WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
We trace Cambridge’s 1976-77 Division Four promotion winners
CAMBRIDGE UNITED had been in the Football League for only seven years but they had already experienced a promotion and a relegation.
But they were on their way back out of the Fourth Division again under Ron Atkinson for what was to be the first of consecutive promotions.
Atkinson didn’t have much money to spend but still managed to assemble a squad who stormed to the title after hitting the top spot in the middle of January.
Steve Fallon, 21 at the time and a bargain basement signing from Kettering, made 43 appearances and believes that the promotion was fully deserved.
“It wasn’t a fortunate promotion, we deserved it and by the end of the season we had become a strong side,” he says.“There was a hunger among the younger players.
“It was a fantastic ride and that drove everybody on, we also went up the following season after making one or two changes.
“Cambridge have already been up and gone down and it was to be like that for a few years, the same thing happened in the John Beck era – they went right up and came back down again.”
Atkinson loved his teams to attack and Cambridge certainly did that, scoring 87 goals while only Swansea City scored more in the Fourth Division that season.
Alan Biley scored 19 goals, midfielder Tom Finney got 16 – but Fallon believes it was loan-signing Jim Hall who tipped the scales towards promotion.
“The biggest thing was Big Ron’s philosophy, he was definitely a winner and he accepted nothing less than 100 per cent,” Fallon added.
“Every player he signed gave 100 per cent otherwise you were in big trouble with him.The manager was a big motivator.
“If you have got one of those in charge of you, you have got a chance.It was my first full season in the league and they were exciting times.
“We were a very attacking side and to win the league in my first full season was fantastic.
“What swung it for us that season was Jim Hall signing on loan from Northampton and scoring something like 15 goals.
“Everything just seemed to click and Jim was the final piece which gave us a little push towards the end.
“I liked to attack as well, even though I was a centre back.I liked to get forward and he encouraged that.The whole team had an attack philosophy.”
1. Peter Reeve: The Youth team coach has run the Histon Academy as well as his own coaching school.
2. Trevor Howard: After working in the club's commercial department, he spent 17 years working for British Gas before becoming a Cambridge taxi driver.
3. Tommy Horsfall: After joining Kent Police, he is now living in retirement in Kennington, near Ashford
4. Dave Simmons: Remembered for scoring for Colchester United in their FA Cup win over Leeds, worked in antiques trade and insurance before his death in Ely July 2007 aged 58 following a battle with cancer.
5. Dave Lyon: Worked as a
builder’s labourer, abattoir assistant and glazier before running his own dry cleaning business prior to his death in Chadderton in April 1999 aged 48
6. Phil Walker: Back in his native Sheffield and working there.
7. Terry Eades: Settled in Cambridge and worked as a computer salesman before finding employment in a Mercedes car dealership
8. Bill Baldry: Now living in the Luton area and works as a project manager in the Warehouse and Distribution Division of Vauxhall Motors.
9. Steve Fallon: He was playermanager of Cambridge City, then managed Histon and Soham Town Rangers; now works as a PE teacher.
10. Floyd Street: He worked as a PE teacher in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, then relocated to the Cayman Islands where he has run a gym/spa and coached. His son Remie plays for Newcastle.
11. John Simpson: The U’s physio left the Abbey in 1977 working for York City until retiring to Market Weighton. He died in June 2000, aged 81
12. Ian Seddon: He has coached at Bolton Wanderers academy and has worked for many years in the building materials industry.
13. Keith Bowker: Settled in the West Country where he managed Taunton Town before going to work for the Royal Mail in Exmouth, Devon.
14. Steve Spriggs: The U’s record appearance holder became a sub contractor in the roofing industry and then caretaker for South Cambridgeshire District Council.
15. Tommy O’Neill: Is now settled in the Suffolk area and his son Lee, like his father, played for Ipswich Town.
16. Brendan Batson: An England B international went to work for the PFA until 2002 and since then has been managing director of Batson Sports Consultancy. 17. Ron Atkinson: After having a successful career in management he went into the media and has appeared on celebrity Big Brother. He lives in Birmingham. 18. Tony Tuddenham: Is now living in Fakenham in his native Norfolk and worked for Aviva before becoming a mainframe technical consultant at HewlettPackard. 19. Alan Biley: Has managed a host of non league sides and ran his own health and fitness club, Biley’s in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. He was assistant manager of Bedford Town until May. 20. Graham Watson: After running Cambridge United’s youth hostel he entered the licensed trade and then worked as a maintenance man. 21. Paddy Sowden: Later the general-manager of The U’s and Vancouver Whitecaps, before returned to Cambridgeshire to open a heath club and then a sports business. He died in November 2010.
NOT PICTURED
Malcolm Webster: After becoming assistant manager at the Abbey Stadium he has worked as a goalkeeping coach for a variety of clubs and runs a goalkeeping coaching school. Dave Stringer: After joining Norwich City’s coaching staff he became manager and retired in 2001 as director of their Youth Academy. Tommy Finney: Northern Ireland international who setted in the Ely area and worked for Securicor. Colin Harper: Went into nonleague management before becoming a builder and has a company C G Harper Construction in Ipswich. Jim Hall: Lives in Northampton and has now retired after working as a school teacher.