The Worst Of Times: Kidderminster (a) 2005
The Worst Of Times: Kidderminster (a) 2005
Where are they now? Finding out what happened to the last United team to get relegated
Welcome to ‘The Worst of Times’: a cheery new regular series here on the UTAS website where resident sceptic Matt Ramsay is looking back at some of the laughably bad games and even worse seasons in Cambridge United’s history, and finding out what happened next to the teams we all want to forget.
Let us know in the comments if there’s any other games you want him to dive into next.
The end of this season will mark 20 years since Cambridge United’s last relegation, when they fell out of the Football League and almost out of existence.
There was a future England international in that squad - not something you often say either in U’s teams or sides that finish bottom of League Two. So it’s fair to say there was a mix of talents in a dismally unsuccessful period of the club’s history.
To reminisce fondly (read: painfully) on that squad, what greater (or worse?) match is there than the one which virtually doomed United: a defeat to Kidderminster at the end of January 2005. Even though there were still several months of the campaign remaining, this afternoon summed up why the team was destined for the drop.
29th January 2005: Kidderminster 3-1 Cambridge United
The visitors would end the season joining the U’s in the bottom two so this was every bit the six pointer, and one Steve Thompson’s charges made the ideal start in through Shane Tudor’s goal after 16 minutes. Tom Bennett was then sent off for Kidderminster for picking up two yellow cards in the opening 25 minutes, and United looked well set for a critical victory.
So much for that. Chris Beardsley quickly equalised. Johnny Mullins put the away side ahead just after the hour and Gary Birch sealed a 3-1 defeat for the U’s in the final moments. There would be no way back. While the club would survive to start the following season still in existence, it would be as a non-League club.
So who were the actors in one of the all-time low days in Cambridge United’s history, and what did they get up to afterwards?
John Ruddy. It seems absurd that such a quality player could be part of a team which finished bottom of the 92. It’s worth noting the unusual stat that Cambridge, who finished bottom, actually conceded fewer league goals in this season than Yeovil Town, who were champions.
He moved up to the Premier League with Everton, then made over 240 appearances for Norwich and over 70 for both Wolves and Birmingham. Capped once by England, he is still in the top flight aged 37 with Newcastle.
Adam Tann. Another player who was still active to the end of last season, albeit at a rather different level to Ruddy. Tann left the U’s following relegation, scored on his debut for Notts County and then successfully defeated testicular cancer while at Leyton Orient. He dropped out of the League after a spell back at Notts County, before touring local teams such as Histon and Chelmsford. Ended last season at Gorleston in the Isthmian League North before turning 42 in May.
Andy Duncan. One of few players to remain at the Abbey into the non-League years. He remained at the club for a further two seasons to take his tenure at the club to nine years, taking his tally to over 300 appearances, before being released aged 29 and working at the club in a commercial role. Ended his career at Chelmsford before becoming a driving instructor.
Simon Rea. This was the last of only four league appearances he made for the club. He was back at parent club Peterborough and played against the U’s the following season – oddly enough for Kidderminster, who predictably won again. Played for Redditch, Corby and Leamington, and now works in “sports massage and injury prevention” according to his LinkedIn.
Dan Gleeson. Like Andy Duncan, his United career did not end in relegation. A native of the city, he stayed for a year and then returned the following March after a brief spell at Notts County. Part of the great escape that prevented relegation to regional football, he nearly helped the side out of the Conference at the other end as United lost play-off finals in successive seasons. Moved on to Luton, where he lost another play-off final against Wimbledon, then appeared for Lowestoft and was player-manager at both Cambridge City and St Neots Town. Now in charge of Godmanchester Rovers.
Stuart Bimson. Left the U’s to spend a year in the Conference with Canvey Island, then moved on to Bedford Town. He took over as manager and was only spared relegation from the Southern League by Nuneaton going out of business. Spent a year back at Cambridge as a coach under Gary Brabin. Now uses LinkedIn to proclaim “I specialise in empowering and working alongside those hungry individuals who may want to add to their existing business or those who are possibly in need of a change and a completely different lifestyle”, whatever that means.
Luke Guttridge. Besides Ruddy, Guttridge had the most success of this United side. He joined Southend before relegation was confirmed and was promptly promoted twice in 15 months, playing in the Championship for both them and their rivals Colchester. After two spells at Northampton and one at Aldershot he dipped into non-League with Luton, helping them to promotion alongside Cambridge in 2013-14. He had two further years at Kenilworth Road, then two at Dagenham & Redbridge.
Shane Tudor. His goal against Kidderminster on this day was one of seven goals scored, making him the club’s top scorer in the relegation season. Scored five the following season for Leyton Orient, managed by Martin Ling, before being forced to retire aged just 26 after an injury sustained while playing for Port Vale. He stayed in that part of the world and is currently a director at Sporting Stars Academy in Stoke-on-Trent.
Justin Walker. Walker completed a spectacular trio of EFL relegations while at the Abbey, having already gone through the trap door once for Exeter in 2003 and then again during a brief loan at York in 2004. He avoided the same fate the next year despite Chester being bottom with only six weeks left, then ended his career with Ilkeston and Halifax. He now has a Pro License, and he was interim head coach for Derby between the tenures of Phillip Cocu and Wayne Rooney, as well as assisting Liam Rosenior at Hull and now Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
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Martin Carruthers. The oldest member of this starting eleven, now-52 year old Carruthers made his debut in this match and would only appear in the amber and black a further four times. Within a month he had made his last career EFL appearance, signing for Grantham and then Ilkeston before seven years at Basford United. He returned to Ilkeston as head coach, earning a promotion, and he’s now back as Basford boss after 16 months at Matlock Town.
Dan Chillingworth. Like Gleeson, he would return to the Abbey for a second spell. He was relegated with Rushden & Diamonds 12 months after doing the same with Cambridge before returning to CB5 in January 2007. He formed a lethal partnership with a young Robbie Simpson, netting five times in two games in March as the U’s avoided another drop, before a brief spell with St Albans and St Neots. After owning a restaurant and running a plastering company, he became a founding director at bubble football company Xtreme Events in 2013. Because of course he did.
Subs: Warren Goodhind, Darren Quinton, John Turner.
Oddities from the 04/05 League Two Season
Cheltenham, Grimsby and Notts County are the only three clubs from that season’s League Two to be in the same division in 2024/25. Of the four promoted sides, Yeovil, Scunthorpe and Southend are now in non-League and the other (Swansea) are the only to have since appeared in the top flight, having also won the EFL Cup.
Macclesfield, Darlington, Bury, Chester and Rushden & Diamonds have all gone out of business and had to reform. Kidderminster’s starting eleven included future U’s Wayne Hatswell and Simon Russell, current Harrogate manager Simon Weaver, and Dean Keates, who was in charge of Wrexham when they were bought by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
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