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Reply | Tigers at Layer Road
at 21:59 24 Oct 2024
A dramatic change of subject.
During the summer of 1977 l was working on a fashion photoshoot in London and the client put three of us up in The Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane.
We were there for about four nights and usually got back to the hotel around 10pm.
We would order steak sandwiches ( never heard of one since ) and coffee in the downstairs lounge bar area.
On each evening we noticed an elegant lady about late sixties sitting alone at a table, sometimes smoking with a cigarette holder.
We noticed how people would often look in her direction.
She seemed to avoid eye contact. Very private. Quite mysterious.
It was Bette Davis.
She had an apartment at the hotel and spent quite a bit of time there.
It is one of my lifetime's regrets that l didn't go over to her and just say 'thank you'.
I dislike the term superstar.
Davis was far greater.
She's on my TV screen now.
xx |
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Reply | Mitchell Cowling
at 13:59 24 Oct 2024
Mitchell has another day in court to look forward to. |
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Reply | M&T makeover
at 13:37 24 Oct 2024
My Maldon & Tiptree mole resurfaced last night in Great Yarmouth to take in the Gorleston v M&T encounter.
Gorleston scored a winner in the 7th minutes of injury time - just seconds from the end to clinch a 2 -1 victory.
Sounds as though our sister club should have won.
The crowd was just 90 in that lovely old ground.
Five fairly rapid second half substitutions by M&T ensured for multiple formations in the frantic closing stages.
A booking for Wordsworth but he did a 90 minute stint. |
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Reply | United thru time
at 11:14 24 Oct 2024
I am going back a long way in time here.
I'm not sure what triggered these memories yesterday while l was trimming trees.
Just wondered if anyone on here remembers a U's Super Fan who we used to refer to as 'Birmingham Bill'.
He had a decent Brummie accent and travelled all over the country to watch Colchester United.
I can time this as the mid sixties to perhaps a decade later.
He had fair hair, glasses, always neat, slim build and wore fashionable casual clothes.
He was at Elm Park, Reading where the U's enjoyed an away day with a brace from Alan Shires.
Strange how the memories just seem to pop up from nowhere.
His preferred position to watch matches at Layer Road was towards to top of the open / clock end slightly towards what became known as Terrace 4. [Post edited 24 Oct 11:17]
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Reply | Tigers at Layer Road
at 16:19 23 Oct 2024
Just met up with a loyal fan of Stanway Rovers who is off to Shoeburyness tonight to watch his team at White Ensign.
That's a train journey from Colchester North Station changing at Shenfield and including a three mile walk at the other end that eventually finds the ground share with Great Wakering Rovers.
That is dedication!
If the trains are running on time he will arrive back around half past midnight. |
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Reply | The birth of Iron Maiden
at 09:34 23 Oct 2024
Had a close friend of Paul Di'Anno visit yesterday.
He was very upset.
Paul was a larger than life character and while away from the stage showed considerable kindness and compassion to people. |
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Reply | Col U YouTube channel
at 09:18 23 Oct 2024
I have had a quick run through scanning the stats on Colu TV.
'The Midweek Show' appears to be something of a lame duck with very low viewing stats....l think it has been dropped over the last few months.
Likewise 'The Pre-Match Show' doesn't seem to be of interest to many - low stats on that too.
There are around 2,600 videos uploaded on Colu TV over 11 seasons. That is a huge volume and a very time consuming production requirement.
It really is quite incredible to see how many players have been interviewed over the years. It seems that just about everyone who has signed or come in on loan has been featured - some of them l can't even remember.
As it happens, the short videos Sparkfilms TV have put up in the past year or so which include a mini series of 12 featuring out takes from our work at Layer Road in '07 - '08 also has low viewing stats.
It was nice to share the work though and at least YouTube gives it a home.
I should add that we have an experimental 35 minute film that has never been seen that we shot at the final Championship match at Layer Road against Stoke City. I should get around to uploading that some time.
We did the first edit in 2010 and there were a few unintentional errors in there .....trouble was though, they grew on me and l decided to leave them in.
