ESSEX COUNTY STANDARD U's REPORTER SIMON SPURGEON DELIVERS HIS THOUGHTS ON Colchester United IN HIS WEEKLY COLUMN:

By the time you read this, hopefully we’ll know who will be governing the country for the next few years.

As if the climax to the League One season hasn’t been traumatic enough for Colchester fans, we’ve had to endure four weeks of politicians of all persuasions telling us we’re safer in their hands than the lot next to them.

Well it’s over now and I hope those of you eligible to do so, exercised your democratic rights at the polling booths.

But, just in case you haven’t had enough, there’s another vote I’d like you to consider.

Where would you put your ballot paper tick in the election for who you don’t want to face next season?

This is the time of year when promotion and relegation issues are finally decided and for sides, like Colchester, who know where they are going to be next year already, there’s still interest in looking at who will be joining you next year.

I spent last Sunday lunchtime watching the Championship game between Sheffield Wednesday and Palace knowing the loser would be visiting the Weston Homes Community Stadium next year.

Throughout the game I was thinking who I wanted to come down more. Not from a malicious point of view that I was wishing one or the other the ignominy of relegation, but rather which side would I rather the U’s to be facing in the 2010/11 campaign.

My tick went against Crystal Palace as I figured their well-documented financial problems would force them to sell in the summer leaving them a weaker force in League One.

Well that one went out of the window and they deserved to win the game at Hillsborough so we’ll be seeing the Owls next year.

They have already started releasing players and it remains to be seen just how much of a threat they will pose next year.

But that match turned my attention to who I want to get rid of from the current crop of sides in League One.

Norwich are already gone and I won’t be among those mourning the departure of Lambert, Delia and the rest of them.

Apart from giving a truly wonderful opening day of the season, there is little that the Budgies have done for the U’s in the intervening nine months.

However, there are still issues to be resolved at the top, with five sides fighting for two places and there are some more than others who I personally would like to see join Norwich in their move to the Championship.

Chief among those would be Leeds, who, along with the Canaries, I feel have had the edge in terms of quality on the pitch this year.

I think manager Simon Grayson’s job may be in doubt if they don’t go up and a change in personnel could create instability for a while next year, but you would still see Leeds as a serious promotion contender if they stayed in the division.

So I’ll add Leeds’ name to my voting form, although I am aware their move – along with those of Norwich and Southend – may well have an adverse impact on the U’s attendance figures next year.

Prior to the visit of Leyton Orient, Colchester’s average league gate has been 5,520.

However, if you take Norwich, Leeds and Southend out, that figure drops to 5,057 and I can’t see Plymouth, Rochdale or Peterborough’s fans doing much to boost that tally.

Back to the voting, though, and it’s one from Swindon, Huddersfield, Millwall and Charlton to choose from.

Swindon have done amazingly well this year, but I feel promotion has to come this year for them.

Their success has been built around the goals of Austin and Paynter and I can see one or both going in the summer if they don’t go up so I would fancy them to struggle a bit more next year if unsuccessful this time.

The same could be said of Huddersfield, with the goals of Jordan Rhodes, although I do think there is more depth to the Terriers than to Swindon.

I know Huddersfield beat the U’s last week, but it was a fortunate victory and I don’t see too much in them that Colchester should fear next year if they’re still around.

Charlton, meanwhile, are going to be a threat if they are still in League One, but they would have to rebuild if Phil Parkinson lost his job on the back of a failed campaign and I’m not sure how much cash lies in the Valley coffers to invest in new personnel.

So that leaves Millwall, who I think are up there with Leeds and Norwich in having an edge at this level.

They would be the ones to get my vote.

Just like the General Election campaign, there are several weeks to wait before the play-off issues are resolved, but at least we won’t have to put up with any televised debates as the contenders try to win you over.

And I can’t see Kenny Jackett hitting the streets to kiss any babies either.