Magpies To Host Barnwell At ATP

Magpies will host Barnwell Rangers on the Comberton ATP on September 19th as the club struggled to find a pitch for the game any closer to Cambridge. Having originally hoped to play at either Netherhall Shool or Hills Road Sixth Form College, both venues proved to be unavailable due to colts bookings, and with no other obvious option available, Magpies booked the artificial surface at Comberton at a rate that club treasurer Chris Beament described as remarkably competitive! The game will be Magpies first on an artificial surface since they won 3-0 against Five Bells Cherry Hinton way back in Feb 2006. The state-of-the-art rubber crumb astro pitch is the same type as that used by several national teams and is a surface that favours a passing team which should encourage Magpies. Games between the clubs are notoriously tight with just one game out of six played over the last three years being won by more than a single goal. On that day Barnwell won 5-3 in a cup tie but in four league encounters both sides have a 3-2 win to go alongside two 2-2 draws since the first meeting in a pre-season game that ended in a remarkable 5-5 draw.
Magpies regular home ground of Downing College is not available until October meaning that their first four games will all come outside of Cambridge. After travelling the short distance to Capital Park to play Fulbourn this weekend, Magpies then face an away trip to Gamlingay United, one of the league's most remote outposts. Then after the Barnwell game Magpies travel to Girton Eagles before finally hosting a game at Grantchester Road on October 3rd when Cambridge Fire and Rescue arrive for a County Cup tie.

below:- Magpies host Barnwell in a 2-2 draw last season.