Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Graeson's Preview - The Last Ever Layer Road Game
Graeson's Preview - The Last Ever Layer Road Game
Friday, 25th Apr 2008 11:10

Graeson looks ahead to Saturday's visit from promotion chasing Stoke City to Layer Road as the ground closes its doors on First Team football for the last time.

Twenty-six years and 193 days of my life comes to an end on Saturday afternoon as the U's finally leave their Layer Road home of some seven decades. It’s not before time - the club were looking at alternatives long before that fateful day I stepped inside the hallowed, ramshackle ground that I would call home for the first time. I've tried to work it out but I'll be honest.

I just don't know how I'll feel come Saturday evening. Why should have I built up an emotional attachment to bricks and mortar? It makes no sense at all. It’s not as though I've spent all my days there when I can understand emotions running high when moving house for instance.

But the thing is this. Layer Road has been my second home for over 25 years. There has been sadness, celebrations, embarrassment and great hilarity. Rainy nights on an open terrace. Nights coaching youngsters at Sporting U's. Boiling hot days when cricket seemed more appropriate. Sweeping the snow off the pitch only to still see the game called off. Tears of sorrow when we lost our League status. Tears of happiness at beating Ipswich Town.

That Saturday's fixture against Stoke City will also be the last game for the time being in the Championship is an irrelevance. We'd still feel the same way about this game whether we were, like Stoke will be, hoping a win would take us to The Premiership. It will in no way, dampen the party mood.

And of course it won't take long for Cuckoo Farm to start building its own memories. A good Cup run here and there, perhaps promotion back to the Championship again and it will start to feel like home. Saturday though is a time to celebrate the end of one chapter before we begin another in July.

Stoke City will, of course, hope to be the party poopers whilst the U's try to reverse the situation. Should result go their way tomorrow, they could well be promoted to the top flight of English football for the first time since 1985. They would need to pick up at least a point while hoping that Hull City and Bristol fail to win their games at home to Palace and at Sheffield United.
For what it’s worth, I think The Robins might have blown their chances in recent weeks, but I suspect that The Tigers - with former U's old boys Richard Garcia and Wayne Brown in their line-up - will be too strong for Palace. That would leave Stoke needing to beat Leicester next week to be 100% certain but the Foxes might need a result to save themselves from the drop....could be an interesting game at The Britannia Stadium on Sunday week!

Now, it would be churlish of me to say that I have a problem with Stoke City but I would congratulate them on their success should they win promotion at Layer Road. However, I'm not a fan of Tony Pulis' style of management or football. I personally think they make too much use of the loan system - I believe they currently have seven on loan - which means that if they do get promoted then Pulis has to start all over again. Whether Premiership clubs would be quite so willing to loan players to a side in the same Division will, I'm sure, be a question that Stoke fans would love to find out the answer too. For me, it’s a short-term fix and could leave them desperately short of players prior to the start of the next season.

There may be some jealousy there on my part though - I'd love to have seen some of the players they've had on loan such as Shola Ameobi from Newcastle or Stephen Pearson from Derby. The U's are lucky to have a central defender on loan from a lower league club!

Pulis has got the club playing to a system they understand well. Certainly, the game won't be a pretty one with the Potters getting the ball forward as quickly as possible (and with quality too to be fair) to Ricardo Fuller and, if fit, Mamady Sidibe who scored twice in their win over Bristol City last weekend. If he doesn't make it Pulis can call on the aforementioned Ameobi or Jay Bothroyd who is on loan from Wolves. The aerial bombardment will continue from throw-on's too with Rory Delap getting the ball in to the box at every opportunity.

That's not to say that Stoke are just a hump it and lump it outfit as they do have some decent players with the ball at their feet too. Liam Lawrence has always impressed me whenever I've watched him play whilst Salif Diao has Premiership experience with Liverpool. Not to be outdone, Glenn Whelan cost half a million from Sheffield Wednesday during the January transfer window.

It would be fair to say that Stoke don't score many goals. Indeed, you need to go back to the middle of February to find the last time they scored three in a game. Since then they've found the net just ten times in eleven games. Importantly though they've only been beaten once in the last eight and that by an in-form Crystal Palace side by the odd goal in three at The Britannia Stadium.

Their last away game was at the home of United's last opponents Coventry City. Elliott Ward scored a penalty for the home side with half an hour gone but Stoke restored parity with a Fuller penalty ten minutes after the break. The goal came when Schmeichel's dive at the feet of Fuller rebounded to Lawrence who did really well to steer the ball home from just outside the box with eleven minutes left. Last Saturday, Mali forward Mamady Sidibe was the hero with two goals in the first half against Bristol City. Remarkably, it was only his 3rd and 4th goal of the season but every time he has scored, it’s been the winner!

