Supporters urged to get behind managerless U's (From Gazette)

Come on you loyal U's fans! Mr Cowling has listened to us (finally) and made a decision about our management. Let us support him now and the club and get us back on track to compete in this division. We have a good nucleus of players who can turn this around with the right motivational manager. Let us show our allegiance to our beloved U's and come out and support 'our team' on Saturday! Up the U's!!

Come on you loyal U's fans! Mr Cowling has listened to us (finally) and made a decision about our management. Let us support him now and the club and get us back on track to compete in this division. We have a good nucleus of players who can turn this around with the right motivational manager. Let us show our allegiance to our beloved U's and come out and support 'our team' on Saturday! Up the U's!!

It won't be a quick fix because I am sure that like me, many of the missing circa 2,500 fans have got out of the habit of going. I vowed not to attend again while Wards dull and negative football prevailed. That was in April and much as I would like to witness what will hopefully the dawn of a new era, I can't attend at least the next four home games because of other commitments, something that I would not have thought possible a couple of seasons ago. Cowling may claim that Ward has done some good things at the club but he may also have damaged it significantly.

Layer Road Exile wrote:
It won't be a quick fix because I am sure that like me, many of the missing circa 2,500 fans have got out of the habit of going. I vowed not to attend again while Wards dull and negative football prevailed. That was in April and much as I would like to witness what will hopefully the dawn of a new era, I can't attend at least the next four home games because of other commitments, something that I would not have thought possible a couple of seasons ago. Cowling may claim that Ward has done some good things at the club but he may also have damaged it significantly.

I am the same, but hopefully sometime in the near future I will get back there. Good to hear/see things have changed. Just put Joe Dunne as manager and I might be back even quicker, temp is not good enough for me.

We'll be going on Saturday because the team needs our support, big win saturday and were off and running!
Come on all you colu fans the season starts now!! Up the U's!

Wishing Joe well for his second stint as Caretaker Manager. He'll have learnt a lot under John Ward, but he's his own man and I expect fresh ideas. I agree we've got a good nucleus of players, so a change might be worth three points!

Good luck Joe Dunne on saturday at home to Hartlepool.

Lots has been said and lots has now happened but this Tim Waddington has a habit of getting my back up. His comments last week really irritated me suggesting that because the results had been "fair" that supporters shouldnt be as upset. Then backing Ward 100% and now these callous comments effectively saying that now Ward has gone people should come back. No real grasp of why people were upset but just that it's a numbers game.
Much of what he has said seems to have missed some people why Ward got the battering.I think it's a shame Ward had to go, he was a lovely guy and he has done a lot around the club. Maybe that's how he should have been emplyed perhaps? In a support and development role. But he stepped in for us, was slated immediately for not being the "marquee" manager people wanted and has been battered ever since. I'm not defending him, his record this season is woefully below par as is the 20+ games without a win, in fact I'd join super "on the fence"but his behind the scnes work should not be called into question due to the lack of results at, as RC puts it, "the sharp end".
Whoever gets the job now lets back them from the start regardless of initial interpretation and focus on a successful Col Utd.
Ward, like Boothroyd and Lambert before him, had his faults of course but, like those two, he did receive a lot of unjust criticism for simply being John Ward and not someone else. When we were in the play off picture for irtually a whole season under Boothroyd people slated him for the style of football, Parky came in for the odd slating too and Lambert only become God's gift after he buggered off. As a club and group of fans we need to change our mind set some what and focus on our joint desire of following a successful club. I also think the players have been far too protected in this. To say they need motivating to do a job and that has to come from a manager? TO some extent yes but what about doing your professional duty? Theyre paid good money to do a job most of us would swap ours for tomorow and should be motivated enough regardless of what a manager says. I've had my fair share of bosses, some I liked, some I respect, some I couldnt stand, and some I have no respect for but either way I accept my responsibility to do the job day in day to the best of my ability regardless of my opinion of my boss. Whether they liked or respected Ward or not is irrelevant. Theyre paid to represent the club and paid, in some capacity by us.
Ward was let down by some of those guys quite badly in my opinion. Hopefully whoever comes in can give them a timely reminder of their responsibilities. Ability is one thing, a winning mentality is another thing altogether. Perhaps some of them ar too comfortable.
I just hope whoever comes in Joe Dunne keeps some kind of role. One day, (not now in my opinion), he could become a legend of a manager for us and I would watch himt leave with a very heavy heart. I fear him taking over now and becoming our Bryan Gunn. If it is Joes time now then, of course, he has my 100% backing, As will whoever takes over.
As fans of our local football team lets all get down there Saturday and give Joe and the team our backing and drive our season forward.

I will definitely be there, as now Wards out, I can go to the game actually thinking that we can win. Up the U's

Eddy D is right to criticise the players. Their performance this season has been very similar to that of the the team in the final six weeks or so under George Williams. They appeared to be purposely playing badly so as to get Williams sacked. The current squad have behaved in the same way.
Tim Waddington seems to think that all they had to do was sack John Ward and suddenly an extra 1000 people would attend every game. It will take more than that to get me back on a regular basis. I disagreed with Ward's team selection but I respected him as a man. So I am not interested in celebrating his departure. If the team start playing a whole lot better, then yes, I'll be back. But I want to see some positive match reports first.
As for Tim Waddington, I remember that last winter when some of us went to the ground to help clear the snow, it was John Ward who was there working as hard as anyone, while Mr Waddington and a couple of other marketing types stood around in suits, chatting and serving tea and sandwiches, but staying well clear of the shovels and wheelbarrows.
Up the U's.

I'm actually looking forward to the game.

I'll be there, giving my full support to the team. Up the U's

Fans who have to pay out their hard earned cash want to be entertained.
I'll wait to see if JD is more attack minded.
If Izzett and Duguid are in the side for this home game I won't bother.
Both are past their best.
I will know then It will be more of the same.,