Abbey Stadium: Cambridge United
From CUFC
Abbey Stadium is a bit of an odd case as far as football grounds go, seeing as it was built in 1923 but didn’t actually see any football played on it until Cambridge United moved in in 1932. It wasn’t a fully formed stadium in 1923, of course, needing development to make it into a satisfactory home ground for The U’s when they arrived in the early days of the 1930s.
The first football match the the Abbey ever witnessed was a friendly between Cambridge United and a team from the Cambridge University Press. One of the most famous university cities in the world, the Cambridge Rules were first played by the team at their former ground, Parker’s Piece.
Stats
| Abbey Stadium Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1932 |
| Capacity | 7937 |
| Average Attendance | 6679 |
| Record Attendance | 14000 (Cambridge Utd v Chelsea (1970)) |
| Pitch Size | 100 x 67 (6700) |
| Nickname | The Abbey |
| Former Name | R. Costings Abbey Stadium |
| Owner | Cambridge United FC |
| Clubs Hosted | Cambridge United, Cambridge Regional College |
| First Fixture | Cambridge United v Cambridge University Press (31/08/1932) |
| Cambridge United Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1912 |
| Nickname | United, The U's |
| Club Mascot | Marvin the Moose |
| Rivals | Cambridge City, Peterborough United, Histon, Northampton Town, Luton Town |
| Previous Stadiums | Midsummer Common, Stourbridge Common, Newmarket Road, Parker's Piece |
| Kit | Amber & Black (Home) / White & Black (Away) |
| Training Ground | Clare College Sportsground |
| Shirt Sponsor | BrewBoard |
| Team Owner | Paul Barry |
| Record Goalscorer | John Taylor (86) |
| Record Appearances | Steve Spriggs (416) |
Abbey Stadium Photos
By The original uploader was CU4ever at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [CC BY-SA 2.5]
Abbey Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit
The Main Stand is a single-tier section of seating that runs along the length of the pitch and contains the family area and the dugouts. The North Terrace is, as the name suggests, is a terraced section of the ground that is known to fans as The Newmarket Road End. The Habbin Stand is also terraced, being a single-tier section of the stadium that occasionally hosts the away fans. Finally, The South Stand is the newest part of the stadium and is also often used for away supporters, though more commonly it’s where the home fans go.
Cambridge United Ticket Prices
Cambridge United don’t categorise their matches, so the only things that will make a difference to the price you pay are your age and where you want to sit in the ground. Adults will pay from £21 for terrace seats to £27 for a spot in The Community Stand. Concession prices range from £18 to £23, whilst under 18s will pay £12 in the terrace and £20 for The Community Stand (though they aren’t allowed in the posh bit) and under 14s are £7-£9.
There is a £2 surcharge on all tickets if you do not book in advance
How To Get Cambridge United Tickets
You can buy your tickets to see United play by dropping into the ticket office in person, going online or calling them over the phone.
Where to Buy
Getting To Abbey Stadium
Cambridge is famous all over the world and for that reason getting to the city itself is reasonably easy. Here are the usual routes for travel you’ll want to use:
Train – Cambridge Railway Station is less than an hour from London King’s Cross and about an hour and a half from London Liverpool Street. You’ll than have a thirty minute walk to get to the ground.
Bus – The Citibus C3 runs from the train station to the ground regularly.
Car – From the South take the M11 to Junction 14 then get on the A14. Leave that at the fourth Junction, get onto the A1303 and head towards Cambridge. From there follow the signs. If you’re coming from the North follow the A14 then the instructions above.
By Air – Cambridge International Airport is, somewhat unsurprisingly, the closest airport to the city of Cambridge.
Taxi – £12 is a rough price to expect to pay for a taxi from Cambridge Train Station to Abbey Stadium. It will take just under fifteen minutes, traffic dependent.