I wasn't sure what people would make of it so kept in a cupboard hidden away. 😔😔😳😳😊😊
[Post edited 23 Oct 9:29]
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Reply | Chesterfield
at 22:09 22 Oct 2024
A 1 - 1 draw at Chesterfield is commendable.
The corner stats were -
Chesterfield Seventeen
Colchester Nil
I can't recall Colchester getting a draw from those stats in many years.- if ever. [Post edited 22 Oct 22:10]
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Reply | Col U YouTube channel
at 18:10 22 Oct 2024
The interviewing technique on Colu TV should be re-evaluated - l doubt it will be.
It's just too 'In - house', predictable and spoon fed.
Censorship comes to mind.
It's almost like the owner is standing around the corner controlling everything.
I think most of us realise there may be some kind of gagging order on players not to overstep the mark. I have often wondered if it is in the small print somewhere on a contract. Maybe it's an accepted unwritten rule.
On a few rare occasions someone might say something interesting. I bet Matt Jay could! Ben Garner too. Joe Dunne could for sure.
I have been fortunate enough to interview former managers and players in private over the years and they are much more interesting people that they appear on the likes of Colu TV. |
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Reply | The birth of Iron Maiden
at 11:56 22 Oct 2024
R.I.P. Paul Di'Anno.
Paul joined Maiden to replace my colleague and friend Dennis Willcock.
Paul was superb on the first two albums ( many of the tracks on which were co - written by Dennis and never credited ). |
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Reply | Wordsworth
at 18:30 21 Oct 2024
GREAT POST!!!!
Totally agree.
No wonder the club is £33 million in the red!
Dave Huzzey - he just happens to be the Manager of M&T.
I may get tempted to mention something that happened at Florence Park some time ago!!!!!
😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈
And at Waterford!
😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈
Scared the xxxx out of people!
😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈 [Post edited 22 Oct 8:24]
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Reply | Col U YouTube channel
at 18:22 21 Oct 2024
Interesting topic.
I agree the mode of questioning is far too sugar coated.
Florence Park is a little too cosy an environment to ask the real hardcore questions that are sometimes required.
I like the fact that Danny Cowley referred to the four year horror show that the supporters have had to endure, while some may think it many years more.
I listened briefly to the commentary on Rochdale against Southend match on BBC Essex on Saturday evening, it was excellent, l think the new guy's name was Darren?
BBC Essex is going through some serious cost cutting. |
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Reply | Wordsworth
at 18:03 21 Oct 2024
It would appear that MC did xxxx off from M&T by which time the club appeared to be in disarray.
My mole has also moved on from M&T which is something of a loss as l was frequently informed of the farce that the club has become.
What has happened to their website?
What has happened to Jammers TV?
How is the club financed?
Did the club replace the General Manager?
Of course not, it was another sham. |
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Reply | Wordsworth
at 17:48 21 Oct 2024
Wordsworth just happens to play for Maldon and Tiptree. |
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Reply | Tigers at Layer Road
at 21:59 20 Oct 2024
Concerning the dog incident in the previous post.
I went to see the guy. He was really shaken up and actually thought he was sustaining a heart attack during the incident.
One of his dogs was badly hurt and his son had taken it to Stanway for emergency treatment.
He accepted that his dogs had gone for mine which was on a short lead . I care for all dogs whether they belong to me or anyone else and will be going to see him again tomorrow and very much hope his dog recovers.
All of my dogs have come via my daughter's over the years who have been unable to spend enough time with them. I can't say it's been incident free.
In the past few months l have had a bike, e - scooter and a skateboard collide with me and the dog in the town centre and the surrounding area.
There are multiple deliveroo riders up on the pavements in the evening with no lights, flying around blind corners and not adhering to any traffic or safety guidelines.
Thanks to all of you who are following what has evolved into some kind of blog and to those who email me directly.
There has been quite a bit of feedback after DC's post match exchanges.
He say's 'Football is important' but l take that as 'But not as important as family' - and he is right.
