1974–75 Colchester United F.C. season

Colchester United
1974–75 season
Chairman Robert Jackson
(until November)
Jack Rippingale (from November)[1]
Manager Jim Smith
Stadium Layer Road
Third Division 11th
FA Cup 2nd round
(eliminated by
Leatherhead)
League Cup 5th round
(eliminated by
Aston Villa)
Top goalscorer League:
Bobby Svarc (24)
All:
Bobby Svarc (25)
Highest home attendance 11,812
v Aston Villa, 3 December 1974[2]
Lowest home attendance 3,202
v Bury, 2 May 1975[3]
Average home league attendance 5,460[4]
Biggest win 5–0
v Grimsby Town, 15 November 1974
Biggest defeat 1–4
v Swindon Town, 30 November 1974
v Charlton Athletic, 1 January 1975
2–5
Walsall, 15 March 1975
Football kit (white jersey with blue, vertical stripes; blue shorts; and white socks).
Home colours

The 1974–75 season was Colchester United's 33rd season in their history and their first season back in the third tier of English football for six years, the Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Jim Smith consolidated Colchester's position back in the third tier by leading them to an eleventh position finish to the season. They experienced a successful cup run in the League Cup, eventually falling to Second Division Aston Villa in the quarter-final stage. However, they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the second round by non-League outfit Leatherhead.

Season overview

Ahead of the new season, Colchester's board warned that a break-even gate of 9,200 was required and that players would be sold if attendances didn't reach an average of 7,500. However, manager Jim Smith returned to former club Boston United to sign Bobby Svarc's old strike partner John Froggatt for £6,000. The acquisition was fruitful, with Svarc finding the back of the net 24 times in the league and 25 times in total, with Froggatt registering 18 with 16 in the league.

Having reached the quarter-final of the FA Cup four seasons prior, the U's emulated that achievement in the League Cup. After beating Oxford United and Southend United, they hosted First Division Carlisle United, beating the Cumbrians 2–0 to earn a home tie with Southampton. A 0–0 draw at Layer Road led to a 1–0 replay win at The Dell, courtesy of a Barry Dominey goal. This set up a quarter-final tie with Second Division Aston Villa. Villa were just too strong for United, winning 2–1 before a Layer Road crowd of 11,812.

Colchester's success in the League Cup was not replicated in the FA Cup as they were knocked out by non-League outfit Leatherhead in the second round. In the league, a strong start to the season was followed up by a weaker second half to the campaign as the U's fell from fifth to eleventh where they ended the season.

Crowds fell a long way short of the target expected by the board, with a league average of 4,941 attending during the season.[5]

Players

As of match played 2 May 1975.[6]
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee
Goalkeepers
Mike WalkerGKWalesColwyn Bay28 November 1945 (aged 28)480England WatfordJuly 1973£4,000
Defenders
Stewart BrightFBEnglandColchester13 October 1957 (aged 16)00ApprenticeSummer 1974Free transfer
Micky CookFBEnglandEnfield9 April 1951 (aged 23)1926England Orient1 March 1969Free transfer
Barry DomineyCBEnglandEdmonton21 October 1955 (aged 18)30England Enfield WMCSeptember 1973Free transfer
Ray HarfordCBEnglandHalifax1 June 1945 (aged 29)693England Port Vale3 February 1973[lower-alpha 1]£1,750
Mick PackerFBEnglandWillesden20 April 1950 (aged 24)350England WatfordJuly 1973Free transfer
Lindsay SmithCBEnglandEnfield18 September 1954 (aged 19)895Apprentice20 April 1971[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Midfielders
Ray BunkellMFEnglandEdmonton18 September 1949 (aged 24)60England Swindon TownDecember 1973Part exchange
Steve FoleyMFEnglandClacton-on-Sea21 June 1953 (aged 20)9121ApprenticeJuly 1969Free transfer
Steve LeslieMFEnglandHornsey4 September 1952 (aged 21)10421Apprentice20 April 1971[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Jimmy LindsayMFScotlandHamilton12 July 1949 (aged 24)00England Watford17 August 1974[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Bobby RobertsMFScotlandEdinburgh2 September 1940 (aged 33)20England Coventry City1 March 1973Free transfer
Phil ThomasMFEnglandSherborne14 December 1952 (aged 21)776England BournemouthSummer 1972Free transfer
Forwards
Ian AllinsonWGEnglandHitchin1 October 1957 (aged 16)00ApprenticeSummer 1974Free transfer
John FroggattFWEnglandStanton Hill13 December 1945 (aged 28)00England Boston UnitedSummer 1974£6,000
Bobby SvarcFWEnglandLeicester8 February 1946 (aged 28)6834England Boston UnitedDecember 1972£6,000
  1. 1 2 3 4 Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club

Transfers

In

Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
Summer 1974 FB England Stewart Bright Apprentice Free transfer [7]
Summer 1974 WG England Ian Allinson Apprentice Free transfer [8]
Summer 1974 FW England John Froggatt England Boston United £6,000 [9]
17 August 1974 MF Scotland Jimmy Lindsay England Watford Free transfer [10][lower-alpha 1]
  • Total spending: Decrease ~ £6,000
  1. ↑ Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club

Out

Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
Summer 1974 MF England Bobby Mills England Chelmsford City Nominal [11]
Summer 1974 MF England Tony Wingate England Barnet Released [12]
25 January 1975 CB Wales Stuart Morgan England Bournemouth £4,000 [13][lower-alpha 1]
February 1975 FB England Alex Smith England Halifax Town Nominal [14]
2 May 1975 WG England Colwyn Rowe England Chelmsford City Released [15][lower-alpha 1]
31 March 1975 FW England Barry Dyson England Chelmsford City Released [16]
  • Total incoming: Increase ~ £4,000
  1. 1 2 Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club

