READER, I married him!
Eagle-eyed Karen Dakin got a shock when looking at our recent spread of Colchester United pictures from the 90s... spotting herself as a fresh-faced 19-year-old.
Karen was standing on the terraces at the club’s former Layer Road ground, proudly holding her blue and white scarf aloft.
The picture was taken in 1992, the year the U’s won promotion back into the Football League following a spell in the Conference.
And little did she know back then that she would go on to marry former Colchester player Neale Dakin.
“I was a big fan and went to most games, home and away,” said Karen, now 48.
“I also went to lots of reserve team matches.
“Neale used to play for the youth and reserve teams and I got to know him a bit back then.
“We’d say hello but it wasn’t much more than that.
“He was always my favourite player, though, and his name stayed with me because it’s an unusual spelling of Neale.
“Years later, we met again on Facebook.
“He remembered me because I used to take a little rag doll to Layer Road. It was my Colchester mascot.
“We went on a date and the rest is history.
Come on you U’s - Karen Dakin, pictured at Layer Road in 1992
“Now we’ve now been married for six years.
“We have two boys, Charlie, seven, and Jack, six, and I have two girls from a previous relationship, Bethany, 17, and Emma, 14.
“I was about 19 in that old photo and now I’m 48.
“It was taken the year Colchester got promotion into the Football League.
“I didn’t realise I was actually in the paper but a friend sent me a link to the Gazette website.
“My children thought it was very funny.”
My team - Karen with Jack, Neale, Charlie, Bethany and Emma
Karen, Neale and their family now live in Rivenhall.
Although she still follows the U’s fortunes, she has never seen a game at the club’s JobServe Community Stadium.
“I don’t know much about football nowadays but still look out for Colchester’s results,” she said.
“I took my eldest daughter to watch the last game at Layer Road.
“We’ve all visited the new ground on an open day but haven’t seen a game there. It’s a bit expensive for a family of six.
“My boys would like to go and see a match, though, so when we can go back we’ll try and arrange it.”
Playing days - Neale Dakin
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