Colchester United F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Colchester United

Full name	Colchester United Football Club
Nickname(s)	The U's
Founded	March 1937; 88 years ago (1937-03)
Ground	Colchester Community Stadium
Ground Capacity	10,105
Chairman	Robbie Cowling
Head coach	Danny Cowley
League	League Two
2018–19	League Two, 8th of 24
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Colchester United Football Club is a professional football team from Colchester, Essex, England. They are often called "The U's". The team plays in League Two, which is the fourth level of English football.

The club started in 1937. For many years, they played in the Southern Football League. In 1950, they joined the Football League. Between 1950 and 1990, Colchester United moved between the Third and Fourth Divisions. One of their most famous wins was a 3–2 victory over Don Revie's strong Leeds United team in the FA Cup in 1971.

In 1990, Colchester United dropped out of the Football League into the Football Conference. But they quickly bounced back! They won the Conference title in 1992 and returned to League football. They were promoted again in 1998 to the Second Division. In 2006, they reached their highest league position ever, finishing 10th in the Championship in 2007. This was ahead of rivals like Ipswich Town and Norwich City. In 2016, they returned to the fourth tier after 18 years.

Colchester United plays their home games at the Colchester Community Stadium. They moved to this modern stadium in 2008. Before that, their home for 71 years was Layer Road.

The Story of Colchester United

This chart shows where Colchester United finished in the Football League each season.

Before 1937, another club called Colchester Town was the main team in Colchester. They played at Layer Road. Many fans wanted the club to become professional, like nearby Ipswich Town. But the club officials didn't agree.

So, in March 1937, a new professional club was formed: Colchester United. They also played at Layer Road. Colchester United joined the Southern Football League. Soon, Colchester Town faced money problems and closed down.

Early Success and FA Cup Runs

Colchester United won the Southern League in 1939, just before World War II. After the war, in 1947–48, they had an amazing run in the FA Cup. They beat several Football League teams like Wrexham and Huddersfield Town. They finally lost to Blackpool in the fifth round. This showed everyone they were ready for the Football League.

In 1950, Colchester United was voted into the Football League. They spent eleven years in the Third Division, with their best finish being third place in 1957.

The club often moved between the Third and Fourth Divisions in the 1960s and 70s. They were relegated in 1961 but promoted the next season. This up-and-down pattern continued for a while.

The Famous Leeds United Victory

One of their most famous moments happened in the 1970–71 FA Cup. Manager Dick Graham led his team to the quarter-finals. They faced First Division giants Leeds United. In a thrilling match at Layer Road, Colchester United took a shocking 3–0 lead! Ray Crawford scored twice, and Dave Simmons added another. Leeds scored two goals back, but Colchester held on for a famous 3–2 win. They then played Everton in the quarter-finals but lost 5–0.

Tough Times and a Comeback

In the mid-1980s, the club faced money problems. They dropped down the Fourth Division table. In 1990, Colchester United was relegated from the Football League for the first time since they joined.

Former Colchester United player-manager Roy McDonough led the club to the Conference title in 1992.

Even though they were relegated, the U's remained a full-time club. They sold their Layer Road ground to the Colchester Borough Council to pay off their debts. In their first season outside the Football League, they finished second. The next season, under player-manager Roy McDonough, they won the Conference league title! They returned to the Football League and also won the FA Trophy in 1992.

Promotions and New Heights

Colchester United continued to do well. In 1996, they reached the play-offs but lost in the semi-finals. In 1997, they reached the Football League Trophy Final at Wembley, but lost on penalties. However, the very next season, in 1998, they were promoted to the Second Division by winning the play-off final 1–0 against Torquay United at Wembley.

Former Colchester United manager Phil Parkinson helped the club reach the Championship for the first time.

The club stayed in the third tier for several seasons. Then, in 2006, they achieved their highest league finish ever, coming second in League One. This meant they were promoted to the Championship, the second tier of English football, for the first time in their history! Under manager Geraint Williams, they finished 10th in the Championship in their first season. This was a huge achievement, as they finished above bigger local rivals like Ipswich Town and Norwich City. However, in their second Championship season, they finished last and were relegated back to League One in 2008.

Moving to a New Home

The last game at their old stadium, Layer Road, was on April 26, 2008. The club then moved to their brand new home, the Colchester Community Stadium, in the summer of 2008.

In the 2009–10 season, Colchester United started with a huge 7–1 win against Norwich City. Their manager, Paul Lambert, then left to join Norwich, which made their next match very exciting! The U's finished that season in 8th place. They stayed in League One for several more years, narrowly avoiding relegation in 2013.

In 2015, they again avoided relegation on the final day of the season. But in 2016, they finished 23rd and were relegated to League Two, the fourth tier, for the first time in 18 years.

In the 2019–20 EFL Cup, Colchester United had another exciting cup run. They beat Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur on penalties! They were eventually knocked out by Manchester United in the quarter-finals at Old Trafford.

