1939–40 Colchester United F.C. season
Colchester United 1939–40 football season
| 1939–40 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Walter Clark[1] | |
| Manager | Ted Davis (until September 1939) | |
| Stadium | Layer Road | |
| Southern League | League abandoned | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Alec Cheyne (2) All: Len Astill Joe Birch Alec Cheyne George Law (2) | |
| Highest home attendance | 4,200 v Plymouth Argyle Reserves, 26 August 1939[2] | |
| Lowest home attendance | 4,200 v Plymouth Argyle Reserves, 26 August 1939[2] | |
| Average home league attendance | 4,200[3] | |
| Biggest win | 5–1 v Norwich City Reserves, 28 August 1939 | |
| Biggest defeat | 1–2 v Chelmsford City, 31 August 1939 | |
| ||
The 1939–40 season was Colchester United's third season in their history and their third in the Southern League. Alongside competing in the Southern League, the club were also due to participate in the Southern League Mid-Week Section, FA Cup and Southern League Cup. They were also due to play the Southern League Cup matches remaining from the previous season during the campaign, but only played the outstanding semi-final fixture against Norwich City Reserves. The season was to end prematurely, with competitive football abandoned with the outbreak of World War II. Colchester United played regular season fixtures until 2 September 1939, with the 0–0 draw at Layer Road with Ipswich Town Reserves the final competitive fixture to be played by the club for almost six years.
Season overview
War loomed over Europe during the beginning of the 1939–40 campaign. After kicking the season off with a win against Plymouth Argyle Reserves on 26 August 1939, Colchester played Norwich City Reserves in the first-leg of the delayed Southern League Cup semi-final, beating their opponents 5–1. After only three Southern League games, World War II was declared, and as with predecessors Colchester Town during World War I, the club closed down, denying the club a chance to earn League football after gaining considerable momentum over the previous two seasons.
Colchester United continued to play friendlies against local opposition until December 1939, when the Army Fire Fighting Corp took over Layer Road for drill practice. The ground itself did continued to host matches during hostilities, as a number of high-profile military encounters took place at the stadium. The influx of military personnel through Colchester Garrison ensured that Layer Road played host to a number of star players through the war years.[4]
Players
- As of match played 2 September 1939.[5]
| Name | Position | Nationality | Place of birth | Date of birth | Apps | Goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||||
| Billy Light | GK |  | Woolston | (1913-06-11)11 June 1913 (aged 25) | 42 | 0 | West Bromwich Albion | 17 June 1938 | £1,500 | ||
| Defenders | |||||||||||
| Jimmy Baker | CB/RH |  | Trethomas | (1904-05-05)5 May 1904 (aged 35) | 52 | 3 | Bristol City | 9 July 1937 | Free transfer | ||
| Joe Birch | LB/RB | | Hednesford | (1904-07-06)6 July 1904 (aged 34) | 62 | 1 | Fulham | 24 June 1938 | £750 | ||
| Syd Fieldus | DF | | Romford | (1909-05-27)27 May 1909 (aged 30) | 22 | 3 | Brentford | 3 July 1937 | Free transfer | ||
| George Leslie | CB | | Slough | (1907-07-09)9 July 1907 (aged 31) | 101 | 1 | Guildford City | 9 July 1937 | Free transfer | ||
| Alf Worton | LB | | Wolverhampton | (1914-04-04)4 April 1914 (aged 25) | 64 | 0 | Norwich City | 3 June 1938 | Free transfer | ||
| Midfielders | |||||||||||
| Bill Main | WH |  | St Monans | 0 | 0 | Cardiff City | 19 August 1939 | Free transfer | |||
| Robert Morris | LH/RH | | Hatton | (1913-03-11)11 March 1913 (aged 26) | 65 | 5 | Norwich City | 22 July 1938 | £500 | ||
| Forwards | |||||||||||
