Ian Mather CEO
Welcome to Fleetwood Town and the Cod Army who have made the trip to the Abbey today. It is one of the joys of football to visit different grounds around the country. This is the first league game between the sides who have played once before in a 2014 FA Cup tie. That day went to the U’s 1-0 but now Fleetwood are an established League 1 side and the points, as with every game this season, will be hard to win. Having fans back this season is fantastic and at times the atmosphere in the Abbey has been electric. The away support too has been great too with 540 travelling to Portsmouth for a really memorable away day. We are fortunate that we do seem to be emerging from what for all of us has been a really hard time in living through the pandemic. If there is one institution, one workforce, that has been key to getting us through this it is the NHS and their dedicated, hardworking and talented staff. Today we are delighted to welcome all NHS workers as our guests as a small and heartfelt gesture. Thank you for all you have done, and for all that you continue to do. Looking forward, I have one plea to fans –
help the NHS as we get close to winter – if you are eligible, get vaccinated. As good as the news is about fans returning, and being able to see our team win games which many thought we wouldn’t, there was a dark cloud that emerged again this week. Derby County, a club with a great history, has finally hit the buffers and gone into Administration. Points deductions will be made not only for becoming insolvent but also they are likely to be made for accounts irregularities. How many more times do we need to see this happening to realise that something needs to change? You don’t need a degree in economics to see that the current way football operates is not sustainable. In the season before the Pandemic Championship clubs spent an average of 107% of their income on player pay alone. They are chasing the Premier League dream and when it doesn’t work it leaves clubs in a desperate situation. We, along with a growing number of clubs in Fair Game, www.fairgameuk.org are working to persuade Government to make lasting change. If not now, when? Enjoy the game. ■ www.cambridge-united.co.uk
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