The time has come to stand up and be counted.

That's the message from Colchester United boss Steve Whitton as he prepares his U's squad for tomorrow's (Saturday's) big Division Two kick-off at Swindon Town.

He said: "It's the day we've all been working towards and waiting for, and I know my lads are raring to go and ready for it.

"It's stand up and be counted time. Pre-season is over. From here on in there are no more half-measures.

"What has gone before is behind us now. Now we find out how much work everyone has put in."

All of Whitton's new faces - Micky Stockwell, Simon Clark and Alan White - are in the side for tomorrow.

It's the First League clash between the two clubs since the Robins walked away with the Fourth Division championship with 102 points back in the 1985-86 season.

And how times have changed for both clubs since then.

While Swindon have been bouncing up and down between Divisions One and Two - flirting with the Premier Division for a season - the U's have both dropped out and bounced back into the Football League.

After three seasons of just missing out the Layer Road boys finally made it to Division Two two years ago.

Now they meet up again with the Robins after they were relegated from the First Division by a mile four months ago.

Whitton said: "It's a great time to be playing them. We couldn't have wished for a better game to start with. Swindon will still be thinking they are a First Division side and their nine new players will be out to impress their boss.

"That's fine by me because we have proved the better the opposition, the better we play."

The U's have won their opening day fixture for the past three seasons - Darlington and Chesterfield (twice).

"Long may it continue," said Whitton. "I will be looking for all of my players to score more goals this season."

U's kick-off at the Robins

Steve Whitton's Colchester United launch their new Division Two season against Swindon Town tomorrow at a County Ground where the Layer Road men have won only five times in their 50-year Football League history.

A lot of memories have been recorded throughout those years, including a short sortee in '93-94 for the Wiltshire club into the Premier Division.

But the last time the two teams clashed in League action, Swindon won 2-1 on the way to being crowned the 1985-86 Division Four champions with a record 102 points.

Former Ipswich Town star Noel Parkinson scored the U's goal that day, but only six other U's marksman have finished on the winning side at Swindon in 24 League outings.

Johnny McKim led the way with the only goal in a 1-0 Division Three (South) win in 1952-53.

Big centre-forward Neil Langman netted both goals in a similar 2-0, 1960-61 success.

Mickey Packer was on the mark in a 1975-76, Division Three 1-0 win.

Trevor Lee hit both goals in a 1978-79 win, while Gary Harvey (two) and Eddie Rowles scored in a thrilling 3-2 success a year later.

Tomorrow's (Saturday's) clash with Colin Todd's new look Robins - relegated from the First Division at the end of last season - has all the promise of being equally exciting.

And with a new player intriguingly named Danny Invincibile, signed from Marconi Stallions of Sydney, Australia, how can the Wiltshire side lose.

A lightning quick midfilder, Invincibile is just one of nine new faces brought in by former Bolton boss Todd, himself the latest of a long line of new team bosses used by Swindon over the past ten topsy turvy years. He will be making his home debut for the club.

Todd took over at the helm for the last match of last season - a 2-2 draw at Sheffield United - and his other new signings include West Ham striker Gary Alexander - a U's target in recent weeks - for a deal that could stretch to £300,000.

Dutch-born Peterborough goalkeeper Bart Griemink is another new face along with defenders Juan Cobian (Aberdeen), Antoine Van Der Linden (Sparta Rotterdam) and Keith O'Halloran (St Johnstone), plus midfield trio Kim Heiselberg (Esbierg and Sunderland), David Duke (Sunderland) and Matt Hewlett (Bristol City).

Goal-getting former Peterborough striker Guiliano Grazioli is still going strong, but having spent several months in administration the future is now looking bright for the club following the arrival of Todd and multi-millionaire Terry Brady, the father of Birmingham City's managing director Karren Brady.

Trivia

Colchester and Swindon boast almost identical records from league matches between the two clubs. In 48 Division Three or Four outings, both teams have clocked up 18 wins with the other 12 matches drawn. Swindon have netted 73 goals while the U's have netted 64.

Did you know the U's played Swindon Reserves in the Southern League and the Southern League Cup long before the two clubs met in the Football League. In six Southern League outings between 1937-46 the U's enjoyed four big wins 7-1 and 5-1 in '37-38; 3-1 in '38-39 and 5-1 in '45-46. They also won one of their two SL Cup games 2-0 and the only League Cup outing 4-1 in '71-72.

The U's are rated at 4-1 to win tomorrow with Swindon tipped as 8-13 and the draw 12-5. Correct score odds for U's win range from 10-1 (1-0), 33-1 (2-0), 16-1 (2-1), 80-1 (3-0), 66-1 (3-1), 40-1 (3-2). Correct score draw odds range from 9-1 (0-0), 6-1 (1-1), 12-1 (2-2), 66-1 (3-3).

(Odds supplied by Swift Bookmakers, Head Street, Colchester where all football bets are tax free.)

Ray Bunkell and John McLaughlin are just two players who have turned out for both Colchester and Swindon. The late former Spurs midfielder Bunkell was transferred to the U's from Swindon in 1973, going on to complete 148 league and cup appearances. Highly-rated defender McLaughlin went the other way, joining the Robins in 1974.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.