DANNY Cowley believes Colchester United’s much-improved pitch can give them a ‘real advantage’ in League Two, this season.
Colchester announced last month that they had agreed a deal with Ipswich Town which will see the Suffolk club’s under-21 and newly-promoted women’s first team play home games at the venue, across the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.
Colchester’s head groundsman Brad Jefferies has been working hard on the surface all summer.
U’s fans can get a close-up glimpse of the new ‘stitch pitch’ surface when they attend the club’s annual Open Day on Sunday and boss Cowley says having a good home pitch to play is crucial.
Cowley said: “We’re hoping the pitch will be much better this year – certainly, the early signs suggest it’s going to be, which I think is super exciting for us.
“It always felt at home last year like we not only outplay the opposition but also outplay the pitch, so congratulations to Brad [Jefferies] and the groundstaff and also the deal that Robbie [Cowling] did with Ipswich to allow us to get a stitch pitch, which gives us much better foundations.
“Although there’ll be a few more games on it, the pitch will be so much more durable and ready to cope with that.
“It’s a great deal for us because ultimately, we’ll have a good surface and that will give us a real advantage as the protagonist, as you often are when you’re at home.”
Colchester United hold their annual Open Day at the JobServe Community Stadium, on Sunday.
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There will be plenty on offer at the event, which takes place between 11am and 4pm and will include a question and answer session with U’s chairman Robbie Cowling and boss Danny Cowley.
There will also be a player signing session, a chance for children to train with the pros and a Mascot Race, along with a Premier League Kicks training session.
Hundreds are set to flock to the venue for the popular event, with Danny Cowley and Nicky Cowley and the first-team squad all set to be in attendance.
Coludata, a fan-run archive preserving the full history of Colchester United, will also be appearing at this weekend’s Open Day.
The archive, which will be on show in the Legends Bar from 11am, will give people the chance to experience the archive – which was founded and curated by supporter and archivist Graeson Laitt – live and join in preserving the U’s legacy.
He said: “Every fan holds a piece of this story. Whether it’s a forgotten captain’s name or an old matchday photo, Coludata is about stitching those memories together into something lasting and accessible.”
Colchester continue their preparations for the new League Two season tomorrow when they visit Championship side Oxford United, in a behind-closed-doors game.
