Latest news with #BBCRadioCambridgeshire
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cambridge must find 'rhythm of winning'
Cambridge United director of football Mark Bonner says they need to establish a "rhythm of winning games" following relegation to League Two. The U's finished 23rd, nine points from safety, despite former head coach Bonner and his successor Neil Harris being brought back to the club mid-season. Now they are looking to rebuild the squad with a view to push for promotion back to the third tier next term. "Look at last year, Port Vale came down and went back up, Carlisle came down, went down (again). There's such a randomness to the league," Bonner told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "What we'll try to do is get a real identity about the team, bond a new group of players together quickly, it'll take a bit of time to get going but we have to get into a rhythm of winning games and changing that mentality. "We're not the underdogs now, we don't want to cling on to that. We have to expect more of ourselves but we have to be quite measured in the way that we do that." Listen to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's The U's Show Relegated Cambridge release Digby and Okedina Cambridge have released 11 players who were at the end of their contracts following a season in which they won only nine of their 46 league games. They have brought in Nick Tyler-Hicks from Harris' former club Millwall as head of recruitment but at a time when many clubs rely on data analysis and building algorithms to identify potential signings, Bonner believes watching a player is still vital to the process. "Live scouting still exists but it's a dying art really. There's less and less people that do it," he said. "I understand why - you can watch a lot more games in a day. All that should do is filter the process to make sure you then go and watch the right players." He added: "If you have people trying to dissect and understand data they don't understand, that's a disaster... We don't want to imitate anyone, we just want to be modern enough and I'd say data is prince not king, it's important but shouldn't dictate everything." Having previously been head coach at Cambridge and Gillingham, Bonner said he was still coming to terms with the job title 'director of football'. "The job role is very different but it is strange being referred to as that because traditionally it's probably a title that's reserved for a much older guy than I am," the 39-year-old added. "I haven't got my flat cap and pipe out yet but it's a new one to get my head around. We've wound the clock back a bit with that because the modern version is 'sporting director' but I often think that maybe confuses people about what it is. "We've tried to be as basic as possible with the title. It does exactly what it says on the tin."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Ancient rift' repaired by 300-mile ride
An ancient rift between two places 300 miles (480km) apart has been repaired, according to a town's mayor. Richard Slade, mayor of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, cycled from the town to the village of St Neot, Cornwall, over the bank holiday weekend to improve relations, as well as raising charity cash. Legend suggests people from Cambridgeshire travelled to Cornwall 1,000 years ago and stole the bones of Saint Neot, beginning the dispute. But despite the hostilities of days gone by, Mr Slade said the villagers were "so welcoming" upon his arrival on Monday. He has raised almost £10,000 for theatre groups in St Neots, thanks to his gruelling effort. "It was really tough," Slade told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "The hills were brutal; absolutely brutal. It was really tough trying to get up and down them." Slade said St Neot's only pub - the London Inn - opened early for his arrival, adding he had a "lovely pint" inside. He then met local historians, parish councillors and residents and watched a Victory in Europe (VE) Day celebration. "They're so welcoming; it has a lovely feel to it," Slade said. "It's lovely because they all said 'Let's get in touch, let's make a solid connection and carry it on between our town places'." Rather than the bones of a saint, Slade was sent home with a map of the area and pin badges from the village football club. It was a move all parties hoped would only continue to improve relations. "There's only 150 of them made, so they've asked me to take them back to our football club in St Neots in Cambridgeshire," he added. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'Theft' of saint's bones inspires 300-mile ride St Neot Parish Council St Neots Town Council
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Ancient rift' repaired by 300-mile ride
