Hello from Colchester

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Hi guys,

Thanks for your answers. Will post the blog up here later this evening or tomorrow morning.

Just to let you know that I have been down the ground today and the match is in doubt. The pitch is frozen at the south stand end and this area does not see much sun. If the game was played today, then the game would be on. But the temperatures have been creeping further down as the week has progressed despite the weather saying it would not. It was -4 last night at the ground and should it be colder than that tonight and tomorrow the match will be under threat.

Groundsman said it is 50/50 at the moment. We are more than likely going to need a pitch inspection. The heaters have been placed in the South stand area and the sun is shining, but it is still bitterly cold with a horrible wind chill which is not helping.

Will keep you chaps posted.
 

ColUDave said:
Hi guys,

Thanks for your answers. Will post the blog up here later this evening or tomorrow morning.

Just to let you know that I have been down the ground today and the match is in doubt. The pitch is frozen at the south stand end and this area does not see much sun. If the game was played today, then the game would be on. But the temperatures have been creeping further down as the week has progressed despite the weather saying it would not. It was -4 last night at the ground and should it be colder than that tonight and tomorrow the match will be under threat.

Groundsman said it is 50/50 at the moment. We are more than likely going to need a pitch inspection. The heaters have been placed in the South stand area and the sun is shining, but it is still bitterly cold with a horrible wind chill which is not helping.

Will keep you chaps posted.
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Cheers Dave

Apparently we are due some snow tomorrow here on the Norfolk coastline, but I'm hoping it won't make it as far south as Colchester - get all the locals out with hairdryers to thaw any ice out and it's game on :D
 
I'm setting off between 8.30-9 so hopefully they call it off early if they're going to do it to save us all alot of messing about! Thanks again Dave :)
 
ColUDave said:
Hi guys,

Thanks for your answers. Will post the blog up here later this evening or tomorrow morning.

Just to let you know that I have been down the ground today and the match is in doubt. The pitch is frozen at the south stand end and this area does not see much sun. If the game was played today, then the game would be on. But the temperatures have been creeping further down as the week has progressed despite the weather saying it would not. It was -4 last night at the ground and should it be colder than that tonight and tomorrow the match will be under threat.

Groundsman said it is 50/50 at the moment. We are more than likely going to need a pitch inspection. The heaters have been placed in the South stand area and the sun is shining, but it is still bitterly cold with a horrible wind chill which is not helping.

Will keep you chaps posted.
Click to expand...

Well Dave, I'm crossing my fingers for this one. Setting off at 9am in the morning, staying Friday and Saturday night in Colchester, it had better bloody well be on!
 
1) The Blades are riding high in the league and are looking good for promotion. Are you happy with the way things have gone so far?

With the exception of a rocky spell right after we played you first time round, absolutely.

2) There was a bit of discontent amongst the Blades when Danny Wilson was appointed manager having played and managed your major rivals. Has he grown on you and are you happy with the job he is doing?

Yes, and Yes

3) How would you describe your current style of football, and are you happy with it?

Better than before...

4) Who has been your key man this season?

Ched, although we'd miss Collins more due to lack of cover IMO

5) Are you pleased with the way the Transfer Window went? Are there any areas of the squad you would have liked to have seen strengthened?

We didn`t sell anyone, so yes. could have done with another Centre Half

6) Which team has impressed you most in League 1 this season?

Charlton - for the ruthless way they seem to dispatch most other clubs

7) What is your perception of Colchester United as a club?

Don`t really have one...

8) What do you think the score will be, and scorers (if any)?

1-2 (Evans 2)

9) Which three teams do you think will get promoted this season?

Charlton, Hudds and Weds

10) Who do you think will go down?

errm, not looked at that end of the table
 
norfolkblade said:
Cheers Dave

Apparently we are due some snow tomorrow here on the Norfolk coastline, but I'm hoping it won't make it as far south as Colchester - get all the locals out with hairdryers to thaw any ice out and it's game on :D
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Snow is due on Saturday apparently, but it seems to change a lot. It is certainly bloody cold enough for it. It was snowing briefly on Monday which was a pain, but fingers x'd it doesn't snow before the game otherwise it will be curtains.

