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Colchester United Ground Name: Layer
Road |
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| Contents | |
| What's The Ground
Like? Future Developments Looking Towards The Clock End (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? The Main Stand (photo) Where To Drink? Layer Road End (photo) How To Get There By Car & Where To Park By Train Barside Popular Terrace (photo) Admission Prices Programme Price A Closer Look At The Clock End (photo) Local Rivals Ground Layout Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2007-2008 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Hotel Accommodation Feedback Return To The Main Menu |
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| What's The Ground Like? | |
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With the Club set to move to a new stadium for
the start of the 2008/09 season, then this will be the last season that the
team will be playing at Layer Road. Yes the ground is rather small and
showing its age, but it does have character. So if you have yet to visit it,
then make sure you do so before the bulldozers move in next Summer. At one end is the small, covered, Layer Road End terrace, which is given to away fans. Reaching only nine terraced steps in height, it is rather on the compact side. Opposite, the Clock End is a small, newish, covered all seater stand. It is a strange affair, having more rows of seats on one side of the stand than the other. It also has a number of supporting pillars that run across the front of it and is situated very close to the playing action. Again it is on the small side having only five rows of seating at its lowest point. As its name suggests though it does have a clock at the back of it, which I noticed was well protected in the event of a stray shot being aimed in its direction. The Main Stand on one side is again covered and is seated in the middle with covered terrace to either side. I noted that the roof supports in this stand were particularly rusty and that the stand had wooden seating to its rear, the latter probably being there since the stand was opened in 1933. The terrace located on the side of the Main Stand towards the Layer Road End, looks a different structure to the rest of the Main Stand and therefore, I can only assume that this was added to it at some stage. On the roof of the Main Stand rests a small covered platform for television cameras. The other side is a mostly covered terrace and is known as the Barside Popular Terrace. It runs about two thirds of the length of the pitch, with the covered area straddling the half way line, with a portion of open terracing located towards the Clock End. This stand in common with the rest of the ground has a number of supporting pillars which may obstruct your view. To the Layer Road side of the covered terrace there is a small covered seated stand that was erected at the beginning of the 2006/07 season. This odd looking affair has a bright white roof and contains just 175 seats that are given to away fans. The ground is completed with a modern set of floodlights. An unusual feature of the ground is that the Club have a flag pole located next to the Club Offices, where a Club Flag is proudly displayed on matchdays (on my last visit I witnessed a few stewards saluting the flag as it was hoisted up!) |
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| Work is underway on the building of a new 10,000 capacity stadium at the Cuckoo Farm site just off the A12 in Colchester. The new ground will have four covered sides with approximately 30 hospitality boxes, parking facilities and a direct link road from the A12. It has the same designers as the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield and is being built by Barr Construction. If all goes to plan then the Club should be kicking off in their new stadium for the start of the 2008/09 season. | |
| Looking Towards The Clock End | |
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| What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? | |
| Visitors are
mostly housed in the small Layer
Road End, where at least there is cover and you are close
to the playing action. However there are a number of supporting pillars
running along the front of this stand which could be annoying whilst trying
to watch the game. Up to 875 supporters can be
accommodated in this area. A small number of seats (175) are also made available to away
supporters, in a small temporary covered stand that has
been erected in one corner of the ground in-between the Layer Road Terrace
and Popular Barside. Although covered it does have a number of supporting
pillars that run across the front it which may impede your view. The acoustics of the Layer Road Terrace are particularly good and away supporters can really make some noise from this end. With the main singing contingent of Colchester fans located to the right of this terrace in the Popular Side, then this makes for a good atmosphere. A small refreshment hut offers the delicious 'Football's Famous Chicken Balti Pie' (£2.30), amongst other pies, sausage rolls (£1.80) and burgers (£2.70). |
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| Where To Drink? | |
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The nearest pub to Layer Road is the the Drury pub
at the top of Layer Road, which is generally okay
for away fans, unless it is a high profile match, such as a local derby, or where there
has been a bit of 'history' between the two clubs. A
better bet may be to head towards the town centre where you will pass the
Dragoon pub. Jonathan Hull adds; 'for a drink near the ground try
the Dragoon in Butt Road which is on the way to the ground,
almost opposite the police station. It is in the Campaign For Real
Ale guide, serves good ales and does a mean chilli on match days. It is full
of Col U fans but of the friendly real ale drinker variety'.
To find this pub and to head towards the town centre;
then with the Club's ticket and administrative offices behind you turn left
and go down Layer Road. You will pass the Drury pub on your left and then at
the t-junction turn right into Butt Road. Continue down this road passing,
the entrance to Colchester Barracks on the right and just further down on
the right is the Dragoon Pub which serves a range of Adnams beers. If you
carry on down Butt Road, passing the Police Station on your left, then
proceed through the underpass and on towards the main shopping area. Turn
right into St Johns Street and just a short way down in the right is another
CAMRA listed pub, the Fox & Fiddle which serves a number of real ales.
