1976–77 Colchester United F.C. season

Colchester United
1976–77 season
Chairman Jack Rippingale[1]
Manager Bobby Roberts
Stadium Layer Road
Fourth Division 3rd (promoted)
FA Cup 4th round
(eliminated by
Derby County)
League Cup 1st round
(eliminated by
Millwall)
Top goalscorer League:
Bobby Gough (17)
All:
Colin Garwood (24)
Highest home attendance 14,030
v Derby County, 29 January 1977[2]
Lowest home attendance 2,489
v Halifax Town, 24 August 1976[3]
Average home league attendance 4,944[4]
Biggest win 5–0
v Newport County, 1 January 1977
Biggest defeat 0–2
v Cambridge United, 21 August 1976
v Scunthorpe United, 23 October 1976
v Darlington, 7 May 1977
Football kit (white jersey with blue, vertical stripes; blue shorts; and white socks).
Home colours

The 1976–77 season was Colchester United's 35th season in their history and first season back in fourth tier of English football, the Fourth Division following relegation the previous season. Alongside competing in the Fourth Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Colchester bounced back to the Third Division at the first attempt under Bobby Roberts with a largely unchanged team from the previous season. He led them to a third-place finish in the league, while in the FA Cup, Colchester took First Division Derby County to a replay in the fourth round. In the League Cup, it took Second Division Millwall three attempts to dispatch the U's in a replay following the initial two legs.

Season overview

Colchester made an instant return to the Third Division after the board kept the faith in manager Bobby Roberts. The season began strongly with twelve successive home victories. Despite a first round League Cup defeat to Millwall, an impressive FA Cup run saw the U's lose out in the fourth round to First Division Derby County in a replay at the Baseball Ground. Over 14,000 fans had seen Colin Garwood equalise in the seventh minute of injury time in the first match at Layer Road.

A settled side aided Colchester's progress across the season. Eight players played over 40 of the 46 league games. The two favoured forwards of Bobby Gough and Colin Garwood registered 17 and 16 goals respectively, while centre-half Steve Dowman scored twelve goals in his debut season. Colchester were promoted in third position behind only Cambridge United and Exeter City.[5]

Players

As of match played 14 May 1977.[6]
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee
Goalkeepers
Mike WalkerGKWalesColwyn Bay28 November 1945 (aged 30)1490England WatfordJuly 1973£4,000
Defenders
Micky CookFBEnglandEnfield9 April 1951 (aged 25)28910England Orient1 March 1969Free transfer
Steve DowmanCBEnglandIlford15 April 1958 (aged 18)00Apprentice24 August 1976[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Mick PackerFBEnglandWillesden20 April 1950 (aged 26)1204England WatfordJuly 1973Free transfer
Lindsay SmithCBEnglandEnfield18 September 1954 (aged 21)18312Apprentice20 April 1971[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Johnny WilliamsFBEnglandTottenham26 March 1947 (aged 29)390England WatfordJune 1976Undisclosed
Midfielders
Ray BunkellMFEnglandEdmonton18 September 1949 (aged 26)855England Swindon TownDecember 1973Part exchange
Paul DyerMFEnglandLeicester24 January 1953 (aged 23)402England Notts CountySummer 1975Undisclosed
Steve FoleyMFEnglandClacton-on-Sea21 June 1953 (aged 22)13929ApprenticeJuly 1969Free transfer
Steve LeslieMFEnglandHornsey4 September 1952 (aged 23)18734Apprentice20 April 1971[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Forwards
Ian AllinsonWGEnglandHitchin1 October 1957 (aged 18)60ApprenticeSummer 1974Free transfer
John FroggattFWEnglandStanton Hill13 December 1945 (aged 30)9823England Boston UnitedSummer 1974£6,000
Colin GarwoodFWEnglandHeacham29 June 1949 (aged 26)152England Huddersfield TownFebruary 1976£4,000
Bobby GoughFWEnglandLadywood20 July 1949 (aged 26)225England SouthportJanuary 1976£7,000
  1. 1 2 3 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.
24 August 1976 CB England Steve Dowman Apprentice Free transfer [7][lower-alpha 1]
  • Total spending: Decrease ~ £0
  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.
End of season CB England Barry Dominey England Yeovil Town Released [8]
End of season CB England Derek Harrison England Salisbury City Released [9]
End of season WG England Terry Anderson Free agent Released [10]
August 1976 GK England Lee Smelt Margate Free transfer [11]
23 November 1976 FB England Stewart Bright Chelmsford City Free transfer [12]
  • Total incoming: Increase ~ £0

