Plans: Danny Cowley, the head coach of Colchester United, is getting ready for the upcoming 2025–2026 Sky Bet League Two season.
The first two summer preseason games for COLCHESTER United have been confirmed.
And in their first friendly match, Danny Cowley’s team will play some well-known opponents.
On Saturday, July 12, at 3 p.m., Colchester will travel to play Pitching In Isthmian League division north team Maldon and Tiptree.
Tom Eastman, a former defender who joined the Jammers from Dagenham and Redbridge last month, is expected to play for the U’s.
Cameron James, who made 31 first-team appearances for Colchester before being released in 2020, is also now at Park Drive as is ex-U’s player Louis Dunne, who joined them this summer from Chelmsford City.
In addition, former Colchester under-21 boss Kevin Horlock is now in charge of Maldon and Tiptree, while fellow ex-U’s youth coach Liam Bailey is also at the Isthmian League club, having taken over as their academy boss.
Maldon and Tiptree have also been linked with a move for another former Colchester player, Freddie Sears, who has just left Chatham Town.
Colchester have also announced that they will travel to play National League South new boys Dagenham and Redbridge, on Tuesday, July 22, kick-off 7.30pm.
Colchester are also set to travel to play National League side Braintree Town in another friendly, on Tuesday, July 29, kick-off 7.45pm.
A number of former Colchester players represented Braintree in the 2024/25 season including Ryan Clampin, Alan Judge, Marley Marshall Miranda, John Akinde and Chay Cooper, while ex-U’s favourites Karl Duguid and Phil Coleman are assistants to boss Steve Pitt at Cressing Road.
Colchester are set to add further friendlies to their pre-season schedule, ahead of the big Sky Bet League Two kick-off on August 2.
Cowley is busy preparing for the upcoming campaign, and last month, the U’s manager told the Gazette that he anticipates learning more details about the possible takeover at the club as the summer goes on.
There will undoubtedly be more communication between us in the upcoming weeks and months, he stated.
“Once you have self-awareness to know where you are today and once you understand the tools that you have to be able to move forward, then you have complete clarity over exactly where you’re trying to go, and you have the stepping stones to get to that vision,” the statement reads. “We’ll have better clarity over exactly where we are as a football club.
