Southend United chief Steve Wignall admitted he was looking forward to locking horns with his former Colchester team in tomorrow's final Roots Hall pre-season friendly.

The Shrimpers supremo enjoyed four successful years in the Layer Road hot-seat during the 90s, leading the U's to two Wembley appearances and promotion to the Second Division.

And Wignall, who is considered by many to be Colchester's greatest manager ever, said he was relishing his first opportunity to take on his former charges as an opposition boss.

"I had some very happy years at Layer Road and I left the club with my head held high," he said.

"Colchester are one of the smaller clubs and what we achieved there in such a short space of time was magnificent.

"The emotion I felt when the final whistle blew on our Third Division play-off victory against Torquay at Wembley will live with me for the rest of my life.

"But after serving Colchester for seven years as a player and another four as a manager I felt it was time to leave as I had taken them as far as I could.

"And I'm not the type of person who lives in the past. Of course I'm happy to see that Colchester are still holding on to the Second Division status I helped them achieve.

"But this will be the first time I have come up against Colchester as an opposition manager and I'm really up for it.

"I'm sure both sets of supporters will have looked forward to this game more than any of their other friendlies because of the great Essex rivalry between the two clubs.

"And I will want to beat Colchester just as much as our fans as I am a competitive person who wants to win every game as Southend's manager, no matter which team we face."

Midfielder Jamie Fullarton (thigh) is expected to miss out tomorrow, but groin injury victims, defender Mark Warren and trialist striker Leon Constantine, could return. Portsmouth frontman Luke Nightingale should also be included.

Published Friday, August 1, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Echo