Football Ground Guide: Weston Homes Community Stadium, Colchester United FC

Contents
What's The Ground Like? Future Ground Developments External View (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? West And ACJ Stands (photo) Where To Drink? Jobserve And ACJ Stands (photo) How To Get There By Car & Where To Park Weston Homes Stand (photo) By Train West Stand (photo) Admission Prices Programme Price Local Rivals Ground Layout Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2012-2013 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Hotel Accommodation Location Map Of The Stadium

What's The Weston Homes Community Stadium Like?
In 2008 the Club left their Layer Road ground, their home for 71 years, and moved to a new stadium on the edge of town. The new Weston Homes Community Stadium as it has been named in a corporate sponsorship deal, was built by Barr Construction at a cost of around £14m. The cost was largely met by Colchester Borough Council, who own the stadium, with the football club as tenants. The stadium is functional and well presented, but as with a number of new stadiums built in recent years, it lacks character and is nothing 'out of the ordinary'. The ground is comprised of four separate stands. The Main (West) Stand on one side of the pitch is a little taller than the other three stands, which are the same height. All the stands are covered single tiered, all seated stands. The Main Stand has a row of executive boxes/corporate hospitality areas running across the top of it, whilst the others are simply seating areas. The Weston Homes Stand though, at the South end of the stadium, does have a Police Control Box incorporated into it, on one side beneath the roof. All the stands have translucent panels built into their roofs as well as a perspex strip just below them, which allows more light and facilitates pitch growth. Top Of Page
Future Ground Developments
Alison Wells informs me; 'When the stadium was built the necessary foundations were put in place so that the capacity could be easily increased at a later date. This would include filling in the corners, which would increase the capacity to around 12,500. A second tier could also be added onto the ACJ (North), Weston Homes (South) and JobServe (East) stands, raising the total capacity still further to 18,000. There are no time scales as to when this may take place.' Top Of Page
External View
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What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are normally housed at the North end of the stadium in the ACJ Stand, where up to 2,000 supporters can be accommodated. For Clubs with a small travelling support then part of the JobServe Stand (towards the North End) is allocated instead. As you would expect from a new stadium the facilities and view of the playing action are good. The stands are particularly steep, meaning that fans are kept close to the pitch and resulting in good sight lines. A varied range of food is available on the concourses, including Cheesburgers (£3.40), Hot Dogs (£3.30), Cornish Pasties (£3.10), Chicken Balti Pies (£2.90), Steak & Ale Pies (£2.90), Cheese & Onion Pasties (£2.90) and Sausage Rolls (£2.90). Adam Hodson a visiting Stockport County fan tells me; 'The ground is equipped with electronic turnstiles. The stadium is very similar to Shrewsbury's New Meadow with all four stands being of similar height'. John Hill a visiting Huddersfield Town fan adds; 'One pleasing feature was that at 6'2", I was still okay for leg room, which is not always the case at some other grounds. We caught the shuttle bus from the station and it worked surprisingly well. We got to the ground easily, and afterwards they let the buses out of the car park before cars, which led to a fairly swift return to the station and an easy getaway'. Peter Clark an Ipswich Town fan adds; 'There is no facility to pay cash at the turnstiles, so you have to buy your tickets from the Ticket booth if you haven't already bought them in advance'. Mick Hubbard informs me; 'The ground is not in a great place. Like Chester in the past, the club has been dispatched to a far-flung part of town, sitting the the edge of a new business park, surrounded by wasteland. Although the facilities were excellent, it is quite a depressing location for a "community" club'. Tony Cannan a visiting Plymouth Argyle supporter warns; 'Be careful when climbing the stairs to your seat row in the stand itself. It's very easy to misjudge these steps and lose your footing'. Top Of Page
West And ACJ Stands
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Where To Drink?
