The 1993–94 season was Colchester United's 52nd season in their history and their second consecutive season in the fourth tier of English football, the Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Football League Trophy.
Following a 10th-placed finish the previous campaign, Colchester's defensive frailties were clear as they shipped 71 goals, the second-highest in the league and ended the season in 17th. They crashed out of the FA Cup to non-League opposition in Sutton United, while Fulham saw off the U's in the first round of the League Cup. In the Football League Trophy, Colchester progressed to the southern section quarter-final but were eliminated by old Conference rivals Wycombe Wanderers.
Season overview Following a campaign of goalkeeping uncertainty where the U's employed six different 'keepers over the course of the season, finding a regular starter between the sticks was key for manager Roy McDonough. With youth team product Nathan Munson on the books, McDonough brought in John Keeley from Oldham Athletic in the summer. However, his performances did not convince and he played his final game for the club in November 1993. This meant a string of mid-season transfers and loans of goalkeepers into the club, and the U's ended the season having once again used six different goalkeepers. McDonough even found himself in goal in October 1993 when facing Hereford United after Keeley and substitute Munson were both sent off for professional fouls. The U's went on to lose that game 5–0. Colchester were the first Football League club to have two goalkeepers sent off in the same fixture. Hereford striker Chris Pike scored a hat-trick in the game, with each of his goals coming against three different goalkeepers.
The fans frustration at the defensive performances came to a head in the FA Cup first round. The U's found themselves 2–0 down at home to non-League side Sutton United, before goals from Steve McGavin and Steve Brown levelled the score at 2–2 early in the second half. Sutton struck again in the 84th minute, before Tony English equalised two minutes later. Despite their best efforts, two-minutes from time, Ollie Morah scored the winner for Sutton to send them into the second round.
The financial situation was bleak. There were no funds to bring in a permanent goalkeeper, and striker Steve McGavin was sold to Birmingham City for £150,000 in January. Again, no funds were made available for a replacement. It took a consortium of local businessmen to raise £10,000 to buy Steve Whitton from Ipswich Town on deadline day to fill the gap. As such, the U's ended the season in a disappointing 17th-position in Division Three.
There was an early exit from the League Cup as Fulham beat Colchester over two legs in the first round, while in the Football League Trophy, the U's progressed from the first round group stage, then beat Wrexham in the second round, before falling to defeat in the southern section quarter-final at home to Wycombe Wanderers, who won 1–0.
Roy McDonough was handed a silver salver by chairman Gordon Parker on the last day of the season in recognition of McDonough's 500th career appearance. Three days later it was Parker, McDonough's father-in-law, that sacked him.
Players
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee GoalkeepersJohn CheesewrightGKRomford00 Braintree Town11 January 1994£10,000David SchultzGK00ApprenticeSummer 1993Free transfer DefendersTim AllpressDFHitchin00 Bayer Uerdingen16 August 1993UndisclosedSimon BettsFBMiddlesbrough250 Scarborough11 December 1992Free transferPeter CawleyCBWalton-on-Thames273 Barnet30 October 1992Free transferTony EnglishDF/MFLuton39950 Coventry City24 December 1984Free transferAndy PartnerCBColchester40Apprentice16 December 1991Free transfer MidfieldersSteve BallMFColchester339 Cambridge United14 September 1992Free transferTony CookMFHemel Hempstead00 Queens Park Rangers11 January 1994Free transferAlan DickensMFPlaistow00 BrentfordSeptember 1993Free transferChris FryMF/WGCardiff00 Hereford United24 October 1993NominalMark KinsellaMFDublin12113 Home Farm18 August 1989Free transfer ForwardsPaul AbrahamsFW/WGColchester326Apprentice26 August 1991Free transferSteve BrownFWSouthend-on-Sea00 Scunthorpe United28 August 1993UndisclosedSean CampbellWGBristol00ApprenticeSummer 1993Free transferRoy McDonoughFWSolihull22273 Southend United13 October 1990Part exchangeSteve WhittonFWEast Ham00 Ipswich Town24 March 1994£10,000
