| Club: | Cambridge United |
| Season: | 1972–73 |
| Manager: | Bill Leivers |
| League: | Football League Fourth Division |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | First round |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | First round |
| League Topscorer: | Brian Greenhalgh (18) |
| Pattern La1: | _blackborder |
| Pattern B1: | _collarblack |
| Pattern Ra1: | _blackborder |
| Leftarm1: | ffdb00 |
| Body1: | ffdb00 |
| Rightarm1: | ffdb00 |
| Shorts1: | 000000 |
| Socks1: | ffdb00 |
| Prevseason: | 1971–72 |
| Nextseason: | 1973–74 |
The 1972–73 season was Cambridge United's 3rd season in the Football League.
Cambridge had a fine season finishing in 3rd position and thus gaining promotion to the Third Division after only three seasons in the Football League.
| Win | Draw | Loss |
See main article: 1972–73 Football League.
| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 August 1972 | Darlington | H | 0–3 | 3,478 | |||
| 2 | 19 August 1972 | Barnsley | A | 1–3 | 2,808 | Walker | ||
| 3 | 26 August 1972 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 3–1 | 2,941 | Brookes (o.g.), Collins, Phillips | ||
| 4 | 30 August 1972 | Mansfield Town | A | 1–3 | 5,216 | Lill | ||
| 5 | 2 September 1972 | Exeter City | A | 1–3 | 3,249 | Pointer | ||
| 6 | 9 September 1972 | Hartlepool United | H | 1–1 | 2,647 | Lill | ||
| 7 | 16 September 1972 | Newport County | A | 2–0 | 3,564 | Lill, Greenhalgh | ||
| 8 | 20 September 1972 | Stockport County | H | 1–0 | 2,952 | Robinson | ||
| 9 | 23 September 1972 | Peterborough United | H | 3–1 | 4,378 | Lill, Greenhalgh, Collins | ||
| 10 | 26 September 1972 | Gillingham | A | 2–1 | 2,173 | Collins, Greenhalgh | ||
| 11 | 30 September 1972 | Northampton Town | A | 2–2 | 3,439 | Collins, Watson | ||
| 12 | 7 October 1972 | Bradford City | H | 2–1 | 3,960 | Collins, Greenhalgh | ||
| 13 | 11 October 1972 | Hereford United | H | 1–0 | 4,112 | Phillips | ||
| 14 | 13 October 1972 | Southport | A | 1–1 | 4,108 | Phillips | ||
| 15 | 20 October 1972 | Colchester United | H | 3–0 | 4,465 | Noble (o.g.), Collins, Ross | ||
| 16 | 25 October 1972 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–1 | 1,701 | Walton | ||
| 17 | 28 October 1972 | Chester | A | 1–1 | 3,605 | Ross | ||
| 18 | 4 November 1972 | Gillingham | H | 3–1 | 4,656 | Collins, Lill, Walton | ||
| 19 | 10 November 1972 | Stockport County | A | 2–2 | 3,165 | Lill (2) | ||
| 20 | 25 November 1972 | Workington | A | 1–5 | 1,112 | Eades | ||
| 21 | 2 December 1972 | Torquay United | H | 0–0 | 3,244 | |||
| 22 | 9 December 1972 | Northampton Town | H | 3–1 | 3,539 | Lill, Greenhalgh (2) | ||
| 23 | 16 December 1972 | Bury | H | 1–1 | 2,337 | Greenhalgh | ||
| 24 | 23 December 1972 | Aldershot | H | 2–2 | 3,918 | Collins, Greenhalgh | ||
| 25 | 26 December 1972 | Peterborough United | A | 1–1 | 7,577 | Greenhalgh | ||
| 26 | 30 December 1972 | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | 3,864 | Lill | ||
| 27 | 6 January 1973 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 0–0 | 1,735 | |||
| 28 | 20 January 1973 | Exeter City | H | 1–3 | 3,979 | Watson | ||
| 29 | 27 January 1973 | Hartlepool United | A | 0–0 | 3,036 | |||
| 30 | 31 January 1973 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–0 | 3,074 | Greenhalgh | ||
| 31 | 3 February 1973 | Hereford United | A | 1–2 | 8,907 | Greenhalgh | ||
| 32 | 10 February 1973 | Newport County | H | 3–1 | 3,496 | Watson, Lill, Phillips | ||
| 33 | 17 February 1973 | Darlington | A | 3–3 | 1,412 | Lill, Ross, Watson | ||
| 34 | 24 February 1973 | Bury | H | 2–2 | 3,768 | Greenhalgh (2) | ||
| 35 | 2 March 1973 | Bradford City | A | 1–0 | 5,031 | Ross | ||
| 36 | 7 March 1973 | Lincoln City | H | 2–1 | 3,736 | Watson, Phillips | ||
| 37 | 10 March 1973 | Southport | H | 2–2 | 5,504 | Ross (2) | ||
| 38 | 16 March 1973 | Colchester United | A | 1–0 | 3,888 | Ross | ||
| 39 | 21 March 1973 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 5,589 | |||
| 40 | 24 March 1973 | Chester | H | 1–0 | 3,935 | Lill | ||
| 41 | 31 March 1973 | Workington | H | 1–0 | 4,028 | Greenhalgh | ||
| 42 | 7 April 1973 | Torquay United | A | 2–1 | 4,014 | Greenhalgh (2) | ||
| 43 | 14 April 1973 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 6,033 | Ross | ||
| 44 | 21 April 1973 | Lincoln City | A | 1–2 | 4,801 | Greenhalgh | ||
| 45 | 24 April 1973 | Aldershot | A | 1–1 | 10,800 | Greenhalgh | ||
| 46 | 28 April 1973 | Mansfield Town | H | 3–2 | 11,542 | Ross, Walton (2) |
See main article: 1972–73 FA Cup.
See main article: 1972–73 Football League Cup.
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| DF | Vic Akers | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| DF | Jack Bannister | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| DF | Martin Binks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | John Collins | 35(3) | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36(3) | 9 |
| FW | Bryan Conlon | 4(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5(1) | 0 |
| DF | Terry Eades | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| MF | Chris Foote | 19(6) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21(6) | 0 |
| FW | Brian Greenhalgh | 45 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 18 |
| DF | Alan Guild | 41(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42(1) | 0 |
| MF | David Lill | 45 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 12 |
| FW | Peter Phillips | 6(12) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6(12) | 5 |
| MF | Keith Pointer | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| DF | Graham Rathbone | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| FW | Terry Robinson | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| MF | Bobby Ross | 32 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 9 |
| FW | Dave Simmons | 0(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(3) | 0 |
| GK | Graham Smith | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| DF | Jimmy Thompson | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| GK | Peter Vasper | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| MF | Dennis Walker | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| MF | Ronnie Walton | 37 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 5 |
| MF | Graham Watson | 39 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 4 |