1991–92 Cambridge United F.C. season

Cambridge United
1991–92 season
Manager	John Beck
Stadium	Abbey Stadium
Second Division	5th (qualified for play-offs)
Play-offs	Semi-finals
FA Cup	Fourth round
League Cup	Second round
Top goalscorer	League: Dion Dublin (15); All: Dion Dublin (19)
	← 1990–91 1992–93 →

During the 1991–92 English football season, Cambridge United competed in the Football League Second Division.

Season summary

Cambridge had returned to English football's second tier after an absence of seven seasons, following two successive promotions. Few expected Cambridge to succeed at a high level after their rapid rise, five years after having to reapply for Football League status, but Cambridge managed to make the play-offs for promotion to the inaugural Premier League season with a fifth-place finish - their highest-ever placing in the Football League. Cambridge lost in the semi-finals to Leicester City - following a 1–1 draw at home in the first leg, they were hammered 5–0 at Filbert Street for a 6–1 aggregate loss - but even this cruel end to their promotion hopes did little to detract from what Cambridge had achieved in such a short period of time.

Crucial to Cambridge's success was free-scoring striker Dion Dublin; but in the off-season he left to join First Division runners-up Manchester United in a £1 million transfer, spreading doubt that Cambridge would be capable of improving and clinching promotion the next season.

Kit

Influence became Cambridge's new kit manufacturers, and introduced a new home kit for the season. The kit saw a return to tradition for Cambridge, with the club returning to its tradition dark orange shirts and black shorts, with black socks also worn. Fujitsu retained their sponsorship for away kits and, following the end of Cambridge's sponsorship deal with Howlett, became the home sponsors too.^[1]

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	ENG	Jon Sheffield
—	GK	ENG	John Vaughan
—	DF	ENG	Phil Chapple
—	DF	ENG	Andy Fensome
—	DF	ENG	Mick Heathcote
—	DF	ENG	Alan Kimble
—	DF	ENG	Gary Rowett
—	DF	IRL	Liam Daish^[2]
—	MF	ENG	Colin Bailie


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	ENG	Michael Cheetham^[3]
—	MF	ENG	Danny O'Shea
—	MF	ENG	Dave Penney
—	MF	ENG	Lee Philpott
—	MF	ENG	Richard Wilkins
—	FW	ENG	Steve Claridge
—	FW	ENG	Dion Dublin
—	FW	ENG	Devon White

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	ENG	John Taylor (to Bristol Rovers)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	WAL	Lee Nogan (to Watford)

Starting 11

Transfers

In

Devon White - Bristol Rovers, exchange, March 1992

Out

John Taylor - Bristol Rovers, £90,000, March 1992

Results

Second Division

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	HW	HD	HL	HGF	HGA	AW	AD	AL	AGF	AGA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Ipswich Town	46	16	3	4	42	22	8	9	6	28	28	+20	84	Division Champions, promoted
2	Middlesbrough	46	15	6	2	37	13	8	5	10	21	28	+17	80	Promoted
3	Derby County	46	11	4	8	35	24	12	5	6	34	27	+18	78	Participated in play-offs
4	Leicester City	46	14	4	5	41	24	9	4	10	21	31	+7	77
5	Cambridge United	46	10	9	4	34	19	9	8	6	31	28	+18	74
6	Blackburn Rovers	46	14	5	4	41	21	7	6	10	29	32	+17	74	Promoted through play-offs^[a]
7	Charlton Athletic	46	9	7	7	25	23	11	4	8	29	25	+6	71
8	Swindon Town	46	15	3	5	38	22	3	12	8	31	33	+14	69
9	Portsmouth	46	15	6	2	41	12	4	6	13	24	39	+14	69
10	Watford	46	9	5	9	25	23	9	6	8	26	25	+3	65
11	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	11	6	6	36	24	7	4	12	25	30	+7	64
12	Southend United	46	11	5	7	37	26	6	6	11	26	37	0	62
13	Bristol Rovers	46	11	9	3	43	29	5	5	13	17	34	−3	62
14	Tranmere Rovers	46	9	9	5	37	32	5	10	8	19	24	0	61
15	Millwall	46	10	4	9	32	32	7	6	10	32	39	−7	61
16	Barnsley	46	11	4	8	27	25	5	7	11	19	32	−11	59
17	Bristol City	46	10	8	5	30	24	3	7	13	25	47	−16	54
18	Sunderland	46	10	8	5	36	23	4	3	16	25	42	−4	53
19	Grimsby Town	46	7	5	11	25	28	7	6	10	22	34	−15	53
20	Newcastle United	46	9	8	6	38	30	4	5	14	28	54	−18	52
21	Oxford United	46	10	6	7	39	30	3	5	15	27	43	−7	50
22	Plymouth Argyle	46	11	5	7	26	26	2	4	17	16	38	−22	48	Relegated
23	Brighton & Hove Albion	46	7	7	9	36	37	5	4	14	20	40	−21	47
24	Port Vale	46	7	8	8	23	25	3	7	13	19	34	−17	45