Club Colours and Crest

When Colchester United started, they wore blue and white striped shirts with white shorts. This was like their old club, Colchester Town. For most of their history, the kit has stayed true to this traditional design. There were a few changes, like using blue shirts and shorts between 1969 and 1972, and all-white shirts in 1972–73. But the stripes always came back!

The club first used the coat of arms of Colchester as their crest. This crest features the cross of St Helena and the crowns of the Three Kings. In 1972, the club changed its crest to a Roman eagle and was even nicknamed "The Eagles." After a tough season, they went back to having no crest on their shirts until 1979.

Since then, the crest has changed a few times. In 1983, it became a circular badge based on the 1972 eagle design. In 1994, it changed to a shield shape with a golden eagle on a blue and white striped background. A slightly updated version with a rounded shield was introduced in 2004, and this design is still used today.

Many different companies have made Colchester United's kits over the years, including Umbro, Adidas, Puma, and currently Macron. The club also has different sponsors on their shirts, like JobServe and HotLizard Ltd. For their 75th anniversary in 2012–13, the special kit didn't have a main sponsor. Instead, they promoted different local businesses for each game.

Stadiums: Old and New

Layer Road: The Historic Home

Layer Road, Colchester United's home for 71 years.

Colchester's old stadium, Layer Road, was built in 1910. Colchester United played their first game there on September 2, 1937, winning 6–1 against Bath City. The stadium faced challenges like storm damage and even closed during World War II.

In 1948, Layer Road saw its biggest crowd ever for an FA Cup game against Reading. A massive 19,072 fans came to watch! However, the game had to be stopped after only 35 minutes because of thick fog.

Floodlights were installed in 1959, paid for by money from an FA Cup game against Arsenal. Over the years, the stadium needed many repairs and safety improvements. Due to money problems, parts of the ground were sometimes closed, which reduced the number of fans who could attend.

In the early 1990s, Layer Road was sold back to the Colchester Borough Council to help the club with its debts. The club then leased the stadium back. The council started looking for a new stadium site.

Colchester Community Stadium: The Modern Home

The modern Colchester Community Stadium.

The new stadium was built at Cuckoo Farm. Building work began in July 2007. The official name for the new stadium is the Colchester Community Stadium. For a while, it was known as the Weston Homes Community Stadium due to a sponsorship deal. Later, JobServe became the stadium's naming rights sponsor.

Colchester United played their last game at Layer Road on April 26, 2008. They then moved to their new home. The first game at the Colchester Community Stadium was against Spanish club Athletic Bilbao on August 4, 2008. The first goal at the new stadium was scored by Aritz Aduriz for Bilbao. Scott Vernon scored Colchester's first goal there from a penalty kick.

The first competitive game at the stadium was on August 16, 2008, against Huddersfield Town. The first competitive goal for Colchester at the stadium was scored by Mark Yeates in a 2–2 draw with Oldham Athletic. Their first win at the new stadium was a big 5–0 victory against Carlisle United.

The Colchester Community Stadium can hold 10,105 fans. The record attendance at the stadium was 10,064 on January 16, 2010, when Colchester played Norwich City.

Fans and Rivalries

Colchester United has an official supporters' group called CUSA, run by volunteers. The club also has its own match day programme called "We Are United." The club's mascot is an eagle named Eddie the Eagle.

Colchester United fans have a few rival teams. In a 2003 survey, fans said Wycombe Wanderers were their main rivals. Southend United was also a big rival. Ipswich Town was considered a secondary rival.

By 2012–13, Colchester fans changed their main rivals to Southend United. Wycombe Wanderers became second, and Ipswich Town third. Ipswich Town fans also see Colchester United as their third rival, after Norwich City and West Ham United.

Colchester's main local rivalry is with Essex team Southend United. This is known as the Essex derby. Colchester has won 30 of these matches, Southend has won 34, and there have been 17 draws.

The club also competes for the Pride of Anglia title. They won this once when they finished 10th in the Championship, ahead of Ipswich Town and Norwich City.

Club Records and Stats

Greg Halford, who was sold for a record fee in 2007.

Micky Cook holds the record for playing the most games for Colchester United. He played 700 matches in total between 1969 and 1984. Tony Adcock scored the most goals for the club, with 149 goals in all competitions.

Colchester United's biggest league win was 9–1 against Bradford City in 1961. Their biggest league loss was 8–0 to Leyton Orient in 1988.

The record home attendance at Layer Road was 19,072 in 1948. The record attendance at the Colchester Community Stadium was 10,064 in 2010.

The highest amount of money Colchester United has received for selling a player was £2,500,000 for Greg Halford in 2007. The most they have paid for a player was £400,000 for Steven Gillespie in 2008.

