Last Season: 9th
Nickname: The U’s
Ground: The Abbey Stadium
Capacity: 8,127 (4,376 seated)
Last Season:
The side actually occupied top spot after the opening day of the season following a 3-0 home win over Newport County before a drop in form and an inability to find some consistency in their results meant the U’s slipped into mid-table throughout the autumn, it caused Richard Money to leave his managerial position at the club.
Following the appointment of Shaun Derry at the start of November, a six game unbeaten run from the end of the month through to the end of December pushed United back up to 10th position, before a lack of consistency cost them again throughout February and March with a subsequent slide back down the league.
Eight matches without defeat at the end of the campaign, including a 7-0 win at home to Morecambe, proved to be too little too late for Cambridge as they finished the campaign in 10th position.
Manager: Shaun Derry
Shaun Derry took over in November having had a long playing career. He made nearly 600 appearances as a player that began in 1995., starting at Notts County. The former defender moved on to Sheffield United, Portsmouth, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, and QPR.
A move to the dugout followed in late 2013, where six wins in the last nine games saved the side from relegation from League One in the 2013/14 campaign. But he parted company with the club in March 2015 as the side once again struggled against the drop - he moved to the Abbey Stadium in November last year.
Key man: Ben Williamson
The striker impressed when he scored three goals in eight appearances for the club when he was originally on loan from Port Vale. He became a permanent part of the squad and scored a further nine goals during the rest of the season and will no doubt be a key figure for the side during the upcoming campaign.
Press View: Aaron Mason
Last Season:
There was a lot of expectation before the season began that Cambridge United would be in with a shout of promotion after bringing in a raft of experienced players last summer.
But United got off to an average start and failed to put any sort of run together.
As a result, manager Richard Money was sacked last October, with former Notts County boss Shaun Derry coming in to take his place.
United almost immediately seemed a livelier prospect and began to play a more flowing, attacking brand of football.
Losing striker Barry Corr to injury in January was a blow, but United continued to gradually move up the table.
The play-offs still seemed an outside shot as United were 12th with four games left.
But they broke their club record Football League win with a 7-0 drubbing of Morecambe and ended up falling just short of the top seven following an eight-match unbeaten streak.
Star Man: Luke Berry
Captain Luke Berry is a talismanic figure for United.
An attacking midfielder, he came through the youth team at the Abbey and was a regular in the side from the age of 18.
Berry helped United earn promotion from the Conference Premier and win the FA Trophy in 2014 by scoring 16 goals along the way.
He was signed by Barnsley that summer, but returned to United last summer on a four-year deal.
After being played in a holding role by Money last season, Derry moved him back into the area where he is most effective and made him skipper.
Prediction for next season:
After the way United ended last season, there is renewed optimism for the forthcoming campaign.
Derry has already largely overhauled the squad and stamped his mark on the side.
He has also brought in a couple of useful wide players in Piero Mingoia and Medy Elito, from Accrington and Newport, respectively, so I think there will be disappointment if they cannot kick on and have a real go at making the play-offs.