ADDENBROOKE’S CUP RETURNS
Tuesday 31 January 2012
On Wednesday 8th February at 7pm the football Blues will take on a Cambridge United XI in a charity match, with the winner walking away with the Addenbrooke’s Cup. The fixture, taking place at Grange Road, will provide a stern test for the Blues who take a break from BUCS league action to reignite the ‘Town vs. Gown’ rivalry in a football capacity.
An Addenbrooke’s Cup match of one sort or another has taken place annually for many years now. Each year the aim is to raise money for the Cambridge Sports and Exercise Medicine Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital; all proceeds from the fixture next Wednesday will go to the same cause. Many years ago, crowds were drawn in by the ‘Town vs. Gown’ nature of the match; Cambridge United and Cambridge University Association Football Club used to go head-to-head each year for the charity cup. This tradition began to subside a decade ago when finding a suitable time for the fixture became too difficult given the commitments of both clubs.
With no alternative format for the charity match immediately obvious, various teams have competed for the cup of late. Cambridge United took on Wisbeach Town, Cambridge City and various other Cambridgeshire sides in pre-season friendlies. Representative teams from different Cambridgeshire leagues played each other and a local Cambridge League renamed one of the league knock-out competitions as the Addenbrooke’s Cup. But in each case, the success of the fixture as a fundraising exercise has been limited. Thanks to the hard work of Dr John Little, a fellow of St Catharine’s College and President of CUAFC, Cambridge United and Cambridgeshire FA the ‘Town vs. gown’ format returns this year. If local and student support takes to the idea as in previous years then this charitable spin on the traditional rivalry is likely to return in future seasons.
The fixture will pose a very big test the Blues who have performed well this season, winning five league games and losing just one. With the opposition consisting of players from Cambridge United’s first team squad and the club’s feeder side, Cambridge Regional College, the Blues will face a well-drilled, physical and technically gifted outfit. But such an experience is likely to stand the Blues in good stead as they look to build toward the Varsity Match at the end of this term. The game should also provide an opportunity for the Blues to build support for the big match against Oxford, with this year’s football Varsity Match, the 128th, taking place at Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium on the evening of March 13th.
Blues skipper, Paul Hartley, had this to say about the fixture:
‘This fixture is a great idea for so many reasons. On the charity side of things, all the proceeds are going to a great local cause, the Cambridge Sports and Exercise Medicine Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. In terms of ‘Town vs. Gown’ rivalries, they are always very passionate and competitive which is what makes them great spectacles. It won’t be any different on the football pitch and so reviving such a tradition is fantastic for both sets of players and supporters.
And finally, for us as a squad the opportunity to test ourselves against professional players is great for our development. We’ll take everything we can from the experience and look to use this when we return to BUCS league football and when Varsity time comes around at the end of term.’
KO 7pm at Grange Road
Tickets £3 at the gate
