COLCHESTER United host Southend United tonight, in what is the biggest derby between the Essex neighbours in years.
Naturally given the short distance between the two teams, there are plenty of links between the clubs.
The Gazette's U's writer Jon Waldron looks at three members of each camp who will be looking to claim victory over their old club in tonight's big League Two clash, at the JobServe Community Stadium.
COLCHESTER UNITED
1 DEAN GERKEN
ROCHFORD-born Dean Gerken played youth team football for Southend United.
The 35-year-old moved to Colchester United's academy and made his senior debut for them under Phil Parkinson, back in 2004.
He has had two spells at the U's and has made more than 200 appearances for the club, in that time.
2 FRANK NOUBLE
FRANK Nouble had a brief spell at Southend United in the 2016-17 campaign.
He made five substitute appearance for Blues in that time before leaving them, that summer and joining Newport County.
Nouble is currently on loan at Colchester from Plymouth Argyle and has made more than 100 appearances for them, in his two spells at the JobServe Community Stadium.
3 DAVE HUZZEY
COLCHESTER United's current academy manager made the switch across the county when he linked up with the U's in August, 2019.
Huzzey had previously been at Southend United for nine years, working his way through from development coach to Blues' under-23 boss.
SOUTHEND UNITED
1 GREG HALFORD
THE versatile Greg Halford started his career at Colchester United and made 163 league and cup appearances for the U's.
He helped them win promotion from League One in 2006 and achieve their highest-ever finish under Geraint Williams the following season, before leaving Layer Road to join Reading in January, 2007 for a fee of £2.5m.
Halford has had a number of clubs since then including Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City and joined Southend on a free transfer last December.
He has made 12 appearances for Blues this season, as they bid to try and avoid relegation from League Two.
2 JOHN WHITE
LIKE his Southend United team-mate Greg Halford, defender John White came up through Colchester United's academy and helped them win a historic promotion to the Championship, in 2006.
The 34-year-old made more than 250 league and cup appearances for the U's in a ten-year period before leaving to join Southend in the summer of 2013.
White has also become a firmly popular figure at Roots Hall, helping them earn promotion to League One and playing more than 250 league and cup games for them, many as skipper.
3 CRAIG FAGAN
HAVING been working as Southend's under-23 coach, Craig Fagan is now working alongside his former Hull City boss Phil Brown with the first team as they look to steer Blues to safety.
Fagan, 38, linked up with Blues' academy in 2019, having previously coached in the youth set-up at Hull.
Fagan enjoyed a successful playing career prior to that and played for Colchester under Phil Parkinson between March 2004 and February, 2005.
He made more than 350 appearances as a player, with the likes of Derby County and Bradford City also among the clubs he represented.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel