1975–76 Colchester United F.C. season

Colchester United

1975–76 season
Chairman	Jack Rippingale[1]
Manager	Bobby Roberts (From 20 June 1975)
Third Division	22nd (Relegated)
FA Cup	1st Round
League Cup	1st Round
Top goalscorer	League: Steve Leslie (6) All: Steve Leslie (7)
Highest home attendance	6,240 (Crystal Palace)
Lowest home attendance	2,245 (Chesterfield)
Average home league attendance	3,348
Home colours
← 1974–75 1976–77 →

The 1975–76 season was Colchester United's second consecutive season in the Football League Third Division. The season ended in relegation back to the Football League Fourth Division.

Season Review

The League Cup run of the 1974–75 season had brought recognition - only it was for U's manager Jim Smith who left to join Second Division Blackburn in the summer of 1975. His coach Bobby Roberts was appointed manager. His early days were disastrous. Not only did United not win any of their first five games, but Smith returned with £25,000 to prise away Bobby Svarc from cash-strapped U's.

Roberts' side rallied mid-season to climb to twelfth place but some crushing defeats including 6-1 at Chesterfield and 6-0 at Brighton put Colchester back into the relegation mire. The U's also suffered the ignominy of a second successive defeat to a non-League side when they were demolished 4-1 at Dover Athletic in an FA Cup replay. Inevitably United were relegated with Steve Leslie being leading scoring with a record lowest total of just six League goals.^[2]

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player –– GK Mike Walker –– DF Stewart Bright –– DF Micky Cook –– DF Barry Dominey –– DF Mick Packer –– DF Lindsay Smith –– DF Johnny Williams –– MF Ian Allinson

No. Position Player –– MF Ray Bunkell –– MF Paul Dyer –– MF Steve Foley –– MF Steve Leslie –– FW John Froggatt –– FW Colin Garwood –– FW Bobby Gough

Player Info

Pos.	Name	Place of Birth	Date of Birth	Previous Club	Date Joined	Fee
GK	Mike Walker	Colwyn Bay	28 November 1945	Watford	25 August 1973	£4,000
DF	Stewart Bright	Colchester	13 October 1957	Youth Team	1 August 1975	Free
DF	Micky Cook	Enfield	9 April 1951	Leyton Orient	6 October 1969	Free
DF	Barry Dominey	Edmonton	21 October 1955	Enfield	16 April 1974	Free
DF	Mick Packer	Willesden	20 April 1950	Watford	25 August 1973	Free
DF	Lindsay Smith	Enfield	18 September 1954	Youth Team	1 August 1970	Free
DF	Johnny Williams	Tottenham	26 March 1947	Watford	23 August 1975	Free
MF	Ian Allinson	Hitchin	1 October 1957	Youth Team	1 August 1974	Free
MF	Ray Bunkell	Edmonton	18 September 1949	Swindon Town	8 December 1973	£5,000
MF	Paul Dyer	Leicester	24 January 1953	Notts County	16 August 1975	Free
MF	Steve Foley	Clacton-on-Sea	21 June 1953	Youth Team	1 August 1971	Free
MF	Steve Leslie	Hornsey	4 September 1952	Youth Team	1 August 1970	Free
FW	John Froggatt	Stanton Hill	13 December 1945	Boston United	17 August 1974	£6,000
FW	Colin Garwood	Heacham	29 June 1949	Huddersfield Town	14 February 1976	Free
FW	Bobby Gough	Ladywood	20 July 1949	Southport	10 January 1976	£7,000

Transfers

Transfers In

Date	Pos.	Player Name	Previous Club	Transfer Fee	Notes
1 August 1975	DF	Stewart Bright	Youth Team	Free
16 August 1975	DF	Derek Harrison	Torquay United	Free
16 August 1975	MF	Paul Dyer	Notts County	Free
23 August 1975	DF	Johnny Williams	Watford	Free
23 August 1975	MF	Terry Anderson	Norwich City	Free
10 January 1976	FW	Bobby Gough	Southport	£7,000
14 February 1976	FW	Colin Garwood	Huddersfield Town	Free

