Mark Yeates holds a special claim to fame at Colchester’s home of six years.

Yeates scored the first competitive goal at the Weston Homes Community Stadium when he netted against Oldham on August 30, 2008. He then got the second before the visitors hit back to earn a 2-2 draw.

Colchester had to wait another two months for the first victory at their new base – and again Yeates claimed a double in a 5-0 thrashing of Carlisle.

Phil Parkinson’s three-year spell in charge of the U’s was all spent at the more Spartan surroundings of Layer Road, from where he guided them into the Championship.

He has visited the Community Stadium twice in the away dug-out with Charlton.

City have been to Colchester’s new stadium once before in the FA Cup under Peter Taylor. James Hanson scored twice and had a storming game but the U’s came out 4-3 winners in a thrilling first-round clash in November 2010.

Hanson is the only survivor from that game, although Jon McLaughlin was on the bench as goalkeeping understudy to Lenny Pidgeley.