Tuesday 28 July 2020

Retro - Colchester United 1 Fleetwood Town 1 (Football League Division One - 2015-16)


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!

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