The 1937–38 season was Colchester United's first ever season after the formation as a professional club from amateur predecessors Colchester Town. Alongside competing in the Southern League, the club also participated in the Southern League Mid-Week Section and Southern League Cup. The club did not enter the FA Cup, but did win the Southern League Cup at the first attempt. Colchester finished 6th position in the league, and finished as runners-up to Millwall Reserves in the Mid-Week Section.
Season overview During a transitional period from the amateur organisation at Colchester Town to a professional club, twelve directors formed the board, appointing former Huddersfield Town goalkeeper and Bath City manager Ted Davis to take charge of team affairs. On 14 July 1937, the announcement was publicly made that the new club would be named Colchester United. A week after his appointment, Davis had already organised for the club to play in the same blue and white striped kit as his former club Huddersfield.
With trial matches taking place between 19 and 26 August 1937, Colchester United played their first ever professional match on 28 August 1937, travelling to The Huish to face Yeovil & Petters United. The game ended 3–0 to Yeovil, but Colchester made amends in their first game at Layer Road against Davis' old side Bath City on 2 September in the Mid-Week Section. The U's thrashed their counterparts 6–1, with Reg Smith registering the club's first hat-trick. Proficient bugle and cornet player Ronnie Dunn, Colchester's goalkeeper, welcomed the players of both sides to the pitch with a rendition of the post horn galop, a tradition which would remain throughout the club's years at Layer Road. The attendance was recorded as £250 instead of numbers of supporters, with the amount equating to an approximate attendance of 3,500. Two days later, an estimated 11,000 came to Layer Road to witness a 3–3 draw in the first meeting between Colchester United and nearby rivals Ipswich Town.
Reg Smith was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 1937 for £250, and with a deal agreed for Cliff Fairchild to join Arsenal at the end of the season for £500, Davis used his entrepreneurial skills to arrange for both First Division clubs to contest the Colchester Challenge Cup at Layer Road. The friendly fixture proved to be a success, with 17,584 seeing Wolves beat Arsenal 1–0.
Following an excellent beginning to Colchester United's existence spelt a swift demise for Colchester Town. With the Oysters suffering financial difficulty, the amateur club folded in 1937, having joined the six-club Essex Senior League. The club re-emerged briefly in January 1938 to complete an Essex Senior Cup tie in order to avoid a fine, but the withdrawal of Town meant that United could enter a reserve side into the Eastern Counties League one month later, with the reserve squad boosted by many of those previously on the books with Colchester Town.
Layer Road suffered severe damage to the roof in January 1938 during a severe gale, with a recently erected corrugated iron roof and timber structure damaging nearby buildings, causing the ground to be closed for two days to clear the debris.
The return match with Ipswich saw 8,000 Colchester fans set a new Portman Road ground record attendance of 23,890, with United wearing a new orange and black away strip. They had worn these kits a week earlier in a friendly against Charlton Athletic to acclimatise themselves to the new strip.
At the end of the season, Colchester finished mid-table, but did reach the Southern League Cup final. They lost the first leg 2–1 at Yeovil, but triumphed 3–1 at Layer Road to win 4–3 on aggregate and secure the club's first ever trophy. The club then adopted the nickname "The U's" to differentiate themselves from "The Oysters" of Colchester Town. Across the season, Colchester found the back of the net 155 times in all competitions, with Alec Cheyne scoring 35 goals, Arthur Pritchard 29 goals and Jack Hodge 24 goals helping the U's to that total. With professional football proving to be a success, the same applied for Colchester's neighbours and rivals Ipswich Town, who were elected to the Football League for the 1938–39 season.
Players
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee GoalkeepersRonnie DunnGKSouthall00 Crystal Palace3 July 1937Free transferDon YoungsGK00 Martlesham RAF5 November 1937Free transfer DefendersJimmy BakerCB/RHTrethomas00 Bristol City9 July 1937Free transferCliff FairchildRBGreat Yarmouth00 Northfleet United28 August 1937Free transferSyd FieldusDFRomford00 Brentford3 July 1937Free transferIan HaleyRBNorth Bierley00 Colchester Town1 January 1938Free transferGeorge LeslieCBSlough00 Guildford City9 July 1937Free transferAlexander WoodLB Lochgelly00 Nottingham Forest16 July 1937Free transfer MidfieldersJimmy CollinsLH/RHBrentford00 West Ham United3 July 1937Free transferGeorge RitchieLHMaryhill00 Leicester City12 August 1937Free transferGeorge SmithRHConnah's Quay00 Bath City27 October 1937Free transfer ForwardsBill BarracloughOLKingston upon Hull00 Chelsea7 August 1937Free transferAlbert BennettCF00 Colchester Town25 November 1937Free transferAlec CheyneIHGlasgow00 Chelsea13 August 1937£3,000George CrispWGPontypool00 Newport County28 August 1937UndisclosedJack HodgeORPlymouth00 Luton Town13 July 1937Free transferKen MayesIL/OLWickford00 Fulham3 July 1937£500Bill PendergastCF/ILPenygroes00 Bristol Rovers9 December 1937Free transferArthur PritchardCFNewport00 Yeovil & Petters United28 August 1937Free transferIvan ThackerCFLowestoft00 Lowestoft Town18 February 1938Free transferGeorge WallisIFSawley00 Bath City28 February 1938Free transferGeorge WilliamsIR/CF00 Ipswich Town17 July 1937Free transfer
