1945–46 Colchester United F.C. season

The 1945–46 season was Colchester United's fourth season in their history and their fourth in the Southern League. It was also their first since the end of World War II hostilities. Alongside competing in the Southern League, the club also participated in the FA Cup and Southern League Cup. Relying heavily on guest appearances of players from other clubs, Colchester United finished in 8th position in the Southern League, with a total of 81 different players registering appearances over the course of the season.

Season overview The determination of a number of club directors and former player Syd Fieldus saw the club remain alive yet dormant during the war years. Fieldus was appointed secretary-manager, and attended the first post-war Southern League meeting during the summer of 1945. Following late changes to the structure of the competitions, where a national league was created over an Eastern and Western division, the club were close to pulling out of the competition entirely, risking falling further down the football pyramid. However, the club were to remain after the supporters club pledged to fund an average of £50 required for away travel to the likes of Cardiff City, Hereford United and Worcester City.

Fieldus liaised with Major Dai Rees to forge a strong relationship with Colchester Garrison, as the club on sported four contracted players. The first-team was complemented by a number of servicemen of varying degrees of ability, which meant that by the end of the campaign, 81 different players were used to compete in only 31 league and cup games. Players were often registered just moments before a scheduled kick-off time. After competing in all 20 scheduled games for the season, Fieldus urged the board to appoint a full-time manager for the 1946–47 season.

Players

Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee DefendersBill BowerFBWrexham00 Millwall28 November 1945Free transferSyd FieldusDFRomford233 Brentford3 July 1937Free transferJimmy JenkinsCH00 Bristol City20 July 1945Free transferPaddy ShielsFBAntrim00Colchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)3 November 1945Free transfer ForwardsBob CollinsOL00Colchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion Infantry Training Corps)9 February 1946Free transferBob GreggCFFerryhill00 Sligo Rovers26 October 1945Free transferChris HarmanCF00 Bath City25 August 1945Free transferBob HodgsonCF00 South ShieldsFebruary 1946Free transferBobby HoinesIR00Colchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)11 January 1946Free transferBob HutchingsLWSouthwark00Colchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)9 February 1946Free transferFrank RawcliffeCFBlackburn00 Wolverhampton Wanderers9 March 1946Free transferTom TobinIRGlasgow00Colchester Garrison18 April 1946Free transfer

Transfers

In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.20 July 1945CHJimmy Jenkins Bristol CityFree transfer10 August 1945FBW MilneColchester Garrison (16th Infantry Training Corps)Free transfer10 August 1945WGRonnie HornbyColchester Garrison (16th Infantry Training Corps)Free transfer10 August 1945IRWilmottColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)Free transfer25 August 1945CFChris Harman Bath CityFree transfer6 October 1945LHPercy HealColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)Free transfer6 October 1945CHO'SullivanRoyal Air ForceFree transfer26 October 1945CFBob Gregg Sligo RoversFree transfer3 November 1945FBPaddy ShielsColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)Free transfer17 November 1945CFGeorge Barnard West Ham UnitedFree transfer17 November 1945GKBill Wilkie Crittall AthleticFree transfer28 November 1945FBBill Bower MillwallFree transfer29 December 1945CFRon CanhamRoyal Air ForceFree transfer11 January 1946IRBobby HoinesColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)Free transferFebruary 1946CFBob Hodgson South ShieldsFree transfer9 February 1946OLBob CollinsColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion Infantry Training Corps)Free transfer9 February 1946LWBob HutchingsColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)Free transfer9 February 1946WGRightonColchester Garrison (16th Infantry Training Corps)Free transfer23 February 1946GKRobert Brown West Ham UnitedFree transfer9 March 1946CFFrank Rawcliffe Wolverhampton WanderersFree transfer18 April 1946IRTom TobinColchester GarrisonFree transfer

Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.1 September 1945GKBilly LightClacton TownPlayer-manager6 October 1945CHO'SullivanFree agentReleased3 November 1945FBW MilneFree agentReleased17 November 1945GKBill WilkieFree agentReleased24 November 1945CFIvan Thacker Lowestoft TownFree transfer1 December 1945WGRonnie HornbyFree agentReleased29 December 1945CFRon CanhamFree agentReleased19 January 1946CFGeorge Barnard Arsenal£80019 January 1946IRWilmottFree agentReleasedFebruary 1946LHPercy HealFree agentReleased16 February 1946WGRightonFree agentReleased3 April 1946GKRobert BrownFree agentReleased Total incoming: ~ £800