Parking Near Abbey Stadium
There’s no parking at the ground itself, but on-street parking is available. Just be sure to keep an eye out for parking restrictions. There is also a park and ride service available for home and away fans costing £3 with a match ticket.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Abbey Stadium Hotels
Cambridge is, as we’ve already said, one of the most famous university cities in the world. It’s used to having to put up both parents dropping off their uni going children and tourists who just want to have a look around. Here are some decent hotel options for you:
Quy Mill Hotel & Spa - £133+
YHA Cambridge - £54+
The Waterman - £124+
Pubs and Bars Near Abbey Stadium
Given it’s a university city, it’s obviously fair to say that you’ll be able to find a bar or two to have a drink in before the game. Here are some of our favourites:
Supporters Club
The Wrestlers Pub
The Regal
Facilities
The South Stand in particular has good facilities, but you’re not really going to be found wanting wherever you go.
Prices
- Programme: £3.5
- Pie: £3
- Cup of tea: £2
- Beer: £3.95
Hospitality
There are two main match day experiences on offer at Abbey Stadium, with the Executive Hospitality in the Layrd Lounge offering the more sophisticated choice. There you’ll get a three-course meal and visits from members of the first team plus a Q & A with the head coach and club officials; but if that’s a bit too stuffy for you then you might want to consider the more lively Club Cambridge package which takes place in the Signature Event Suite, offering food, a match day host, half-time refreshments, and access to first team players.
Private Hire
The hospitality suites at the ground have been refurbished recently, specifically with the aim of enticing businesses to use it as a conferencing centre. With room to host up to 100 delegates and top-class facilities, it’s a place to consider using if you’re hosting an event in Cambridge.
Stadium Tours & Museum
At the time of writing there is no museum at Abbey Road and the club doesn’t host regular tours either, but you can request one courtesy of the supporters club. Their chairman will guide you around the stadium and give you the story of the club as you go. E-mail [email protected] to get something set up.
About Cambridge United
Formed as Abbey United in 1912 (do you see where the Abbey part of their home ground comes from now?), the team changed its name to Cambridge United in 1951. The club didn’t compete in the Football League until 1970, but they stayed there for 35 years until their relegation in 2005. They spent nine years in the Conference before once again becoming one of the 92 in 2015.
There was a club called Cambridge United in the city from 1909, but it didn’t have any association with the current side. The club’s highest placed finish was in 1992 when they finished fifth in the second-tier of the Football League. They reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in the 1990 and 1991 and won the FA Trophy in 2014. They’ve also reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup once in 1992.
Abbey Stadium History
Home to Cambridge United since 1932, the Abbey Stadium was named after the Abbey district of the city. It has not only hosted United, but from 2006 until 2014 Cambridge Regional College played their home games there too. Regional College was Cambridge United’s feeder club but it was dissolved in 2014.
United played a friendly against Chelsea in 1970 to mark the first use of the grounds new floodlights and the game was a hit. 14,000 people turned out to see what Chelsea players looked like at night, setting an attendance record for the stadium. The match has its own claim to fame, being the first time that any ground’s attendance record was noted as having taken place at a friendly.
In more recent history, the club actually lost possession of their ground. Due to financial difficulties, the stadium was sold to Bideawhile 445 Ltd on a sale and lease back basis. Cambridge supporters launched the Cambridge Community Stadium Trust, which had the specific aim of trying to buy the ground back.
They made an unsuccessful attempt in 2010, after which the stadium was sold to Grosvenor Estates, but in 2022 the club owners invested enough money to buy the ground back, making it club owned again for the first time in 20 years.
Future Developments
The stadium itself has been described as being “at the end of its useful life” and the club had been trying to relocate for years. At the end of 2019 plans were released for a new 12,000 seater on the edge of town at a cost of £25 million, but funding was not secured, and since they have now bought back their stadium, development is more likely.
However, they are talking with the supporters club whose building will need to be knocked down as it is in a key position regarding redevelopment, and until some agreement has been reached, little of significance can happen other than small improvements here and there.