    Loans in

    Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.
    19 February 1977 GK England Glenn Ellis England Ipswich Town 22 February 1977 [13][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

    Fourth Division

    Fourth Division results round by round

    Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
    GroundAHAHAHAHAHAAHHHAHAHAHAHHHAHAAHAAHAAHAHAHHAHAAH
    ResultLWLWLWDWDWLLWWWWWLWLWWWLWLWWLWWWLDDDDDDWWDWWLW
    Position2471391481055691110563343443222532433232232333222343

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

    League table

    PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts1Promotion, qualification or relegation
    1Cambridge United (C) (P)46261378740+4765Promoted to Third Division
    2Exeter City (P)46251297046+2462
    3Colchester United (P)46259127743+3459
    4Bradford City (P)462313107851+2759
    5Swansea City46258139268+2458

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

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

    Notes:

    1 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][14]

    No. Pos Nat Player TotalFourth DivisionFA CupLeague Cup
    AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
    GK Wales Mike Walker 5304406030
    DF England Micky Cook 5534636030
    DF England Steve Dowman 421233+3126000
    DF England Mick Packer 47735+454+1230
    DF England Lindsay Smith 5474566031
    DF England Johnny Williams 5204306030
    MF England Ray Bunkell 24316+223031
    MF England Paul Dyer 43029+504+2030
    MF England Steve Foley 1001000000
    MF England Steve Leslie 50340+126130
    FW England Ian Allinson 44731+971+100+20
    FW England John Froggatt 5284366230
    FW England Colin Garwood 512440+2166434
    FW England Bobby Gough 521943176131
    Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
    GK England Glenn Ellis 20200000
    DF England Stewart Bright 50500000
    DF England Barry Dominey 301+200000

    Goalscorers

    [14]

    Place Nationality Position Name Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup Total
    1 England FW Colin Garwood 16 4 4 24
    2 England FW Bobby Gough 17 1 1 19
    3 England CB Steve Dowman 12 0 0 12
    4 England FW John Froggatt 6 2 0 8
    5 England WG Ian Allinson 7 0 0 7
    England FB Mick Packer 5 2 0 7
    England CB Lindsay Smith 6 0 1 7
    8 England MF Ray Bunkell 2 0 1 3
    England FB Micky Cook 3 0 0 3
    England MF Steve Leslie 2 1 0 3
    Own goals 1 0 0 1
    TOTALS 77 10 7 94

    Disciplinary record

    [15]

    Nationality Position Name Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup Total
    Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card
    England FB Mick Packer 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
    England FW John Froggatt 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
    England FB Johnny Williams 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
    TOTALS 4 1 0 0 0 0 4 1

    Clean sheets

    Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.[16]

    Place Nationality Player Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup Total
    1 Wales Mike Walker 14 1 0 15
    2 England Glenn Ellis 1 0 0 1
    TOTALS 15 1 0 16

    Player debuts

    Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[17]

    Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground Notes
    CB England Steve Dowman 24 August 1976 Halifax Town Layer Road
    GK England Glenn Ellis 19 February 1977 Watford 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: 1977". 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 1–1 Derby County". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
      3. ↑ "Colchester Utd 3–0 Halifax Town". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
      4. ↑ "Average Attendance Figures Per Season". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 15 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 18 February 2018.
      7. ↑ "Steve Dowman (Defender)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
      8. ↑ "Barry Dominey". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
      9. ↑ "Derek Harrison". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
      10. ↑ "Terry Anderson". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
      11. ↑ "Lee Smelt". Margate Football Club history. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
      12. ↑ "Stewart Bright". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
      13. ↑ "Glen Ellis (Goalkeeper)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
      14. 1 2 "Goals". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
      15. ↑ "Discipline". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
      16. ↑ "Clean sheets (1st team)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
      17. ↑ "Alltime- List of Debuts". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
      This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.