kind of semi derby, but it's only about geography for me. Unlike Stevenage and Southend, I haven't found Northampton fans to generally be sh¬tty people.

[martinjohn]

I don't have any particular issue with Southend but would add Luton to the list of semi-derbys. In the early mid 2010s, they were our biggest rivals by far.

[barry]

Nov 21, 2024 18:08:58 GMT martinjohn said:

I don't have any particular issue with Southend but would add Luton to the list of semi-derbys. In the early mid 2010s, they were our biggest rivals by far.

What happened to Simon Dobbin is good reason to hate Southend

[foolhandy]

When playing Football Manager, as I do too often, the only teams I actively hobble (using the editor) are Peterborough and Newcastle. I have little ill feeling towards most other teams.