The Safety Officer is keen to get a decision as early as possible for you guys, but a lot of it depends on a local referee coming down to test the pitch. I say get the youth team marching up an down to thaw it out.

A few years we had Scunny come down and the local ref was happy with it, but when the official ref came an hour before kick off he wasn't happy so called it off, so hopefully that scenario will be avoided!
 
1) The Blades are riding high in the league and are looking good for promotion. Are you happy with the way things have gone so far?

I don't think anybody can have any real complaints, as we came in to this season with a new manager, and on the back of the one of the worst seasons in living memory. Last season could have knocked the stuffing out of the club for years to come, and quite a few people expected this to be a bit of a transitional season, so to be doing this well at this stage of the season is extremely pleasing, and thankfully the way we have been playing has breathed some life in to a club that threatening to become comatose.

2) There was a bit of discontent amongst the Blades when Danny Wilson was appointed manager having played and managed your major rivals. Has he grown on you and are you happy with the job he is doing?

He was a contentious appointment, few supporters wanted him in, he had an average track record, and of course his Wednesday connections didn't exactly make it an appointment that many people wanted. However he has come in, played some excellent football, put us at the right end of the table, and more importantly got the club moving in the right direction. What quite a few people thought would be a disasterous appointment, has turned out to be best appointment we could have made. You will be find hard pressed to find any Blades fans who don't agree with the job that he has been doing

3) How would you describe your current style of football, and are you happy with it?

We are playing, neat, attractive passing football that is very pleasing on the eye. The most important part for me is that it is winning football, and i'm more than happy with that.

4) Who has been your key man this season?

Strikers score goal, striker wins you points, so for me it has got to be Ched Evans, already nearly scored 20 this year, and looks a real class act at this level

5) Are you pleased with the way the Transfer Window went? Are there any areas of the squad you would have liked to have seen strengthened?

Yeah, the biggest thing for the Blades was to keep the squad together, and not lose any of our key players which me managed to do, and also improved the squad with the loan signing of Will Hoskins

6) Which team has impressed you most in League 1 this season?

Charlton Athletic, Huddersfield Town and Notts County.

7) What is your perception of Colchester United as a club?

One of the league smaller clubs, with a proud cup pedigree. One of the games you should be expecting to win as a club of Sheffield United's comparative stature, but one of those clubs it is quite easy to drop points to if your not at the top of your game.

8) What do you think the score will be, and scorers (if any)?

I've got a feeling that the Blades will win 2-0, with Ched Evans getting on the scoresheet.

9) Which three teams do you think will get promoted this season?

Charlton Athletic, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday

10) Who do you think will go down?

Not really looked at the bottom of the table enough to be able to form a judgement. From what i have seen apart from the top 5, this division seems to be a much of a muchness.
 
Excellent work Dave. Cheers for all the info. Let's hope the, 'Big freeze' doesn't affect the game!!
UTB
 
I'm only travelling from Norwich, but, i'll be fuckin gutted if it's called off. I'm leaving around 11, so, hopefully i'll know either way by then. :)
 
Looking at the waether forecast it looks slightly milder than initially predicted. That said, if it is like here (in London) then the wind chill is bitterly cold and despite any sun I doubt the pitch will de-freeze. I have a feeling that the game will be called off. Would be a shame, as I am looking forward to it. Mini bus leaving London full of London Blades at 11:30. Hopefully they'll make a decision before then. I can see us hearing nowt, getting to Colchester, having a drink and then boom: called off.
 
I'd be surprised if it was on looking at the forecast to be honest. Not getting above freezing from tea-time today, and quite strong winds won't help maters especially with a wide open space.

Like Ballinbigpubs13 said, anywhere before Cambridge would be great! I'll be fuming if I drive all the way down there for nothing.
 
http://wp.me/p1IBhm-mb

Here is the blog preview as promised.

Just to let you no there will be a pitch inspection at 1pm today, I don't think it will go ahead personally.
 