Almost next door is the Playhouse, which is a Wetherspoons outlet. This
former theatre is a spectacular setting for a bar, as the original dress
circle and stage of the theatre have been preserved and is well worth a
visit. It is about a 15 minute walk from the ground into the town centre.
However it will probably take about 20 minutes to walk back as it mostly
uphill. Peter Mansell adds; 'A great pub for visiting fans who like quality real ale is called "The Odd One Out", It is situated at the bottom part of Mersea Road not far from Colchester Town station, maybe a 15 minute walk away from the ground. The pub has won the best real ale pub in Essex award on more than one occasion'. |
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| How To Get There By Car & Where To Park | |
| The ground is situated one mile south of the town centre.
Thanks to Richard Lay for providing the
directions below: From The North: Leave the A14 and then join the M11. Come off the M11 at J8 (Stansted Airport/A120) and follow the A120 towards Braintree & Colchester. The A120 joins the A12 and you then come off at the next junction (26), and take the A1124 towards Colchester West/Halstead. At top of the slip road turn left at the roundabout towards Colchester/Mersea and continue along Essex Yeomanry Way and then onto the London Road towards the town centre. Proceed for just over 3/4 mile to traffic lights (MFI store on your right). Turn right at lights and follow this road until you reach it's end where a pub (Leather Bottle) is on left. Turn left and follow until traffic lights at Boadecia Way, 3/4 mile, where you turn right. Go to its end and then turn left; this is Layer Rd and the ground is about 1/4 mile further down on left. From The South: Leave the M25 at junction 28 and head east. Leave the A12 before you reach Colchester at the Halstead/Cambridge turn off. Turn right at top of slip road and continue along Essex Yeomanry Way, left at roundabout into London Road. Then as above. Richard also informs me; 'Parking is easiest in Boadecia Way or in one of the side roads to the right and this will leave about a 5 - 7 min walk to the ground'. On the car parking front David Battson adds; 'there is a small unofficial car park about 200 yards from the ground. There is also a Park and Ride scheme which is well sign posted (situated at Sobroan barracks). Cost for the unofficial car park is £2.50 per car, and holds between 50 to 100 cars. The Matchday Park and Ride is slightly larger and is £2 per car. However, the buses can be every 20 minutes or so'. Paul Bruce adds; 'There is also a pay and display car park which is located on the right hand side of Butt Road, going towards the town centre from the ground, which costs £2.60 for four hours, but I believe is free in the evenings'. For a map showing the location of the ground click here (to take you to the Street Map website). To go to a simplified page, containing the directions and pub info, which you can print out click here. |
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| By Train | |
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The nearest station to the ground is Colchester Town
which is around a 25 minute walk away and is seven minute journey time away
from Colchester mainline station where most fans are likely to end up at.
Vicky Booth a visiting Southampton supporter adds; 'It
may also be worth pointing out to people that the "football
ground" marked on the map outside the station is a
recreation ground and not Layer Road, which isn't shown.
Very confusing!' The main Colchester station is really too far from the ground to walk, so either get another train to Colchester Town station or jump in a taxi, which should cost about £5. If you arrive early at Colchester mainline station and decide to walk to the ground (crossing through the town centre) then it should take about 40 minutes. |
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Note the temporary seated stand (with white roof) to the right of the terrace |
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| Admission Prices | |
| Home Fans: Main Stand (Seating) - Adults £23, Concessions £15 Clock End (Seating) - Adults £20, Concessions £14 Barside Terrace - Adults £19, Concessions £12 Family Area - Adults + 1 Child Under 12 £20, Additional Adult £20, Additional Under 12 £5 Away Fans: Clock End Seating - Adults £20, Concessions £14 Layer Road End Terrace - Adults £19, Concessions £12 |
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| Programme | |
| Official Programme £3 | |
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| Local Rivals | |
| Ipswich Town, Southend United and from further away Wycombe. | |
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| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. | |
| Fixtures 2007-2008 | |
| For the Colchester fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| 19,072 v Reading FA Cup 1st Round, November 27th, 1948. Average Attendance: 2006-2007: 5,466 (Championship League) 2005-2006: 3,969 (League One) 2004-2005: 3,534 (League One) |
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| Fans Reviews Of Layer Road | |
| Jonathon Byrne (Stoke City) 16/12/06 | |
| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Colchester page click here. | |
| Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect or you have something to add,
please e-mail me and I'll update
the guide. * In 1937 Colchester United took over Layer Road, which had been the home of Colchester Town since 1909. |
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