1953–54 Colchester United F.C. season explained

Club:Colchester United
Season:1953–54
Chairman:Bill Allen[1]
Manager:Ron Meades
(11 June to 15 June)
Jack Butler
(from 16 June)
Stadium:Layer Road
League:Third Division South
League Result:23rd (re-elected)
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:1st round
(eliminated by
Millwall)
League Topscorer:
Bert Barlow (10)
Season Topscorer:
Bert Barlow (10)
Highest Attendance:10,316
v Ipswich Town, 19 December 1953[2]
Lowest Attendance:6,035
v Southend United, 29 April 1954[3]
Average Attendance:7,797[4]
Largest Win:5–0
v Queens Park Rangers, 25 December 1953
Largest Loss:0–4
v Millwall, 23 November 1953
Pattern Name1:Home
Pattern La1:_white_stripes
Pattern B1:_whitestripes
Pattern Ra1:_white_stripes
Pattern So1:_3whitehoops
Leftarm1:0000FF
Body1:0000FF
Rightarm1:0000FF
Shorts1:FFFFFF
Socks1:0000FF
Alt1:Football kit (white jersey with blue, vertical stripes; white shorts; and blue socks with white, horizontal hoops)
Prevseason:1952–53
Nextseason:1954–55

The 1953–54 season was Colchester United's twelfth season in their history and their fourth season in the Third Division South, the third tier of English football. Alongside competing in the Third Division South, the club also participated in the FA Cup. Colchester were knocked out in the first round of the cup by Millwall following a replay. The club struggled in the league for the second successive season, eventually finishing 23rd of 24 teams under new manager Jack Butler. The club had to apply for re-election at the end of the season for the first of three occasions in its history. All four clubs applying for re-election were successful, with Colchester receiving 45 votes, behind Chester by three votes but ahead of both Walsall (32 votes) and Halifax Town (28 votes).[5]

Season overview

Following Jimmy Allen's resignation at the end of the previous season, the Colchester United board shortlisted three names for the vacant managerial position, and in-line with their cost reduction policy, appointed Ron Meades as player-manager. Meades had claimed to have been with Cardiff City, and more recently manager of Western League side Wadebridge Town. Journalist Arthur Wood investigated Meades' background and revealed that Meades was a fraud, and after just four days in charge, Meades was asked to leave by the club.

Colchester hurriedly appointed a new manager, Jack Butler, a former player for Arsenal and England international. He had coached in Belgium, initially with Royal Daring Club Molenbeek and had been in charge of the Belgium national team between 1935 and 1940, leading them to the 1938 World Cup finals. More recently, he had managed Torquay United and Crystal Palace, but Butler had little time to prepare his side ahead of the new season, and a 13-game winless run in late 1953 saw Colchester slump to 23rd position in the league.

With the crowd average falling season-on-season to 7,797, the club were required to apply for re-election after finishing the campaign ten points adrift of safety. Colchester earned 45 votes, enough to ensure another season in the Football League, but having been prolific goalscorers earlier in their history, the club had scored only 50 league goals this season.[6]

Players

[7]

NamePositionNationalityPlace of birthDate of birthAppsGoalsSigned fromDate signedFee
Goalkeepers
Frank CoombsGKEast HamJune 1, 1953310 Southend United8 March 1952£450
George WrightGKPlymouthJune 1, 19531640 Plymouth ArgyleMay 1949£1,000
John WrightGKAldershotJune 1, 195300 Colchester Casuals23 May 1952Free transfer
Defenders
Roy BicknellCBDoncasterJune 1, 195380 Gravesend & NorthfleetJune 1952£1,000
George FrenchFBColchesterJune 1, 195310 West Ham UnitedFebruary 1949Free transfer
John HarrisonFBLeicesterJune 1, 19531280 Aston Villa30 September 1950Nominal
Billy HuntCBColchesterJune 1, 195300AmateurAugust 1953Free transfer
Digger KettleFBColchesterJune 1, 19531681 Arclight SportsSeptember 1946Free transfer
Fred LewisFBBroughton GiffordJune 1, 195300 ChelseaSummer 1953Free transfer
Reg StewartCBSheffieldJune 1, 19531910 Sheffield Wednesday20 August 1949£1,000
Midfielders
Harry BearrymanWHWandsworthJune 1, 195329310 Chelsea4 July 1947Free transfer
Bob DaleWHIrlamJune 1, 195300 Bury24 December 1953£1,500
Austin DunneWHLimerickJune 1, 195300 LimerickOctober 1953Free transfer
Jimmy ElderWHSconeJune 1, 195314310 Portsmouth19 August 1950£1,000
Trevor HarrisWHColchesterJune 1, 195300AmateurJuly 1951Free transfer
Bert HillWHWest HamJune 1, 195310 ChelseaSeptember 1952£300
Ron HuntWHColchesterJune 1, 195330AmateurOctober 1951Free transfer
Doug KeeneWHHendonJune 1, 195300 Brighton & Hove Albion20 August 1953£1,000
Forwards
Peter AitchisonWGHarlowJune 1, 1953122AmateurAugust 1950Free transfer
John ChurchWGLowestoftJune 1, 195312222 Norwich City19 August 1950£1,000
Mike GriceWGWokingJune 1, 1953131 Lowestoft TownSummer 1952£25
Kevin McCurleyCFConsettJune 1, 19535825 LiverpoolJune 1951£750
Johnny McKimIFGreenockJune 1, 19538433 Chelsea19 August 1950£1,000
Ken PlantCFNuneatonJune 1, 195300 BuryJanuary 1954Undisclosed
Peter WrightWGColchesterJune 1, 1953212AmateurNovember 1951Free transfer