An ancient rift between two places 300 miles (480km) apart has been repaired, according to a town's mayor. Richard Slade, mayor of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, cycled from the town to the village of St Neot, Cornwall, over the bank holiday weekend to improve relations, as well as raising charity cash. Legend suggests people from Cambridgeshire travelled to Cornwall 1,000 years ago and stole the bones of Saint Neot, beginning the dispute. But despite the hostilities of days gone by, Mr Slade said the villagers were "so welcoming" upon his arrival on Monday. He has raised almost £10,000 for theatre groups in St Neots, thanks to his gruelling effort. "It was really tough," Slade told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "The hills were brutal; absolutely brutal. It was really tough trying to get up and down them." Slade said St Neot's only pub - the London Inn - opened early for his arrival, adding he had a "lovely pint" inside. He then met local historians, parish councillors and residents and watched a Victory in Europe (VE) Day celebration. "They're so welcoming; it has a lovely feel to it," Slade said. "It's lovely because they all said 'Let's get in touch, let's make a solid connection and carry it on between our town places'." Rather than the bones of a saint, Slade was sent home with a map of the area and pin badges from the village football club. It was a move all parties hoped would only continue to improve relations. "There's only 150 of them made, so they've asked me to take them back to our football club in St Neots in Cambridgeshire," he added. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'Theft' of saint's bones inspires 300-mile ride St Neot Parish Council St Neots Town Council
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Convoy leaves to provide medical aid to Ukraine
Volunteers have started a 13,000 mile trip to give aid to people in Ukraine. Daffodil Weekend committee members from Thriplow in Cambridgeshire will drive for four days as part of a 14-vehicle convoy to deliver medical support. The "big, ugly, green" truck named Shrek will make the journey carrying generators, nappies and medical supplies, with other Convoy4Ukraine vehicles also carrying wheelchairs, crutches and clothing. Paul Earnshaw, one of the volunteers, said: "It's super important. We can't solve the politics but we can help the people and that's what we're all about here." Mr Earnshaw, chairman of the Thriplow Daffodil Weekend committee, said the village had a long association with Ukraine. "When the war first broke out {in February 2022] Daffodil Weekend bought an ambulance and sent it out to Ukraine. We have continued that relationship since," he told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "When the opportunity came for Convoy4Ukraine, and to sponsor a vehicle, we jumped at it and we are ready." Fergus Ramsay will be making the trip for a second time. "[Last time] we did notice the lack of younger people, apart from young mothers, because anyone of middle age is helping out in other areas - especially on the east side [of Ukraine]." Some Daffodil Weekend members making the trip expected to be back on Friday. They said they planned to use some of the journey time to make calls and plan ahead for this year's flower event in their village, near Duxford, on 22 and 23 March. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Starmer announces 'coalition of the willing' to guarantee Ukraine peace Vance took the lead attacking Zelensky. Why? Taking aid to Ukraine 'is in my heart now' Thriplow Daffodil Weekend Convoy4Ukraine
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Poku could return for 'last dozen games'
Peterborough United boss Darren Ferguson hopes to have forward Kwame Poku back for the final two months of the season. The 23-year-old - who Ferguson believes is the best player in League One - has scored 10 goals in 20 appearances this season, but needed surgery after suffering a hamstring injury in early December Posh are 20th in the table, four points clear of the relegation places, with 17 matches remaining, starting with Tuesday's trip to Charlton Athletic. "Kwame is on schedule, we're looking towards the end of the month for him," Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "We're going to have to go gently with him, I'm obviously not going to risk a further injury for him, that's the most important thing. "I'm looking at Kwame probably getting the last dozen league games of the season, whether that's starting or just gradually building him up with minutes. "But just because he comes back, it doesn't mean we're going to win every game. The other players have a responsibility, without Kwame in the team, to start winning some more games, and that's what we're looking at. "It can only be a massive bonus for him to be back because he's the best player in the league. Any team would miss him, but we can't use that as an excuse." Listen to full BBC Radio Cambridgeshire interview with Darren Ferguson Peterborough are through to the semi-finals of the EFL Trophy - which they won last season - in which they will be away to Wrexham or Bolton Wanderers. But Ferguson views securing their third-tier status as the main priority and has urged his side to show greater resilience. "We have got a mini-table - there are nine teams that we have to better or match to make sure that we're in the league next season," the Scot said. "It can't be so simple, in football or in life, that everything goes the way you want it to. It doesn't work that way. "This season's been tough, this season's been a season we have to learn from, it's now a season where we have to make sure we stay in the league and try and win the cup, that's the reality."
