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

When I was 15, I used to always stand with my mates behind the goal at the open end of Layer Road.

That was in the days before they covered that part of the ground, straightened up the eccentricities of the old terracing and put in seats and it was a great place to watch a game of football from.

There used to be a little group of us and we had a single aim at every match – to make sure we were highly-visible when the goal highlights were shown on TV the following Monday night.

A group of spotty adolescents would be bouncing around to get noticed on Look East or Anglia News and my friend even had a vivid, multi-coloured coat that he wore specially to every game to make it that much easier to pick us out among the crowd.

I’m sure the ‘rainbow’ coat has been in mothballs for many years now, but I know there would be no call for any such apparel to get spotted in the North Stand at the Weston Homes Community Stadium at the moment.

You could be wearing camoflage and you would still stick out like a sore thumb.

If you were one of the 3,637 or 4,515 in the crowd last Saturday or on Tuesday, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. With just three ball boys populating the stand’s seats, there was more than a hint of irony in David Mooney’s goal celebration in the game against Dagenham when he and his team-mates ran off waving to the non-existent crowd.

The goal celebrations were done with tongues very firmly lodged in cheeks, but they made a point and I think there is a serious aspect to it.

It’s sad to see a huge portion of the ground completely empty and, rather like my mate’s coat at Layer Road, the low turnouts haven’t gone unnoticed.

The goal celebrations show the players recognise it and manager John Ward went out of his way to refer to it in his post-match interviews on Saturday, pointing out that there is actually some very entertaining football on offer if people choose to come along.

However, it got me thinking why are Colchester suffering from such dismal attendances. They are unbeaten in nine league games in the best start to a season since 1961 and are scoring goals, so why was Saturday’s crowd almost 2,000 below last year’s average?

The current state of people’s finances would be one obvious factor, but there are clubs around the country who are still packing in decent attendances in these austere times so that can’t be the only reason.

It has been well-documented that the U’s are now playing an attractive brand of football, so the excuse of last year, that people were turned off by Aidy Boothroyd’s direct style, can’t hold this time round either.

And the team’s performance certainly can’t be blamed.

Neither really can the cost of season tickets as, while the U’s may not be the cheapest in League One, they certainly aren’t the most expensive.

Southampton’s average league gate this year is a shade off 20,000 and a full-season pass for St Mary’s is £70 more than the U’s.

Of course Colchester could lower prices and make it cheaper to take children, but the club is making a loss as it is.

One would assume they would have to take a big hit to reduce the cost further – a risky strategy that I don’t think many fans would back.

Getting to and from the ground is definitely something that deters some people and that will be a factor until the park and ride is installed near the ground, but surely that isn’t the only reason.

Perhaps it is the matchday experience that the club needs to look at to make it more appealing, but with the U’s only being tenants at a community venue, I guess there is only so much they can do.

For me, the real problem that Colchester have is a historical one.

I’ve heard people compare the U’s attendances to those at Norwich or Ipswich – both areas with a similar population to Colchester – and both they, like Southampton, have had notable success at the highest levels over the years.

Ipswich’s current fan base was built up on the back of the successes at the end of the 1970s and early ‘80s, while I feel Norwich have Jeremy Goss’ goal in Munich 17 years ago to thank for their robust attendances of today.

The people who flocked to those clubs back then have kept their loyalty and are now willing to take their own children.

It’s not that you get anything better at Norwich or Ipswich, I just think Colchester have never had that sustained top-end level of success to swell the match-attending fan base.

So what’s the solution for the U’s.

Well, I’m afraid I think it will be a long road and only a prolonged period of success will gradually build the numbers willing to part with their cash.

The club are doing their bit to make it happen and let’s hope Championship football isn’t too far away to get the ball rolling.

And they are offering cut-price tickets for the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy game against Wycombe on Tuesday so that will hopefully attract a few more through the gates.

Come on, put your rainbow coats on, stand behind the goal and get on the bandwagon early.