| Len Astill | IL/OL | | Wolverhampton | (1916-12-30)30 December 1916 (aged 22) | 41 | 21 | Ipswich Town | 20 May 1938 | Free transfer | ||
| Ken Burditt | IF | | Ibstock | (1906-11-12)12 November 1906 (aged 32) | 0 | 0 | Notts County | 25 May 1939 | £1,000 | ||
| Alec Cheyne | IH | | Glasgow | (1907-04-28)28 April 1907 (aged 32) | 94 | 56 | Chelsea | 13 August 1937 | £3,000 | ||
| George Law | CF | | Wellingborough | (1912-05-12)12 May 1912 (aged 27) | 0 | 0 | Norwich City | 18 June 1939 | £100 | ||
| Arthur Pritchard | CF | | Newport | (1917-10-22)22 October 1917 (aged 21) | 96 | 72 | Yeovil & Petters United | 28 August 1937[a] | Free transfer | ||
| Ivan Thacker | CF | | Lowestoft | 5 | 2 | Lowestoft Town | 18 February 1938 | Free transfer | |||
| George Wallis | IF | | Sawley | 79 | 31 | Bath City | 28 February 1938 | Free transfer | |||
- ^ Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club
Transfers
In
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 1939 | IF | | Ken Burditt | Notts County | £1,000 | [6] |
| 18 June 1939 | CF | | George Law | Norwich City | £100 | [7] |
| 19 August 1939 | WH | | Bill Main | Cardiff City | Free transfer | [8] |
- Total spending:
~ £1,100
Out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of season | LH | | George Ritchie | Ipswich Town Reserves assistant coach | Free transfer | [9] |
| End of season | RH | | George Smith | Free agent | Released | [10] |
| End of season | IF | | George Merritt | Free agent | Released | [11] |
| 4 May 1939 | RB | | Ian Haley | Free agent | Released | [12][a] |
| 31 May 1939 | GK | | Ronnie Dunn | Free agent | Released | [13] |
| 31 May 1939 | LB |  | Cecil Allan | Colchester Casuals | Free transfer | [14] |
| 31 May 1939 | OR | | Jack Hodge | Hereford United | Free transfer | [15] |
| 31 May 1939 | CF | | Ernie Matthews | Ashington | Free transfer | [16] |
| 31 May 1939 | IR/CF | George Williams | Free agent | Released | [17] | |
| 1 July 1939 | GK | | Don Youngs | Free agent | Released | [18] |
| 21 July 1939 | WG | | George Crisp | Nottingham Forest | Undisclosed | [19] |
| 31 August 1939 | IF | | Robert Murray | Free agent | Released | [20][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | LB/RB | | Joe Birch | Free agent | Released | [21][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | CB | | George Leslie | Free agent | Released | [22][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | WH | | Bill Main | Free agent | Released | [8][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | LH/RH | | Robert Morris | Free agent | Released | [23][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | LB | | Alf Worton | Free agent | Released | [24][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | IL | | Len Astill | Free agent | Released | [25][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | IF | | Ken Burditt | Free agent | Released | [6][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | CF | | George Law | Free agent | Released | [7][a] |
| 2 September 1939 | IF | | George Wallis | Free agent | Released | [26][a] |
| 7 September 1939 | CB/RH | | Jimmy Baker | Retired | Retired | [27] |
| 7 September 1939 | CF | | Arthur Pritchard | Free agent | Released | [28] |
| 5 January 1940 | IH | | Alec Cheyne | Chelmsford City | Released | [29] |
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club
Match details
Friendlies
Southend United v Colchester United
| 16 August 1939 (1939-08-16) Friendly | Southend United | 2–2 | Colchester United | Southend-on-Sea |
Martin  25'Ormandy | Report | Pritchard | Stadium: Southend Stadium Attendance: 1,753 |
Crittall Athletic v Colchester United
| 30 September 1939 (1939-09-30) Friendly | Crittall Athletic | 1–1 | Colchester United | Braintree |
| Unknown goalscorer | Report | Law | Attendance: 800 |
Colchester United v 17th/21st Lancers
