# 1973–74 Cambridge United F.C. season

The 1973–74 season was Cambridge United's 4th season in the Football League.
After gaining promotion to the Third Division last season, Cambridge struggled to adapt to the tougher challenge and were relegated back to the Fourth Division.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 19 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 52 | 58 | 0.897 | 43 | |
| 20 | Port Vale | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 52 | 58 | 0.897 | 42 | |
| 21 | Cambridge United | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 48 | 81 | 0.593 | 35 | Relegated |
| 22 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 10 | 11 | 25 | 41 | 62 | 0.661 | 31 | Relegated |
| 23 | Southport | 46 | 6 | 16 | 24 | 35 | 82 | 0.427 | 28 | Relegated |

## Results
### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Third Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 25 August 1973 | Southport | H | 2 – 0 | 4,656 | Ross, O'Donnell |
| 2 | 1 September 1973 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1 – 2 | 5,559 | Lennard |
| 3 | 8 September 1973 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2 – 1 | 4,553 | Ross, Greenhalgh |
| 4 | 10 September 1973 | Port Vale | A | 1 – 2 | 5,829 | Watson |
| 5 | 14 September 1973 | Southend United | A | 1 – 3 | 6,629 | O'Donnell |
| 6 | 19 September 1973 | Watford | H | 3 – 2 | 5,090 | Greenhalgh, Watson, Simmons |
| 7 | 22 September 1973 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1 – 1 | 5,620 | Greenhalgh |
| 8 | 29 September 1973 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0 – 1 | 9,127 | |
| 9 | 3 October 1973 | Watford | A | 0 – 3 | 6,470 | |
| 10 | 6 October 1973 | York City | H | 0 – 0 | 4,447 | |
| 11 | 13 October 1973 | Hereford United | A | 0 – 0 | 8,522 | |
| 12 | 20 October 1973 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0 – 2 | 6,327 | |
| 13 | 24 October 1973 | Port Vale | H | 4 – 2 | 3,612 | Ferguson, Foote, Greenhalgh, Lennard |
| 14 | 27 October 1973 | Halifax Town | H | 0 – 1 | 4,630 | |
| 15 | 3 November 1973 | Grimsby Town | A | 0 – 1 | 7,186 | |
| 16 | 10 November 1973 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1 – 0 | 4,856 | Greenhalgh |
| 17 | 17 November 1973 | Aldershot | H | 1 – 2 | 3,866 | Ross |
| 18 | 8 December 1973 | Bournemouth | A | 0 – 1 | 8,582 | |
| 19 | 22 December 1973 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2 – 2 | 4,485 | Greenhalgh (2) |
| 20 | 26 December 1973 | Walsall | A | 0 – 3 | 4,591 | |
| 21 | 29 December 1973 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0 – 2 | 3,368 | |
| 22 | 1 January 1974 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2 – 2 | 5,667 | Greenhalgh, Ross |
| 23 | 12 January 1974 | Southend United | H | 3 – 2 | 4,255 | Greenhalgh, Ferguson, Lill |
| 24 | 19 January 1974 | Southport | A | 0 – 0 | 1,534 | |
| 25 | 27 January 1974 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1 – 1 | 7,749 | Simmons |
| 26 | 2 February 1974 | Chesterfield | H | 1 – 2 | 4,223 | Ferguson |
| 27 | 5 February 1974 | Rochdale | A | 2 – 0 | 588 | Simmons, Greenhalgh |
| 28 | 17 February 1974 | Hereford United | H | 2 – 0 | 5,728 | Ferguson, Lennard |
| 29 | 24 February 1974 | York City | A | 0 – 2 | 7,387 | |
| 30 | 3 March 1974 | Walsall | H | 0 – 0 | 4,569 | |
| 31 | 5 March 1974 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1 – 6 | 9,428 | Lennard |
| 32 | 10 March 1974 | Halifax Town | A | 1 – 0 | 2,455 | Lennard |
| 33 | 13 March 1974 | Chesterfield | A | 0 – 3 | 3,287 | |
| 34 | 16 March 1974 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0 – 2 | 4,655 | |
| 35 | 23 March 1974 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0 – 2 | 3,702 | |
| 36 | 27 March 1974 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1 – 0 | 3,975 | Cassidy |
| 37 | 30 March 1974 | Grimsby Town | H | 0 – 1 | 3,658 | |
| 38 | 3 April 1974 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1 – 4 | 9,833 | Ross |
| 39 | 6 April 1974 | Rochdale | H | 3 – 3 | 2,704 | Cassidy, Shinton (2) |
| 40 | 12 April 1974 | Wrexham | A | 1 – 2 | 4,591 | Shinton |
| 41 | 13 April 1974 | Aldershot | A | 0 – 6 | 5,074 | |
| 42 | 16 April 1974 | Wrexham | H | 2 – 1 | 2,391 | Shinton, Cassidy |
| 43 | 20 April 1974 | Bournemouth | H | 2 – 1 | 3,398 | Watson, Batson |
| 44 | 22 April 1974 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2 – 5 | 2,796 | Lennard, Akers |
| 45 | 27 April 1974 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1 – 4 | 5,078 | Cassidy |
| 46 | 1 May 1974 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 3 – 1 | 1,979 | Shinton, Akers (2) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 24 November 1973 | Gillingham | H | 3 – 2 | 4,831 | Simmons (3) |
| R2 | 15 December 1973 | Aldershot | A | 2 – 1 | 4,244 | Simmons (2) |
| R3 | 6 January 1974 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2 – 2 | 8,479 | Eades, Wood (o.g.) |
| R3 Replay | 8 January 1974 | Oldham Athletic | A | 3 – 3 (aet) | 10,250 | Ferguson, Simmons, Watson |
| R3 2nd Replay | 14 January 1974 | Oldham Athletic | N | 1 – 2 | 3,563 | Simmons |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 29 August 1973 | Aldershot | A | 1 – 1 | 4,147 | Greenhalgh |
| R1 Replay | 5 September 1973 | Aldershot | H | 3 – 0 | 4,801 | Ross, Lennard, Watson |
| R2 | 9 October 1973 | Bury | A | 0 – 2 | 6,150 | |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| DF | Vic Akers | 41(2) | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 49(2) | 3 |
| DF | Jack Bannister | 6(2) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9(2) | 0 |
| DF | Brendon Batson | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| FW | Nigel Cassidy | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| DF | Terry Eades | 41 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 49 | 1 |
| MF | Mike Ferguson | 39 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 5 |
| MF | Chris Foote | 8(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 8(3) | 1 |
| FW | Brian Greenhalgh | 27 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 11 |
| DF | Alan Guild | 32(9) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36(9) | 0 |
| DF | Allan Harris | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| MF | Dave Lennard | 36 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 41 | 7 |
| MF | David Lill | 35(2) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39(2) | 1 |
| DF | Jon O'Donnell | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 2 |
| DF | Graham Rathbone | 22(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26(1) | 0 |
| MF | Bobby Ross | 25(8) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 32(8) | 6 |
| DF | Ray Seary | 6(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6(1) | 0 |
| FW | Bobby Shinton | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 |
| FW | Dave Simmons | 19(2) | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 25(2) | 10 |
| GK | Peter Vasper | 46 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| MF | Graham Watson | 44 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 5 |