1947–48 Colchester United F.C. season explained

Club:Colchester United
Season:1947–48
Chairman:Bill Allen[1]
Manager:Ted Fenton
(until June 1948)
Stadium:Layer Road
League:Southern League
League Result:4th
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:5th round
(eliminated by
Blackpool)
Cup2:Southern League Cup
Cup2 Result:Runners-up
League Topscorer:
Arthur Turner (25)
Season Topscorer:
Bob Curry (30)
Highest Attendance:17,048
v Bradford Park Avenue, 24 January 1948[2]
Lowest Attendance:4,665
v Bedford Town, 20 December 1947[3]
Average Attendance:9,231[4]
Largest Win:8–0
v Gloucester City, 6 September 1947
Largest Loss:0–5
v Blackpool, 7 February 1948
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:1946–47
Nextseason:1948–49

The 1947–48 season was Colchester United's sixth season in their history and their sixth in the Southern League. Alongside competing in the Southern League, the club also participated in the FA Cup and Southern League Cup. The season was most notable for Colchester's run in the FA Cup, where they defeated three Football League clubs as they progressed to the fifth round, before being beaten 5–0 by First Division side Blackpool. They finished in 4th position in the Southern League, and while they ended as runners-up in the Southern League Cup, the final wasn't held until April 1949 due to fixture congestion.

Season overview

Manager Ted Fenton's first-team squad had featured 28 part-time professionals during the 1946–47 season, but this number was reduced to 17 for the 1947–48 campaign, while signings such as Bob Allen and Harry Bearryman, and the emergence of Vic Keeble bolstered the ranks.

The 1947–48 season was most memorable for Colchester's magnificent run in the FA Cup. The competition began with a 3–2 win over league rivals Chelmsford City in the fourth qualifying round in front of a Layer Road crowd of 10,396. It was the second year in succession that the U's would reach the first round proper of the cup, having been defeated 5–0 by Reading at the same stage twelve months earlier. The result on this occasion would go in Colchester's favour, with 8,574 fans watching their 2–1 win against Banbury Spencer.

Third Division North side Wrexham visited Layer Road for the second round match, with the visitors falling to a 1–0 defeat courtesy of a Bob Curry goal in front of a 10,642 crowd. With the U's into the third round, it would be the club that inspired Colchester's own strip, Huddersfield Town of the First Division, that would taste defeat at the hands of the non–Leaguers. With the national press making Colchester's Cup progress headline news, Fenton welcomed the extra publicity. He watched Huddersfield play a number of times prior to the tie, declaring to the media that he had come up with a plan to beat them. The plan became known as "the F–plan". Both teams changed colours for the game, with visiting Huddersfield in red, and Colchester in blue. The First Division side struggled to adapt to the cramped surroundings of Layer Road, and when Bob Allen's free kick was parried away by the goalkeeper, U's captain Bob Curry scored from the rebound. This was the first time that a non–League side had beaten a First Division club, with a record crowd of 16,005 witnessing that game.

With the increased interest in Colchester's cup heroics, the crowd from the previous game could have trebled had Layer Road been able to accommodate the fans. The club welcomed Second Division Bradford Park Avenue to the ground on 24 January 1948, with a crowd of 17,048 in attendance. With their opponents wary of Colchester's reputation, Bradford would take the lead, only for Curry to net a brace before being pegged back to 2–2. Fred Cutting went on to score the winner to send the club into the fifth round.

Stanley Matthews' First Division Blackpool were drawn as hosts to Fenton's side. With the effects of the war still evident, fuel rationing meant that the 52 scheduled coaches for the journey to Bloomfield Road were cancelled just 36 hours ahead of the game, meaning that only 12 coaches could travel, and the remainder of the away fans would have to travel by train to the North West. This meant that they would arrive in Blackpool in the early hours the morning of the match, but this did not deter the supporters, with the West Lancashire Post reporting:

Despite the good natured support, the home team defeated the U's by 5–0 in front of a sell-out 29,500 Bloomfield Road crowd. However, the FA Cup success had an effect on Colchester's league form, with the club eventually finishing fourth, nine points adrift of champions Merthyr Tydfil. They also reached the final of the Southern League Cup, but ran out of time to play the final during the season owing to fixture congestion.