Transfers Out

Date	Pos.	Player Name	New Club	Transfer Fee	Notes
2 May 1975	DF	Ray Harford	Retired	Free
2 May 1975	MF	Jimmy Lindsay	Hereford United	£15,000
2 May 1975	MF	Colwyn Rowe	Chelmsford City	Free
18 August 1975	MF	Bobby Roberts	Retired	Free	Became manager
27 September 1975	FW	Bobby Svarc	Blackburn Rovers	£20,000
13 December 1975	MF	Phil Thomas	Retired	Free
17 January 1976	MF	Terry Anderson	Baltimore Comets	Free
7 February 1976	DF	Derek Harrison	Salisbury City	Free

Loans In

Date	Pos.	Player Name	Parent Club	Date Returned	Notes
16 August 1975	DF	Jon O'Donnell	Cambridge United	16 August 1975
24 January 1976	GK	Len Bond	Bristol City	14 February 1976
24 January 1976	FW	Billy Telford	Peterborough United	7 February 1976

Results

Third Division Results Summary

Pos	Club	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Av	Pts
21	Aldershot (R)	46	13	13	20	59	75	0.787	39
22	Colchester United (R)	46	12	14	20	41	65	0.631	38
23	Southend United (R)	46	12	13	21	65	75	0.867	37

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GAv = Goal average; Pts = Points

Third Division Results

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
16/08/1975	Preston North End	A	1-2	8,324	Svarc
23/08/1975	Mansfield Town	H	0-2	3,333
30/08/1975	Crystal Palace	A	2-3	13,713	Svarc, Bunkell
06/09/1975	Halifax Town	H	0-1	2,819
13/09/1975	Hereford United	A	0-0	5,577
20/09/1975	Brighton & Hove Albion	H	2-0	3,176	Froggatt, Svarc
24/09/1975	Chester City	A	0-1	3,954
27/09/1975	Swindon Town	A	1-0	5,750	Packer
04/10/1975	Bury	H	0-0	3,035
11/10/1975	Walsall	H	2-0	2,980	Froggatt, Dominey
18/10/1975	Aldershot	A	2-2	3,586	Foley (2)
21/10/1975	Rotherham United	H	0-0	3,468
25/10/1975	Port Vale	H	1-0	3,053	Foley
01/11/1975	Millwall	A	1-1	7,492	Smith
05/11/1975	Chesterfield	A	1-6	2,906	Smith
08/11/1975	Shrewsbury Town	H	1-1	3,088	Smith
15/11/1975	Cardiff City	A	0-2	6,781
29/11/1975	Gillingham	A	1-0	5,402	Foley
06/12/1975	Sheffield Wednesday	H	2-1	3,534	Smith, Cook
13/12/1975	Wrexham	A	1-1	2,143	Froggatt
20/12/1975	Wrexham	H	0-2	2,608
26/12/1975	Southend United	A	0-2	6,167
27/12/1975	Grimsby Town	H	1-0	3,136	Foley
10/01/1976	Crystal Palace	H	0-3	6,240
14/01/1976	Peterborough United	A	1-3	7,453	Packer
17/01/1976	Brighton & Hove Albion	A	0-6	16,302
24/01/1976	Hereford United	H	1-4	2,626	Telford
31/01/1976	Rotherham United	A	0-2	3,943
07/02/1976	Chesterfield	H	2-3	2,245	Bunkell (pen.), Leslie
14/02/1976	Shrewsbury Town	A	0-1	4,485
21/02/1976	Cardiff City	H	3-2	3,248	Froggatt, Garwood (2)
24/02/1976	Chester City	H	1-0	3,534	Gough
28/02/1976	Port Vale	A	2-3	2,803	Dyer
13/03/1976	Walsall	A	1-1	5,371	Leslie
16/03/1976	Aldershot	H	2-0	3,040	Gough, Leslie
20/03/1976	Gillingham	H	2-2	3,981	Bunkell (pen.), Leslie
23/03/1976	Millwall	H	0-1	4,573
27/03/1976	Sheffield Wednesday	A	0-1	6,905
03/04/1976	Preston North End	H	1-1	2,657	Leslie
06/04/1976	Swindon Town	H	1-2	2,694	Leslie
12/04/1976	Bury	A	0-0	4,505
16/04/1976	Peterborough United	H	1-1	3,687	Bunkell
17/04/1976	Southend United	H	2-1	4,260	Gough, Froggatt
19/04/1976	Grimsby Town	A	1-0	4,862	Gough
24/04/1976	Mansfield Town	A	0-0	7,407
26/04/1976	Halifax Town	A	1-1	856	Gough