| 7 October 1939 (1939-10-07) Friendly | Colchester United | 4–1 | 17th/21st Lancers | Colchester |
| 15:00 | Leslie 25' Morris 70'Bidewell 71'Law 72' | Report | Simpson 32' | Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 500 |
Colchester United v Crittall Athletic
| 14 October 1939 (1939-10-14) Friendly | Colchester United | 1–2 | Crittall Athletic | Colchester |
| 15:00 | Cheyne 30' | Report | Edwards 37' Rees 75' | Stadium: Layer Road |
Chelmsford City v Colchester United
| 21 October 1939 (1939-10-21) Friendly | Chelmsford City | 4–0 | Colchester United | Chelmsford |
| Wright 30' Shaw 37'Burley | Report | Stadium: New Writtle Street Attendance: 3,417 |
Colchester United v Norwich City Reserves
| 28 October 1939 (1939-10-28) Friendly | Colchester United | 3–3 | Norwich City Reserves | Colchester |
| Cheyne 47', 75' Birch 60' (pen.) | Report | Coleman 30' Rose 35'Houseago 62' | Stadium: Layer Road |
Colchester United v Officers' Cadet Training Unit
| 7 November 1939 (1939-11-07) Friendly | Colchester United | 7–0 | Officers' Cadet Training Unit | Colchester |
| 15:00 | Edwards Fieldus Perrett Rees | Report | Stadium: Layer Road |
Southend United v Colchester United
| 11 November 1939 (1939-11-11) Friendly | Southend United | 3–2 | Colchester United | Southend-on-Sea |
| Shalcross Oswald Lewis | Report | Mullane 15', 18' | Stadium: Southend Stadium |
Colchester United v Fulham Reserves
| 25 November 1939 (1939-11-25) Friendly | Colchester United | 2–1 | Fulham Reserves | Colchester |
| 14:40 | Fieldus Birch (pen.) | Report | Cranfield | Stadium: Layer Road |
Colchester United v Southend United
| 2 December 1939 (1939-12-02) Friendly | Colchester United | 4–0 | Southend United | Colchester |
| 14:30 | Birch 30' (pen.) Rees 45'Cheyne | Report | Stadium: Layer Road |
Colchester United v 17th/21st Lancers
| 9 December 1939 (1939-12-09) Friendly | Colchester United | 4–3 | 17th/21st Lancers | Colchester |
| 14:30 | Little 10' Perrett Pendergast | Report | Elder 65' McCormack | Stadium: Layer Road |
Colchester United v Chelmsford City
| 16 December 1939 (1939-12-16) Friendly | Colchester United | 1–1 | Chelmsford City | Colchester |
| Cheyne 25' | Report | Jones 20' | Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 500 |
Chelmsford City v Colchester United
| 23 December 1939 (1939-12-23) Friendly | Chelmsford City | 6–1 | Colchester United | Chelmsford |
| Beauchamp Burley Jones McCormick Sliman (pen.) | Report | Cheyne | Stadium: New Writtle Street Attendance: 1,300 |
Norwich City Reserves v Colchester United
| 25 December 1939 (1939-12-25) Friendly | Norwich City Reserves | 1–2 | Colchester United | Norwich |
| Unknown goalscorer | Report | Little Rees | Stadium: Carrow Road |
Colchester United v Norwich City Reserves
| 26 December 1939 (1939-12-26) Friendly | Colchester United | 3–4 | Norwich City Reserves | Colchester |
| 14:15 | Potts Simpson | Report | Unknown goalscorer | Stadium: Layer Road |
Colchester United v Dartford
| 30 December 1939 (1939-12-30) Friendly | Colchester United | 3–2 | Dartford | Colchester |
| Morris 60' Fieldus | Report | Rozier | Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 200 |
Southern League
Colchester United v Plymouth Argyle Reserves
| 26 August 1939 (1939-08-26) 1 | Colchester United | 3–1 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Colchester |
| 15:15 | Law 14' Cheyne 51'Birch 85' (pen.) | Report | Olver 88' | Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 4,200 |
Colchester United v Chelmsford City
| 31 August 1939 (1939-08-31) 2 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Chelmsford City | Colchester |
| Cheyne 83' Wallis  | Report | Burley 10' Phillips 35' | Stadium: Layer Road |
Colchester United v Ipswich Town Reserves
| 2 September 1939 (1939-09-02) 3 | Colchester United | 0–0 | Ipswich Town Reserves | Colchester |
| Report | