United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) ahead of Carlisle's League One match at home to Colchester, Hall first talking about the return to Brunton Park of former Blues boss, and current U's manager, John Ward :
JP
The return of John Ward to Brunton Park, very interesting to see the CUFC North v CUFC South match here this afternoon?
AH
Aye, they are a decent side as well, a similar run of results to us season-wise Colchester United, they are a good team, you can just look at their strikers, (Steven) Gillespie and (Kayode) Odejayi, they seem to score against us every time they come against us. So, they are to be watched but Colchester will be exactly the same as us, they will want to finish as high as they can, it is as much about taking the momentum into the summer and then into pre-season as it is about finishing the season off properly, so I imagine it will be a good game.
JP
What has Greg Abbott been talking about with the team then ahead of this one today?
AH
Exactly that, carry on what we have been doing in the away games, we saw on Tuesday night, I think there will have been few people who would have grumbled if we had won down at Leyton Orient. Because, after that very sticky 20 minute opening period we dominated and we created the better of the chances. So, if we take that level of determination, the energy, passing the football that they have been doing, and bring it here then everybody will be happy.
JP
Here is a nice one for you, has Greg Abbott talked about getting one over on John Ward's team in this game?
AH
I don't think you can because that would be the wrong mindset, completely the wrong mentality. The fact of the matter is the two worked very closely together, took us into the play-offs and almost into the Championship working together, that fell apart for one reason or another, not at their level but at a team level and things move on in football, that is the way it is. There is all kinds being made of the fact that it is the apprentice and the master and things like that, it is not the case, they are two managers at two different clubs in their own right.
JP
I know that we will talk about it, the fans will talk about it, and I know that Greg hasn't wanted to, he doesn't want to talk about it, and I have heard from my colleagues who are at BBC Essex that John Ward hasn't either. But, it was Greg Abbott who tried to shake John Ward's hand and John who turned away from him, have you heard whether Greg will try to shake his hand again today?
AH
I have absolutely no idea, I don't think it has actually been talked about because it is just something that you do as a matter of course at the start and end of every game. I think there were mitigating circumstances as to why John got blocked off, tried to make that handshake at the last game. So, I am not so sure it was as big a thing as everybody is making anyway.
JP
Well defused, Andy Bond was a player who Carlisle were looking at in the summer, he has had a pretty decent season having made a big step up from non-league football this year, and he will be one that they will have to watch out for today?
AH
Yeah, it was interesting to watch how he develops because we did try to go to get him, it was well documented, He had again, a slow start with Colchester but once he got his first goal he has just kicked on, and he has got a slightly different role to what we would have expected him to play, but he is playing it really well. He is another threat along with (Kemal) Izzet and (John-Joe) O'Toole in that midfield, they are a good team.
JP
And Ben Williams as well, former goalkeeper, when he left it wasn't exactly Carlisle's choice, he wanted to go, at the time probably Carlisle felt a litle bit hard done by in all of that, however I don't think you would trade him now would you for the current number one at Brunton Park?
AH
No, Adam (Collin) has come on leaps and bounds hasn't he, and Ben to be fair to him was in and out of the side. I think we had the lad Ben Alnwick from Tottenham, Tim Krul came across to try to shore up a gap as well, it wasn't working for Ben but that gave him a kick up the backside and when he got back into the side he was one of the better keepers that we have had for a number of years. He decided to move on, that is fair play to Ben and it has worked for him as well, but we have got Adam and Adam has been fantastic for us.