That worries me Olle, as it's due to be warmer today than it is tomorrow! Hopefully they take that into account when making the inspection. I think any fan would rather it be called off today instead of when we're on the way.
 

Very dissappointed, but massive credit to Colchester for doing it so early.

Can't wait for this trip on a Tuesday!
 
Very bad timing. Fully fit squad and the 0-4 defeat will be in the system for another week.
 
Was the South stand area which was the problem. They have tried warming it up, but with it continuing to get colder at night it just will be unsafe. -6 last night unfortunately and that has killed it. Makes a change we have done it in time and not been tinpot like the Franchise.

Colchester on a Tuesday night is not going to be very nice for you chaps. We were expecting a massive crowd too so was doing all we could to get it on. Til the next time I guess chaps!
 
Plus three games to rearrange...

Plus I was looking forward to a few beers. Doubt I'll be able to make a midweek trip to Colchester (though I'll try).
 
Well done to Colchester and the ref for getting it called off this early. I wasn't going down, but i've been to away games before where they have been called off at the last minute and i've travelled long distance for nothing, so fair play to them for getting a decision this early.
 
I concur Brownie.

Fortunately i've no train tickets to cancel.

assuming the original tickets would be valid for the rearranged fixture?
 
Credit to Colchester for calling this off early. Should minimise disruptions. I fired of a quick e-mail to thank them for their quick, thoughtful and decisive action. Obviously really frustrated about this though. Was looking forward to that day and a few ale's. At least I won't have to see ModtheGod's ugly mush and listen to his dismal chat/banter. Tuesday night is going to be a ball ache, but I shoould be able to get there. Will completely take any fun out of the experience mind and leave little time for beer and banter.

Another worry is the potential fixture pile up. We've rearranged Scunny, but need to act fast with this and the Chezzy games (though obviously part of it is out of our hands). Huddersfield, Pigs and Charlton all have chance to put points on the board. Of course there is the chancethey might bugger it up and end up 1/2 points ahead and we'll have games in hand. Also frustrating that we've not had chance to bounce back after our drubbing (as IOM points out) and we now have another week sitting on our hands. I'd sooner have been going to Huddersfield with 2 wins under our belts.
 
Can i ask why a brand new stadium doesn't have under soil heating? Surely something like that this day and age should be on the standard parts list for a new sports stadium!
 
SotonBlade said:
Can i ask why a brand new stadium doesn't have under soil heating? Surely something like that this day and age should be on the standard parts list for a new sports stadium!
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Probably partly owing to the cost of running undersoil heating and frequently the games are called off anyway as the "external areas" are deemed dangerous: like our game at Derby in 2004. The irony there was that the conditions were worse for the rescheduled game, I remember walking to Pride Park on a road which resembled an ice-rink to watch a terrible performance. Think that's the coldest I've ever been and we lost.
 
SotonBlade said:
Can i ask why a brand new stadium doesn't have under soil heating? Surely something like that this day and age should be on the standard parts list for a new sports stadium!
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Because it is ridiculously expensive. It also kills the grass roots meaning the pitch requires relaying constantly, meaning more expenditure. Plus Colchester is traditionally in one of the warmer and dryer areas of the UK and we only have to cancel at least a game a season because of frozen conditions.

The expenditure for this is just a bit too much for a club like Colchester. Goes into hundreds of thousands price wise which could potentially put us out of business for the sake of perhaps 2/3 games.
 
Balham Blade said:
Probably partly owing to the cost of running undersoil heating and frequently the games are called off anyway as the "external areas" are deemed dangerous: like our game at Derby in 2004. The irony there was that the conditions were worse for the rescheduled game, I remember walking to Pride Park on a road which resembled an ice-rink to watch a terrible performance. Think that's the coldest I've ever been and we lost.
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Totally agree about the Derby game. We even went and bought the stewardess a hot chocolate that night. She was well fit mind
 

ColUDave said:
Because it is ridiculously expensive. It also kills the grass roots meaning the pitch requires relaying constantly, meaning more expenditure.
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A good point; look at the state of our pitch.

It's not the end of the world, just means a Tuesday night in March or April instead.
 
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