Layer Road
Encyclopedia
Layer Road was a Football League
stadium
in Colchester
, England
. It was only used for football matches and was the home ground of Colchester United
before being replaced by the Weston Homes Community Stadium. The stadium held spectators and was built in 1907, originally for use by Colchester Town Football Club. Layer Road has often had up to packed into the ground, when Colchester had been on a good FA Cup run, before the capacity was reduced to . The record attendance at Layer Road is for an FA Cup
fixture against Reading
in November 1948, a match that was abandoned. The ground was also used to host Sudbury Town
's FA Cup
match against Brentford
in 1996, as their Priory Stadium was deemed unfit.
The most recent development to the ground was the construction of a small, temporary seating stand for housing away supporters. It held 143 supporters and was similar to the chocolate boxes at The Dell.
The last match at Layer Road took place on 26 April 2008, when Colchester lost 1-0 to Stoke City
, with Richard Cresswell
scoring the last goal at the stadium.
The stadium was locked for the last time on 17 July 2008 after 98 years in use (71 of them as the home of Colchester United), being demolished by the end of the year. In 2011 a deal was signed to build flats and houses on the site, with a central open grassed space to reflect its history as a football ground.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was only used for football matches and was the home ground of Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
before being replaced by the Weston Homes Community Stadium. The stadium held spectators and was built in 1907, originally for use by Colchester Town Football Club. Layer Road has often had up to packed into the ground, when Colchester had been on a good FA Cup run, before the capacity was reduced to . The record attendance at Layer Road is for an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fixture against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in November 1948, a match that was abandoned. The ground was also used to host Sudbury Town
Sudbury Town F.C.
Sudbury Town F.C. was an English football club based in Sudbury, Suffolk. Established in 1885, the club merged with Sudbury Wanderers in 1999 to form A.F.C. Sudbury.-History:...
's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
in 1996, as their Priory Stadium was deemed unfit.
The most recent development to the ground was the construction of a small, temporary seating stand for housing away supporters. It held 143 supporters and was similar to the chocolate boxes at The Dell.
The last match at Layer Road took place on 26 April 2008, when Colchester lost 1-0 to Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, with Richard Cresswell
Richard Cresswell
Richard Paul Wesley Cresswell is an English footballer who plays for Sheffield United. Cresswell is a centre-forward who has adapted to life as a left midfielder.-Early career:...
scoring the last goal at the stadium.
The stadium was locked for the last time on 17 July 2008 after 98 years in use (71 of them as the home of Colchester United), being demolished by the end of the year. In 2011 a deal was signed to build flats and houses on the site, with a central open grassed space to reflect its history as a football ground.
External links
- Layer Road information Colchester United F.C.