I always admired what the Cowley's did at Concorde, Braintree and Lincoln City in particular.
Sometimes l wonder if there is some kind of curse over Colchester United over the past 10 years.
There is another club in Division 2 in quite a bit of trouble. I am expecting this to hit the news in the coming weeks. |
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Reply | Tigers at Layer Road
at 18:06 20 Oct 2024
Update on this. Possibly later than the sixties and the player who took the cash register may have been subbed.
If this is the player l have in mind he was possibly on loan.
Loan signings used to be quite rare, unlike these days when clubs are often off loading fodder on the cheap.
The player l have in mind for the till theft may have been the same individual who had 'issues' and had to be returned to his parent club early.
PS. I have just taken a right hook to the jaw after my dog was attacked by two others and a fight broke out. The punch was aimed at my dog but it caught me. Rolling around in the mud in a dog fight on a Sunday afternoon could finish me off at my stage of life.
I know the owner of the other dogs and l was concerned for him. He is a decent person, much younger than myself, and l am going round to see him to see if he is ok.
I managed to find his glasses, phone and stuff in the mud.
😳😳🦮🦮🦮 |
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Reply | Tigers at Layer Road
at 16:02 20 Oct 2024
Following is a story ( true ) that never made any newspapers.
I have told this before but will repeat it as best l can remember.
Colchester United were playing away - possibly at Chesterfield?
I think this is the sixties.
Close to half time one of our forwards is sent off.
He takes a shower then he takes a walk underneath the main stand which is deserted and there are temptations.
He jumps over the counter and helps himself to a few bottled beers. He scoffs a few pies.
He tries to open the bar till but can't force it apart.
He has a better idea.
He rips the thing off the counter and carries it out of the ground where the Colchester United team coach is parked.
The club driver opens up the storage unit under carriage and the till fits nicely inside.
Our player returns to the bar area and samples some Mars bars and crisps. He goes back to the coach and takes a nap.
Five hours later.
The team coach arrives back at Layer Road, our player removes the till from the coach and puts it in the back of his car.
Several of the players noticed this.
Monday morning, following the match.
I think a couple of the players reported the incident to the Manager and Secretary at Layer Road and Colchester United phoned the club concerned to admit the theft of the till.
The till was returned to the club - possibly by taxi and the assumed loss of cash was paid by cheque by the club.
I heard so many stories about Colchester United and football in general when we were filming the Layer Road DVD throughout 2007 and 2008.
They were much more interesting than anything any media outlet could report on. |
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Reply | Tigers at Layer Road
at 15:21 20 Oct 2024
Division One side. Around 2012.
The cleaners leave a note on the reception desk as it's around 6am.
The note say's.
The Manager's office has been ransacked. We did our best to clear thing up and have put the desk, chairs, cupboards etc which are broken in the wheelie bin behind the xxxxxx stand.
Most of the contents will need replacing and there are rude words sprayed on the walls, ceiling, floor and blinds.
There was human excrement wiped across the pictures. We have cleaned them best we can and they are in the corridor outside the office.
We had to use the showers in the away dressing room to clean ourselves up - hope that is ok. |
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Reply | Tigers at Layer Road
at 22:45 19 Oct 2024
Someone asked me if this was Colchester United.
No, it wasn't but the person who relayed it to me lives in Colchester and had been employed by the other club.
Colchester United had a Director of Football at the same time though - that seemed totally unnecessary and our DOF gradually went off the radar until his departure and that seemed to be the end of the idea.
It baffles me how some of the positions at the club get branded - then they leave the scene and that's the end of the position and it's just forgotten about. |
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Reply | Robins left red faced after defeat at the JCS
at 22:17 19 Oct 2024
That is just about as downcast an interview as l can ever remember.
He appears to have been hit with self doubt.
I wouldn't be surprised if he has spoken to Robbie Cowling tonight.
The Cowley's will see a place outside of the top seven by the end of the season as a failure.
Is it my imagination or have the club sustained far more injuries in training since they located to Florence Park?
What proportion of injuries have been sustained during training in the past ten seasons?
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