1978–79 Colchester United F.C. season

Colchester United
1978–79 season
Chairman Jack Rippingale[1]
Manager Scotland Bobby Roberts
Third Division 7th
FA Cup 5th Round
League Cup 1st Round
Top goalscorer League:
Bobby Gough (16)
All:
Bobby Gough (22)
Highest home attendance 6,317 (Gillingham)
Lowest home attendance 2,311 (Chester City)
Average home league attendance 3,412
Football kit (white jersey with blue, vertical stripes; blue shorts; and white socks).
Home colours

The 1978–79 season was Colchester United's second consecutive season in the Football League Third Division.

Season Review

Manager Bobby Roberts kept faith with his squad, but with a second injury to Eddie Rowles, Colin Garwood's replacement, forced him into the transfer market. Cash-strapped United splashed out £15,000 on Millwall's Trevor Lee who became the first black player to represent Colchester's first team.

Once again, United fell short of promotion finishing seventh - nine points behind third-placed Swansea. In the final game of the season 9 May 1979 United recorded their biggest ever away win in the League with a 5-1 romp at Tranmere less than a month after they had stunned champions-elect Watford with a 3-0 Good Friday win at Vicarage Road.

Colchester's season wouldn't be complete without the obligatory cup run and after disposing of Oxford, with a Bobby Gough hat trick, laying the ghost of Leatherhead with a 4-0 replay win at Layer Road and overcoming tricky away ties at Darlington and Newport, the U's welcomed Manchester United to Layer Road. Called off from the original Saturday date, Colchester were so near to an Old Trafford replay only for Jimmy Greenhoff to break the hearts of most of the 13,171 crowd with an 86th-minute winner.[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 Steve Wignall
–– England DF Steve Wright
–– England MF Ian Allinson
–– England MF Ray Bunkell
–– England MF Russell Cotton
No. Position Player
–– England MF Paul Dyer
–– England MF Tony Evans
–– England MF Steve Foley
–– England MF Bobby Hodge
–– England MF Steve Leslie
–– England MF Eddie Rowles
–– England FW Bobby Gough
–– England FW Trevor Lee

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 Steve Wignall England Liverpool 17 September 1954 England Doncaster Rovers 13 September 1977 £5,000
DF England Steve Wright England Clacton-on-Sea 16 June 1959 England Youth Team 1 August 1977 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 Russell Cotton England Wellington 4 April 1960 England Youth Team 1 August 1977 Free
MF England Paul Dyer England Leicester 24 January 1953 England Notts County 16 August 1975 Free
MF England Tony Evans England Colchester 14 March 1960 England Youth Team 1 August 1977 Free
MF England Steve Foley England Clacton-on-Sea 21 June 1953 England Youth Team 1 August 1971 Free
MF England Bobby Hodge England Exeter 30 April 1954 England Exeter City 23 September 1978 £15,000
MF England Steve Leslie England Hornsey 4 September 1952 England Youth Team 1 August 1970 Free
MF England Eddie Rowles England Gosport 10 March 1951 England Darlington 26 December 1977 £15,000
FW England Bobby Gough England Ladywood 20 July 1949 England Southport 10 January 1976 £7,000
FW England Trevor Lee England Lewisham 3 July 1954 England Millwall 3 November 1978 £15,000

Transfers

Transfers In

Date Pos. Player Name Previous Club Transfer Fee Notes
12 August 1978 MF Northern Ireland Pat Sharkey England Mansfield Town £10,000
23 September 1978 MF England Bobby Hodge England Exeter City £15,000
3 November 1978 FW England Trevor Lee England Millwall £15,000

Transfers Out

Date Pos. Player Name New Club Transfer Fee Notes
3 May 1978 DF England Johnny Williams England Margate Free
27 September 1978 MF Northern Ireland Pat Sharkey England Peterborough United £8,000

Results

Third Division Results Summary

Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
6Carlisle United 46152295342+1152
7Colchester United 461717126055+551
8Hull City 461911166661+549

