Colchester drips are half-soaked.

STUD Marks has absolutely no time for sports reporters who moan about their lot.

Not enough prawn sandwiches? Tough. A bit cramped? Get over it.

Plenty of people would like your job.

Press boxes are a place of work, however, with their occupants there to do their level best to keep readers and listeners informed. So there is a line between slumming it a bit and having reasonable working conditions.

Which brings us to Colchester United's new stadium. The genius who devised the Community Stadium decided to put the press box low in the stand uncovered from the rain.

Fair enough, many people might say. Supporters have to withstand the rain, why not journos? Well, these days, most reporters wield laptops, radio kits and the like which means there's an awful lot of electrical gear and wires. And for all that to be rained upon for hours is a Health and Safety nightmare.

Not only that, it makes it jolly difficult to do the job properly. Imagine, if you have a job which involves a computer and pieces of paper, doing it without a roof on. In the rain.

Never mind the fact that your computer might go phut, it's not easy making notes on papier-mache.

All this at a new stadium!

The architect who drew it up should be made to work in the park next time it rains. See how he likes it.

And another thing. Road signs directing supporters to Colchester's ground are expected to go on main roads into the town "by November".

November. Well into the second season of the ground opening. So for more than a year away supporters have had to guess, glean directions from websites or travel halfway to Clacton before realising there is no sign.

We know councils are not famous for moving swiftly. But three years after construction of the stadium began perhaps this could have been addressed by now.