Robbie Cowling insists any suggestion that he would not want to see Colchester United win promotion is ‘ludicrous’.

Speaking at a question and answer session at their popular Open Day at the JobServe Community Stadium yesterday, the U’s chairman said he would love to see the club move back up the divisions.

Some supporters questioned Cowling’s ambition, following Colchester’s lowest finish for 24 years last season.

However, the U’s chairman and owner has backed boss John McGreal in the transfer market this summer – and says he would love to see them go up.

Cowling said: “I often get asked whether or not I’d like to see the club get promoted and I’d like to dispel the myth that I wouldn’t.

“It’s ludicrous.

“I’d love John to go on and get automatic promotion and win every single game we play by Christmas.

“But I’m also realistic and I know that we won’t win every game.

“But I always go into every season wanting us to get promotion.”

Cowling also spoke candidly on attendances at the stadium, with Colchester seeing a drop in crowd numbers in their previous campaign.

“I would love the stadium to be full every single week,” said the U’s chairman at the annual event, which saw hundreds flock to the stadium and rub shoulders with the first-team squad.

“The club works very hard to engage with fans.

“Just recently, I asked Harry Pell and Luke Norris whether their former clubs have Open Days and whether they engage with their fans and they said ‘yes but not as much as this’.

“Of course, we would love more people to come.

“People don’t always appreciate what goes on.

“Colchester has never had a huge fanbase – it wasn’t full every week in the Championship.

“The club does struggle for fans but people can go down the road to watch West Ham, who have gone from a 30,000 stadium at Upton Park to 50-60,000.

“It’s the same with Tottenham last season, playing at Wembley.

“A lot of our supporters follow other teams and follow us, as well.

“We have a plan to try and bring players through and play for our first team and go up like that but it’s not simple.

“If any of you have any bright ideas about how to bring more people to the stadium, please write them down because we’d love to hear them.”