The 1950–51 season was Colchester United's ninth season in their history and their first ever season in the Football League, competing in the Third Division South, the third tier of English football. Alongside competing in the Third Division South, the club also participated in the FA Cup. The club ended the league season in 16th-position, while they exited the FA Cup in the first round following a defeat to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic.
Season overview Colchester's first–ever game in the Football League was against their old Southern League rivals Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium on 19 August 1950. A crowd of 19,542 witnessed the 0–0 draw between the sides. Five days later, Bob Curry scored the U's first–ever Football League goal during a 1–1 draw at Swindon Town, but it was not until 31 August that the Layer Road crowd were able to enjoy its first Football League goal for the home side. Arthur Turner, the season's top–scorer with 15 goals, struck five minutes into a 4–1 win in the return game with Swindon. Colchester remained unbeaten in their first seven games, a run that equalled a record for new clubs entering the Football League set by Aberdare Athletic in 1921–22.
After occupying second position in the Third Division South table, the U's suffered a slump in form, losing nine of the next ten games. They finished the season in 16th-position, averaging 10,571 through the Layer Road turnstiles. It would be the only season that Layer Road would host a five-figure season average.
Players
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee GoalkeepersGeorge WrightGKPlymouth540 Plymouth ArgyleMay 1949£1,000 DefendersGeorge FrenchFBColchester00 West Ham UnitedFebruary 1949Free transferJohn HarrisonFBLeicester00 Aston Villa30 September 1950NominalDigger KettleFBColchester1501 Arclight SportsSeptember 1946Free transferTrevor RowlandsFBWattstown00 Norwich City20 July 1950£1,000Reg StewartCBSheffield510 Sheffield Wednesday20 August 1949£1,000 MidfieldersHarry BearrymanWHWandsworth1469 Chelsea4 July 1947Free transferJimmy ElderWHScone00 Portsmouth19 August 1950£1,000Len JonesWHBarnsley00 Southend United19 August 1950UndisclosedJohn MooreWHChiswick130 Brentford8 September 1949£1,000 ForwardsBob AllenWGBromley-by-Bow896 Gainsborough Trinity13 June 1946Free transferPeter AitchisonWGHarlow00AmateurAugust 1950Free transferJohn ChurchWGLowestoft00 Norwich City19 August 1950£1,000Dick CullumFWColchester00 Colchester Colts28 March 1951Free transferBob CurryIFGateshead17290 Northampton Town13 June 1947Free transferFred CuttingIFNorth Walsham12555 Norwich City6 December 1947Free transferDennis HillmanWGSouthend-on-Sea13627 Brighton & Hove Albion21 September 1946Free transferVic KeebleCFColchester8163 King George Youth Club23 May 1947£10Johnny McKimIFGreenock00 Chelsea19 August 1950£1,000Arthur TurnerCFPoplar11783 Charlton AthleticSeptember 1946Free transfer
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.20 July 1950FBTrevor Rowlands Norwich City£1,000August 1950FBBill Rochford Southampton£1,000August 1950WGPeter AitchisonAmateurFree19 August 1950WHJimmy Elder Portsmouth£1,00019 August 1950WHLen Jones Southend UnitedUndisclosed19 August 1950WGJohn Church Norwich City£1,00019 August 1950IFJohnny McKim Chelsea£1,00030 September 1950FBJohn Harrison Aston VillaNominal30 September 1950WHJoe Locherty Sheffield Wednesday£1,00017 February 1951GKBarney Bircham Grimsby Town£80026 March 1951FWDick Cullum Colchester ColtsFree Total spending: ~ £6,800
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.End of seasonGKKen Whitehead Whitton UnitedReleasedEnd of seasonWGStan Foxall Chelmsford CityReleasedEnd of seasonCFDenis Maffey Great Yarmouth TownFreeEnd of seasonOLBob Neville Clacton TownReleased6 May 1950FBDoug Beach Chelmsford CityFree20 January 1951WHJoe Locherty ScarboroughReleased24 February 1951FBBill RochfordRetiredRetired24 March 1951GKBarney BirchamFree agentReleased26 March 1951WGJosé Gallego Cambridge UnitedReleased28 April 1951WHBill Layton Harwich & ParkestonPlayer-manager
Match details
Third Division South
Results round by round
League table
Matches
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 South FA Cup Total1CFArthur Turner132152IFBob Curry122143WGJohn Church100104IFJohnny McKim8085CFVic Keeble7076IFFred Cutting314WHJimmy Elder4048WHLen Jones2139WGBob Allen101FWDick Cullum101WHBill Layton011WHJoe Locherty101FBTrevor Rowlands101Own goals000TOTALS63770
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Nationality Player Third Division South FA Cup Total1George Wright8082Barney Bircham101TOTALS909
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground NotesWHJimmy Elder19 August 1950GillinghamPriestfield StadiumWHLen Jones19 August 1950GillinghamPriestfield StadiumWGJohn Church19 August 1950GillinghamPriestfield StadiumIFJohnny McKim19 August 1950GillinghamPriestfield StadiumFBJohn Harrison30 September 1950Northampton TownCounty GroundWHJoe Locherty30 September 1950Northampton TownCounty GroundGKBarney Bircham17 February 1951Northampton TownLayer RoadFBBill Rochford17 February 1951Northampton TownLayer RoadFBTrevor Rowlands3 March 1951Southend UnitedLayer RoadFWDick Cullum26 March 1951Torquay UnitedPlainmoor
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References
General Books
Websites
Specific