The Club allow access to the bar and toilets located on the concourse area of the Weston Homes Stand, before each home game (12.15pm for a 3.00pm Kick-Off). Drinks can be taken back outside the stadium to enjoy the pre-match entertainment such as live bands which are often playing under the marquee. This bar is available to both home and away supporters. Alcohol available includes; Lager, Bitter, Wine, plus Whisky and Brandy (all at £3.80). With the stadium being on the very outskirts of Colchester, then there is little in the choice of pubs. David Prior informs me; 'The Dog and Pheasant on Nayland Road, is probably the closest to the stadium, although it is till around 3/4's of a mile away. However, it is only admitting home fans'. Audrey MacDonald a visiting Hartlepool United fan adds; 'We visited the Dog and Pheasant and were admitted okay, although we weren't wearing colours. The pub had a good choice of beer and did food too. To find the pub, go down to the end of United Way, then at the end turn left into Boxted Road and at the mini-roundabout go straight over into Nayland Road. The Dog and Pheasant is on the right next to a fish and chip shop'. About one and half miles away on the Ipswich Road (A1232, off A12/A120) is the Balkerne Gate pub, which is part of the Brewers Fayre chain. David Prior continues; 'If you are arriving at Colchester North Station then there are a few pubs within a five minute walk. Directly opposite Bruff Close (where the shuttle bus runs from) is the Bricklayers, which is more of a home pub. If you turn right out of the station and cross at the pedestrian crossing and keep going straight on down North Station road, you will come to the Norfolk, which is a Greene King pub and offers a good selection of lagers and ales. A little further on is the 3rd option being the Albert, which is a Beefeater pub'. John Hill a visiting Huddersfield Town fan adds; 'The Norfolk Arms, which is less than five minutes walk away from the station car park was happy to admit away fans and seems to be the designated pub. It looks like that it has recently been refurbished, plus they serve hand-pulled real ale. Plus Sky Sports on screen & a new-looking pool table, so definitely recommended'. Les Fry a visiting AFC Bournemouth fan adds; 'We and a few other Cherries fans drank in the Bricklayers pub near to the shuttle bus stop and experienced no problems.' Alternatively you can take the short train ride from Colchester (North) mainline station to Colchester Town, around which there are plenty of pubs to be found. Ed Aitken adds; 'A decent bet for a pub near town station is the Odd One Out pub at the bottom of Mersea road (about a two minute walk). It is the most traditional real ale pub in Colchester, although swearing is banned!' A 5-10 minute walk away is the CAMRA listed pub, the Fox & Fiddler which serves a number of real ales. Also on St John's Street and 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. Alcohol is also available inside the stadium. Top Of Page
JobServe And ACJ Stands
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How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
At long last the new junction on the A12 for access to the stadium has been completed, which means that the stadium is only a short drive from this trunk road. From The North & M11: 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 then joins the A12 and after passing the stadium on your right, leave the A12 at Junction 28. Turn left at the first roundabout, the turn right into United Way from the second roundabout. From the South: Leave the A12 at Junction 28. Turn right at the first roundabout. Go across the bridge and then go straight over the second roundabout, before turning right into United Way from the third roundabout. Post code for Sat Nav: The postcode of the stadium is CO4 5UP, but you may find that your sat nav system does not acknowledge this postcode at present. It is recommended by the club to use CO4 5JS, which is the nearby Rapid Electronics factory. Car Parking: There 700 car parking spaces at the stadium which cost £6. These can be pre-booked online, with the parking permits sent out to you by post for no extra cost. In the event that the car park is full, then the club direct fans to an overspill car park located on the nearby industrial estate (about a 10-15 minute walk away from the stadium) which costs £8. There is also an extensive residents only parking scheme in operation around the stadium, so you may need to journey to over a mile away, before you can find a legitimate parking space. Donald Oates a visiting Huddersfield Town fan informs me; 'I was disappointed to find that there was no alternative but to park at the stadium at a cost of £6 parking. Everywhere around the stadium the side roads have signs prohibiting off street parking, which is enforced by stewards. I was even more disappointed at the end of the game, having to wait 30 minutes before I could exit the car park. There seemed to be no clear markings, even though there were literally acres of land which could be used. Reece a visiting Portsmouth fan informs me; 'We arrived five hours before kick off and managed to park okay on a nearby housing estate. There were no formal parking restrictions on display (such as no yellow lines, street signs etc..) but nearer kick off time signs are manually put out and stewards placed at the end of each road to quiz entering drivers whether in fact they are a local resident. It all seems a rather odd affair.' Mick Hubbard adds; 'There are a number of local businesses in the area also offering parking for around £5'. Map showing the location of the Weston Homes Community Stadium (at the bottom of this page). Top Of Page