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Notes:

^ Blackburn Rovers won the play-offs and were promoted.

Results

Source:^[4]

17 August: Port Vale 2–1 Oxford United (Foyle x2; ?) attendance 6,984

7 September 1991 5	Wolverhampton Wanderers	3–1	Oxford United	Wolverhampton
15:00 BST	Dennison 3' Bull 8' Steele 43'		Nogan 80'	Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 12,549

5 October: Ipswich Town 2–1 Oxford United (Milton, Whitton; ?) attendance 9,922

19 October 1991 13	Newcastle United	4 - 3	Oxford United	Newcastle upon Tyne
15:00 BST		[ Report]		Stadium: St James' Park Attendance: 16,454

26 October: Oxford United 1–2 Leicester United (?; Wright, Thompson) attendance 5,206
9 November: Portsmouth 2–1 Oxford United
18 January: Oxford United 2–2 Port Vale (?; Houchen, Swan) attendance 4,199
8 February: Leicester City 2–1 Oxford United (Kitson, Wright; ?) attendance 12,128
21 March: Oxford United 2–1 Portsmouth

4 April 1992 39	Oxford United	1–0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Oxford
15:00 BST	Penney 87'			Stadium: Manor Ground Attendance: 7,165

25 April: Oxford United 1–1 Ipswich Town (?; Johnson) attendance 10,525
Derby County 2–2 Oxford United
Oxford United 2–0 Derby County

Play-Offs

10 May 1992 SF (1)	Cambridge United F.C.	1–1	Leicester City F.C.	Cambridge
15:00 BST			Russell	Stadium: Abbey Stadium Attendance: 9,225

13 May 1992 SF (2)	Leicester City F.C.	5–0 (6-1 agg.)	Cambridge United F.C.	Leicester
19:45 BST			Wright (2), Thompson, Russell, Ormondroyd	Stadium: Filbert Street Attendance: 21,024

FA Cup

4 January 1992 Rd 3	Coventry City F.C.	1–1	Cambridge United F.C.	Coventry
15:00 BST	Borrows (Pen)			Stadium: Highfield Road Attendance: 11,428

14 January 1992 Rd 3 (R)	Cambridge United F.C.	1–0	Coventry City F.C.	Cambridge
19:45 BST				Stadium: Abbey Stadium Attendance: 9,864

25 January 1992 Rd 4	Cambridge United F.C.	0–3	Swindon Town F.C.	Cambridge
15:00 BST			Shearer (2), Calderwood	Stadium: Abbey Stadium Attendance: 7,428

League Cup

21 August 1991 Rd 1 (1)	Cambridge United F.C.	1–0	Reading F.C.	Cambridge
19:45 BST				Stadium: Abbey Stadium

28 August 1991 Rd 1 (2)	Reading F.C.	0–3 (0-4 agg.)	Cambridge United F.C.	Reading
19:45 BST				Stadium: Elm Park

25 September 1991 Rd 2 (1)	Manchester United F.C.	3–0	Cambridge United F.C.	Manchester
19:45 BST	Giggs 44', McClair 48', Bruce 66'			Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 30,934

9 October 1991 Rd 2 (2)	Cambridge United F.C.	1–1 (1-4 agg.)	Manchester United F.C.	Cambridge
19:45 BST			McClair 2'	Stadium: Abbey Stadium Attendance: 9,248

References

^ "Cambridge United - Historical Football Kits". www.historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
^ Daish was born in Portsmouth, England.
^ Cheetham was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands.
^ "Official website". Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2011.

External links

[table_note_res_PPP0.05362460951024-4] Blackburn Rovers won the play-offs and were promoted.

[1] "Cambridge United - Historical Football Kits". www.historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2022.

[2] Daish was born in Portsmouth, England.

[3] Cheetham was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

[5] "Official website". Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2011.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[a]

[4]