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.Summer 1993WGSean CampbellApprenticeFree transferSummer 1993GKDavid SchultzApprenticeFree transferJuly 1993GKJohn Keeley Oldham AthleticFree transferAugust 1993FWGrant Morrow Doncaster RoversUndisclosed16 August 1993DFTim Allpress Bayer UerdingenUndisclosed28 August 1993FWSteve Brown Scunthorpe UnitedUndisclosedSeptember 1993MFAlan Dickens BrentfordFree transferSeptember 1993FWJohn Richardson Chesham UnitedNon-contract24 October 1993MF/WGChris Fry Hereford UnitedNominal11 January 1994FWJustin BootyApprenticeFree transfer11 January 1994GKJohn Cheesewright Braintree Town£10,00011 January 1994MFTony Cook Queens Park RangersFree transferFebruary 1994FBChristian Hyslop Southend UnitedFree transfer24 March 1994GKTaylor Barada Notts CountyFree transfer24 March 1994FWSteve Whitton Ipswich Town£10,00030 April 1994FWJustin Gentle Luton TownFree transfer Total spending: ~ £20,000
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.End of seasonWGRobert Hopkins Solihull BoroughReleased14 August 1993MFJason Cook Dagenham & RedbridgeReleased28 August 1993FWGrant Morrow Boston UnitedUndisclosed31 August 1993FWJulian Hazel Chelmsford CityReleased11 September 1993WGGary Bennett WokingFree transfer21 October 1993FBMartin Grainger Brentford£60,00020 November 1993GKJohn Keeley Chelmsford CityReleased11 December 1993GKNathan Munson Wivenhoe TownReleased11 December 1993FWJohn Richardson Chesham UnitedReleased3 January 1994DFPaul Roberts Chesham UnitedReleased7 January 1994FWSteve McGavin Birmingham City£150,00015 January 1994FWJustin Booty Braintree TownReleased29 March 1994FBChristian Hyslop HendonReleased30 April 1994GKTaylor Barada Richmond KickersUndisclosed7 May 1994FWJustin Gentle Chesham UnitedReleased7 May 1994LMNicky Smith Wycombe WanderersReleased Total incoming: ~ £0
Loans in Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.8 October 1993MF/FBAdam Locke Southend United2 November 199330 October 1993GKMike Desborough Chelmsford City30 October 199318 November 1993CBMike Basham West Ham United20 November 199323 December 1993GKJon Sheffield Cambridge United27 January 1994January 1994FWGrant Watts Crystal Palace4 April 199422 March 1994WGIan Brown Bristol City6 April 1994
Match details
Third Division
Results round by round
League table
Matches
League Cup
Football League Trophy
FA Cup
Squad statistics Appearances and goals
!colspan="14"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
Goalscorers
Place Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Total1FWSteve Brown11101132MFMark Kinsella8011103FWRoy McDonough70119FWSteve McGavin810095DF/MFTony English410056MFAlan Dickens300037MFSteve Ball20002FBMartin Grainger20002FWGrant Watts20002FWSteve Whitton2000211FBSimon Betts10001WGIan Brown10001CBPeter Cawley10001Own goals40004TOTALS5632364
Disciplinary record
Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy TotalFBChristian Hyslop0100000001GKJohn Keeley0100000001GKNathan Munson0100000001TOTALS0300000003
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Nationality Player Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Total1Jon Sheffield400042John Cheesewright300033John Keeley100124Nathan Munson00011TOTALS800210
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground NotesGKJohn Keeley14 August 1993Lincoln CityLayer RoadDFTim Allpress17 August 1993FulhamCraven CottageWGSean Campbell21 August 1993Crewe AlexandraGresty RoadFWSteve Brown28 August 1993Northampton TownLayer RoadFWGrant Morrow28 August 1993Northampton TownLayer RoadMFAlan Dickens4 September 1993Torquay UnitedPlainmoorFWJohn Richardson25 September 1993BuryLayer RoadMF/FBAdam Locke9 October 1993Scunthorpe UnitedLayer RoadGKMike Desborough30 October 1993GillinghamPriestfield StadiumCBMike Basham20 November 1993Doncaster RoversBelle VueMF/WGChris Fry27 December 1993Mansfield TownLayer RoadGKJon Sheffield27 December 1993Mansfield TownLayer RoadFWJustin Booty11 January 1994Wycombe WanderersLayer RoadGKJohn Cheesewright11 January 1994Wycombe WanderersLayer RoadMFTony Cook11 January 1994Wycombe WanderersLayer RoadFWGrant Watts11 January 1994Wycombe WanderersLayer RoadFBChristian Hyslop19 February 1994Northampton TownCounty GroundWGIan Brown26 March 1994Preston North EndLayer RoadFWSteve Whitton29 March 1994ChesterfieldSaltergateGKTaylor Barada30 April 1994Doncaster RoversLayer RoadFWJustin Gentle30 April 1994Doncaster RoversLayer Road
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References General Books
Websites
Specific