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 highest level of football in England.

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 played in the Third and Fourth Divisions. One of their most famous wins was a 3–2 victory over Don Revie's Leeds United in the FA Cup in 1971.

In 1990, Colchester United moved down to the Football Conference. But they quickly bounced back, winning the Conference title in 1992. They were promoted to the Second Division in 1998. In 2006, they moved up again, finishing second in League One. The next season, they reached their highest ever league position, finishing 10th in the Championship. They were even ahead of local rivals Ipswich Town and Norwich City.

Colchester United plays its home games at the Colchester Community Stadium. They moved to this new stadium in 2008. Before that, they played at Layer Road for 71 years.

Club History

Before 1937, another team called Colchester Town was the main football club in Colchester. They played at Layer Road. Some 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 started playing at Layer Road. Colchester United joined the Southern Football League. Soon, fewer people came to watch Colchester Town. In December 1937, Colchester United even signed many of Town's players for their reserve team. Because of this and money problems, Colchester Town closed down that same month.

Early Success and FA Cup Runs

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

Colchester United joined the Football League in 1950. They had just won their second Southern League Cup. They also finished second in the Southern League that season. They spent eleven years in the Third Division, with their best finish being third place in 1957.

Moving Up and Down the Leagues

The club was relegated for the first time in 1961. But they quickly got promoted back to the Third Division the next season. This pattern of moving between the Third and Fourth Divisions continued for the next two decades. They were relegated in 1965 and promoted in 1966. Then relegated in 1968 and promoted in 1974. Relegated in 1976 and promoted in 1977. Their last relegation to the Fourth Division in this period was in 1981.

During this time, the club had one of its most famous FA Cup runs in 1970–71. Manager Dick Graham led his team to the quarter-finals. They beat several teams, including Rochdale 5–0. This set up a home game against First Division giants Leeds United. In front of 16,000 fans at Layer Road, the U's took a surprising 3–0 lead. Ray Crawford scored two goals and Dave Simmons scored one. Leeds scored two goals back, but Colchester held on for a famous 3–2 win. They then faced Everton in the quarter-finals, losing 5–0 at Goodison Park.

Return to the Football League

In the mid-1980s, the club faced money problems. This caused them to drop down the Fourth Division table. Despite a short improvement under manager Jock Wallace, United were relegated from the Football League in 1990. This was the first time since they joined.

Even though they were relegated, the U's remained a full-time club. They sold their Layer Road ground to the local 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, the U's won the league title. They beat their rivals Wycombe Wanderers on goal difference. This meant a quick return to League football. The club also won the FA Trophy in 1992.

Promotions and New Heights

The club had a good season in 1995–96, reaching the play-offs. But they lost in the semi-finals. In 1996–97, they just missed the play-offs. However, they reached the Football League Trophy Final at Wembley. They drew 0–0 with Carlisle United but lost 4–3 on penalties. The next season, Colchester were promoted through the play-offs. They won 1–0 against Torquay United at Wembley in the 1998 Third Division play-off final.

Colchester stayed in the third tier of English football for several seasons. Then, in 2005–06, they achieved their highest league finish at the time. They came second in League One, just behind rivals Southend United. Under manager Phil Parkinson, the U's were promoted to the second tier for the first time ever. When Parkinson left, his assistant Geraint Williams took over. He led the team to a 10th place finish in the Championship. This was above Ipswich Town, Norwich City, and Southend United. However, in their second season in the Championship, they finished last and were relegated back to League One.

Recent Years

On April 26, 2008, Layer Road hosted its last game. The U's lost 1–0 to Stoke City. The club then moved to their new home, the Colchester Community Stadium, in the summer of 2008. They hoped to return to the Championship quickly. But they had a very bad start to the 2008–09 season. Manager Geraint Williams lost his job. Paul Lambert took over and guided the club to a mid-table finish.

Colchester United started the 2009–10 season by beating Norwich City 7–1. Manager Lambert then left to join Norwich. This made their next game against Norwich very exciting. A record crowd of 10,064 watched as the U's lost 5–0. The season ended with Colchester finishing 8th. They finished 10th in the next two seasons. In 2012–13, they just avoided relegation to League Two. They beat Carlisle United 2–0 on the last day to stay safe. In 2013–14, they finished 16th.

Colchester stayed in League One on the final day of the 2014–15 season. They beat Preston North End 1–0. However, in the 2015–16 season, they were relegated to League Two. This was their first time in the fourth tier in 18 years.

In the 2019–20 EFL Cup, Colchester beat Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur on penalties. Colchester were knocked out by Manchester United in the quarter-finals, losing 3–0 at Old Trafford.

