19th January 2016
Colchester United 1 Fleetwood
Town 1 (Football League First Division)
If someone had said to me at the start of the
season that I’d be watching a midweek game at Colchester United, then I would
have laughed them all the way to the bookies to have a bet on it!
However, sometimes a situation arises, and an
opportunity presents itself, and that is precisely what happened on the 4th
of January when I was sat in a meeting room in Liverpool City Centre.
The annual ‘Trip to Dartford’ was on the table
for us Regional Manager’s, and having dodged the last one, all eyes were on me,
and no one else was putting their hand up. I momentarily thought about it, and
then quickly realised that with a fair wind and some good weather, it might
give me a chance to get a new ground in.
Dartford is basically our training centre, and
the format is dead simple, you travel down on a Tuesday, bunk up in an all
expenses paid hotel, assess some new starters the following day and then set
off back home just after lunch. It’s a bit of a jolly if I’m being honest, but
because of the distance, my team of colleagues in the North West is never very
keen on it.
So, on the train back from Liverpool on that
all too depressing day which marks the return to work after the festive period,
I cracked a can of lager and thought about checking the fixtures. First port of
call was the Ryman League, and one or two were coming up, like East Thurrock
United, Witham Town and Tilbury, but then I thought I’d just check the Football
League just in case maybe a Charlton Athletic or a Leyton Orient was in the
reckoning, but not so. Only one game was taking place in the Football League
that night, and it was at Colchester United, which by my reckoning, was not a
million miles from my base.
There were three potential problems though, the
first one being the weather, the second one being that if they managed a draw
against Charlton in a few days time in the F.A. Cup, a replay would take
precedence, and then thirdly, but less of an issue, was the hotel I was going
be placed in. We use three, if it was the Brentwood one, then the train would
suffice, if it was any of the others in Thurrock or Dartford then I would have
to drive.
The replay issue soon went out of the window
when they managed to beat Charlton, and as time drew nearer it transpired I was
in Thurrock, so with a week to go I purchased a ticket online using the useful
print at home facility, and alongside it I bought a car parking ticket as well.
The weather forecast was for it to be very
cold, but knowing that they employed covers on the pitch, I wasn’t unduly
worried, so it was time to look forward to Football League ground number 75,
and by a quirk of fate, Colchester United are the only team in the league I
have never seen play of the 92. That isn’t strictly true though as I have never
seen Stevenage, I saw Stevenage Borough a few times, but not the club in its
new guise, so if we are being pedantic, I still need that one, but for all
intents and purposes, Colchester completes the set.
I managed to check in during the afternoon and
get them to serve me a bar meal to replace the evening meal I wouldn’t be able
to have due to being on the road, and as the clock moved past 5pm, with not
knowing the roads and the traffic, I decided to set off.
I decided to head down the A13, upon which my
hotel sat, past Grays, Corringham and Tilbury, before reaching the urban sprawl
that is Basildon. The A13 effectively runs parallel to the River Thames and in
the distance you could see the lights of the docks on the North bank, a
fascinating part of the World, with a rich, and somewhat seedy history.
It was then a turn inland and onto the dual
carriageway all the way to Chelmsford, a surprisingly empty road, until of
course I got to Chelmsford and encountered the rush hour. From Chelmsford it
was the A12 all the way past Kelvedon and Witham, before the Colchester ring
road was upon me.
The ground was signposted, but that wasn’t
required as the Weston Homes Community Stadium stood out like a beacon on the
right hand side, I was quickly in the car park, and with well over an hour to
kick off, the place was very quiet.
The ground reminded me of Chesterfield’s ProAct
Stadium, with four separate seated stands, and a larger main stand with
corporate facilities. Opposite the main stand was a full length stand, which
incorporated a section at the end for the hardy band of 40 Fleetwood Town
supporters who had made the arduous trek South.
The stands behind both goals were virtually
identical, but what is effectively the away end was closed as the fans could be
housed along the side, but with Tottenham Hotspur in town in a couple of weeks
time in the Cup, that end will no doubt be full and bouncing!
I never went to Layer Road, but from pictures
it had great character, however this didn’t, it was functional, out of town and
too clean and sharp for my liking. It was also set in what was previously Essex
greenbelt land, so it had a feeling of isolation, with only the Gateway retail
park adjacent suggesting further signs of life on the Northern Colchester ring
road.
It was also very empty, on a night where
temperatures dropped to freezing, a crowd of 2,400 was declared but I have my
doubts as to whether even 2,000 were in attendance? But then who am I to judge
such things on my first ever visit?
Atmosphere wise it was flat, Colchester had not
won a home league game since November and were deep in the relegation mire. New
boss Kevin Keen talked about needing 30 points from the remaining games to stay
in the league, and when you look at the points on the board so far, that is one
hell of a tall order!
Fleetwood Town are a success story, having
risen from the North West Counties League to the third tier of the game is a
stupendous achievement, but without a doubt they have found their level.
Perched above the relegation zone, but probably with enough about them to stay
up, they came to Colchester with a desire to not lose the game.
The game was pretty good to be fair, a fairly
tame opening twenty minutes but then Colchester took the lead through the
impressive Alex Gilbey, but after that Fleetwood had all the possession and
could count themselves unfortunate not to be at least on a par at half time.
The second half saw Fleetwood start the
stronger side, and they got a deserved equaliser via a tremendous strike from
Eggert Jonsson. After that it was the hosts who had the edge and had the highly
rated George Moncur got a shot on him they may well have won the game, but a
desire to find a killer pass in and around the penalty area was his downfall.
Fleetwood were dangerous on the break, but all in all, it was probably a fair
scoreline in the end, that if we are being brutally honest, does Colchester
very few favours.
I was expecting a bit of a mare getting out of
the car park, but bizarrely on the final whistle I walked straight to my car,
drove straight out of the car park and was on the ring road within at least two
minutes of the game ending, it was a bit of a result. The hotel bar was
occupied by 10.15pm, but not before I’d listened to the post match analysis and
interviews on BBC Essex. Like me, they seem to think Colchester are doomed, but
not before Spurs Reserves come to town, and you never know!
A bonus
one for me this, a very pleasant one at that, and despite their on the field
misgivings and somewhat sterile stadium, I quite like Colchester United, and
the hardy band of supporters who probably long for the old Layer Road and the
halcyon days made famous by the victory over Leeds United in the Cup. Having
said that, it’s one of the few grounds Derby County never won at, losing twice
in relatively recent seasons, but at least they can say they have never lost at
the Weston Homes Community Stadium!
