Colchester United is an English football club based in Colchester, Essex. The History of Colchester United F.C. began in 1937 as a professional club alongside amateur counterparts Colchester Town.

Colchester played in the Southern League from 1937 to 1950 when they were elected to the Football League and remained in the lower two divisions of the league between 1950 and 1990, when they were relegated to the Football Conference. United were promoted from the conference in 1992 and have remained a league club since.

The club made a slow climb through the Third Division and then the Second Division. In 2006, the club finished 2nd in League One, the club's highest ever finish to that point, resulting in promotion to the Championship – the second tier of English football. The following season, Colchester achieved a 10th-place finish in the Championship, their record highest finish, this despite having the divisions lowest average attendance. The following season, Colchester were relegated back to League One. In 2016 they finished 23rd and were relegated to League 2 where the club are currently competing.

Colchester Town Era: 1873–1936

Colchester Town F.C. was founded in October 1873, although they were not part of any league or association until September 1882, when club was a founder member of the Essex County FA and a season later won the inaugural Essex Senior Cup defeating Braintree by 3–1. Town reached the coveted Essex Senior Cup Final on two further occasions, losing to Ilford in 1892 and Leyton in 1900.

By 1885 a club rule change meant that it was permissible to play in shirts rather than knitted jerseys and Town changed its colours in dramatic fashion from blue tops to chocolate and pink quarters. As the new century began, the club changed its colours again – adopting red jerseys and white knickerbockers.

Nicknamed 'The Oysters', Colchester Town was not the only club in the borough, as The Excelsior club emerged and were on par with The Oysters, so much so that in September 1890 it was agreed that the two clubs would merge to play stronger teams whilst keeping their own identity for local fixtures.

With their Cambridge Road ground required for building work and the emergence of Colchester Crown, a new team to the area, it was feared that Town would fold but funds were found to prepare a new pitch for 1902–03 at Reed Hall. Town suffered a nomadic existence over the next few years playing at The Drury Field and then at Albert Road.

In 1908, the club vacated Albert Road for Sheepen Road for a pitch which became known as The Oval. The pitch was a quagmire having previously been the Borough's refuse dump. Players often took it upon their selves to jump in the nearby river after proceedings to wash off the 'municipal dust'. The Oval was often under water and Town would be forced to hire a pitch at Land Lane. The 4th Battalion Kings Rifle Regiment were the incumbent regiment in the town's Sobrahan Barracks from 1906 and in order to progress into the South Essex League had prepared a pitch on Layer Road. The first ever match staged at Layer Road was on 30 September 1907, when the KRR entertained South Weald, the Essex Senior Cup holders, which the KRR won 10–2. Matters came to a head in early 1909, as Town's attractive fixture with Norwich City Reserves in the East Anglian League was switched to Land Lane, but attracted takings of only four pounds – meanwhile the KRR's played in front of a record 4,000 Layer Road crowd as they entertained Ilford in the FA Amateur Cup. The KRR's were posted to India and on 19 April 1909, the Town committee seized the chance to secure a three-year lease on Layer Road.

For 1910–11, Town joined the South Essex League. Many famous names visited Layer Road in exhibition matches with Sheffield United, Derby, Millwall and Norwich to name a few. When Town entertained Luton in the autumn of 1911 the Committee issued what is believed to be the earliest known programme issue.

Town struggled in the South Essex League until in 1912–13 they won the title. The club also won the Essex and Suffolk Border League, the East Anglian League and the Worthington-Evans Cup.

For the 1914–15 season, a friendly match was arranged with Sparta of Rotterdam but with War looming, any chance of the game going ahead was curtailed. On 31 August 1914, the Committee met and closed down the football club. The Layer Road enclosure was earmarked for drill purposes or recreational activities by HM Forces. Seven club members are died during The Great War and their names were inscribed on a tablet in the Layer Road dressing room.

Following the announcement of Armistice the committee reformed and the club purchased the Layer Road enclosure. Town entered the 1919–20 English Cup (FA Cup) and were narrowly defeated in the Fourth qualifying round replay by Ilford at Layer Road in front of their own record crowd. In 1922–23 they joined the Middlesex and District League winning the title at the first attempt. Three years later Town found themselves in the Spartan League, their best season saw them finishing fourth in 1928–29, but more often they were placed around 10th in the thirteen-team League.

The East Anglian Cup was secured in 1931–32 with limited success, Town joined the Eastern Counties League in 1935–36. Town finished joint top with Harwich & Parkeston in that inaugural Eastern Counties League season. Although Town were joint-reigning champions, attendances were poor and moves were afoot to form a new professional club in Colchester.

2 March 1936 marked the end for Town and the birth of a team that would become Colchester United. The committee had hoped to run the Amateurs alongside the Professionals, but Essex County rules stated that a single group could not run the affairs of clubs of differing status.

