In my previous post titled ‘Variety, please!’ I suggested that football clubs might benefit from a new stadium by finding it easier to attract newcomers. Well, I recently had the chance to test this theory.

My wife and daughter were planning a girls’ afternoon of retail therapy, leaving me a free Saturday afternoon with my son, who is beginning to take an ever greater interest in the beautiful game. I opted to complete the stereotypical double and take him to watch some football.

There was no match at White Hart Lane and had there been, the place would have been sold out – regardless of the recent levels of performance. Regrettably, watching Premier League football is not something you can really do spontaneously. It’s simply too popular and clubs are wary of building grounds that they can’t fill every match. Like most things, it’s all about balance. I’ve written before about West Ham and their tenancy of the Olympic Stadium, and it is likely that it will be full more often than not. But, once that initial novelty wears off, I can foresee times when a trip to see The Hammers could happen on the spur of the moment.

Whilst it is great to see full stadia, the balance I’d prefer to see would be for 80-90% occupancy at every game, with the ability to flex when the big boys come to town. I guess that’s harder if you are one of the big boys but, in principle, having some space to expand into just seems a logical way to maximise your spectator numbers and that all important revenue.

Returning to my dilemma, I was left with a small choice of places to consider – Colchester United, Dagenham & Redbridge, Leyton Orient, Southend United or a trip lower down the football pyramid. The latter didn’t appeal because, as you may recall, I want to be wowed by the venue as much as the action. Southend were away, so Roots Hall was out of the equation, which was a blessing as I had never been remotely tempted when I’d driven past previously. I’d already been to see The Daggers and The Os, and knew that standing at Victoria Road was not an option for my little ‘un as he wouldn’t see a thing. Paying even more for a seat to watch a struggling League 2 side also put me off, especially as I wasn’t sure that the game would hold his full attention. I briefly toyed with watching the Os at their cleverly disguised Brisbane Road ground – one that is so well integrated with surrounding housing, it is effectively camouflaged. Finally there was the lure my most local stadium -more alluring and newer than the other candidates, as well as being one I’d not previously visited. Despite that allure and the numerous times I’d seen it rise to my right en route to Suffolk, I’d not been curious enough to take a closer look. This was my chance.

Building work started in the summer of 2007 after Colchester United had been flirting with the playoff places in the Championship. They’d just finished in 10th place with an average attendance of 5,466 at their Layer Road ground containing only 2,000 seats, within a total capacity of a little more than 6,000. It seemed the perfect time to upgrade. Unfortunately, the following season saw Col U relegated, so they started life in their new home down in League 1.

Their new home is clean, simple, functional and a good example of what can be done without spending a fortune. The ground is owned by the council who paid £14 million on its construction. The problem is that it had to be built away from the town centre at the site of a new business park next to the A12. This, along with the continued stay in the third tier, has contributed to the attendances falling to between three and four-thousand. For me and the other curious visitors, this was, strangely, a benefit. Tickets in a family friendly stand were available on the day and nowhere was particularly busy – especially handy when taking kids to a game.

The match itself wasn’t much to write home about. Port Vale muscled their way to a 2-1 win, with the last 10 minutes the highlight as Colchester tried in vain to steal a point. My son enjoyed the atmosphere created by the hardcore supporters in the stand to our left. And with so few people there, he got to meet Eddie the mascot, who I believe is supposed to be an eagle, but more closely resembled a duck-billed platypus.

However, Eddie wasn’t the oddest sight that day. That particular honour was reserved for the lone ball boy sat in the centre of an otherwise empty stand behind one of the goals. It looked strange, but demonstrated how an operator can keep costs down, whilst retaining that important ability to expand when popular rivals are coming to visit or you find yourself suddenly promoted to the next division – the playoffs seem to catch some teams by surprise and before they know it, a good late season run leads to a day out at Wembley. Colchester are ready for those bigger paydays whenever they next appear.

The overall experience of my trip to the Weston Homes Community Stadium (now, doesn’t that just trip off the tongue!?) was very positive, especially for a fairly priced afternoon out with children. Despite the small crowd, the place had a great vibe, helped by the welcoming locals, friendly stewards and the band playing outside the southern end of the stadium to those enjoying a drink in the sunshine.

I love visiting any stadium for the first time and I’m glad I made the choice to go local. There was enough wow in the roof structure and overall size to satisfy my needs and to tempt me back again. There will always be times when an old, quirky stadium draws me in, providing that extra bit of character and history. On this occasion, the newness won out, going some way to proving my hypothesis about attracting newcomers. Whilst I think I’ve won the battle to convert my house to follow the sometimes mighty Spurs, Col U have gained a couple of extra part-time fans.