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

Third Division Results

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
19/08/1978 Swansea City H 2-2 2,918 Foley, Rowles
21/08/1978 Brentford A 0-1 6,800
26/08/1978 Sheffield Wednesday A 0-0 10,685
02/09/1978 Rotherham United H 0-0 2,448
08/09/1978 Carlisle United A 0-4 4,430
12/09/1978 Chester City H 2-1 2,311 Gough, Cook
15/09/1978 Shrewsbury Town H 1-0 2,788 Foley
23/09/1978 Walsall A 2-2 4,052 Gough, Foley
27/09/1978 Exeter City A 1-2 3,421 Gough
30/09/1978 Blackpool H 3-1 3,007 Rowles, Gough (2)
06/10/1978 Swindon Town H 3-2 3,324 Rowles, Evans, Gough
13/10/1978 Lincoln City A 0-0 3,541
18/10/1978 Chesterfield A 1-2 4,394 Dyer
20/10/1978 Southend United H 1-1 5,881 Evans
28/10/1978 Mansfield Town A 1-1 4,515 Wignall
03/11/1978 Plymouth Argyle H 2-1 4,564 Bunkell, Gough
11/11/1978 Rotherham United A 0-1 3,777
18/11/1978 Sheffield Wednesday H 1-0 4,346 Wignall
09/12/1978 Bury H 0-0 2,732
23/12/1978 Watford H 0-1 5,424
26/12/1978 Oxford United A 0-2 4,892
17/01/1979 Chester City A 2-2 2,339 Foley (2)
19/01/1979 Shrewsbury Town A 0-2 2,119
02/02/1979 Exeter City H 2-2 2,767 Roberts (o.g.), Allinson (pen.)
10/02/1979 Blackpool A 1-2 3,446 Allinson
23/02/1979 Lincoln City H 2-0 2,861 Lee, Hodge
27/02/1979 Walsall H 2-0 3,135 Hodge, Wignall
02/03/1979 Southend United A 1-1 6,957 Lee
09/03/1979 Mansfield Town H 1-0 2,866 Gough
13/03/1979 Hull City A 0-1 4,201
17/03/1979 Plymouth Argyle A 1-1 5,342 Dyer
20/03/1979 Swindon Town A 2-1 6,678 Lee (2)
24/03/1979 Brentford H 1-1 3,528 Hodge (pen.)
27/03/1979 Swansea City A 1-4 11,645 Lee
31/03/1979 Peterborough United A 2-1 3,559 Gough, Allinson
02/04/1979 Carlisle United H 2-1 2,608 Lee, Wignall
06/04/1979 Tranmere Rovers H 1-0 2,578 Lee
13/04/1979 Watford A 3-0 17,903 Lee (2), Gough
14/04/1979 Oxford United H 1-1 3,892 Gough
16/04/1979 Gillingham A 0-3 12,030
21/04/1979 Hull City H 2-1 2,762 Rowles, Gough
24/04/1979 Chesterfield H 0-0 2,762
28/04/1979 Bury A 2-2 2,905 Gough, Wright
04/05/1979 Peterborough United H 4-2 2,662 Foley, Allinson, Dowman (2)
07/05/1979 Gillingham H 2-2 6,317 Allinson, Gough
09/05/1979 Tranmere Rovers A 5-1 1,016 Gough (2), Packer, Lee (2)

Source: 1978-79 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

League Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
12/08/1978 R1 (L1) Charlton Athletic H 2-3 3,016 Rowles, Dowman
15/08/1978 R1 (L2) Charlton Athletic A 0-0 7,205

Source: 1978-79 Season Colchester United Results - coludata.co.uk

FA Cup

Main article: 1978–79 FA Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
25/11/1978 R1 Oxford United H 4-2 4,170 Gough (3), Foley
16/12/1978 R2 Leatherhead A 1-1 2,250 Gough
19/12/1978 R2 (R) Leatherhead H 4-0 3,920 Lee, Gough, Dowman (2)
09/01/1979 R3 Darlington A 1-0 3,465 Hodge
30/01/1979 R4 Newport County A 0-0 10,329
05/02/1979 R4 (R) Newport County H 1-0 7,025 Gough
20/02/1979 R5 Manchester United H 0-1 13,171

Source: 1978-79 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 Wales Mike Walker 55 0 46 0 7 0 2 0
–– DF England Micky Cook 54 1 46 1 7 0 1 0
–– DF England Steve Dowman 47 5 38 2 7 2 2 1
–– DF England Mick Packer 49 1 42 1 5 0 2 0
–– DF England Steve Wignall 51 4 42 4 7 0 2 0
–– DF England Steve Wright 42 1 35 1 7 0 0 0
–– MF England Ian Allinson 55 5 46 5 7 0 2 0
–– MF England Ray Bunkell 15 1 12 1 2 0 1 0
–– MF England Russell Cotton 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
–– MF England Paul Dyer 47 2 40 2 5 0 2 0
–– MF England Tony Evans 9 2 9 2 0 0 0 0
–– MF England Steve Foley 42 7 34 6 6 1 2 0
–– MF England Bobby Hodge 38 4 31 3 7 1 0 0
–– MF England Steve Leslie 4 0 3 0 0 0 1 0
–– MF England Eddie Rowles 23 5 21 4 0 0 2 1
–– MF Northern Ireland Pat Sharkey 8 0 6 0 0 0 2 0
–– FW England Bobby Gough 50 22 42 16 6 6 2 0
–– FW England Trevor Lee 32 12 27 11 5 1 0 0

Scorers

[4]

All

Scorer Goals
England Bobby Gough 22
England Trevor Lee 12
England Steve Foley 7
England Ian Allinson 5
England Steve Dowman
England Eddie Rowles
England Bobby Hodge 4
England Steve Wignall
England Paul Dyer 2
England Tony Evans
England Ray Bunkell 1
England Micky Cook
England Mick Packer
England Steve Wright
Own goal 1

League

Scorer Goals
England Bobby Gough 16
England Trevor Lee 11
England Steve Foley 6
England Ian Allinson 5
England Eddie Rowles 4
England Steve Wignall
England Bobby Hodge 3
England Steve Dowman 2
England Paul Dyer
England Tony Evans
England Ray Bunkell 1
England Micky Cook
England Mick Packer
England Steve Wright
Own goal 1

FA Cup

Scorer Goals
England Bobby Gough 6
England Steve Dowman 2
England Steve Foley 1
England Bobby Hodge
England Trevor Lee

League Cup

Scorer Goals
England Steve Dowman 1
England Eddie Rowles

Most Frequent Starting XI

This section shows players in a 5-4-1 formation with the most league starts during the season.

Pos. Name Apps. Goals
GK Wales Mike Walker 46 0
DF England Micky Cook 46 1
DF England Steve Wignall 42 4
DF England Mick Packer 40 1
DF England Steve Dowman 37 2
DF England Steve Wright 33 1
MF England Ian Allinson 45 5
MF England Paul Dyer 37 2
MF England Steve Foley 34 6
MF England Bobby Hodge 31 3
FW England Bobby Gough 42 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 9 April 2011.
  3. "1978–79 Season Appearance Data". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  4. "1978–79 Season Goalscorers Data". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
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