Mark Bonner: Thank You!

 Leader, role model, Cambridge United fan and legend, there’s so many words that I could use to describe Mark Bonner. Legend is term thrown around all too often these days, but for Mark Bonner legend is perhaps not enough. Every Cambridge fan can look back on many fond memories created by Bonner, he is one of us. I’ve never met Mark yet he reconnected the club and the fans in such a way that, I felt like I was part of the club’s journey. I have a bittersweet feeling, I feel it was time for Bonner’s reign to end but it didn’t end the way I had hoped. This is probably the first time I have felt sad about a manger departing. 

Mark Bonner has lived my dream. He’s gone from fan (in the Habbin!), to academy coach, to academy manager, to assistant head coach and finally to head coach. He’s openly spoken about writing about Cambridge United at school and watching from the Habbin as an eight year old. Coincidently, I also started watching Cambridge United aged 8 and from the Habbin. I watched, in horror as Cambridge slipped out of the football league. 

Obviously, I haven’t made it as far as Bonner. I was a mascot in 2006 though! 

I opened this blog stating that Mark Bonner has left a legacy of memories for Cambridge fans, I’d like to take this time to talk about some of them. In total I watched 90 games during Bonner’s tenure. The first year of Bonner as head coach was during the Covid pandemic, a difficult and challenging time for us all. With fans unable to attend almost every match during this time, a digital season ticket was issued to allow fans to watch the games at home. I used to sit in the garden, when the weather was good enough, with a beer and the strangest thing started happening; we started winning games. 

Of course when winter came, I had to move inside. We kept winning. 

Although I couldn’t be at The Abbey in person, cardboard me was there and probably less sweary than real me! 

What a weird time!

There was a short period where fans could attend matches, before we couldn’t again.

In empty stadiums, Wessi was assisting Mullin to bang home the goals, promotion was looking likely. Grimsby Town were the visitors to The Abbey. I nervously watched at home! I couldn’t even have a beer to help calm the nerves! A straightforward 3-0 win secured promotion to the third tier! Some fans descended on The Abbey to celebrate, I descended onto my night shift in the Covid ICU. Once I had finished my run of nights, Rach and I celebrated the promotion! 

The first season in League 1 brought many memories. League 1 is still the highest level of football I’ve watched, how mad is that?! But it wasn’t just league football to look forward to that season. The U’s went on a memorable cup run, eventually drawing Newcastle in the FA Cup 3rd round. I actually watched the FA Cup third round draw from the bathroom of my room in the York Novotel, it was the area with the best signal. In hindsight, I could have watched it on the TV in the room! 

What an experience, and with my fave person

The Newcastle weekend turned into one of the best weekends of my life. I remember waking early on the morning of the game. I wasn’t nervous, but went for a walk over to Gateshead to try and settle my excitement. Rach was arriving from Manchester, straight from a night shift. I remember walking to Newcastle station, getting a coffee for us and trying to keep Rach awake by taking her for a beer. We walked up the hundreds of stairs to the away end at St James’ Park. There was no pressure on us, we were playing the world’s richest football club in their massive stadium. I’d been to big games before, but this felt so much different to say a playoff final. This game felt enjoyable. When Joey Ironside scored, I lost it. I couldn’t believe we had taken the lead! Then VAR happened, my heart sank, this was a first for us. It felt like an age, the goal was given. Celebrations round two. I’d lying if I didn’t say, it was a very nervous end. The U’s held out and beat Newcastle at St James’ Park. The post final whistle celebrations will live long in my memory. Rach and I celebrated until the early hours. We even ran into a group of Sunderland fans, who wanted a photo. 

So true

A few weeks after Newcastle, The U’s made the short trip to Ipswich. A local game for sure but a derby? No, not for me. Ironside again netted the winner in a 1-0 victory, in front of the biggest away amber army attendance for years! The day was made even better by how upset the Ipswich fans were at losing to little old Cambridge. They’re honestly one of my least favourite fan bases. 

The following season saw The U’s staring relegation in the face. A tough run in, included the Cambridgeshire derby. This was my first derby at The Abbey (the pizza cup doesn’t count). I wanted to win this so badly, more than any other game, I was nervous. Goals from Harrison Dunk and Sam Smith (not the singer) cemented a 2-0 Cambridge win! 

Queue the post match celebrations:

A huge victory against Pish gave us a fighting chance of staying up. Of course, it went it last game of the season. We hosted already relegated Forest Green. We had to win and hope other results went our way. We won the game 2-0, it was looking good. Everyone nervously got their phones out to see the other scores: 

News came through that we had survived! Everyone rushed onto pitch… except me. I had to run down Newmarket Road to get to a wedding. No, I didn’t go the wedding in my bucket hat. Also Rach wasn’t present at the game. Another late celebration happened: 

In what turned out to be Bonner’s last season as head coach, I celebrated a significant milestone at Derby! 

Supporting Cambridge has been an rollercoaster, with few amazing moments. Most of the amazing moments involve Mark Bonner. Thank you will never be enough gratitude to show to Mark Bonner. A true U who not only lived his dream, but also all of our dreams too. Eight year old me would never have believed that one day we would boot Newcastle out of the FA Cup. A legend who gave me some of the best times and memories of my life, which I got to share with some of favourite people! I wish Bonz all the very best for the future and hope at some point he returns. Mark, you’ll be loved by Cambridge fans forever. Thank you. United in endeavour.