Memory Lane Boxing day out for the old Boys. Colchester Utd

[CHEMICO FC]

Make this game Essex Derby game Colchester v Southend:look: for all the Old boys Reuinion.
Lets see as maney of you as we can.
Is there any pictures of the old days out there at Layer Road.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Make this game Essex Derby game Colchester v Southend:look: for all the Old boys Reuinion.
Lets see as maney of you as we can.

I bet some of you get a bit HORSE and lets hope we're not SADDLED with a loss.

 

[ozzie]

I have a photo of myself,being escorted off the pitch by a policeman after running onto the pitch (at home),v Col.utd,1975 boxing day.
I was dressed as a woman,skirt,handbag,make-up,long plastic nose,wearing a yellow bowler hat..i ran onto the pitch at half time,tried to dance with some Col.utd players,but they kept away...but the Col.Utd keeper did dance with me.then i left the pitch,to the cheering of our fans...the picture is from,then,the southend evening echo.
If i could get someone to do it,!!i would try and put it onto the zone.

 

[ozzie]

When i lived in Exeter,i went and saw Torquay play Col.utd..in i think it was 1990.
Outside the ground ,i spoke with a 70??year old woman(Col.u.fan),told her i was a Southend fan,she said"she was at Southend once and someone ran onto the pitch and danced with their keeper,dressed as a woman". I thought about saying it was me,but she would have not believed it,so i replied..."yes,they are all mad there" and walked away happy,also knowing it made that "old girl" remember that time at Roots Hall

 

[Gremlin]

Back in my teens I used to dress as a 70 year-old woman and tour the football grounds of the South West. Met some right weirdos, I can tell you.

 

[Dazzaref]

What year was the game at Layer Road where loads of 'fans' (from Shoebury?) walked across the pitch with beers in hand?

 

[dannypav]

Bit worried about this trait for dressing up as a woman in public.
I do it of course , but in the privacy of my own home.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

What year was the game at Layer Road where loads of 'fans' (from Shoebury?) walked across the pitch with beers in hand?

First game of the season 1984/5 it was a 3-3 draw. The crowd was only 2,378 but must have been 200+ fans causing trouble that day.
Later in the season we had the FA Cup replay at Colchester when 'Ginger' was attacked probably in retaliation for what happened on the opening day.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

25th August 1984. 3-3 draw.
It was opening day of the league season and there had been a buzz all summer about the game. "outside Smith's (WH Smith's) at 9am" was the word.
The Friday night before the match I was in "Stocks" along the seafront with my gf. We were having a late drink when Ginge arrived. He stayed at mine and at an un-Godly hour knocked on our bedroom door with cups of tea and breakfast singing "Col U here we come".
At 9am there was a large group gathering and the beers were being consumed at that early point - a mere 6 hours before kick-off. The train journey was full of the usual high spirits and a police escort met us at Shenfield for the final part of the journey.
Once in Colchester we were literally herded around by police until opening time and on to a pub decided as appropriate - away from Layer Road. That all went Pete Tong and I remember several glasses were thrown as people tried to break free to go about the day as they wished. We eventually found our way to The Drury Arms as usual.
By the time I got into Layer Road the place was awash with drunk Shrimpers on the open terracing opposite our usual end. A few Col U did the threatening bit on the other side of what they presumed was protective line - though promptly dispatched. If I remember correctly, a couple of people used a five-a-side practice goal and put it into the bar on the bar side which was accessible from the terracing. A certain young man from Leigh got onto the pitch during the warm up, got a ball and dribbled the length of the pitch to "score" while trying not to spill his pint in a plastic glass. Others followed with their beers.
I believe we eventually ended up in the usual stand - Layer Road end and the game was an exciting 3-3 draw.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I did a couple of funny things on the pitch at Layer Road, one when drunk. In those days the old bill would just shepherd you off into your own fans. You would never get away with it now.

 

[Colchester and proud!]

Great memories folks I was at all those games and many others home and away, football has changed since then, all seater stadiums are just not the same. Some of the stuff was x rated but most if it was just banter and the atmosphere was tremendous even with only a few thousand in the ground. I think Boxing day could be a great occasion with many of the "old boys" from both clubs turning out to renew rivalries, happy Christmas! :smile:

 

[LCBB72]

Great memories folks I was at all those games and many others home and away, football has changed since then, all seater stadiums are just not the same. Some of the stuff was x rated but most if it was just banter and the atmosphere was tremendous even with only a few thousand in the ground. I think Boxing day could be a great occasion with many of the "old boys" from both clubs turning out to renew rivalries, happy Christmas! :smile:

I dont recall your old boys turning up in the first place .

 

[LCBB72]

It is 45 years ago tonight that Southend played Colchester it was a Friday night and Southend drew 1-1 , on the train home all the chaps were put into a empty mail coach with no seats and barred windows to stop breakages .

 

[Colchester and proud!]

I dont recall your old boys turning up in the first place .

I think they did I saw some of the results of their efforts but as I said before those days are gone forever. 70's, 80's early 90's those were the days when people could get away with a lot more than they could today.

 

[Colchester and proud!]

It is 45 years ago tonight that Southend played Colchester it was a Friday night and Southend drew 1-1 , on the train home all the chaps were put into a empty mail coach with no seats and barred windows to stop breakages .

Ah 1970 I was just 17.......

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I think they did I saw some of the results of their efforts but as I said before those days are gone forever. 70's, 80's early 90's those were the days when people could get away with a lot more than they could today.

Colchester lads used to employ hit and run tactics, or an ambush against a very small group. The Southend lot basically could do what they wanted, and totally dominated, and took over whatever stand they fancied, usually by going across the pitch, ending in most of the Colchester mob running out of the ground. Leigh Comm and the Shoebury mob usually started the trouble.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

My first away day at Col U was as a 13 year old and the relegation battle of 1976.
I had previously been to away games but never Col U. I had seen trouble both home and away as a young lad and knowing it was a derby game, my friend and I went on the train which was full of rowdy Shrimpers. Over the course of the afternoon, we were astonished to see groups of Southend fans doing exactly as THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK said - anything they wished and anywhere they wished. I was aghast. Nobody had come to Southend and taken over on that scale. In fact the only teams I had seen looking for trouble at The Hall were Villa, Sheff Weds and Millwall...but they never dominated unchallenged.
We lost 1-2.
Both were relegated and the following year was a Friday night at Layer Road. We scored a late winner after the stands had been reverburating to "yellows, yellows" from three sides...the noise was absolutely incredible. Wow!

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Oh...add Boreham Wood to the list at The Hall.

 

[LCBB72]

Ah 1970 I was just 17.......

Did you know that so called leader Abdul .

 

[Colchester and proud!]

Did you know that so called leader Abdul .

Yes I know who you mean but I was never what you would call a friend, I must admit I had forgotten all about him.