Weston Homes Stand
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By Train
The nearest station to the ground is Colchester North which is just under two miles away from the stadium. Located near to the station at Bruff Close is a free shuttle bus service that will take you to the ground. It takes around 10 minutes to reach the stadium. I have heard of some fans paying to park at Colchester North Station, where there is a fair sized car park (which costs £2.10 on Saturdays, £4.10 midweek) and then taking the shuttle bus. Apparently there is some street parking to be had on Mile End Road near to the Bricklayers pub. Shuttle Bus to the Stadium: A shuttle bus operates from Bruff Close, which is close to Colchester North station (at the end of the station approach turn left and take the second exit at the roundabout, the buses park behind the "Big Yellow" storage facility that you can see from the station ). For 3pm kick offs it runs from 1pm, with the last bus returning from the stadium at 6pm. For 7.45pm kick offs, the service commences at 6pm with the last bus returning from the stadium at 10.15pm. The cost of the bus is £2 return, but it is free for OAP's, who can show a senior citizen bus pass. The journey time to the stadium is around 10 minutes. Top Of Page
West Stand
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Admission Prices
Colchester United have decided to drop the grading of their matches after two seasons for 2012/13 to simplify their pricing structure for supporters: Home Fans: West Stand (Centre): Adults £26, Concessions £21 West Stand (Outer Centre): Adults £24, Concessions £19 West Stand (Wings): Adults £22, Concessions £17 West Stand (Outer Wings): Adults £20, Concessions £15 JobServe Stand (Centre): Adults £26, Concessions £21, Under 18’s £13, Under 14’s £7, Under 8’s £4 JobServe Stand (Outer Centre): Adults £24, Concessions £19, Under 18’s £12, Under 14’s £6, Under 8’s £3 JobServe Stand (Wings): Adults £22, Concessions £17, Under 18’s £11, Under 14’s £5, Under 8’s £2 JobServe Stand (Outer Wings): Adults £20, Concessions £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 14’s £4, Under 8’s £1 Weston Homes Stand: Adults £18, Under 21's £14, Concessions £13, Under 18's £10 Away Fans: ACJ Stand: Adults £18, Under 21's £14, Concessions £13, Under 18's £10 JobServe Stand: Adults £20, Concessions £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 14’s £4, Under 8’s £1 * The ticket prices above are for tickets purchased prior to matchday. Tickets bought on the day of the match cost £2 more for Adults and £1 for Concessions. Concessions apply to Over 65's, the disabled and members of the armed forces. Top Of Page
Programme
Official Programme £3 Top Of Page
Local Rivals
Ipswich Town, Southend United and from further away Wycombe. Top Of Page
Ground Layout
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Disabled Facilities
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website. Further information is also available on the official Colchester United website. Top Of Page
Fixtures 2012-2013
Colchester United FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website) Top Of Page
Record & Average Attendance
10,064 v Norwich City League One, January 16th 2010. At Layer Road: 19,072 v Reading FA Cup 1st Round, November 27th, 1948. Average Attendance: 2011-2012: 3,865 (League One) 2010-2011: 4,247 (League One) 2009-2010: 5,530 (League One) Top Of Page
Fans Reviews
James Starling (Yeovil Town) 26/2/13 Paul Willott (Doing The 92/Preston North End) 3/3/12 Tino Hernandez (Bournemouth) 14/1/11 John Hubble (Doing The 92) 28/9/10 Shaun Hush (Sheffield Wednesday) 14/8/10 Joe Myall (Wycombe Wanderers) 27/3/10 Adam Drake (Huddersfield Town) 3/10/09 All at Sea Fanzine Team (Southend United) 21/2/09 Greg Trumper (Mk Dons) 20/9/08 Top Of Page
Hotel Accommodation
If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. 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. Access their Colchester Hotels and Guest Houses page. Remember that you can use the above link or panel below to book any other hotels that you may need for business or leisure, either in the UK or abroad. Top Of Page
Map showing the location of the stadium, railway station and listed pubs
Instructions for using the map: - Use the bar on the left of the map to zoom in / out using the + / - keys. - Click and drag an area of the map to move around or use the up/down, left/right arrows - Click the Satellite button to see aerial view photograph. Please note that the map below does not show the new access junction with the A12, as Google have yet to update their mapping of the area. Top Of Page
Feedback
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail duncan@footballgrounds.net and I'll update the guide.

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Colchester United Weston Homes Community Stadium

Colchester United
Weston Homes Community Stadium