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.Summer 1937GKTed PlattNoneFree transfer23 June 1937CFReg Smith Bristol CityFree transfer3 July 1937LH/RHJimmy Collins West Ham UnitedFree transfer3 July 1937GKRonnie Dunn Crystal PalaceFree transfer3 July 1937DFSyd Fieldus BrentfordFree transfer3 July 1937IL/OLKen Mayes Fulham£5009 July 1937CB/RHJimmy Baker Bristol CityFree transfer9 July 1937CBGeorge Leslie Guildford CityFree transfer13 July 1937ORJack Hodge Luton TownFree transfer16 July 1937LBAlexander Wood Nottingham ForestFree transfer17 July 1937IR/CFGeorge Williams Ipswich TownFree transfer7 August 1937OLBill Barraclough ChelseaFree transfer12 August 1937LHGeorge Ritchie Leicester CityFree transfer13 August 1937IHAlec Cheyne Chelsea£3,00028 August 1937RBCliff Fairchild Northfleet UnitedFree transfer28 August 1937WGGeorge Crisp Newport CountyUndisclosed28 August 1937CFArthur Pritchard Yeovil & Petters UnitedFree transfer7 October 1937DFJohn Ormesher Colchester TownFree transfer27 October 1937RHGeorge Smith Bath CityFree transfer5 November 1937GKDon Youngs Martlesham RAFFree transfer17 November 1937CFTully Day Harwich & ParkestonFree transfer25 November 1937CFAlbert Bennett Colchester TownFree transfer9 December 1937CF/ILBill Pendergast Bristol RoversFree transfer1 January 1938RBIan Haley Colchester TownFree transfer18 February 1938CFIvan Thacker Lowestoft TownFree transfer28 February 1938IFGeorge Wallis Bath CityFree transfer23 April 1938ORSam Simnett Ipswich TownFree transfer Total spending: ~ £3,500
Out Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.25 October 1937CFReg Smith Wolverhampton Wanderers£500January 1938DFJohn OrmesherFree agentReleasedMarch 1938GKTed Platt ArsenalFree transfer19 April 1938CFTully Day Harwich & ParkestonFree transfer23 April 1938ORSam SimnettFree agentReleased Total incoming: ~ £500
Match details Friendlies
Southern League
League table
Matches
Southern League Mid-Week Section League table
Matches
Southern League Cup
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
!colspan="12"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
Goalscorers
Place Nationality Position Name Southern League SL Mid-Week Section Southern League Cup Total1IHAlec Cheyne1997352CFArthur Pritchard1784293ORJack Hodge1275244CFTully Day924155WGGeorge Crisp941146CFReg Smith352107IFGeorge Wallis52078CF/ILBill Pendergast51069OLBill Barraclough220410DFSyd Fieldus300311CB/RHJimmy Baker1102RHGeorge Smith200213LHGeorge Ritchie1001CFIvan Thacker0101LBAlexander Wood1001Own goals1001TOTALS000155
Disciplinary record
Nationality Position Name Southern League SL Mid-Week Section Southern League Cup TotalOLBill Barraclough01010002WGGeorge Crisp00001010TOTALS01011012
Captains Number of games played as team captain. Place Nationality Position Player Southern League SL Mid-Week Section Southern League Cup Total1LHGeorge Ritchie1774282CB/RHJimmy Baker3418147122TOTALS3418658
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Nationality Player Southern League SL Mid-Week Section Southern League Cup Total1Ronnie Dunn742132Don Youngs1203TOTALS86216
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground NotesGKRonnie Dunn28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundLH/RHJimmy Collins28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundRBCliff Fairchild28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundCBGeorge Leslie28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundLHGeorge Ritchie28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundLBAlexander Wood28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundIHAlec Cheyne28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundWGGeorge Crisp28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundORJack Hodge28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundCFArthur Pritchard28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundCFReg Smith28 August 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedHuish Athletic GroundIL/OLKen Mayes2 September 1937Bath CityLayer RoadOLBill Barraclough11 September 1937Yeovil & Petters UnitedLayer RoadCB/RHJimmy Baker23 September 1937FolkestoneLayer RoadDFJohn Ormesher7 October 1937Tunbridge Wells RangersLayer RoadDFSyd Fieldus9 October 1937Plymouth Argyle ReservesHome ParkRHGeorge Smith30 October 1937DartfordWatling StreetCFAlbert "Tully" Day17 November 1937Aldershot ReservesRecreation GroundCFAlbert Bennett25 November 1937Norwich City ReservesCarrow RoadCF/ILBill Pendergast11 December 1937Aldershot ReservesLayer RoadRBIan Haley1 January 1938Barry TownLayer RoadIR/CFGeorge Williams31 January 1938Millwall ReservesThe DenGKDon Youngs24 February 1938Tunbridge Wells RangersLayer RoadCFIvan Thacker3 March 1938DartfordLayer RoadIFGeorge Wallis3 March 1938DartfordLayer RoadORSam Simnett23 April 1938Tunbridge Wells RangersDown Farm
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References General
Websites
Specific