Town Win Behind Closed Doors Friendly
Monday, 13th Jul 2026 10:34

Town got their pre-season fixtures programme under way with a 2-0 victory over National League Southend behind closed doors at Playford Road on Saturday.

In a game of two 30-minute halves, Sindre Walle Egeli and Chieo Ogbene were on target with both sides giving minutes to their full squads over the course of the match.

Town returned to training a week ago under new boss Gary O’Neil, while the Shrimpers, who now have former Blues midfielder Kieron Dyer in charge, were back a week earlier as their season starts the weekend prior to the Blues’ Premier League campaign.

The squad is at Playford Road this week before they travel to La Manga for a training camp from Monday 20th July to Friday 24th July with another behind-closed-doors friendly against local lower league opposition at the end.

Their first pre-season friendly open to fans is the game against La Liga side CA Osasuna at the JobServe Community Stadium, Colchester on Wednesday 29th July (KO 7.45pm).

Elsewhere, released Blues forward Conor Chaplin is reportedly close to joining League One Leicester City.

Photo: Matchday Images

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Bluearmy_81 added 10:38 - Jul 13 We need 5-6 new faces going into the first team. Less than 6 weeks till Sunderland. Ashton full of shi.te again
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BerksBlue15 added 10:49 - Jul 13

Bluearmy - how do you know what is or isn't being sorted behind the scenes? It's clearly not this, but imagine Ashton is lining up a move for Bellingham and Kane but it can't go ahead because they're a bit busy in America right now? There's plenty of reasons transfers take longer than we'd all like. Remember how much back and forth there was on Philogene, as an example? Keep the faith. Some more players will arrive and if they don't, we're still £200m richer than we were 12 months ago.

Blue_In_Boston added 11:04 - Jul 13 BerksBlue15 why did you bring the £200m richer into it? That is what is wrong with modern day football, why teams are happy to finish fourth to secure Champions League. I don't agree with Bluearmy_81, but it is all about what happens on the pitch, not bank balances.
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chorltonskylineblue added 11:08 - Jul 13 Conor- Nooooooooooooooooo, not Leicester! But I appreciate he has to look after himself and his family
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bluelodgeblue added 11:10 - Jul 13 Bluearmy full of s***e as usual!
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BeattiesBackPocket added 11:14 - Jul 13

Bluearmy how do you know what’s happening behind the scenes?? Flat mates dogs former owner tell you!?? Also tell me WHO Coventry or Hull have signed or any clubs other than spurs have signed as yet? That’s right other than spurs prem teams haven’t been on a signing spree at all and guess why because there’s this big World Cup of football going on at the moment which affects ALL clubs because prem teams know that they are going to be without their bigger stars for few games of the season meaning they cannot let many leave as yet either due to that fact. Stick to fifa

Bluearmy_81 added 11:21 - Jul 13 Bluelodge, am I? Bet you were a ‘support the club’ kind of fan when evans was killing us off. I did more than most to get him out. Pipe down
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ajs83 added 11:31 - Jul 13 Transfer deadline day is Tuesday 1st September. That's 7 weeks tomorrow. 50 days from now. Take a chill pill.
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Alberto_the_frog added 11:51 - Jul 13 Good to see goals from two players many thought might not appear much, if at all, this season. Perhaps they will feel they have something to prove, push on, and establish themselves.
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TheMover added 11:59 - Jul 13 Bluearmy, other thzn whinge all the time what did you actually do to persuade Evans to leave? Did you introduce him to Gamechanger?
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michael_ayers added 11:59 - Jul 13 The reason we have comments available is to voice our OWN opinion, people will never agree on everything. What does cross the line is when abuse is aimed at club officials and TWTD members. We all want the best for ITFC and everyone connected with it. I don't know why people can't just put their opinion in a comment and leave out the abuse!
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Monkey_Blue added 12:03 - Jul 13 OooH. La Manga. Very 1990’s. I didn’t think clubs went there much these days given the close location of lots of distractions. Train hard… go out and get hammered in the bars and clubs in Malaga or Alicante. I’m suprised McKenna planned this before he left.
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BobbyBell added 12:12 - Jul 13 TheMover, remember in Bluearmy's mind he probably believes that it all happened because of his comments. International multi million pound deal done purely on the back on one person's on line moaning.
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JewellintheTown added 12:25 - Jul 13

Lets be real about transfers, we're still perceived to be a "small" club compared to the rest of the prem, favourites to go down, so everyone above us, plus the other high ranking teams in other big leagues will get first refusal from a bigger pool before us, & with the WC still going on, that might be a while longer before we get the ones that couldn't get in the "bigger clubs". Even some of the teams that have dropped down might get chosen ahead of us.
Not nice to think of us as that, but that's how we survive until more established. Look how long it took Man City after promotion to start being considered as a "massive" club.
Signings will come though.

Northstandveteran added 12:45 - Jul 13 Just a reminder regarding signings. We are now a premier league side. We tried signing quaity championship players in the past and it didn't work. We will be looking at players involved at this year's world cup. Not necessarily from the big teams, but quality players nonetheless. The transfer market won't happen until the tournament is over.
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backwaywhen added 12:47 - Jul 13 Blue army 81 Is a Budgie ……bye
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Brogan55 added 12:57 - Jul 13 Why don’t people just post on here what is sensible and true.There are a few who think they now it all,when in fact they know nothing.
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Brogan55 added 12:58 - Jul 13 I meant to say “know it all”.Sorry
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Marcus added 13:06 - Jul 13 Two years ago the project was to build a team that could fight at the top of the Championship rather than be overperforming League One players. Staying up would have been a bonus. This time staying up is much more important
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BIuearmy_81 added 13:17 - Jul 13 I obviously think I know better than all fans, and especially the manager and ownership.
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bluelodgeblue added 13:23 - Jul 13 Bluearmy it’s better to be thought a total idiot and then post one of your usual comments and remove all doubt!!
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Monkey_Blue added 13:43 - Jul 13 I hope we don’t sign anyone based on the World Cup. Only morons think “that guy played well in two games, let’s pay a huge premium”. We may be alerted to some players but we need to look at them beyond that. 7 Wolves players under O’neil have played in this World Cup but I assume if Semedo et al played well we need to ignore them as they were terrible?
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boysof1981 added 13:48 - Jul 13 @ajs. Agree it’s a long way to go till the transfer window closes, however we could do with new players in sooner rather than later, bearing in mind who it usually takes us ages to gel. Hopefully it’s different with MON in charge
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BerksBlue15 added 13:53 - Jul 13 @Blue_In_Boston - valid comment re: £200m. Was more in the sense that having more in the bank meant we were less likely to have to sell our best players under duress, and avoids us ending up in a financial mess like so many clubs elsewhere having found themselves, but agree it's about results and performances too.
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