As you'll read in Saturday's special match day magazine, Stoke city are something of a bogey side to the U's having three of their five previous visits to Layer Road. Indeed, The Potters have the second best record of any club that has made five or more appearances in North Essex. Wolves tie with Stoke but its Burnley who lead the way with five wins from the ten games at Layer Road.

Of course, one of the U's successes against Stoke came last season as a Jamie Cureton brace helped the U's to a 3-0 victory with Richard Garcia grabbing the other goal. The only other win on home soil came in February 2000 when Steve McGavin's 87th minute header from Lua Lua's raking crossfield ball was the only goal of the game. Karl Duguid is the one and only survivor from that game on either side.

Earlier this season, United suffered defeat at The Britannia Stadium by the odd goal in three. Clive Platt's header had cancelled out Ryan Shawcross 8th minute goal but Liam Lawrence scored the winner with seventeen minutes remaining.
So where did it all begin for the U's at Layer Road? On the 2nd September 1937 when Bath City were the visitors in the mid-week section of the Southern League. The U's romped to success with a 6-1 win thanks to a hat-trick for Reg Smith - the first United hat-trick - a brace from Arthur Pritchard and one from Jack Hodge. Bath's consolation came in the 89th minute from Brown. That game, of course, saw the introduction of the Post Horn Gallop as the teams entered the pitch. Ronnie Dunn, United's goalkeeper had been a bugler in the Army and chose that particular piece of music as a fanfare. I'm sure there will be a lump in the throat of many when (and if) they hear that tune once more as the sides come out on to the pitch.

The U's team that played the first ever United match at Layer Road was Ronnie Dunn in goal. Cliff Fairchild, American International Alex Woods, Kenny Mayes (who replaced Jim Collins from the U's first game at Yeovil & Petters United), George Leslie, George Ritchie, Jack Hodge, Arthur Pritchard, Reg Smith, Scottish International Alec Cheyne and George Crisp.
Bath City's side was: Billy Coggins, Ted Dransfield, George Smith, Frank Warhurst, Arthur Greaves, Weekes, Bobby Weale, Ambrose Brown, Eric Davis, Geo Wallis and Ted McArthur. Both George Smith and George Wallis would later sign for the U's.

Graeson's Team
First and foremost, Geraint Williams has to send out a team to win the football match. It would be unfair on all the other sides in the promotion race if we put in players who weren't quite fit but were retiring at the end of the season. I have no problem with a couple of them on the bench - but they should only come on if and when the game is won or lost.

So Geraint Williams has some decision's to make - certainly at the back following the inept defensive display against Coventry City last weekend. I suspect that the main casualty will be Bela Balogh who will be replaced by Matt Heath if fit, or Adam Virgo if the on-loan Leeds man doesn't make it.

Apart from that, I can't see any real reason to change the side. Though the defending was dreadful in the second half, United still created at least five good opportunities and this despite many fans thinking neither Dean Hammond nor Johnnie Jackson had very good games.

So my side will look similar to that which started against City last weekend with Dean Gerken in goal and a preferred back four of Ifil, Coyne, Heath and John White. The midfield will see Duguid on the right with Elito on the left and Dean Hammond and Johnnie Jackson competing in the middle of the part. Scott Vernon will once again partner Kevin Lisbie up front.

Now if I had a part in the substitutions - and assuming we were four up with five minutes to go - then I'd like to Jackson and Kevin Lisbie taken off to allow the U's fans to give the season's best two performers their own personal bit of recognition. Yes it might be nice to see Teddy Sheringham come on during his last ever game while Kem Izzet would, I'm sure like to play some part of the last ever game at Layer Road given his lengthy service to the club. Finally, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see Aidan Davison come on for a couple of minutes at the end to make it one hundred games for the club before his retirement and departure to the US.

Graeson's Prediction
Sadly, my expected substitutions won't happen as this one will still be tight going in to the final ten minutes of the game. The U's players will be up for it not only because of their showing last weekend, but they will not want to leave Layer Road with a defeat.

Though you would expect Stoke to come out blazing, if they don't get that early goal then they could very well get as nervous as the thousand or so fans who will be in North Essex to support their side. And should the U's get the first goal - and news comes through of Hull's opener against Palace....well, let's just say it could be a difficult afternoon!

Whatever the outcome, just a quick reminder that following the game the Player of the Year Awards will take place whilst during the day there are surprise guests and events occurring as the U's bid goodbye to Layer Road.

So my final Layer Road prediction. How can this current U’s side let down their forefathers? They can’t, and won’t and in front of a packed house will win a thriller with a 3-1 victory. Kevin Lisbie, Scott Vernon and a late, final goal from the spot from retiring Teddy Sheringham will bring the curtain down in grand style.

Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.


You need to login in order to post your comments

Colchester United Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© FansNetwork 2024