The third volume of Andrew Bennett’s Celery & Coconuts, the definitive history of Cambridge United, is on the way – and you can pre-order your copy now.
Champagne & Corona examines the events of the 1970s – the decade that truly put United on the football map.
With a foreword by star striker Alan Biley and written in Andrew’s familiar distinctive and expressive style, it will be essential reading for any U’s fan.
Champagne & Corona will be published by Lovely Bunch, the publishing offshoot of CFU heritage arm 100 Years of Coconuts, in good time for Christmas.
Coconuts is dedicated to publishing all the work completed by Andrew, United’s club historian, before his untimely death in February this year.
He had written enough on the history of United to take readers almost up to the present day, and 2019 will see the publication of a fourth volume, covering the 1980s.
“Andrew was amazingly prolific, as well as an entertaining and meticulous writer,” says Coconuts chair Pat Morgan.
“How he managed to fit his writing in with long hours of research, compiling incredible amounts of stats and amassing a huge collection of United-related material is beyond me. And he had a day job, too!
“We’re honoured to be publishing his work, and we’ll also be recognising Andrew’s contribution to the United story in other ways. We’ll be making announcements about those very soon.”
Champagne & Corona will follow Celery & Coconuts volume three, Risen from the Dust, which showed how United players, officials and supporters combined ambition, hard work and dogged determination to make an unlikely dream – election to the Football League – come true in 1970.
How they faced new challenges to go with the new decade is detailed in Champagne & Corona.
There were forbidding new obstacles to surmount, different opponents to conquer and unfamiliar trials to face, in a world that was changing fast.
There were setbacks but also moments of triumph, and at the end of an amazing decade the club had risen to undreamed of heights – English football’s second tier.
Initial orders are being taken through the CFU online store (cambridgefansunited.org/store) and at the CFU caravan on a match day. Prices are £18.99 if copies are collected from the CFU outlet and £21.98 for postal deliveries. CFU members are entitled to a £1 discount.
“Coconuts is not exactly flush with money,” added Morgan. “We have to get in a lot of pre-orders before we can print the book.
“We’ve already taken some orders but need more. I can promise U’s supporters that their money will be extremely well spent.”