There’s a positive feeling at Cambridge United. Cambridge are well under way in their second successive season in the third division of English football, a feat last achieved by the club nearly twenty years ago. In September this year, they bought back their stadium, The Abbey, having lost ownership in 2004, and have brought in a new CEO. They are looking, for the first time in a while, stable.  

During the last twenty years, the Us have struggled. Financial problems, non-league football and the loss of ownership over their stadium meant that times have been hard. In the last few years, like a phoenix from the ashes, the Amber Army has taken an upward trajectory. It peaked last season, with a famous away victory over Newcastle United in the FA Cup. 

Last week they found themselves taking on Premier League founder members Sheffield Wednesday at home in League One. Home games have meant more in the last few weeks, as the fans find themselves in a stadium that their club owns, rather than rents. This is significant; it means that fears of relocation have been replaced by hopes of redevelopment. Fans have even more to be proud of, too. Last week, Cambridge United announced the creation of a Shadow Board, following the recommendations of the Fan Led Review headed by MP Tracey Crouch. The Shadow Board will comprise representatives from each of the four supporters’ groups who will meet with the club’s directors on a regular basis, ensuring that the fans are heard in the upper echelons of the club. Cambridge United is leading the way in fan-ownership interaction. 

Speaking to the fans before kick-off, there was a noticeable contentment. Not one person spoke about the club negatively - at least not before the game. Quite clearly, the maintenance of their place in the league is at the forefront of most fans’ minds, with “survival” and “consolidation” the words on everyone’s lips. But this is not an indicator of a lack of ambition, nor of trepidation. They are aware of how far they have come, and are desperate to keep going. 

The Us are taking each League One fixture at a time, and savouring every single one. In recent years, these types of games have been few and far between. Amber eyes are fixed neither on the top nor the bottom of the third division; a midtable finish is the goal. This attitude manifests itself in plucky confidence, particularly taking on clubs the size of Sheffield Wednesday. “We don’t have the right to be beating clubs like these,” shared one supporter ahead of the game, “but it would be great to nick it.” “In Bonner we trust,” declared another, referring to Mark Bonner, the manager. Bonner is a local hero after his team’s climb to League One and their FA Cup heroics. But he is under some pressure. Losing to Sheffield Wednesday would mean his side would have lost four games in a row, the most in his managerial career. 

Before kick-off, the mood was high when talking about the stadium purchase. The Abbey stadium has been the home of Cambridge United since 1932. Speaking to supporters, its significance was clear, both for the club and the community. A season ticket holder who had grown up coming to The Abbey recalled memories at the ground going back to the 1990s. This was Cambridge United’s golden era, in which cult-hero Dion Dublin graced The Abbey’s turf, and they narrowly missed out on top-flight football. Dublin led Cambridge to the Second Division play-offs in 1992, losing to Leicester in the semi-final.  

The same fan remembered the ecstasy in the stands after the second-leg comeback against Halifax Town in the 2014 Conference play-off semi-finals. Lower down the divisions, but the same joyous feeling at The Abbey. The presence of Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United side at The Abbey for their third-round tie against the newly promoted Cambridge United in January 2015 evokes similar nostalgia. Remarkably, Cambridge drew 0-0. Now, the fan talking to me brings his son to the same ground each weekend. The tradition continues. 

The game I was there to watch, against Sheffield Wednesday, was reflective of the current situation of the Us. They went toe to toe with the Owls, despite the ostensible mismatch. The stands were almost at capacity, comfortably breaking the 6,000-mark for the third game in a row. The stadium was buoyed, too, by the vocal 1,481 away fans who had made the journey from South Yorkshire.  

Despite the anticipation, the tone was set early on by Wednesday striker Lee Gregory, who, taking advantage of a Greg Taylor mistake and finding himself in a golden one-on-one opportunity, deftly knocked the ball past Dimitar Mitov in the Cambridge goal after six minutes. This was quite the return to The Abbey for the 34-year-old striker, who last scored against Cambridge in a Halifax shirt eight years ago in the first leg of that infamous play-off semi-final. A second-half resurgence reignited the home end, with the Us showing promising signs. But having failed to convert their chances, Gregory put the final nail in the coffin with a late volley, which deflected off Taylor and awkwardly found the top-right corner of the net. 

The Us struggled to match the quality of Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday’s starting eleven included high-calibre players with Premier League experience, such as Barry Bannan and David Stockdale. The sense that Cambridge United are “slightly punching above their weight,” as one supporter quietly admitted before the game, might be gaining momentum. The side now hasn’t taken a single point from the last four league games. Bonner needs to turn things around, or he will have to reckon with the fans. The tides turn quickly in football. 

“We were beaten before we even started,” said one supporter after the game, who believed that the club shouldn’t be afraid of taking on sides of Wednesday’s ilk. The positivity and optimism around The Abbey, abundant before kick-off, will only last as long as results remain good. Should Cambridge’s slump continue, all could soon turn sour. For now, though, the Amber Army can be pleased to continue their League One campaign, with the knowledge that, come what may, The Abbey will play host to many more memorable moments.