Fans clash with stewards and police before Bromley go on to beat Colchester

Fans clash with stewards and police before Bromley go on to beat Colchester to extend their lead at the top of League Two to five points.

The U’s started the game with dominance, with Bromley’s Grant Smith making some impressive saves, and a shot cleared off the line, and one hitting the post.

But Bromley also did well to keep it at 0-0, Matt Macey making a number of key saves while Ashley Charles also saw a shot come back of the crossbar.

It was Nicke Kabamba who ended up scoring the winner from close range for Bromley, they sit 1st with 79 points from 39 games played, also 9 points clear of 4th place Notts County. Colchester are 14th with 53 points from 38 games played, 9 points from the playoff places.

@WillMSColU tweeted footage of an incident at the game, saying: “Someone was getting arrested, then a steward offered someone out for a scrap I believe.”

All kicking off! 😬 #ColU pic.twitter.com/xSa1Wg21YX

— Will MS (@WillMSColU) March 21, 2026

 

@BarbaraRic21291: Didn’t think Colchester had a hooligan element?!

@JDRP1995: We don’t. The Bromley steward was randomly offering people out for a fight. Clearly something wrong with him.

@SnellingDavid: stewards were cocks on par with Wimbledon ones just hired in thugs but made it entertaining I suppose. He offered a fan a fight outside that’s wat caused it. great season uv had I don’t know how uv done it! But enjoy league1 well deserved 🫡

@localpaven: Our away end facilities are so hostile it causes these scenes, and its absolutely beautiful

@WillMSColU: 😂😂😂 In fairness, if what I heard was correct, the stewards certainly didn’t help the situation!

@BoardmastersK: Basically Eastern Europe. Hardcore

@dalencfc1862: Love to know what your going to do when 3,000 Sheffield Wednesday fans come down next season that’s there away following

@al_cufc: Complete wankers these stewards, heard someone say they were hired before at Wimbledon, coincidence huh #colu

@colufangeorge: Schoolboy excuse. Just don’t be idiots and nothing will happen

@olliecufc: so stewards offering out fans and throwing hands is our fans being idiots? behave

@colufangeorge: So you’re telling me stewards did that for absolutely no reason. Always someone else’s fault

@JacobWSmith10: You can take the lads out of Essex…

@dylscfc: I was wondering wtf happened from the North Terrace. Fucking hell 🤣 #BromleyFC #Colchester

Bromley boss Andy Woodman said, per Gazette News: “It was a tough game, wasn’t it?

“The first 20 minutes, we were struggling a little bit.

“I’ve got to say credit to Colchester, they caused us a few problems in that period.

“We caused our own problems as well and it was really a case of just trying to get to half-time.

“That said, I thought the last 15 minutes of the first half, we started to get equipped with the game; Ashley had that shot that hit the bar and we had a few chances.

“But we just lacked a little bit of composure at the right moments – that was all that was lacking for me and maybe just a little bit of intensity.

“I think that comes from no-one wanting to make a mistake or jump out of their slot to get past.

“Second half, we were a lot braver and it then turned into a little bit of a basketball match which worries me because that’s not really what we want, particularly when we’re at home and there was some big blocks and big tackles and big challenges being made, which I expect us to make by the way.

“Then I thought we were good for it and that there was only one team.

“Matt Macey made a really good save, we rattled the bar and we had a couple of other chances but it’s a clean sheet and a really important three points and it keeps this unbeaten run going and that’s the most important thing.

“Games are going to be scrappy, games are going to be tight and there’s going to be moments and teams are going to have moments,” added Woodman.

“I’m sure their manager will say they were the better team, blah blah blah, I can’t believe we lost, blah blah blah – we’ve had a lot of people say that because we’re top of the table, so we must be doing something right.”

Colchester United boss Danny Cowley said, per Gazette News: “I think we understand where we’re at.

“We know what we need to do.

“We would be very sensible to look at Bromley and some of the things that they do and some of the qualities that they have, because we all know that in this life, success leaves clues.

“I think it would be really good to look at some of those clues and definitely take some learning from it and come back stronger as a group, stronger as a team and stronger as a football club because next year, we want this to be us.

“This year, it’ll obviously be really tough now for us to get what we wanted.

“We always knew it was going to be challenging.

“This year, it’s been a real challenge for us to get our best players on the pitch together.

“We need to finish strong for sure – keep going right to the end because we don’t know any other way.

“We will fight right to the end, I can promise you that.

“But we do have to keep preparing and keep improving as a football club, so that hopefully this time, next year, we’re in Bromley’s position.

“It was really disappointing for us that we haven’t taken any points out of the last two games, particularly when you think of the level of the performance,” said Cowley.

“But I think it’s the tale of the two boxes and I hate that saying.

“But those football sayings often stand the test of time because they’re true and we created so many chances and had so much control in the game.

“We played some really, really good football against a very good team.

“Credit to Bromley because you’re not where they are in the league this season without being a very, very good team.

“Andy [Woodman] has done a brilliant job and has got them very well organised.

“They have some injuries themselves and Michael Cheek is not playing but they’ve been able to find a way and they’ve picked up three wins this week.

“That’s what top teams do.

“We’re probably a nearly team and that’s the truth.

“I think we’re a nice team and neither of those two comments are compliments.

“We played how we wanted to play and I have to credit the players, up until the final action.

“We knew that they play man to man in midfield, we thought that we could overload them and we could get the extra man with the full-backs coming in with Jaden playing loose.

“We looked at their profile of defenders and we thought it was a good one for Jaden to play.

“He’s a young player and to play up there on his own as a nine is not easy but I thought he was absolutely brilliant up there, the way he linked the game, his intelligence.

“We thought that Sowunmi and Debrah are powerful, athletic defenders and we thought that they would like power and athleticism against them, so we tried to use Jaden a little bit looser to get the extra man in midfield and then get runners off him and I thought we did that really well but we didn’t get value for that unfortunately.

“We didn’t want it to be as open as it was in the second half but unfortunately we just kept missing chances and when you do, you then give the opponent…I want to credit them, because they are an incredibly determined, resilient team.

“They know how to suffer; every good team has to suffer at times and when they did, they did it well and they just stay together and find a way.

“I’ve got nothing but huge respect for them as a football club and the job that Andy has done.

“We’re disappointed with the goal.

“We lose the ball in our own half, in our own defensive third which is a big no-no for us.

“I just thought they then showed a huge amount of desire to then put the ball in the goal.

“I need to see it back if I’m honest; I can remember us losing it and them forcing their way through which is something they’ve done a lot, this season.

“They can score that ugly, scruffy goal which by the way, counts exactly the same as the beautiful goal from 30-odd passes.

“I can’t finish this interview without speaking about Ellis Iandolo.

“I thought he was just incredible.“For him to come back after all that time and play 90 minutes – in life, skill is important but most of it is about will.

“If you look at successful people, they have a huge amount of will and the will that he showed to get through that game and the quality that he played with – look at how much a better team with were with him.”