1976–77 Colchester United F.C. season

Colchester United
1976–77 season
Chairman Jack Rippingale[1]
Manager Scotland Bobby Roberts
Fourth Division 3rd (Promoted)
FA Cup 4th Round
League Cup 1st Round
Top goalscorer League:
Bobby Gough (17)

All:
Colin Garwood (24)
Highest home attendance 8,912 (Bradford City)
Lowest home attendance 2,489 (Halifax Town)
Average home league attendance 4,643
Football kit (white jersey with blue, vertical stripes; blue shorts; and white socks).
Home colours

The 1976–77 season was Colchester United's first season back in the Football League Fourth Division spending the two previous seasons playing in the Football League Third Division. The season ended in success with Colchester being promoted back to the Third Division, finishing third.

Season Review

The Board kept faith with manager Bobby Roberts for the 1976–77 campaign and, just as they did in the 1960s, United bounced back to the Third Division at the first attempt.

Built on 12 successive home victories from the start of the season United's 'G-men' Bobby Gough and Colin Garwood scored 17 and 16 goals respectively with centre-half Steve Dowman adding an amazing twelve strikes in his first season.

A splendid FA Cup run saw United reach the Fourth Round only to lose to First Division Derby in a replay at The Baseball Ground. Over 14,000 had seen Garwood equalise in the seventh minute of injury time in the first match at Layer Road.

Once again a settled side aided United's progress - eight players played over 40 of the 46 League games.[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
–– Wales GK Mike Walker
–– England DF Micky Cook
–– England DF Steve Dowman
–– England DF Mick Packer
–– England DF Lindsay Smith
–– England DF Johnny Williams
–– England MF Ian Allinson
No. Position Player
–– England MF Ray Bunkell
–– England MF Paul Dyer
–– England MF Steve Foley
–– England MF Steve Leslie
–– England FW John Froggatt
–– England FW Colin Garwood
–– England FW Bobby Gough

Player Info

Pos. Name Place of Birth Date of Birth Previous Club Date Joined Fee
GK Wales Mike Walker Wales Colwyn Bay 28 November 1945 England Watford 25 August 1973 £4,000
DF England Micky Cook England Enfield 9 April 1951 England Leyton Orient 6 October 1969 Free
DF England Steve Dowman England Manor Park 15 April 1958 England Youth Team 1 August 1976 Free
DF England Mick Packer England Willesden 20 April 1950 England Watford 25 August 1973 Free
DF England Lindsay Smith England Enfield 18 September 1954 England Youth Team 1 August 1970 Free
DF England Johnny Williams England Tottenham 26 March 1947 England Watford 23 August 1975 Free
MF England Ian Allinson England Hitchin 1 October 1957 England Youth Team 1 August 1974 Free
MF England Ray Bunkell England Edmonton 18 September 1949 England Swindon Town 8 December 1973 £5,000
MF England Paul Dyer England Leicester 24 January 1953 England Notts County 16 August 1975 Free
MF England Steve Foley England Clacton-on-Sea 21 June 1953 England Youth Team 1 August 1971 Free
MF England Steve Leslie England Hornsey 4 September 1952 England Youth Team 1 August 1970 Free
FW England John Froggatt England Stanton Hill 13 December 1945 England Boston United 17 August 1974 £6,000
FW England Colin Garwood England Heacham 29 June 1949 England Huddersfield Town 14 February 1976 Free
FW England Bobby Gough England Ladywood 20 July 1949 England Southport 10 January 1976 £7,000

Transfers

Transfers In

Date Pos. Player Name Previous Club Transfer Fee Notes
1 August 1976 DF England Steve Dowman England Youth Team Free

Transfers Out

Date Pos. Player Name New Club Transfer Fee Notes
23 October 1976 DF England Stewart Bright England Chelmsford City Free
21 January 1977 DF England Barry Dominey England Yeovil Town Free

Loans In

Date Pos. Player Name Parent Club Date Returned Notes
19 February 1977 GK England Glenn Ellis England Ipswich Town 22 February 1977

Results

Fourth Division Results Summary

Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
2Exeter City (P) 46251297046+2462
3Colchester United (P) 46259127743+3459
4Bradford City (P) 462313107851+2759

