Baldwin: 'The plan is to help Southend United get promoted' : Set up for second debut Swindon Town

29 January 2012 23:44
Colchester United: The Shrimpers new defender Pat Baldwin has left Colchester United after nearly ten years, and felt 'devestated' about how the move originally came about!

Baldwin: 'The gaffer (Ward) told me I did not have a future at Colchester'

Centre-back Pat Baldwin been a Farmer since leaving Chelsea as a trainee in 2002, except for the odd loan period of which one was with Southend back in 2010, but the club's sixth signing in the January transfer window is not overjoyed at how the whole move came about.

Baldwin told www.eadt.co.uk: “I’m a bit devastated with how it’s worked out. We all sat down with the chairman (Robbie Cowling) recently, to have a meeting about the tough decisions that were having to be made, in terms of the very tight budget at the club. I respect the chairman because he has been very honest with us all. He has put a lot of his own money into the club, and seen a lot of it disappear. I knew that I was not going to get a new contract, even though I felt that I still had a lot to offer the club. But that was not seen to be the case, in the eyes of the manager (John Ward), who perhaps saw me as a bit of a liability because of all my injuries of the last two years. I count myself unlucky with all those injuries, but there have been other times when I have been fit and still not been picked. The gaffer told me I did not have a future at the club, and I respect him for telling me this now, rather than to leave it until the end of the season.”

Fair enough, but he's a Shrimper now, and should go straight into the starting eleven for the promotion six-pointer against Swindon Town at Roots Hall Tuesday evening, as first choice central defender Mark Phillips looks set to miss the match with a groin injury.

Baldwin said: “I would have been prepared to move anywhere, just to play regular football, but this move is perfect for me, and I sat down with my wife and family to discuss it. Obviously Southend is just down the road, so it’s not like I am moving 200 miles away. I want to get my career started again, and I enjoyed my time at Southend (on loan) last season."

And he's already up for the clash that would see him make his second debut for the club in two years, the last time scoring an 89th minute equaliser against the same opponents!

Baldwin continued: "I have a good feeling about this move. The plan is to help Southend get promoted. I have a contract until the end of this season, and then we shall see what happens after that. I will be training with Southend over this weekend, and I’m looking forward to the next game, which promises to be a big one against Swindon on Tuesday. But I will obviously miss Colchester, especially the Layer Road years. I really loved those days. Perhaps I stayed a bit too long, in terms of the development of my career, but my heart was always here. I’ve had a fantastic 10 years and I have been at the club all my career.”

Balders did indeed play all 90 minutes of the behind closed door friendly with West Ham that ended in a 5-0 win for the Shrimpers.

Who will win the biggest game of the season so far?: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk   The Robins faithful speak: http://thetownend.com   Discuss the game on S24: http://boards.footymad.net   The Baldwin Files   Personal information Full name Patrick Michael Baldwin Date of birth 12 November 1982 (1982-11-12) (age 29) Place of birth London, England Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Playing position Defender Club information Current club Southend United Number TBC Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2001–2002 Chelsea 0 (0) 2002– Colchester United 209 (1) 2004 → St Albans City (loan) 3 (0) 2009 → Bristol Rovers (loan) 6 (0) 2010 → Southend United (loan) 18 (1) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:40, 8 October 2011 (UTC).† Appearances (Goals).   (For full info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Baldwin)   S24 is looking to build up it's editorial team, why not join us at the Shrimpers fastest growing unofficial site with up to and over 2,000 hits a day currently this month?

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Source: FOOTYMAD