In an age where football and footballers never get any good press it was gratifying to read a very pleasant story this week about a fine gesture from the players and management of Cambridge United.
A world away from the did-he-or-didn’t-he-dive of Ashley Young, the was-it-or-wasn’t-it a goal of the FA Cup semi final, Cambridge United were playing Barrow in a Blue Square Bet Premier game.
By any stretch of the imagination that is not a trip you undertake without thinking about it (a mate of mine once went to watch his team play Barrow and remarked that it wasn’t the sort of place you went “by mistake.”) but around 80 hardy souls made the 268 mile trip to watch a game between two mid-table teams with nothing to play for.
As a reward for this, Cambridge boss Jez George decided to buy their tickets at a cost, apparently out of his own pocket, of around £1120. On the way home the Cambridge players chipped in and got Pizza for the travellers too.
This has now become common knowledge, although George said: "It was a small thing we wanted to do quietly. We didn't really want any publicity. It was just a way of showing we really appreciate the support they give us.
"We work for them. We want to make them happy every weekend. It's a very, very small gesture from us, just as a big thank you.”
There is nothing we can really add here, except to applaud it. We have written on this blog before about Bolton players who didn’t even have to park their cars at The Reebok when we were at a game there in November and it is interesting to contrast the differences between football at the rarefied level of the Premier League and the top level of Non League.
I understand the myriad differences between the clubs at that level and at the top, but it is just good, on occasion, to remember that all footballers – and indeed all football – are not and is not the same.
A world away from the did-he-or-didn’t-he-dive of Ashley Young, the was-it-or-wasn’t-it a goal of the FA Cup semi final, Cambridge United were playing Barrow in a Blue Square Bet Premier game.
By any stretch of the imagination that is not a trip you undertake without thinking about it (a mate of mine once went to watch his team play Barrow and remarked that it wasn’t the sort of place you went “by mistake.”) but around 80 hardy souls made the 268 mile trip to watch a game between two mid-table teams with nothing to play for.
As a reward for this, Cambridge boss Jez George decided to buy their tickets at a cost, apparently out of his own pocket, of around £1120. On the way home the Cambridge players chipped in and got Pizza for the travellers too.
This has now become common knowledge, although George said: "It was a small thing we wanted to do quietly. We didn't really want any publicity. It was just a way of showing we really appreciate the support they give us.
"We work for them. We want to make them happy every weekend. It's a very, very small gesture from us, just as a big thank you.”
There is nothing we can really add here, except to applaud it. We have written on this blog before about Bolton players who didn’t even have to park their cars at The Reebok when we were at a game there in November and it is interesting to contrast the differences between football at the rarefied level of the Premier League and the top level of Non League.
I understand the myriad differences between the clubs at that level and at the top, but it is just good, on occasion, to remember that all footballers – and indeed all football – are not and is not the same.