Source: 1975-76 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

League Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
18/08/1975	R1 (L1)	Crystal Palace	A	0-3	10,006
25/08/1975	R1 (L2)	Crystal Palace	H	3-1	3,912	Svarc, Smith

Source: 1975-76 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
22/11/1975	R1	Dover Athletic	H	3-3	3,705	Leslie, Dominey, Smith
24/11/1976	R1 (R)	Dover Athletic	A	1-4 (A.E.T.)	3,779	Packer (pen.)

Source: 1975-76 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

Squad statistics

^[3]

No.	Nat.	Pos.	Name	Total		Division Three		FA Cup		League Cup
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
––	GK		Len Bond	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	0
––	GK		Mike Walker	47	0	43	0	2	0	2	0
––	DF		Stewart Bright	20	0	20	0	0	0	0	0
––	DF		Micky Cook	43	1	39	1	2	0	2	0
––	DF		Barry Dominey	42	2	38	1	2	1	2	0
––	DF		Derek Harrison	8	0	7	0	1	0	0	0
––	DF		Jon O'Donnell	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
––	DF		Mick Packer	48	3	44	2	2	1	2	0
––	DF		Lindsay Smith	45	6	41	4	2	1	2	1
––	DF		Johnny Williams	39	0	36	0	2	0	1	0
––	MF		Ian Allinson	5	0	5	0	0	0	0	0
––	MF		Terry Anderson	18	0	16	0	2	0	0	0
––	MF		Ray Bunkell	45	4	41	4	2	0	2	0
––	MF		Paul Dyer	40	2	36	2	2	0	2	0
––	MF		Steve Foley	30	5	29	5	1	0	0	0
––	MF		Steve Leslie	41	7	39	6	2	1	0	0
––	MF		Bobby Roberts	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
––	MF		Phil Thomas	10	0	8	0	0	0	2	0
––	FW		John Froggatt	44	5	41	5	1	0	2	0
––	FW		Colin Garwood	15	2	15	2	0	0	0	0
––	FW		Bobby Gough	22	5	22	5	0	0	0	0
––	FW		Bobby Svarc	10	5	8	3	0	0	2	2
––	FW		Billy Telford	2	1	2	1	0	0	0	0

Scorers

^[4]

All Scorer Goals Steve Leslie 7 Lindsay Smith 6 Steve Foley 5 John Froggatt Bobby Gough Bobby Svarc Ray Bunkell 4 Mick Packer 3 Barry Dominey 2 Paul Dyer Colin Garwood Micky Cook 1 Billy Telford

League Scorer Goals Steve Leslie 6 Steve Foley 5 John Froggatt Bobby Gough Ray Bunkell 4 Lindsay Smith Bobby Svarc 3 Paul Dyer 2 Colin Garwood Mick Packer Micky Cook 1 Barry Dominey Billy Telford

FA Cup Scorer Goals Barry Dominey 1 Steve Leslie Mick Packer Lindsay Smith

League Cup Scorer Goals Bobby Svarc 2 Lindsay Smith 1

Most Frequent Starting XI

This section shows players in a 5-2-3 formation with the most league starts during the season.

Pos. Name Apps. Goals GK Mike Walker 44 0 DF Micky Cook 46 4 DF Mick Packer 35 5 DF Steve Dowman 33 12 DF Lindsay Smith 45 6 DF Johnny Williams 43 0 MF Ian Allinson 31 7 MF Steve Leslie 40 2 FW John Froggatt 43 6 FW Bobby Gough 43 17 FW Colin Garwood 40 16

Walker Cook Packer Dowman Smith Williams Allinson Leslie Froggatt Gough Garwood

References

1. Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
2. "The U's History: The 70s". Colchester United F.C. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
3. "1975–76 Season Appearance Data". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
4. "1975–76 Season Goalscorers Data". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2011.