Players

First-Team Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Matt Macey 3 DF Ellis Iandolo 4 DF Fiacre Kelleher 5 DF Ben Goodliffe 6 DF Tom Flanagan (captain) 7 MF Harry Anderson 8 MF Teddy Bishop 9 FW Samson Tovide 10 MF Jack Payne 11 FW JK Gordon 12 GK Tom Smith 14 FW Tom Hopper

No. Position Player 15 MF Jamie McDonnell (on loan from Nottingham Forest) 16 MF Arthur Read 17 FW Anthony Scully (on loan from Portsmouth) 18 DF Mandela Egbo 19 DF Rob Hunt 21 MF Owura Edwards 25 DF Aaron Donnelly (on loan from Nottingham Forest) 27 FW Matt Jay 30 MF Alex Woodyard 31 MF Oscar Thorn 33 FW Lyle Taylor

Under-21s

No. Position Player 20 MF Alfie Bendle 26 DF Joel Thompson 34 MF Hakeem Sandah 35 FW Kaleel Green 36 MF Archie Oliver 41 MF Max Jolliffe

No. Position Player 42 MF Milton Oni 43 DF Frankie Edwards 44 MF Alex Kokoshi 45 FW Oliver Godziemski 46 GK Harrison Chamberlain

Out on Loan

No. Position Player 22 DF Will Greenidge (on loan to Hornchurch) 39 FW Kien Connolly (on loan to Maldon & Tiptree)

No. Position Player 40 DF Frankie Terry (on loan to Braintree Town)

Under-18s

No. Position Player 47 MF Rashaad Drysdale 48 FW James Sasere 49 MF Lennox Emery GK Jack Sexton DF Elkanah Akor DF Alfie Newby DF Fella Abiduken DF Herbie Shaw DF Harvey Duggins DF Donte Frank DF Caiden Lewis

No. Position Player MF David Nkrumah MF Al-Amin Kosoko MF Burak Sabah MF Kai Martin MF Daniel Banjoko MF Dwayne Campina Do Vale MF Ronnie Harvey MF Owen Moore MF Ryan Mombo FW Leo Makatta

Hall of Fame Players

Colchester United has a "Hall of Fame" for players who have made a big difference to the club's history. Fans and a committee choose these special players. The entire team that famously beat Leeds United in the 1971 FA Cup was inducted. Their manager, Dick Graham, was also added.

In 2004, fans voted Lomana LuaLua as Colchester United's "cult hero" in a BBC poll.

Club Officials

Board Members

• Executive Chairman: Robbie Cowling
• Directors: Steve Ball, Corin Haines, Nancy Hayes
• Life President: Peter Heard

Backroom Staff

• Sporting Director: Vacant
• Head of Recruitment: Vacant

First Team

• First Team Head Coach: Danny Cowley
• Assistant Coach: Nicky Cowley
• First Team Coach: Jonathan Duckett
• Goalkeeping Coach: Yilmaz Aksoy
• First-Team Physio: Hayden Clifton
• First Team Analyst: Jonathan Duckett
• Kit Assistant: Dean Craig

Academy

• Academy Manager: James McFarlane
• Head of Academy Coaching: Steve Ball
• Head of Player Care: Sean Thacker
• Head of Academy Recruitment: Donnie Forbes
• Head of Local Recruitment: Vacant
• Academy Chief Scout: Jack Thorpe
• U21s Lead Coach: Liam Bailey
• U21s Assistant Coach: Paul Konchesky
• U18s Lead Coach: Elliott Ward
• Academy goalkeeping coach: Paul Smith
• Academy Sports Scientist: Alex Bevens
• Academy Head of Sports Science and Medicine: Hashim Ali
• Academy Video Analyst: Zac Thornton
• Academy Video Analyst Assistant: Jack Little
• Academy Physiotherapist: Ollie Reardon
• Academy Psychologist: Ryan Bailey

Club Achievements

Colchester United has won several trophies and achieved promotions:

League Titles

• League One (third tier)
  • Second Place: 2005–06
• Fourth Division / Third Division (fourth tier)
  • Second Place: 1961–62
  • Promoted: 1965–66, 1973–74, 1976–77
  • Play-off Winners: 1998
• Conference (fifth tier)
  • Champions: 1991–92
  • Second Place: 1990–91
• Southern League
  • Champions: 1938–39
  • Second Place: 1949–50

Cup Wins

• Football League Trophy
  • Runners-up: 1996–97
• FA Trophy
  • Winners: 1991–92
• Southern League Cup
  • Winners: 1937–38, 1949–50
• Watney Cup
  • Winners: 1971
• Essex Senior Cup
  • Winners: 2009–10

Colchester United Women F.C.

The women's team, Colchester United W.F.C., was first started in 1992 as Colchester Royals. They became part of Colchester United FC in 1998 but later stopped playing in 2013. However, the team was started again in July 2023!

See also

In Spanish: Colchester United Football Club para niños