Colchester United are promoted

[Bangkok Phil]

I can't begin to tell you what a great night I had.
Well done to Phil Parkinson and all the boys.
Brilliant season!

[laoshi]

Just how many teams do you "support"?...

[exiledgooner]

i can vouch for phil havin a thing for colchester...strange thing to talk about durin euro 96 in nana but football and beer does that i guess...

[laoshi]

Just pondering the thinking behind it. I support Everton. I don't have a wank 'cos watford won 3 0 last night. We win, we win. We lose, we lose. End of. This thing of coming from Brum, (or Leeds?) and supporting teams from Manchester (or Essex if they win summat) just doesn't sit right with me. It's like: "Everton had a shit season and won fuck all again. But hey I'm well happy cos Leeds are in the playoffs"...

[Uncle Harry]

I thought just about every football fan had a second team, usually a smaller club, although I do find it strange that a brummie would follow an Essex club ( or one from Manchester). I'm a West Ham fanatic, but I've always had a soft spot for Leyton Orient- they are a couple of miles closer than the Hammers, and I used to watch them as a young kid before I was allowed to go as far as West Ham! So I'm well pleased with their promotion yesterday, clinching it with just about the last kick of the game. Being an Essex man, I'm also happy to see Southend and Colchester get promoted.

[laoshi]

Seriously, I don't want to have a go about Phil per se. He's a good lad and knowledgable about his footie. But I'm a blue. Always have been and always will be. And that's where the buck stops with me. Everton win I'm a happy chap. Everton lose, I'm not. If I have any sort of second club, it's Rangers cos of me religion like. But there's only one team I love and they're the boys in Blue...

[Bangkok Phil]

I thought just about every football fan had a second team, usually a smaller club, although I do find it strange that a brummie would follow an Essex club ( or one from Manchester).

I love my footie and Colchester have been my 'little club' since 1978 when I saw them get beat 4-2 against Walsall at the old Fellows Park. (Ian Allinson played in that game Gooner)
I've seen them at probably 10 or 11 grounds in the midlands and I've made the arduous journey to Essex at least three times.
In the season we did the conference double (conference and FA trophy) I was there at Kettering, Runcorn, Northwich Victoria, Cheltenham, Kidderminster, Stafford Rangers, Altrincham, Bath City and for the FA trophy semi-final second leg against Macclesfield at The Rose Ground. I was also at Wembley for the FA trophy final where we beat Witton Albion 3-1. I also travelled back to England in 1994 for the Leyland DAF final where we got beat by Carlisle on penalties in one of the worst football matches I've ever seen (0-0 after extra time) - and at a bitterly cold Wembley. This Colchester thing became an obsession a long time ago - not just a team whose results I look out for.
I love Man United as well but it got tiresome following them - the constant clamour for tickets and lining the pockets of touts. Plus the hooliganism factor. There's no fun in paying a fortune for travel and tickets and watching Mikael Silvestre fanny around on the pitch for his 40,000 pounds a week. The 5,000 fans who formed the breakaway United FC know exactly how I feel but I do still love the club.

Having 'two teams' has given me twice the pleasure watching football. I cried on the night that United beat Bayern Munich in the European Cup Final and I shed a tear or two on Saturday when the ref blew the final whistle at Huish Park.

Posted after 3 minutes 51 seconds:

This thing of coming from Brum, (or Leeds?) and supporting teams from Manchester (or Essex if they win summat) just doesn't sit right with me

28 years of following Colchester and there's been a Vauxhall Conference Winners Trophy, an FA trophy and a runners-up spot in the Coca-Cola. I don't think anyone would call me a glory-hunter for that.

[laoshi]

Fairly do's mate. Just seems a bizarre mix of teams and places. I'm sure you understand that. Wasn't meaning to have a pop, just thought the OP was a bit bizarre. Anyway, enjoy :chug: ...

[Chang]

Yep Colchester did well coming second in div. 1 this season, and congratulations.

Southend came 1st though.