This weekend Walsall Football Club will travel to Essex to take on Colchester United in the latest Sky Bet League 1 fixture of the season. Once again we have teamed up with tothe92.co.uk to bring you all the latest stadium information.
The Weston Homes Community Stadium was opened in time for the start of the 2008/09 season. The stadium has an all seated capacity of 10,000 with all 4 stands of similar height and size all offering unobstructed views of the game. The stadium complex includes sporting, leisure and business facilities, including hospitality suites helping the club to earn every day of the week.
AWAY SUPPORTERS
Visiting supporters are now situated in the North Stand, which can accommodate up to 2,000 supporters and doesn't have a single seat with a bad or obstructed view. The stand is quite steep, meaning that fans are kept close to the pitch allowing fans to generate a good atmosphere. Facilities are as good as you'd expect them to be from such a new ground whilst the food ranges from sausage rolls and pies to burgers and chips.
WHERE TO DRINK
There are very few establishments within easy walking distance of the ground at present. The best bet for home and away supporters is to grab a drink and something to eat from the town centre before getting the bus over to the stadium. There are plenty of places to go including the Fox and Fiddler which serves a number of real ales. Also on St John's Street and almost next door is the Playhouse, which is a Wetherspoons outlet. This former theatre is a spectacular setting for a bar, as the original dress circle and stage of the theatre have been preserved and is well worth a visit.
BY CAR
A12 - JUNCTION 28 - December 2010 saw the new junction serving the Weston Homes Community Stadium open to the public.
This means that the stadium is now just seconds from the main A12 trunk road that serves East Anglia.
From the south (Ipswich bound carriageway)
To access the stadium from the south, turn off at Junction 28, turning right at the first roundabout. Go across the bridge and then go straight over the second roundabout, before turning right into United Way from the third roundabout. You are now at the stadium.
From the north (London bound carriageway)
To access the stadium from the north, turn off at Junction 28, turning left at the first roundabout. Turn right into United Way from the second roundabout. You are now at the stadium.
The postcode of the stadium is CO4 5UP, but you may find that your sat nav system does not acknowledge this postcode at present. It is recommended to use CO4 5JS, which is the nearby Rapid Electronics factory.
PARKING
Please note that there is only limited car parking at the stadium itself, with just under 700 spaces in the main stadium car park.
Parking Exclusion Zone
Both Colchester United and visiting supporters should be aware that the immediate area around the Weston Homes Community Stadium is subject to a Parking Exclusion Zone on matchdays.
Covering both existing Clearways and also nearby residential areas, these roads will be marshalled by Colchester United and Essex Police to prevent parking on roads not permitted under the Stadium Travel Plan.
Fans coming by car are able to park in town centre car parks, paying the required fee, before joining up with the Matchday Travel Service.
There are numerous town centre car parks, whilst there is also an extensive pay car park at Colchester Train Station.
If parking in a town centre car park, visiting fans can buy a ticket for the number 65 bus on Head Street to the train station (a five to ten minute journey), where they can then link up with the shuttle bus service, which is a £2.50 return to the stadium.
There are plenty of pubs and restaurants in the town centre and visiting fans may find that getting to the ground in this way is an enjoyable one.
BY TRAIN
The nearest train station to Colchester United's Weston Homes Community Stadium is Colchester North. The station is just under two miles away from the ground. Fortunately there is a free shuttle bus service that will take you direct to the Stadium. The trip takes a total of approximately 10 minutes.
The buses run from around about 2 hours before kick off, with the last bus back leaving around an hour after the full time whistle.