Cambridge to build 'winning culture' - co-owner Barry

Cambridge will return to League Two after four seasons in the third tier

Cambridge United will be "working harder than ever over the summer to help create a winning culture" at the club, majority shareholder Paul Barry has said.

Relegation from League One was confirmed on Saturday when the U's were beaten 2-1 at Burton Albion.

They only managed one point from their opening nine games of the season, leading to the eventual sacking of head coach Garry Monk in February, and replacement Neil Harris was unable to keep them up.

"The sting of relegation will take some time to pass for all of us," Barry said in a message to supporters on the club website.

"Whilst I recognise it is cold comfort at the moment, when it does, we can reflect that we will be returning to League Two a much stronger and very different club than when we were promoted four years ago."

The club are planning redevelopment work at the Cledara Abbey Stadium and "significant extra investment" in their training ground.

"Taken together - and with what we believe will be a competitive budget for League Two - it does mean we are going down with a mentality to really go after this next chapter and attack it on and off the pitch," added Barry, who owns 75.01% of the club.

"The disappointment of this season must act as fuel for the future."

When Cambridge parted company with Monk, they took the perhaps unprecedented step of bringing back his two immediate predecessors, Harris and Mark Bonner, as head coach and director of football, respectively.

Barry added that the pair have "already made a real and very noticeable impact in a short period".

Speaking following the game at Burton, Harris said he had been aware of the "reality" when he took over, that maintaining their third tier status would be an uphill struggle.

"I knew the level of the group and the level over the course of the season has been relegation level," he told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"I can't hide away from that and I can't sugar-coat it. We have to let the dust settle and take it on the chin.

"I take accountability having become head coach and all I can say to the fan base is we will be better moving forward - sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward and that's what we are planning on doing as a football club."

Cambridge end the season in front of their own supporters on Saturday when they take on champions Birmingham City.