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

Fourth Division Results

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
21/08/1976 Cambridge United A 0-2 3,056
24/08/1976 Halifax Town H 3-0 2,489 Allinson (2), Gough
28/08/1976 Rochdale A 0-1 1,440
04/09/1976 Exeter City H 3-1 2,516 Froggatt, Cook, Garwood
11/09/1976 Watford A 1-2 5,386 Dowman
18/09/1976 Crewe Alexandra H 3-2 2,519 Froggatt, Garwood, Allinson
25/09/1976 Bournemouth A 0-0 3,881
01/10/1976 Workington H 3-1 2,957 Garwood (2), Gough
08/10/1976 Southend United A 0-0 6,690
16/10/1976 Hartlepool United H 6-2 3,180 Gough (2), Garwood (3), Allinson
23/10/1976 Scunthorpe United A 0-2 3,157
25/10/1976 Doncaster Rovers A 2-3 3,856 Packer (pen.), Cook
30/10/1976 Brentford H 2-1 3,607 Garwood, Cook
01/11/1976 Torquay United H 4-0 3,102 Gough, Garwood (2), Dowman
12/11/1976 Stockport County H 1-0 3,948 Dowman
27/11/1976 Barnsley A 0-1 5,662 Garwood
04/12/1976 Darlington H 4-0 2,951 Gough, Dowman (2), Smith
18/12/1976 Bradford City A 0-1 4,173
27/12/1976 Aldershot H 1-0 6,007 Smith
28/12/1976 Swansea City A 1-2 5,666 Bunkell
01/01/1977 Newport County H 5-0 4,614 Gough (2), Smith, Dowman, Garwood
03/01/1977 Brentford A 4-1 4,610 Garwood, Gough (2), Dowman
18/01/1977 Southport H 4-1 5,634 Bunkell, Garwood, Packer (pen.), Allinson
21/01/1977 Cambridge United H 0-1 7,639
05/02/1977 Rochdale H 1-0 4,943 Dowman
12/02/1977 Exeter City A 0-1 6,132
19/02/1977 Watford H 1-0 5,678 Packer (pen.)
22/02/1977 Newport County A 2-1 1,575 Gough (2)
26/02/1977 Crewe Alexandra A 0-1 2,410
04/03/1977 Bournemouth H 1-0 4,948 Froggatt
08/03/1977 Halifax Town A 2-1 2,097 Packer, Leslie
12/03/1977 Workington A 4-2 1,223 Froggatt, Gough, Dowman, Packer (pen.)
19/03/1977 Southend United H 0-1 6,637
21/03/1977 Huddersfield Town A 0-0 7,508
26/03/1977 Hartlepool United A 2-2 1,822 Allinson, Dowman
02/04/1977 Scunthorpe United H 1-1 3,799 Leslie
05/04/1977 Aldershot A 1-1 2,586 Gough
08/04/1977 Swansea City H 1-1 5,184 Dowman
11/04/1977 Torquay United A 2-2 3,189 Dowman, Gough
15/04/1977 Doncaster Rovers H 1-0 4,668 Gough
19/04/1977 Huddersfield Town H 3-1 5,051 Smith (2), Garwood
22/04/1977 Stockport County A 1-1 2,826 Garwood
29/04/1977 Barnsley H 1-0 5,802 Smith
03/05/1977 Southport A 3-1 867 Froggatt (2), Gough
07/05/1977 Darlington A 0-2 1,964
14/05/1977 Bradford City H 2-1 8,912 Ratcliffe (o.g.), Allinson

Source: 1976-77 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

League Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
14/08/1976 R1 (L1) Millwall A 1-2 4,599 Smith
17/08/1976 R1 (L2) Millwall H 2-1 3,155 Gough, Garwood
30/08/1976 R1 (R) Millwall H 4-4
2-4 on Pens
3,695 Garwood (3), Bunkell (pen.)

Source: 1976-77 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

FA Cup

Main article: 1976–77 FA Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
20/11/1976 R1 Cambridge United A 1-1 5,090 Packer (pen.)
24/11/1976 R1 (R) Cambridge United H 2-0 6,041 Garwood, Leslie
20/12/1976 R2 Brentford H 3-2 4,730 Gough, Froggatt, Packer (pen.)
08/01/1977 R3 Kettering Town A 3-2 7,176 Froggatt, Garwood (2)
29/01/1977 R4 Derby County H 1-1 14,030 Garwood
02/02/1977 R4 (R) Derby County A 0-1 22,155

Source: 1976-77 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

Squad statistics

[3]

No. Nat. Pos. Name Total Division Four FA Cup League Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
–– GK England Glenn Ellis 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
–– GK Wales Mike Walker 53 0 44 0 6 0 3 0
–– DF England Stewart Bright 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 0
–– DF England Micky Cook 55 3 46 3 6 0 3 0
–– DF England Barry Dominey 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
–– DF England Steve Dowman 42 12 36 12 6 0 0 0
–– DF England Mick Packer 47 7 39 5 5 2 3 0
–– DF England Lindsay Smith 54 7 45 6 6 0 3 1
–– DF England Johnny Williams 52 0 43 0 6 0 3 0
–– MF England Ian Allinson 44 7 40 7 2 0 2 0
–– MF England Ray Bunkell 24 3 18 2 3 0 3 1
–– MF England Paul Dyer 43 0 34 0 6 0 3 0
–– MF England Steve Foley 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0
–– MF England Steve Leslie 50 3 41 2 6 1 3 0
–– FW England John Froggatt 52 8 43 6 6 2 3 0
–– FW England Colin Garwood 51 24 42 16 6 4 3 4
–– FW England Bobby Gough 52 19 43 17 6 1 3 1

Scorers

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

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 11 April 2011.
  3. "1976–77 Season Appearance Data". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  4. "1977–78 Season Goalscorers Data". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
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