Where is it?
Colchester is in Essex in the South East of England.
How do I get there?
From Rotherham, take the M1 south bound until the M18 at junction 32. Take the M18 to junction 2, where you should exit and join the A1(M) south bound. At the end of the motorway, continue on the A1 south bound for 72.5 miles. The A1 merges into the A1(M) at Peterborough – continue along this road until junction 14 of the A1(M), where you should join the A14 towards Cambridge. Follow the A14 for around 16 miles, until you reach the M11. Join the M11 at Cambridge and exit at junction 8. At the end of the slip road, take the first exit at the roundabout on to the A120 towards Colchester. Continue on the A120 for around 9 miles until the roundabout with the Shed Centre on your left hand side. At the roundabout, take the second exit and after 6 miles, you should see the Weston Homes Community Stadium on the right hand side.
Where do I park?
Besides parking at the stadium (which can be booked online for £6) and overspill parking nearby (£8), there is minimal parking available around the stadium and it may be necessary to park some distance away to find a free parking space.
What is there to do?
There are a number of interesting activities available in Colchester, including Colchester Zoo, the historic Colchester Castle and the intriguing-sounding Gnome Magic, a visitor attraction set in five acres of Essex countryside and with a collection of over 800 gnomes!
Who should I look out for?
Colchester were delighted to recently complete the permanent signing of the (almost) 7ft tall goalkeeper Sam Walker from Chelsea after a successful loan period. Likely to play in front of Walker is Magnus Okhuongae, known as ‘the beast’ by fans, while striker Jabo Ibehre is also a threat. In addition, former Arsenal winger Sanchez Watt is a threat.
Who will I recognise on the pitch?
Marcus Bean is a former Rotherham loanee, having played 14 games for the club in the 2007/08 season. He also scored the opener in November’s 2-2 draw between the sides at the New York Stadium.
Who will I recognise in the stand?
Longstanding BBC radio DJ Steve Lamacq is a huge Colchester fan and goes to most games, while darts player Colin Lloyd is also known to support the U’s.
What happened last time we were there?
This will be the Millers’ first visit to the Weston Homes Community Stadium and they will hope it proves more successful than their last visit to Colchester. That visit ended in a 2-0 defeat at Layer Road in April 2006 with Colchester’s goals coming from a Shaun Barker own goal and a second-half Mark Yeates strike.