Team Colors and Crest

When Colchester United started, they wore blue and white striped shirts with white shorts. This was like their old team, Colchester Town. For most of the club's history, their kit has stayed true to this design. There were small changes in 1967 and 1968, when they used "candy stripes." Between 1969 and 1973, they removed the stripes completely. They wore blue shirts and shorts, then white shirts. The original stripes came back in 1973 and have mostly stayed since then.

The club used the coat of arms of Colchester as their crest (team badge) when they formed in 1937. This crest showed the cross of St Helena and the crowns of the Three Kings. In 1972, the club designed a new crest. It featured a Roman eagle and gave the team a new nickname: "The Eagles." After a tough season, the club went back to its old kits and had no crest on the shirts until 1979.

In 1979, Adidas became the kit maker, and the shirts had a simple "CUFC" logo. The club crest changed to a round badge in 1983, based on the 1972 eagle design. It was updated again in 1986. In 1994, the crest changed from a circle to a shield shape. It had a golden eagle on a blue and white striped background, matching the team's traditional colors. A slightly updated version came out in 2004, which is still used today.

Many different companies have made Colchester United's kits since the mid-1970s. These include Umbro, Adidas, Le Coq Sportif, Puma, and Macron.

Since 1980–81, the club has had sponsors on their shirts. They started having sponsors for their away kits in 1999–2000. For the 2012–13 season, the U's celebrated their 75th anniversary with a special kit. It had the traditional blue and white stripes but no main sponsor logo. Instead, the club promoted local businesses for different games. This was a nod to the club's early days without sponsorship.

Home Stadiums

Layer Road Stadium

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

Colchester's Layer Road stadium was built in 1910. It was first home to Colchester Town. Colchester United played their first game there on September 2, 1937, winning 6–1. Strong winds damaged the stadium in 1938. During World War II, Layer Road was closed by the club. After the war, the club returned. The Main Stand was made bigger in 1946–47.

Layer Road saw its biggest crowd on November 27, 1948. Over 19,000 fans came for an FA Cup game. But the game was stopped after only 35 minutes because of thick fog. In 1959, floodlights were installed at the stadium. Money from an FA Cup game helped pay for them.

In 1971, the club bought the ground from the local council. But there were rules that the ground could not be sold for building houses. In 1980, the chairman said Layer Road needed a lot of money for safety improvements. Plans for a new stadium were rejected by the council. After some stadium disasters in other places, Layer Road needed even more safety work. The club had money problems, so parts of the stadium were closed. This reduced the capacity to 4,900.

Layer Road was sold back to the council in the early 1990s for £1.2 million. This helped the club pay off its debts. Colchester United then leased the stadium back. The council started looking for a new stadium site. A good spot was found at Cuckoo Farm in Colchester. Plans for a new stadium were approved in 2003. The council supported the £14.23 million project. Building work started in July 2007.

Colchester Community Stadium

Colchester Community Stadium, the club's modern home.

When the new stadium was almost finished, Colchester United announced its official name: the Colchester Community Stadium. However, because of a sponsorship deal, it was first known as the Weston Homes Community Stadium. This ten-year deal was worth up to £2 million for the club. It also included shirt sponsorship for the 2008–09 season. When that deal ended, JobServe won the naming rights for another ten years in 2018.

The club played its last game at Layer Road on April 26, 2008. They lost 1–0 to Stoke City.

Colchester United played their first game at the new stadium on August 4, 2008. It was a friendly match against Spanish club Athletic Bilbao. The first goal at the stadium was scored by Aritz Aduriz for Bilbao. Scott Vernon scored Colchester's first goal from a penalty kick. The first official game was on August 16, 2008, against Huddersfield Town. Mark Yeates scored the first official goal at the stadium on August 30, 2008. Colchester got their first win there on October 25, 2008, beating Carlisle United 5–0.

Colchester Community Stadium can hold 10,105 people. The record attendance there was 10,064. This happened on January 16, 2010, when Norwich City won 5–0.

Fans and Rivalries

Colchester United has an official fan group called the CUSA. It started in 1995 and is run by volunteers. The club also makes its own match day program called "We Are United." The club's mascot is an eagle named Eddie the Eagle.

A survey in 2003 showed that Colchester United fans thought Wycombe Wanderers were their main rivals. Both Wycombe and Southend United also saw Colchester as their main rival. Colchester fans saw Ipswich Town as their second rivals.

However, in a 2012–13 survey, Colchester fans changed their main rivals to Southend. Wycombe became second, and Ipswich third. Ipswich Town fans also named Colchester United as their third rivals. Colchester was also ranked as one of the least disliked clubs by other Football League fans.

