COUNTDOWN TO OLD TRAFFORD - SIX DAYS TO GO

MORE than 5,000 Colchester United fans will make the trip up to Old Trafford next week to see their team take on Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

An impressive 20 coaches packed with U's supporters will head up to Manchester next Wednesday, in the hope of seeing their side pull off an upset and make the semi-finals for the first time in their history.

A crowd of around 60,000 is expected for the game at Old Trafford – but will it be the highest-ever attendance for a competitive game in the U’s history?

Here are the top five biggest attendances for Colchester games since they were formed, in 1937.

1 Arsenal 4 Colchester United 0 – 62,686 – FA Cup, January 28, 1959

The biggest-ever crowd to watch a Colchester United match was for their FA Cup fourth-round replay at Highbury, in January 1959.

David Herd (2), Dennis Evans and Len Julians scored the Gunners' goals, as they progressed to the next round in comfortable fashion.

2 Everton 5 Colchester United 0 – 53,028 – FA Cup, March 6, 1971

COLCHESTER United arrived at Goodison Park on the back of their historic win over Leeds United, at Layer Road.

Dick Graham's side travelled to Goodison Park in the hope of causing an upset but it did not materialise, as a brace from Howard Kendall, Alan Ball, Joe Royle and Jimmy Husband secured the hosts' victory.

3 Colchester United 0 Carlisle United 0 (Carlisle won 4-3 on penalties, Football League Trophy Final at Wembley) – 45,077 – April 20, 1997

COLCHESTER United suffered Wembley heartache after they lost out on penalties to Carlisle United, under the Twin Towers.

Peter Cawley and Karl Duguid missed in the shoot-out, as Carlisle claimed the Trophy.

The attendance was the biggest crowd to watch a game in England, that weekend.

4 Chelsea 3 Colchester United 1 – 41,810 – FA Cup, February 19, 2006

PHIL Parkinson took his Colchester side to Stamford Bridge looking to cause an upset, in the fifth round tie.

The U's were cheered on by 6,000 of their fans in West London but despite taking the lead through Ricardo Carvalho's 28th-minute own goal, a brace from Joe Cole and another goal from Paulo Ferreira saw the English champions safely through.

5 West Bromwich Albion 4 Colchester United 0 – 38,448 – FA Cup, January 31, 1968

COLCHESTER United took West Brom to a third-round replay, at the Hawthorns.

But their hopes of creating a cup upset were ended, as a Jeff Astle double along with other goals from John Kaye and Clive Clark sealed the hosts' progress.