Colchester United chief executive Marie Partner has admitted that the club's relegation will have a huge' effect on their finances.

However, she is confident that the U's can make their imminent switch to the new Community Stadium a sustainable one.

Colchester have reaped the benefits of being a Coca-Cola Championship club over the past two years.

And their drop into League One will inevitably bring a fall in income.

But this summer's switch to Cuckoo Farm will mean, at least in the long term, the prospect of bigger crowds and revenue.

And Partner is confident the club's sensible financial planning will help them cope with the setback of going down.

She told the Gazette: "The relegation will have a huge effect on the finance and the budgeting.

"But in terms of the stadium, the initial business plan was budgeted towards League One status.

"Having two years in the Championship has brought an increase in revenue, the scale of which we will not have in League One.

"We have had to sit down and revisit our budgets and we will do our best to make sure that it's sustainable.

"When you try and price things up at the new stadium, we have to balance out what the potential costs are going to be.

"Ultimately though, it's what happens on the pitch that matters."

Partner conceded that setting the ticket prices to watch the U's at the new Community Stadium was a tough assignment for the club.

revised The U's revised their charges for season tickets and matchday admission earlier this month, following an angry reaction from fans to their initial prices.

"The original announcement came at the same time when relegation was looking a possibility and it's very difficult in terms of trying to balance the cost of what we're putting into the new stadium," added Partner.

"The rent alone is 20 times higher than what we have been spending at Layer Road.

"We're keen to get back into the Championship and that means that we have to have funds to keep the squad together, where we can.

"It's a very hard balancing act to have but we are doing all we can as a club to ensure that happens, but ensuring the club remains financially sustainable."

Colchester United's reserve side beat their Northampton Town counterparts 2-0, in the Pontin's Holidays Combination League.

Tom Webb and Jimmy Pirie - with his first reserve team goal - scored for the U's second string, for whom Kem Izzet and Jamie Guy turned out.