Friday 27th August 2010 KO 7.45pm
Ground Name: Weston Homes Community Stadium
Capacity: 10,000 (all seated)
Address: United Way, Colchester, CO4 5HE
Telephone: 01206 755 100
Ticket Office: 0871 226 2161
Pitch Size: 110 x 70 yards
Team Nickname: The U's
Year Ground Opened: 2008
Shirt Sponsors: To be announced
Home Kit Colours: Blue and White
Meeting Place
Address: The Norfolk Arms, 132 North Station Road, Colchester, CO1 1UZ
Telephone: 01206 545257
The Ground
After 71 years, the Club have left their Layer Road ground 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 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 South Stand though, at one end of the stadium, which will be used by away supporters 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.
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
The original plans for the stadium included a new junction and slip roads from the A12 to it. However the stadium has been built prior to this road development taking place.
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 after passing the stadium on your right,. Leave the A12 at Junction 29, which is the intersection with the A1232 & A120. At the roundabout at the end of the slip road take the exit signposted A12 London & Colchester Business Park. Then take the first left into Severalls Industrial Estate and then left again into the Business Park. At the next roundabout turn right into the Crescent and at the next one, turn right into Severalls Lane. At the next roundabout turn left into Axial Way and then straight onto into United Way for the stadium.
Car Parking:
There 600 car parking spaces at the stadium, but the cost a whopping £10! 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.
By Train
The nearest station to the ground is Colchester 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.
Shuttle Bus to the Stadium
A shuttle bus costing £1.50 will be in operation 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). Attached to your match ticket should be a voucher for the bus. For 3pm kick offs it will run from 1pm, with the last bus returning from the stadium at 6pm.