When Cambridge United face Manchester United on Friday 23rd January, the chance of them embarrassing the Lancashire giants on the football field will be distinctly slim. Indeed, boasting some of the world’s finest players, earning wages that individually per week would dwarf Cambridge’s annual transfer budget, the chances of the black and yellows overcoming such a vast gulf in class would require an embarrassment of the highest order.

Yet, as neutrals and U’s fans alike dream of an FA cup embarrassment to rival even the most memorable in the tournament’s history, including the likes of Wrexham’s triumph over Arsenal in 1992 and Stevenage’s shock win over Newcastle as recently as 2011, we only need to look back to 2007 to rediscover the last time Cambridge made the men that matter at Old Trafford turn red in discomfiture.

Alison Ryan, a former Cambridge graduate, made national headlines when she found herself appointed as Manchester United’s Director of Communications, despite being debarred for lying on her CV.

Ryan, 31 at the time, had incorrectly labelled the class of degree she received from Cambridge as a First on her application forms to become a pupil at her barrister’s chambers, when in fact she only received a Second Class degree.

Not only this, but the former history graduate also falsely claimed to have gained a distinction in her law conversion course, going as far as to forge a reference from a lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University who did not exist.

As a result, she had been debarred from the Bar council in 1999, owing to these offences. When asked to attend a hearing in front of the Bar disciplinary committee that same year, she instead went to Cuba, claiming to be doing charity work.

Manchester United, unaware of her misdemeanours, went on to appoint Ms Ryan as their Director of Communications, only to uncover her falsities courtesy of tip-off from a former friend of the disgraced law-student, who had also managed to deceive the recruitment company who offered her for the vacancy, Howgate Sable.

The whole affair caused huge embarrassment for the Old Trafford club, who subsequently launched a thorough review of their background research requirements into potential applicants. Ryan had even been interviewed by then manager and club legend Sir Alex Ferguson, and Chief Executive Peter Kenyon.

Alison Ryan was sacked from her £125,000 per-year job before officially even starting the role, having been dismissed just 13 days after her appointment. A huge public relations gaffe for the Old Trafford club, especially since the role she would have assumed was one that would have looked to avoid such public relations mishaps. Immensely ironic.

Posing difficulty off the field, therefore, is something Cambridge has done in the past to the Red Devils’ detriment. U’s fans will be hoping that, despite the huge challenge that awaits them on Friday, they’ll be able to continue to cause such difficulties for the eleven times winners on the field too.