The 1961–62 season was Colchester United's 20th season in their history and their first-ever season in the fourth tier of English football, the Fourth Division. 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 time of asking, earning their first promotion in the club's history by finishing as runners–up. By the end of the campaign, Colchester trailed Millwall by just one point, winning 23 games and scoring 104 league goals with Bobby Hunt the division's top scorer. The club experienced their record victory during the season when they beat Bradford City 9–1 on 30 December.
In the cup competitions, first-round exits were experienced in both FA and League cups. Colchester were beaten at home to Crewe Alexandra in September in the League Cup, while it took Peterborough United three attempts to overcome Colchester in the FA Cup first round following a second replay.
Season overview At the end of a very disappointing 1960–61 season, manager Benny Fenton cut his playing squad by ten players, with players including Neil Langman, Chic Milligan and Tommy Williams all released. The club was over £3,300 in debt, and so a fresh start required for the new season with a new, slimline squad. Just 17 players would be used in the new campaign, with eight of those playing over 40 of the 44 league games possible.
The season started well for Colchester, unbeaten in their first nine league games and scoring 31 goals in the first eight home games to top the Fourth Division table.
During Colchester's heaviest defeat of the season, a 5–0 reverse at York City, the 20-month old son of full back Tommy Millar drowned in a garden pond accident while Millar was playing in the game. This tragedy would also spell the end of Millar's Colchester career when he left to return to Scotland in early 1962. This coincided with a poor run of form and the club slipped to third in the table.
On the back of a 4–1 Boxing Day defeat to Bradford City, Colchester set their record club victory in the return fixture at Layer Road on 30 December. Both Bobby Hunt and strike–partner Martyn King scored four goals each, with Bobby Hill scoring the other as Colchester ran out 9–1 winners. A 4–0 victory at Accrington Stanley saw United regain the top spot from Wrexham, but just a few weeks later, Accrington folded and Colchester's 3–2 and 4–0 wins were expunged.
Defeats to Millwall and Wrexham cost Colchester the championship. Millwall took the title by one point as United finished runners-up with eleven away defeats proving costly. Of the record 104 goals scored in the league during the season, 78 came at home, while Martyn King broke his seasonal record by scoring 31 league goals only to be surpassed by Bobby Hunt with 38, a new club record. Hunt scored three hat-tricks on his way to his tally of 38 with two of those four goal hauls.
Players
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee GoalkeepersPercy AmesGKPlymouth2870 Tottenham Hotspur1 May 1955Free transfer DefendersDuncan ForbesCBEdinburgh00 Musselburgh Athletic4 September 1961NominalJohn FowlerFBLeith2505 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic20 August 1955Free transferRichie GriffithsFBEarls Colne00 Colchester CasualsJune 1961Free transferMick LoughtonCBColchester00AmateurAugust 1961Free transferAlf MarshallFBDagenham300 Dagenham14 October 1957£25Edgar RumneyFBAbberton230 Colchester Casuals1 May 1957Free transfer MidfieldersBrian AbreyWHHendon00 Chelsea1 May 1961Free transferJohn BrownWHEdinburgh00 Dunbar United4 September 1961NominalTrevor HarrisWHColchester422AmateurJuly 1951Free transferRon HuntWHColchester941AmateurOctober 1951Free transfer ForwardsJohn BainesCFColchester30 Colchester CasualsJanuary 1960Free transferDavid ColemanCFColchester00 Harwich & Parkeston18 November 1961Free transferMike FosterWGLeicester00 Leicester CityMay 1961NominalBobby HillIFEdinburgh13815 Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare9 June 1955Free transferTony HoweWGColchester102 Colchester CasualsMarch 1960Free transferBobby HuntFWColchester307AmateurMarch 1960Free transferMartyn KingCFBirmingham8756AmateurSummer 1955Free transferColin LundstrumWGColchester00 Ipswich TownAugust 1961Free transferSammy McLeodIFGlasgow14122 Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare20 August 1955Free transferTony MillerIFChelmsford00AmateurMay 1958Free transferPeter WrightWGColchester32367AmateurNovember 1951Free transfer
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.May 1961WGMike Foster Leicester CityNominal1 May 1961WHBrian Abrey ChelseaFree transferJune 1961FBRichie Griffiths Colchester CasualsFree transferAugust 1961CBMick LoughtonAmateurFree transferAugust 1961WGColin Lundstrum Ipswich TownFree transfer4 September 1961WHJohn Brown Dunbar UnitedNominal4 September 1961CBDuncan Forbes Musselburgh AthleticNominal18 November 1961CFDavid Coleman Harwich & ParkestonFree transfer
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.End of seasonGKJohn Wright Great BentleyReleasedEnd of seasonWHCyril Hammond Severalls AthleticReleasedEnd of seasonFBJohn Laidlaw Clacton TownReleasedEnd of seasonWHDerek Parker Stowmarket TownPlayer-managerEnd of seasonWGTommy Williams WatfordReleasedSummer 1961FBPeter Carey AldershotReleasedSummer 1961FBAlan Eagles Queens Park RangersReleased27 January 1962FBTommy Millar Dundee UnitedFree transfer
Match details Fourth Division
Results round by round
League table
Matches
League Cup
FA Cup
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
!colspan="14"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
Goalscorers
Place Nationality Position Name Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup Total1FWBobby Hunt3820402CFMartyn King3111333WGPeter Wright1210134WGMike Foster80085WHTrevor Harris4004FBTommy Millar40047IFBobby Hill3003IFSammy McLeod30039WHBrian Abrey1102Own goals0000TOTALS10451110
Disciplinary record
Nationality Position Name Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup TotalCFMartyn King01000001TOTALS01000001
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Nationality Player Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup Total1Percy Ames120012TOTALS120012
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground NotesWHBrian Abrey19 August 1961Stockport CountyLayer RoadWGMike Foster19 August 1961Stockport CountyLayer RoadCFDavid Coleman18 November 1961RochdaleSpotland StadiumWGColin Lundstrum15 January 1962Mansfield TownField MillFBRichie Griffiths3 February 1962Hartlepools UnitedVictoria ParkCBDuncan Forbes14 April 1962Crewe AlexandraGresty Road
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References General Books
Websites
Specific