Transfers

In

DatePositionNationalityNameFromFeeRef.
Summer 1953FBFred Lewis ChelseaFree transfer[8]
June 1953CFTommy Harris Leyton OrientPart-exchange with Stan Edwards[9]
August 1953CBBilly HuntAmateurFree transfer[10]
20 August 1953WHDoug Keene Brighton & Hove Albion£1,000[11]
October 1953WHAustin Dunne LimerickFree transfer[12]
24 December 1953WHBob Dale Bury£1,500[13]
January 1954CFKen Plant BuryUndisclosed[14]

Out

DatePositionNationalityNameToFeeRef.
2 May 1953FBPhil Rookes Chichester CityManager[15]
June 1953CFStan Edwards Leyton OrientPart-exchange with Tommy Harris[16]
22 August 1953FBTrevor Rowlands Great Yarmouth TownFree transfer[17]
5 December 1953CFTommy Harris TonbridgeFree transfer
23 January 1954FWDick Cullum SittingbourneFree transfer[18]
13 March 1954IFBert BarlowRetiredRetired[19]
17 April 1954IFAugie Scott Cheltenham TownPlayer-coach[20]

Match details

Third Division South

See main article: 1953–54 Football League.

Matches

FA Cup

See main article: 1953–54 FA Cup.

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

[7] [21] |-!colspan="14"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season|}

Goalscorers

[21]

PlaceNationalityPositionNameThird Division SouthFA CupTotal
1IFBert Barlow10010
2CFKevin McCurley819
3IFJohnny McKim606
CFKen Plant606
5WHBob Dale404
WHJimmy Elder404
IFAugie Scott404
8WHHarry Bearryman202
WGMike Grice202
WGPeter Wright202
11WHBert Hill101
WHDoug Keene101
Own goals000
TOTALS51152

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.[22]

PlaceNationalityPlayerThird Division SouthFA CupTotal
1George Wright707
TOTALS707

Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[23]

PositionNationalityPlayerDateOpponentGroundNotes
WHDoug Keene20 August 1953Torquay UnitedLayer Road
FBFred Lewis20 August 1953Torquay UnitedLayer Road
CFTommy Harris10 October 1953Coventry CityLayer Road
WHBob Dale2 January 1954Crystal PalaceSelhurst Park
CFKen Plant6 February 1954Swindon TownLayer Road

See also

References

General

Books

Websites

Specific

Notes and References

  1. Book: Whitehead . Jeff . Drury . Kevin . The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years . 2008 . Breedon Books . Derby . 978-1-85983-629-3 . 278.
  2. Web site: Colchester Utd 1–2 Ipswich Town . Coludata.co.uk . 22 February 2016 .
  3. Web site: Colchester Utd 0–1 Southend United . Coludata.co.uk . 22 February 2016 .
  4. Web site: Average Attendance Figures Per Season . Coludaybyday.co.uk . 22 February 2016 .
  5. Web site: A history of admission to the Football League . Nonleaguematters.co.uk . 22 February 2016 .
  6. Web site: The 1950s and 1960s . Hudson . Matt . 11 July 2012 . Colchester United FC . 22 May 2011 .
  7. Web site: Appearances . Coludata.co.uk . 22 February 2016 .
  8. Web site: Fred Lewis . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  9. Web site: Tommy Harris . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  10. Web site: Billy Hunt . Coludata.co.uk . 9 March 2016 .
  11. Web site: Doug Keene . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  12. Web site: Austin Dunne . Coludata.co.uk . 2 March 2016 .
  13. Web site: Bob Dale . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  14. Web site: Ken Plant . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  15. Web site: Phil Rookes . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  16. Web site: Stan Edwards . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  17. Web site: Trevor Rowlands . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  18. Web site: Dick Cullum . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  19. Web site: Bert Barlow . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  20. Web site: Augie Scott . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  21. Web site: Goals . Coludata.co.uk . 29 February 2016 .
  22. Web site: Clean sheets (1st team) . Coludata.co.uk . 22 June 2017 .
  23. Web site: Alltime- List of Debuts . Coludaybyday.co.uk . 29 February 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150626101319/http://coludaybyday.co.uk/Statistics/Player%20Stats/PlayersDebuts/Alldebut.html . 26 June 2015 .

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