Following all of the attention garnered from the Cup run, Fenton was much sought after, and was offered the role of assistant manager at his old club West Ham United during the summer of 1948, a role which he could not refuse.[5]

Players

[6]

NamePositionNationalityPlace of birthDate of birthAppsGoalsSigned fromDate signedFee
Goalkeepers
John Le MareGKIpswichJune 1, 194700 Woodbridge TownNovember 1947Free transfer
Ernest SetchellGKHammersmithJune 1, 194700 Dartford5 June 1947Free transfer
Harry WrightGKTottenhamJune 1, 1947230 Chelmsford City11 July 1946Free transfer
Defenders
Bill BowerFBWrexhamJune 1, 1947691 Millwall28 November 1945Free transfer
Aubrey DarmodyFBSwanseaJune 1, 194700 Norwich City28 July 1947Free transfer
Digger KettleFBColchesterJune 1, 1947161 Arclight SportsSeptember 1946Free transfer
Albert PageCBWalthamstowJune 1, 1947120 Tottenham Hotspur26 March 1947Free transfer
Albert WalkerFBLittle LeverJune 1, 1947360 Doncaster Rovers30 May 1946Free transfer
Midfielders
Harry BearrymanWHWandsworthJune 1, 194700 Chelsea4 July 1947Free transfer
Arthur BiggsWHWoottonJune 1, 194742 Bedford Town7 May 1947Free transfer
Ted FentonWHForest GateJune 1, 1947362 West Ham United15 April 1946Free transfer
Frank StamperWH/IRHartlepoolJune 1, 194720Colchester Garrison Army Fire Fighting Centre3 March 1947Free transfer
Forwards
Bob AllenWGBromley-by-BowJune 1, 194700 Gainsborough Trinity13 June 1946Free transfer
Andy BrownIFCoatbridgeJune 1, 194700 Torquay United17 June 1947Free transfer
Len CaterCFColchester3913Free agent6 June 1946Free transfer
Bob CurryIFGatesheadJune 1, 19473919 Northampton Town13 June 1947Free transfer
Fred CuttingIFNorth WalshamJune 1, 194700 Norwich City6 December 1947Free transfer
Ian GillespieIFPlymouthJune 1, 194751 Ipswich Town15 May 1947Free transfer
Dennis HillmanWGSouthend-on-SeaJune 1, 1947347 Brighton & Hove Albion21 September 1946Free transfer
Vic KeebleCFColchesterJune 1, 194700 King George Youth Club23 May 1947£10
Bob NevilleOL72 RowhedgeOctober 1946Free transfer
Ray TownrowIRWest Ham00 Wolverhampton Wanderers2 January 1948Free transfer
Arthur TurnerCFPoplarJune 1, 19473224 Charlton AthleticSeptember 1946Free transfer

Transfers

In

DatePositionNationalityNameFromFeeRef.
23 May 1947CFVic Keeble King George Youth Club£10[7]
5 June 1947GKErnest Setchell DartfordFree transfer[8]
13 June 1947WGBob Allen Northampton TownFree transfer[9]
17 June 1947IFAndy Brown Torquay UnitedFree transfer[10]
26 June 1947CBFrank Rist Charlton AthleticFree transfer[11]
4 July 1947WHHarry Bearryman ChelseaFree transfer[12]
28 July 1947FBAubrey Darmody Norwich CityFree transfer[13]
13 September 1947WGTaffy Williams Northampton TownFree transfer[14]
November 1947GKJohn Le Mare Woodbridge TownFree transfer[15]
6 December 1947IFFred Cutting Norwich CityFree transfer[16]
2 January 1948IRRay Townrow Wolverhampton WanderersFree transfer[17]

Out

DatePositionNationalityNameToFeeRef.
End of seasonLWBob HutchingsFree agentReleased[18]
End of seasonIFTrevor Smith WatfordFree transfer[19]
July 1947GKPeter Chiswick West Ham UnitedFree transfer[20]
June 1947OLAlan Ross Brantham AthleticPlayer-coach[21]
September 1947CBBob HardingFree agentReleased[22]
9 October 1947CFDennis Cant Clacton TownFree transfer[23]
December 1947GKJohn Jelly Colchester CasualsFree transfer[24]
1 December 1947CFBob Hodgson Brightlingsea UnitedManager[25]
27 December 1947RHJohn LeahFree agentRetired[26]
17 March 1948WGTaffy Williams Chingford TownFree transfer
21 April 1948CBFrank Rist Tonbridge AngelsFree transfer

Match details

Southern League

See main article: 1947–48 Southern Football League.

