Thanks for not calling the police

IF you happened to be one of the U's supporters who witnessed two suspiciously hunched figures in the secluded darkness behind the Weston Homes Community Stadium at 10.15pm on Tuesday night let me take this opportunity to thank you for not calling the police.

Yes, I was one of those sillhouettes, but let me explain.

At around 10pm, 15 minutes or so after the referee brought an end to Colchester's 2-0 win over MK Dons, I was stood down by the tunnel interviewing manager Aidy Boothroyd.

Then, as is always the way with evening matches, I had quarter of an hour to type those quotes in order to meet the deadline for the following day's newspaper.

At around 10.10pm I was cruising. I had the baulk of my copy written up and was already thinking about getting home for a warm cup of tea.

It was then that disaster struck.

“This is an emergency, please leave the stadium immediately,” urged a recorded message over the top of a very angry sounding alarm.

To start with, myself and the only other remaining journalist in the press box - Colchester Evening Gazette reporter Jon Waldron - tried to pretend this wasn't happening to us at such a critical moment.

But following the strong advice of a steward we both had to sprint around two sides of the pitch, with laptops precariously balanced open, to get out the nearest open gates.

Which brings me back to explaining about the two hunched figures in the darkness.

Having exited the gates, Jon and I had plonked ourselves down cross-legged on the first available patch of cold concrete that presented itself to quickly finish off our reports and hit the send button with minutes to spare.

Then, with perfect comedy timing, the tannoy burst back into life. “Thanks for your co-operation, this way just a test.”

At least the police didn't turn up.

posted on 27 January 2010 14:01 byStuart Watson