Colchester's main rivalry is with fellow Essex team Southend United. Their games are called the Essex derby. Southend has won 34 games, Colchester has won 30, and they have drawn 17 times. The most recent game was a 2–0 win for Colchester on April 20, 2021.

The club also competes for the Pride of Anglia award. They won it once when they finished 10th in the Championship. This was ahead of Ipswich Town and Norwich City.

Club Records and Statistics

Micky Cook holds the record for the most games played for Colchester United. He played 613 league games and 700 games in total between 1969 and 1984. Mike Walker is second with 524 games. Tony Adcock has scored the most goals in all competitions with 149. Martyn King is the club's top league goalscorer with 132 goals.

Colchester United's biggest league win was 9–1 against Bradford City on December 30, 1961. Their biggest loss was 8–0 against Leyton Orient on December 15, 1988.

The record home attendance at Layer Road was 19,072. This was for an FA Cup game on November 27, 1948, which was stopped due to fog. The record attendance at Colchester Community Stadium is 10,064. This happened on January 16, 2010, when Norwich City won 5–0.

The highest amount of money Colchester United has received for selling a player is £2,500,000. This was for Greg Halford when he moved to Reading in 2007. The most money Colchester United has paid for a player is £400,000. This was for Steven Gillespie in 2008.

Players

First-team squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Matt Macey 3 DF Ellis Iandolo 4 MF Ben Perry 5 DF Jack Tucker 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 Kyreece Lisbie

No. Position Player 15 MF Dominic Gape 16 MF Arthur Read 17 FW Jaden Williams 18 FW Will Goodwin 19 DF Rob Hunt 21 MF Owura Edwards 25 DF Sam Kuffour 30 DF Kane Vincent-Young 31 MF Oscar Thorn 33 FW Lyle Taylor 40 DF Frankie Terry MF Adrian Akande

Under-21s

No. Position Player 36 FW Makise Evans 37 DF Alfie Newby 38 FW Kaion Lisbie 39 FW Kien Connolly 41 MF Max Jolliffe

No. Position Player 42 MF Milton Oni 43 DF Frankie Edwards 44 DF Elkanah Akor 45 MF Kai Martin 46 GK Harrison Chamberlain

Under-18s

No. Position Player GK Oscar Parker DF Fella Abiduken DF Herbie Shaw DF Donte Frank DF Caiden Lewis DF David Nkrumah MF Ryan Mombo MF Daniel Banjoko MF Ronnie Harvey

No. Position Player MF Lennox Emery MF Nadim Dagher MF Dwayne Campina Do Vale MF Owen Moore MF Neo Lieu-Smith FW James Sasere FW Leo Makatta FW Josh Adesanya FW Dre Henry

Famous Former Players

At the end of the 2006–07 season, Colchester United started a "Hall of Fame." This is for players who have made a big difference to the club's history. Fans chose the first two players: Peter Wright and Micky Cook. A committee chose three more players: Brian Hall, Mark Kinsella, and Tony English. New players have been added almost every season since 2007. The entire team that famously beat Leeds United in the FA Cup in 1971 was put into the Hall of Fame. Their manager, Dick Graham, was the first manager to join the Hall of Fame in November 2007.

Here are all the people in the Hall of Fame:

In a 2004 poll by the BBC, fans chose Lomana LuaLua as Colchester United's "cult hero." He received 39% of the votes. Mark Kinsella was close behind with 38%.

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: Vacant
• Head of Local Recruitment: Vacant
• Academy Chief Scout: Vacant
• U21s Lead Coach: Elliott Ward
• U18s Lead Coach: Eddie Keen
• Academy goalkeeping coach: Paul Smith
• Academy Sports Scientist: Thomas Baskerville
• Academy Head of Sports Science and Medicine: Hashim Ali
• Academy Video Analyst: Zac Thornton
• Academy Video Analyst Assistant: Revanth Thakore
• Academy Physiotherapist: Ollie Reardon, Rob Kavanagh, Brianna Lawal
• Academy Psychologist: Ryan Bailey

Former managers

Club Achievements

Colchester United has won several awards and titles:

League Titles

• League One (level 3)
  • Runners-up: 2005–06
• Fourth Division / Third Division (level 4)
  • Runners-up: 1961–62
  • Promoted: 1965–66, 1973–74, 1976–77
  • Play-off winners: 1998
• Conference (level 5)
  • Champions: 1991–92
  • Runners-up: 1990–91
• Southern League
  • Champions: 1938–39
  • Runners-up: 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 closed down in 2013. The team was started again in July 2023 for the new season.

Images for kids

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  Chart showing Colchester United's league positions over the years.

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

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

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

See also

In Spanish: Colchester United Football Club para niños