The 1978–79 season was Colchester United's 37th season in their history and second successive season in third tier of English football, the Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Colchester improved on their previous league campaign by one position, finishing in a strong seventh. The U's were eliminated in the League Cup by Charlton Athletic in the first round, but had greater success in the FA Cup. They saw off Oxford United, Leatherhead, Darlington and Newport County before facing Manchester United in the fifth round of the competition at Layer Road. Colchester held on until the 86th-minute before Jimmy Greenhoff broke the deadlock and denied the U's an Old Trafford replay.
Season overview Bobby Roberts kept the faith in his squad for their second season in the Third Division, but an injury to Eddie Rowles forced him into the transfer market. Despite Colchester suffering financial difficulty, the club spent £15,000 on Millwall forward Trevor Lee, who became the first black player to represent Colchester's first team.
A strong season in the league saw the club finish one position higher than the previous campaign in seventh, narrowly falling short of the promotion places – nine points behind third-placed Swansea City. In the final game of the season, Colchester recorded their then highest-ever away league victory with a 5–1 win at Tranmere Rovers, less than a month after they had stunned champions-elect Watford 3–0 at Vicarage Road on Good Friday.
Colchester had a productive run in the FA Cup, where they disposed of Oxford United 4–2 with Bobby Gough netting a hat-trick. They defeated non-League Leatherhead 4–0 in a replay, and overcame difficult away ties at Darlington and Newport County. In the fifth road, the U's welcomed First Division Manchester United to Layer Road. After the fixture was called off from its original Saturday date, the crowd of 13,171 saw the U's come four minutes within an Old Trafford replay after Jimmy Greenhoff finally broke the deadlock after 86-minutes to send Colchester out.
Players
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee GoalkeepersIan CranstoneGKRochford00 Tottenham HotspurSummer 1977Free transferBobby HamiltonGK00UnknownSummer 1977Mike WalkerGKColwyn Bay2570 WatfordJuly 1973£4,000 DefendersMicky CookFBEnfield39714 Orient1 March 1969Free transferSteve DowmanCBIlford9419Apprentice24 August 1976Free transferMick PackerFBWillesden21913 WatfordJuly 1973Free transferSteve WignallCBLiverpool382 Doncaster RoversSeptember 1977£5,000Steve WrightCBClacton-on-Sea10 Woods Athletic1 October 1977Free transfer MidfieldersRay BunkellMFEdmonton1379 Swindon TownDecember 1973Part exchangeRussell CottonMFWellington20Apprentice26 October 1977Free transferPaul DyerMFLeicester1152 Notts CountySummer 1975UndisclosedTony EvansMFColchester70Apprentice4 March 1978Free transferSteve FoleyMFClacton-on-Sea18436ApprenticeJuly 1969Free transferSteve LeslieMFHornsey28640Apprentice20 April 1971Free transferEddie RowlesMFGosport93 Darlington26 December 1977£15,000 ForwardsIan AllinsonWGHitchin10414ApprenticeSummer 1974Free transferBobby GoughFWLadywood12541 SouthportJanuary 1976£7,000Gary HarveyFWColchester00ApprenticeMarch 1978Free transferBobby HodgeWGExeter00 Exeter CitySeptember 1978£15,000Trevor LeeFWLewisham00 MillwallNovember 1978£15,000
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.12 August 1978MFPat Sharkey Mansfield Town£10,000September 1978WGBobby Hodge Exeter City£15,000November 1978FWTrevor Lee Millwall£15,000 Total spending: ~ £40,000
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.End of seasonFBJohnny Williams MargateFree transfer31 March 1979MFPat Sharkey Peterborough United£8,000 Total incoming: ~ £8,000
Match details
Third 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 Third Division FA Cup League Cup Total1FWBobby Gough1660222FWTrevor Lee1110123MFSteve Foley61074WGIan Allinson5005CBSteve Dowman2215MFEddie Rowles40157WGBobby Hodge3104CBSteve Wignall40049MFPaul Dyer2002MFTony Evans200211MFRay Bunkell1001FBMicky Cook1001FBMick Packer1001CBSteve Wright1001Own goals1001TOTALS6011273
Disciplinary record
Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup TotalFBMick Packer31000031MFPaul Dyer10000010CBSteve Wignall10000010TOTALS51000051
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Nationality Player Third Division FA Cup League Cup Total1Mike Walker124117TOTALS124117
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground NotesMFPat Sharkey12 August 1978Charlton AthleticLayer RoadWGBobby Hodge27 September 1978Exeter CitySt James ParkFWTrevor Lee3 November 1978Plymouth ArgyleLayer Road
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References General Books
Websites
Specific