Matches

FA Cup

See main article: 1947–48 FA Cup.

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

[6] [27] |-!colspan="14"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season|}

Goalscorers

[27]

PlaceNationalityPositionNameSouthern LeagueSouthern League CupFA CupTotal
1IFBob Curry176730
2CFArthur Turner251127
3IFFred Cutting122115
4CFLen Cater67013
5CFVic Keeble8109
6WGDennis Hillman5106
7WHHarry Bearryman2305
WHTed Fenton4105
IRRay Townrow3205
10IFAndy Brown2013
11WHArthur Biggs1102
12IFIan Gillespie0101
CBFrank Rist0101
Own goals3003
TOTALS882710125

Captains

Number of games played as team captain.[28]

PlaceNationalityPositionPlayerSouthern LeagueSouthern League CupFA CupTotal
1IFBob Curry153321
193527
TOTALS346848

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.[29]

PlaceNationalityPlayerSouthern LeagueSouthern League CupFA CupTotal
1Harry Wright72211
2John Le Mare1102
3Ernest Setchell1001
TOTALS93214

Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[30]

PositionNationalityPlayerDateOpponentGroundNotes
WHHarry Bearryman30 August 1947Bedford TownThe Eyrie
CBFrank Rist30 August 1947Bedford TownThe Eyrie
WGBob Allen30 August 1947Bedford TownThe Eyrie
IFAndy Brown30 August 1947Bedford TownThe Eyrie
CFVic Keeble30 August 1947Bedford TownThe Eyrie
WGTaffy Williams27 September 1947Yeovil TownHuish Athletic Ground
IFFred Cutting29 November 1947Banbury SpencerLayer Road
GKJohn Le Mare6 December 1947Barry TownJenner Park Stadium
IRRay Townrow17 January 1948Bedford TownLayer Road
FBAubrey Darmody29 March 1948Guildford CitySt Joseph's Road
GKErnest Setchell24 April 1948Yeovil TownLayer Road

See also

References

General

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 .

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 3–2 Bradford Park Avenue . Coludata.co.uk . 2 August 2015 .
  3. Web site: Colchester Utd 3–0 Bedford Town . Coludata.co.uk . 2 August 2015 .
  4. Web site: Average Attendance Figures Per Season . Coludaybyday.co.uk . 2 August 2015 .
  5. Web site: The 1930s and 1940s . Hudson . Matt . 11 August 2013 . Colchester United FC . 30 May 2011 .
  6. Web site: Appearances . Coludata.co.uk . 3 August 2015 .
  7. Web site: Vic Keeble . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  8. Web site: Ernest Setchell . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  9. Web site: Bob Allen . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  10. Web site: Andy Brown . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  11. Web site: Frank Rist . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  12. Web site: Harry Bearryman . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  13. Web site: Aubrey Darmody . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  14. Web site: Taffy Williams . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  15. Web site: John Lamare . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  16. Web site: Fred Cutting . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  17. Web site: Ray Townrow . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  18. Web site: Bob Hutchings . Coludata.co.uk . 21 July 2015 .
  19. Web site: Trevor Smith . Coludata.co.uk . 27 April 2017 .
  20. Web site: Peter Chiswick . Coludata.co.uk . 11 February 2017 .
  21. Web site: Alan Ross . Coludata.co.uk . 27 April 2017 .
  22. Web site: Bob Harding . Coludata.co.uk . 16 March 2017 .
  23. Web site: Dennis Cant . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  24. Web site: John Jelly . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  25. Web site: Bob Hodgson . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  26. Web site: John Leah . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  27. Web site: Goals . Coludata.co.uk . 4 August 2015 .
  28. Web site: All matches . Coludata.co.uk . 4 February 2016 .
  29. Web site: Clean sheets (1st team) . Coludata.co.uk . 22 June 2017 .
  30. Web site: Alltime- List of Debuts . Coludaybyday.co.uk . 20 July 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150626101319/http://coludaybyday.co.uk/Statistics/Player%20Stats/PlayersDebuts/Alldebut.html . 26 June 2015 .