Cambridge United Secure Pre-Season Win Over Preston North End in Spain

July 24, 2026 – Cambridge United rounded off a productive pre-season training camp in Spain with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Championship side Preston North End at the Pinatar Arena this morning.

The U's continued their impressive form during their Iberian trip, maintaining an unbeaten record in pre-season friendlies. Isaac Heath was the hero for Neil Harris’s side, netting the only goal of the game midway through the first half. The result marks another positive step in Cambridge United’s preparations for the upcoming 2026-27 League One season.

Harris fielded a strong starting lineup featuring several key players who are expected to feature prominently this campaign. Goalkeeper Joe Eastwood started between the posts, with a backline including recent signings and established defenders such as Bennett, Ball, Bauer, and Watts. In midfield and attack, Heath, Knight, Ahadme, McLoughlin, Bradshaw, and Jobe all earned starts.

Cambridge began the match brightly despite the sweltering Spanish heat. They quickly imposed themselves on Preston, creating early chances. Heath nearly set up the opener with a dangerous cross from the byline that just evaded Ahadme. Moments later, Kell Watts unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the box that required an excellent save from the Preston goalkeeper.

The breakthrough arrived around the 30-minute mark. A defensive mix-up between Preston’s backline and goalkeeper presented Heath with a golden opportunity from approximately 30 yards out. The forward made no mistake, calmly slotting the ball into the empty net to give United a deserved lead.

Preston grew into the contest as the first half progressed and created a couple of half-chances, but Cambridge’s defense remained solid, preserving the advantage going into the interval.

The second half saw Harris make several changes to give squad members valuable minutes. Appere, Mpanzu, and new loan signing Callum Perry were introduced early, with further substitutions including McConnell, Lavery, Herd, McDougald, and trialists as the game wore on. Perry, who joined the club on a season-long loan from Coventry City earlier this week, was given the chance to impress in a competitive environment.

McConnell particularly stood out in the second period, creating two excellent opportunities with strong runs and shots that tested the Preston keeper. Despite late pressure from the Championship outfit, Cambridge comfortably held on for the clean-sheet victory, with Eastwood rarely troubled in the closing stages.

Following the final whistle, the players and coaching staff showed appreciation to the traveling U's supporters who made the journey to Spain. The win caps off a successful week of warm-weather training and match practice for the club.

With the League One campaign drawing closer, this result against higher-division opposition will boost confidence within the squad. Cambridge United have already made several notable additions this summer, including the arrival of defender Callum Perry and others, as they aim to improve on last season’s performance and challenge for a higher league position.

Attention now turns to the final pre-season fixtures and the start of the competitive season. Fans will be eager to see whether this momentum can carry into the opening league matches as Neil Harris looks to build a competitive and cohesive team.

The victory not only provides a morale boost but also valuable tactical insights as Cambridge United fine-tune their approach ahead of what promises to be an exciting campaign.

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Home of Cambridge United FC

Opened 1932

Capacity 8,127

History (from Wikipedia)

Abbey United (as the club were then known) had moved to Parker's Piece at the start of the 1930–31 season. Despite the special significance of Parker's Piece in the history of football, it being the first place where the Cambridge Rules were played out, the lack of spectator capacity and disruption caused during games meant this move was not a successful one.[6]

Henry Francis, then president of the club, offered United a lifeline in 1931 when he donated land he had acquired to the club, and erected a grandstand and changing rooms on it. This land, where United have been resident since, was close to one of the club's former grounds (known as the Celery Trenches) where, with the approval of the Cambridgeshire FA, the club played while the new ground was being prepared.[citation needed] The first match at the newly constructed Abbey (though it was not known as this until 1961) was played on 31 August 1932 against Cambridge University Press.[7] A grandstand was not opened until March 1934, and subsequent stands were constructed between a period of many years up until 1954 when the final terrace, on the west of the ground (now the 'Habbin Stand'), was completed.[citation needed]

Much redevelopment has occurred since including the redevelopment of the main stand to include a roof and extra seating and, most recently, the erection of a new all-seated stand at the south of the ground to replace the original open terrace that had stood there since 1966. Despite planning permission being granted for further development, as part of the same scheme, at the north end of the ground (including an 86-bedroom hotel, retail space, new offices and a new supporters club), financial difficulties meant this has yet to be entered into.[8] In the 1991-92 season, Cambridge were challenging for promotion to the forthcoming new Premier League and were faced with the prospect of changing Abbey Stadium into an all-seater venue, as all teams in the highest two divisions of the English league were obliged to be all-seater by 1994 due to the changes in legislation that followed the Hillsborough disaster of 1989. But due to Cambridge's subsequent decline (they were back in the lowest division of the Football League within four years) meant that the ground has changed very little in the last 15 years, and with standing accommodation still permitted below the second tier of the English league there has been little pressure to make the stadium all-seater and in 2001 the club's directors stated that it was their intention to retain standing accommodation for as long as they are at a level that will permit it.

The same financial difficulties meant the Abbey Stadium land, donated to the club by Henry Francis in 1931, was sold to then director John Howard's company Bideawhile 445 Ltd. in December 2004.[citation needed] Although the club confirmed in January 2006 it had "reached an agreement in principle" to buy back the ground, this has not yet happened, but is seen as crucial in safeguarding its long term financial security.[citation needed] Also in January 2006, John Howard announced plans to move out of the Abbey Stadium to a new purpose built stadium in Milton.[9] These were criticised by fans as risking the club's identity by moving out of the city and, despite Howard describing them as crucial to the club's future, little else has been heard of them since.

In April 2008, the club announced that for the first time, the corporate naming rights in the stadium had been sold. Although the club's Chief Executive Norman Gautrey acknowledged that the fans would 'mourn the passing' of the Abbey Stadium name, it was stated to be crucial to the club's finances given the high annual rent on the ground.[10] Trade Recruitment began a five-year sponsorship deal on 1 May 2008 for a total fee of £250,000.[11] In the June 2009 a new deal was announced with a St Ives-based legal firm to rename the stadium as the R Costings Abbey Stadium.[5]

In March 2010 Cambridge Fans United started a project to purchase the Abbey Stadium from Bideawhile 445 Ltd. The attempt was unsuccessful and the stadium was sold to Grosvenor Estates for £3.5m. Positive talks between the club and Grosvenor have resulted in a "significant" rent reduction from the annual £240,000 being paid to previous ground owners Bideawhile over the next three years. Cambridge United, Grosvenor and their development partners, Great Shelford-based Wrenbridge, have also shaken hands on a memorandum of understanding to consider options for a new community stadium in Cambridgeshire.[12]

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