Layer Road

{{short description|Former football stadium in Colchester, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}

{{coord|51|52|37|N|0|53|0|E|type:landmark|display=title}}

{{Infobox venue

| stadium_name = Layer Road

| nickname =

| image = Colchester United's Layer Rd Ground - geograph.org.uk - 63984.jpg

| caption = Layer Road in October 2005

| fullname =

| location = Layer Road, Colchester, England

| built = 1907

| opened = 1907

| closed = 2008

| demolished = 2012

| owner = Colchester United F.C.

| operator =

| surface = Grass

| construction_cost =

| architect =

| former_names =

| tenants = Colchester United (1937-2008)
Colchester Town (1907-1937)

| seating_capacity = 6,320 (2,040 seated)

| dimensions = |

}}

Layer Road was a Football League stadium in Colchester, England. It was the home of Colchester United Football Club from its inception in 1937, up until the club relocated to Colchester Community Stadium in 2008, resulting in its closure. The stadium held {{formatnum:6320}} spectators by the time of its closure, and was built in 1907, originally for use by Colchester Town Football Club.

The record attendance at Layer Road is {{formatnum:19072}} for an FA Cup fixture against Reading in November 1948, a match that was abandoned due to fog. The ground was also used to host Sudbury Town's FA Cup match against Brentford in 1996,[https://www.fchd.info/SUDBURYT.HTM Sudbury Town] Football Club History Database as their Priory Stadium was deemed unfit. One of the unusual features of the ground was at the Layer Road End, where the back of the goal and the netting actually cut back into the stand.{{cite book|last1=Pickering|first1=David|title=Cassell Soccer Companion|date=1994|publisher=Cassell Publishing|location=London, UK|isbn=0304342319|pages=178}}

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 first team 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.{{Cite news

| title = Colchester 0-1 Stoke

| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7356028.stm

| publisher = BBC Sport

| date = 26 April 2008

| access-date = 27 April 2008}}

Just three days after the first team farewell, Layer Road hosted a Pontins Holiday Combination reserve league fixture on Tuesday 29 April 2008 when 471 witnessed Colchester United beat Peterborough United 3-0 in the last competitive game at the ground with the floodlights being used for the final time.

Dulwich Hamlet youth team were invited to a behind closed doors friendly on 11 July 2008 where Colchester won 7-0 in what became the final game of football ever played at Layer Road.

The stadium was locked for the last time on 17 July 2008 after 101 years in use, with 71 years as the home of Colchester United.{{Cite web |date=2009-08-23 |title=Layer Road Football Ground, Colchester 2009 |url=https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/threads/layer-road-football-ground-colchester-2009.12504/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Derelict Places - Urban Exploring Forum |language=en-US}}

In 2011, Colchester Borough Council sold the 3.63 acre stadium site to developer Abbey New Homes in a deal worth approximately £1.5 million.{{Cite news |date=2011-07-30 |title=Former Colchester United stadium homes deal moves ahead |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-14353151 |access-date=2023-09-10}} Planning permission was subsequently granted to build 58 homes on the site, a mixture of flats and houses, with a central open grassed space to be left to reflect its history as a football ground, and as a mark of respect to supporters who had their ashes scattered on the pitch as an expression of their love for the club.[http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/colchester_layer_road_s_future_finally_announced_1_979760 Colchester: Layer Road’s future finally announced] East Anglian Daily Times, 30 July 2011 In mid-2012, Layer Road was demolished with the construction of houses commencing immediately.{{Cite web |date=2012-05-31 |title=U's Layer Road ticket office is demolished |url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/9739228.us-layer-road-ticket-office-is-demolished/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Gazette |language=en}}

A bronze statue of former player Peter Wright was unveiled at the centre of the new development in 2015 by his widow Lindsey and Sir Bob Russell MP, following Wright being voted Colchester United’s Player of the Century by supporters in 2000.{{Cite news |date=2015-02-05 |title=Colchester United: Peter Wright statue at Layer Road site |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-31151567 |access-date=2023-09-10}} The statue signifies that the site was home to Colchester United for seventy years and commemorates Wright, a player who joined the club in 1951, making over 400 appearances and scoring 93 goals over a 13 year spell.{{Cite web |date=2015-02-06 |title=Statue unveiled to U's legend Peter Wright at old Layer Road site |url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/11776478.statue-unveiled-to-us-legend-peter-wright-at-old-layer-road-site/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Gazette |language=en}} The statue unveiling ceremony saw around 150 in attendance, including then-current Colchester United captain Magnus Okuonghae, along with many people associated with the club both past and present.{{Cite web |title=Colchester's Public and Street Art |url=https://www.camulos.com/streetart.htm |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=www.camulos.com}} The statue was made by local artist Mandy Pratt and cast at Butterfly Bronze Foundry in Romford by Will Hayes.{{Cite web |title=Colchester - Peter Wright |url=https://statues.vanderkrogt.net/object.php?webpage=ST&record=gbee102 |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=statues.vanderkrogt.net}}