Loans in

Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.
4 January 1975 FW England John Sims England Derby County 10 January 1975 [17][lower-alpha 1]
February 1975 FB Scotland Danny Cameron England Sheffield Wednesday 4 March 1975 [18][lower-alpha 1]
February 1975 MF England Ian McDonald England Liverpool 4 March 1975 [19][lower-alpha 1]
  1. 1 2 3 Loan start and end dates refer to the date of the player's first and final games for the club

Loans out

Date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref.
February 1975 FW England Barry Dyson England Chelmsford City 31 March 1975 [16][lower-alpha 1]
  1. ↑ Loan start and end dates refer to the date of the player's first and final games for the club

Match details

Third Division

Third Division results round by round

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
GroundHAHAHHAAHAHAHAAHHHAHAHHHAHAAHAHAAHAAHAAHAAHHAH
ResultDLWDWWWDLDWWWLDDDLLWLWDWLDLLWLDDWWLWLLLWLLDWDW
Position1518111273335534244334425345644981112118710910101110131314121111

Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGAv1Pts2Promotion, qualification or relegation
9Preston North End4619111663561.12549
10Gillingham4617141565601.08348
11Colchester United4617131670631.11147
12Hereford United4616141664660.97046
13Wrexham4615151665551.18245

Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Number of goals scored

(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (R) Relegated.

Notes:

1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.

2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Matches

League Cup

FA Cup

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

[6][20]

No. Pos Nat Player TotalThird DivisionFA CupLeague Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Wales Mike Walker 5404602060
DF England Micky Cook 5434632060
DF England Barry Dominey 32322+522031
DF England Ray Harford 49240+122060
DF England Mick Packer 3713012050
DF England Lindsay Smith 49138+51102+30
MF England Ray Bunkell 34123+611+1030
MF England Steve Foley 18316+230000
MF England Steve Leslie 42632+232063
MF Scotland Jimmy Lindsay 5274562051
MF England Phil Thomas 35226+122060
FW England Ian Allinson 100+100000
FW England John Froggatt 541846162161
FW England Bobby Svarc 502542242061
Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
DF Scotland Danny Cameron 50500000
DF Wales Stuart Morgan 1301100020
DF England Alex Smith 2602200040
MF England Ian McDonald 52520000
FW England Barry Dyson 715+11000+10
FW England Colwyn Rowe 1124+720000
FW England John Sims 20200000

Goalscorers

[20]

Place Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Total
1 England FW Bobby Svarc 24 0 1 25
2 England FW John Froggatt 16 1 1 18
3 Scotland MF Jimmy Lindsay 6 0 1 7
4 England MF Steve Leslie 3 0 3 6
5 England FB Micky Cook 3 0 0 3
England CB Barry Dominey 2 0 1 3
England MF Steve Foley 3 0 0 3
8 England CB Ray Harford 2 0 0 2
England MF Ian McDonald 2 0 0 2
England WG Colwyn Rowe 2 0 0 2
England MF Phil Thomas 2 0 0 2
12 England MF Ray Bunkell 1 0 0 1
England FW Barry Dyson 1 0 0 1
England FB Mick Packer 1 0 0 1
England CB Lindsay Smith 1 0 0 1
Own goals 1 0 0 1
TOTALS 70 1 7 78

Disciplinary record

[21]

Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Total
Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card
England MF Steve Leslie 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Wales CB Stuart Morgan 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
England CB Ray Harford 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
TOTALS 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 2

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.[22]

Place Nationality Player Third Division FA Cup League Cup Total
1 Wales Mike Walker 13 1 5 19
TOTALS 13 1 5 19

Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[23]

Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground Notes
MF Scotland Jimmy Lindsay 17 August 1974 Watford Layer Road
FW England John Froggatt 17 August 1974 Watford Layer Road
FW England John Sims 4 January 1975 Aldershot Layer Road
FB Scotland Danny Cameron 8 February 1975 Wrexham Racecourse Ground
MF England Ian McDonald 8 February 1975 Wrexham Racecourse Ground
WG England Ian Allinson 19 April 1975 Preston North End Layer Road

    See also

    References

    General

    Books

    • Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.

    Websites

    • "Colchester United football club match record: 1975". 11v11.com. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

    Specific

    1. ↑ Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
    2. ↑ "Colchester Utd 1–2 Aston Villa". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    3. ↑ "Colchester Utd 3–2 Bury". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    4. ↑ "Average Attendance Figures Per Season". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    5. ↑ Hudson, Matt (11 July 2012). "The 1970s and 1980s". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
    6. 1 2 "Appearances". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    7. ↑ "Stewart Bright". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
    8. ↑ "Ian Allinson". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    9. ↑ "John Froggatt". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    10. ↑ "Jimmy Lindsay (Midfielder)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    11. ↑ "Bobby Mills". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    12. ↑ "Tony Wingate". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    13. ↑ "Stuart Morgan". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    14. ↑ "Alex Smith". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    15. ↑ "Colwyn Rowe". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    16. 1 2 "Barry Dyson". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    17. ↑ "John Sims". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    18. ↑ "Danny Cameron". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    19. ↑ "Ian McDonald". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
    20. 1 2 "Goals". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
    21. ↑ "Discipline". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
    22. ↑ "Clean sheets (1st team)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
    23. ↑ "Alltime- List of Debuts". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
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