Cambridge United roller coaster ride

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Alex Tunbridge speaks off the cuff and also speaks in a self-assured and eloquent manner. He is the top honcho of the Cambridge United F.C. (UK) and tells Neil Levett that the “football club had a chequered past” referring to the club punctuated by periods of great onfield success.

The Cambridge United F.C. was close to getting to the Premier League and the club currently competes in League Two having been promoted to the Football League in 2014 and then to League One in 2021.

Alex Tunbridge is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cambridge United FC. With a background in community development he joined the Cambridge United in 2022 where he has overseen the development of a new £3.5m training facility, the purchase of the stadium and is currently working in its £25m+ redevelopment.

In an exclusive for ‘Coliseum’, Alex Tunbridge, CEO, Cambridge United FC, UK, shares with Neil Levett, Emcee, Coliseum, UK, that the club has been on a roller-coaster ride and “the club sport just started five years ago now by one of the fans and we are going on a journey in the last four years and from 51 percent we now have 92 percent occupancy. It’s a stadium which has been built in 1932 and we are all settled there in the last 20 years and it’s a challenge.” The duo agreed that the club has seen a lot of fluctuating fortunes both on and off the field.
 

Cambridge United F.C.

The Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the City of Cambridge, England (UK). They currently compete in the EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
 

Abbey Stadium

The Abbey Stadium, currently known as the Cledara Abbey Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Cambridge, England (UK). It has been the home ground of the Cambridge United F.C. since 1932 and currently has a maximum capacity to pack in 7,937 spectators.
 

Fan Experience

Neil Levett talked about fan experience and Alex Tunbridge shared that “One of our biggest troubles is keeping up with the trends and demands – especially post-COVID fan experiences, good food, live music all that is very difficult. Even in the concourses we had to bring in different retail units to try and offer experience. Retail is something on which we have done very well but you have to maintain quality and consistency and offer good food. A lot of our fans are transient and they expect some experience. And all this is a challenge. We need to have proper restrooms as a lot of our fan base is females. So, it is a huge learning curve process as we try to modernize their stay.”

Levett wanted to know about the monetization of the venue and Tunbridge replied, “We decided to do 60 events a year. We faced a lot of hassles. So, we tasked the commercial teams to go out and bring in additional revenue streams in all areas. Once a month on a Thursday afternoon we hold Seniors Lunch which is a much grounded experience where 150 Seniors come in for free and that’s one of the best events that take place at the club. The players come and we mingle and we do all kinds of things.”
 

Community Service

Both Levett and Tunbridge agreed that the Cambridge United F.C.’s community service is “fantastic” run by the Cambridge United Foundation and encompasses a wide range of programs focused on sport, inclusion, health, and education for all ages. The foundation delivers over 5,000 community sessions annually and is praised for its positive impact, particularly in areas like youth engagement and health and wellbeing initiatives such as its programs for the homeless individuals, Men’s weight loss and inclusive sports for people with disabilities.
 

Wrap-up

The Cambridge United F.C. has indeed been on a roller-coaster ride with fluctuating fortunes both on and off the pitch and as far as its financial health are concerned and its pitch form but the club manages to bounce back with certitude.

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