Guest players Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.13 July 1945WHDavid Nelson ArsenalApril 194613 July 1945IRA ThompsonColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)29 September 194520 July 1945GKRay DringColchester Garrison (17th Infantry Training Corps)3 November 194520 July 1945FBJack Southam West Bromwich Albion11 April 194620 July 1945CHRon WestColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)8 December 194520 July 1945WGAlbert Day Brighton & Hove Albion11 April 194620 July 1945WGReeves Swansea City10 November 194527 July 1945FBBill Bower Millwall28 November 194510 August 1945GKPeter Dawson Rowhedge29 September 194510 August 1945FBDoug Beach Luton Town18 April 194610 August 1945CFPaddy KernohanColchester Garrison (Army Fire Fighting Centre)29 September 194510 August 1945WGStan Titcombe Swindon Town16 May 194622 August 1945IR/CFGodfreyColchester Garrison (17th Infantry Training Corps)22 September 194525 August 1945CHRobson York City3 November 19451 September 1945IFJackie Robinson Sheffield Wednesday24 November 19458 September 1945WHBobby Browne Leeds United13 October 194522 September 1945LHBramhallColchester Garrison (Army Fire Fighting Centre)22 September 194522 September 1945RHGrayColchester Garrison (Army Fire Fighting Centre)22 September 194522 September 1945RHHolmesColchester Garrison (Army Fire Fighting Centre)22 September 194522 September 1945WGStanyonColchester Garrison (Army Fire Fighting Centre)22 September 194529 September 1945LBCecil Allan Colchester Casuals29 September 194529 September 1945IRBuckleyColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)29 September 194529 September 1945ILJock CameronColchester Garrison (Army Fire Fighting Centre)29 September 194529 September 1945WGFred Inskip Nottingham Forest29 September 19456 October 1945GKHarry Brown Queens Park Rangers18 April 19466 October 1945CFAndrewsUnknown6 October 19456 October 1945CFRod Williams West Ham United13 October 194510 November 1945IFAlf Smirk Southend United9 February 194617 November 1945CBJoe James Brentford2 February 194617 November 1945CFGeorge Barnard West Ham United17 November 194524 November 1945ILJock FergusonColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)2 February 19468 December 1945FBSid Jones Arsenal18 April 19468 December 1945OLBickmoreColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)8 December 19458 December 1945WGDerek Hawksworth Bradford Park Avenue12 January 194615 December 1945IFLeslie Jones Arsenal15 December 194529 December 1945FBCharlie Jones Southend United19 January 194629 December 1945IFBilly Leighton Southend United19 January 1946January 1946GKAlf Jefferies Oxford City9 March 194619 January 1946IRLen Townsend Brentford19 January 19462 February 1946WGCliff HubbardColchester Garrison (No. 1 Holding Battalion)2 February 19462 February 1946WGErnest SteeleBritish Army2 February 19469 February 1946GKAlex Kingston Southampton16 February 19469 February 1946CFFrank Dudley Southend United9 February 194623 February 1946CFH FletcherColchester Garrison3 April 194623 February 1946CFFrank Rawcliffe Wolverhampton Wanderers9 March 194623 February 1946WGDouglas Smale Chelsea6 April 194623 February 1946OLJohnny Westwood Tottenham Hotspur23 February 194616 March 1946IFSid Bidewell Chelsea13 April 19463 April 1946RHGeoff Fox Ipswich Town3 April 19463 April 1946CFLen Duquemin Tottenham Hotspur3 April 1946

Loans in Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.29 December 1945IRCecil Green Cheltenham Town29 December 194526 January 1946ORBeveridge Worcester City26 January 194626 January 1946LWHogg Worcester City26 January 194613 April 1946LHHarry Bamford Brentford13 April 194613 April 1946CHGeorge Coulson Brentford13 April 194613 April 1946FBRoddy Munro Brentford13 April 194613 April 1946WGJim Gotts Brentford13 April 194613 April 1946IFErnest Muttitt Brentford13 April 194613 April 1946CFJohn Sutton Brentford13 April 1946

Match details Friendlies

Southern League

League table

Matches

FA Cup

Southern League Cup

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

!colspan="14"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season

Goalscorers

Place Nationality Position Name Southern League Southern League Cup FA Cup Total1CFBob Hodgson23052IFSid Bidewell0404CFChris Harman40044WGRonnie Hornby3003CFFrank Rawcliffe0303IFJackie Robinson3003CFJohn Sutton0303IRLen Townsend03039FBDoug Beach2002OLBob Collins1102CFFrank Dudley2002FBSid Jones1102WGDouglas Smale110214LHHarry Bamford0101CFGeorge Barnard1001FBBill Bower0101CFBob Gregg1001WGDerek Hawksworth1001WGReeves1001WGRighton1001FBPaddy Shiels0101IFAlf Smirk1001FBJack Southam1001WGStan Titcombe1001OLJohnny Westwood1001IRWilmott1001Own goals0000TOTALS0000

Captains Number of games played as team captain. Place Nationality Position Player Southern League Southern League Cup FA Cup Total1CHJimmy Jenkins1951252FBBill Bower02021304TOTALS2010131

Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Nationality Player Southern League Southern League Cup FA Cup Total1Harry Brown3003Robert Brown12033Alex Kingston1001TOTALS5207

Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.