How does Amber Army feel about new stadium talks?

Cambridge United has begun looking at a potential move away from its Abbey Stadium as part of long-term plans to expand and develop the city.

The idea is in its very early stages, with a study looking into whether land about a mile away could host a 15,000-capacity stadium.

Any move, if it goes ahead, is not expected for several years.

Is this another false dawn for the Amber Army, who first heard of a new stadium in the 1990s, or are fans of the League One side hopeful of a bigger and better home turf?

Michael Barnes became a U's fan after moving to the city in 2003 and has been the club's stadium announcer for about five years.

Referred to by his friends as "the voice of the Abbey", he said the club had no choice but to move, if it wanted to grow.

He said the existing ground, on a busy Newmarket Road route into the city, was always "gridlocked... you can't hope to add thousands more fans at that site".

"I understand people who say it won't be the same, but without a move, the club has no choice if it wants to expand and grow," he said.

"Yes, there are great memories, but, I'm sorry, you've got to move on and we're stuck in the past, a little. You can celebrate the past and the memories, but it's essential to expand and raise revenue.

"The Abbey is great, but the future of the club is somewhere else - but still close to Cambridge."

Lifelong fan Anouska Wright said a stadium move had been talked about "for as long as I've been going", but this latest proposed location near the airport felt "about right".

"There's a different feel about things now - there's a lot more positivity," she explained.

"I think most fans will see the need for it [the move] - it's just the emotion of the thought of it that is the difficult bit."

Asked about the "tie" to the Abbey, she said: "It's just like home, isn't it?

"Some of my core and best memories of sharing family time [are there]. When you just walk towards the ground it's just that sense of being where you should be."

She said "wider stuff" could be addressed with a new ground, including hospitality space, room for players' families and space for activities by the club's foundation.

"It's bigger than just the match day now," she added.

Liam McNally, 60, from Cambridge, has been going to the Abbey since he was a boy but believed his team had outgrown its home, which holds about 8,000 people.

"If Cambridge United are to achieve their long and short-term growth goals and plans, a move away from the Abbey is necessary," he explained.

"It's a bit sad; like many fans I've been going there for over 50 years.

"I love it, but it's an ambitious club, so increasing its ability for community and hospitality events is necessary.

"We need a stadium of character and practicality for community use, with good transport links, not a soulless bowl as so many have become around the country.

"But it also needs to create a good atmosphere, which it does now, and I don't want that to be lost.

"It needs to ensure it doesn't lose its identity."

Peter Freeman is chairman of the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation, which was set up by the government to help the city grow over the next 25 years.

It is working on the plans with the club and site owner Hill Group.

"The feasibility study will look at the costs of creating it, the best location, the best design, the best uses that could go with it - so elements of retail, restaurants, or a gym," he said.

"I think in six months we would be able to get a rough enough idea of cost and potential income to work out whether it is viable.

"We certainly don't want it to be an extended process and we hope it will be a successful process."

Club chairman Godric Smith has said the Abbey stadium "significantly limits the club financially" and that it "has become clearer than ever that our long-term future likely lies elsewhere".

"We own the ground and would ideally redevelop if that were feasible, but multiple studies over many months have shown how difficult that would be and we don't want to put a cap on our ambitions as a club," he said.

He added that he expected United to continue playing at their current home "for the best part of the next decade regardless of any potential relocation".

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