Formation and Southern League Success: 1937–1939

On 14 July 1937 came the announcement that the professional new club would be named Colchester United F.C. – a week after new manager Ted Davis' used his Huddersfield Town contacts enabled the players to be kitted out in the same blue and white strip as his former club. United's first-ever Layer Road game was against Bath City on Thursday 2 September in the Southern League Midweek Section. United won 6–1 with Reg Smith registering the club's first-ever hat-trick. Two days later 11,000 witnessed a thrilling 3–3 Layer Road draw with neighbours Ipswich Town in the Southern League. Bill Barraclough became United's first sending off when he questioned the referee's parentage in the November fixture with Norwich City Reserves.

United adopted the nickname of 'The U's' to distinguish themselves from 'The Oysters' of Town. The popularity of United finally spelt the end for Colchester Town. The Oysters, in serious financial difficulty, folded in December 1937, having dropped into the six-club Essex Senior League before re-appearing to complete an Essex Senior Cup tie in January 1938 in order to avoid a hefty fine. This enabled United to enter a reserve side into the Eastern Counties League a month later, with their squad now boosted by Colchester Town's redundant amateurs. United finished mid-table in their first season and reached the Southern League Cup Final. A two-legged affair – they lost 2–1 at Yeovil over Easter 1938 but triumphed 3–1 at Layer Road to win the club's first-ever trophy.

In their second season, the 1938–39 season, United claimed the Southern League championship scoring 110 goals in 44 games, finished runners up in the Midweek section and reached the Southern League Cup semi-finals. With hopes of election to the Football League, director Walter Clark presented U's case to the Football League members on 23 May 1938, however, Colchester did not receive a single vote in their favour. Once again War loomed over Europe. After just three Southern League games in the 1939–40 season, War was declared and, as with Town beforehand, the club closed down. United continued to play friendly matches against local opposition up until December 1939, with the Army Fire Fighting Corp taking over the ground for drill practice.

Post-War Election: 1945–1950

Former Town player Syd Fieldus had kept the club alive but dormant during the War years. Fieldus was appointed Secretary-Manager and attended the first post-War Southern League meeting in the summer of 1945. Fieldus forged a strong relationship with the Garrison, and as United only had four contracted players, the Colchester team was complemented by servicemen of varying degrees of ability for the 1945–46 season. Ted Fenton was appointed manager for the 1946–47 season, who had turned out for Colchester Town in the early 1930s whilst a teenager. Fenton had excellent contacts and wasted no time in assembling his team from an array of professionals looking for a new start after the long War years. United finished mid-table in that first season after hostilities. During the 1947–48 season, Colchester United had a magnificent run in the FA Cup, consisting of a 3–2 victory against neighbours Chelmsford City in the Fourth qualifying round, followed by a win over Banbury Spencer by a slim 2–1 margin. Wrexham, of the Third Division North were duly dispatched by a Bob Curry goal with both sides missing penalties. Ironically it was First Division Huddersfield, the club that had inspired United's own team strip, who were next to be put to the sword, and a fourth round win over Bradford Park Avenue drew Colchester against Blackpool, where they bowed out in a 5–0 defeat.

Expectations of another great FA Cup run for the 1948–49 season fuelled the imagination and a record Layer Road crowd of 19,072 gathered for the first-round tie with Reading on 27 November 1948. Thick fog forced the abandonment of the tie after just 35 minutes. Colchester lost 4–2 in the rescheduled tie.

On 3 June 1950, Colchester United were elected to the Football League. At the time of the election, the club's Supporters Club membership of over 16,000 and an average attendance of 8,500, achieving these figures after 7 full seasons of competition following the War. The U's left non-League football with the following record:

Southern League champions: 1938–39 Southern League runners-up: 1949–50 Southern League Cup winners: 1937–38, 1949–50 Southern League Cup runners-up: 1947–48, 1948–49

Into the Football League: 1950–1959

Colchester's first-ever League game was against old Southern League foes Gillingham at Priestfield on 19 August 1950. A crowd of 19,542 witnessed a 0–0 draw. Five days later Bob Curry scored United's first-ever League goal in a 1–1 draw at Swindon. However, it was not until 31 August in the 1950–51 season that Layer Road enjoyed its first U's goal. Arthur Turner struck five minutes into a 4–1 win in the return game with Swindon. Colchester remained unbeaten in their first seven games – a run equalling a record for new clubs entering the Football League set by Aberdare Athletic in 1921–22.

The 1951–52 season started with six defeats in the opening seven games due mainly to an injury-ravaged squad. United sat rooted to the foot of the Third Division South table, but a mid season revival including completing the double over local rivals Ipswich hoisted United to 10th in the final standings. Vic Keeble became United's first big time transfer when he moved to First Division Newcastle for a massive £15,000 fee.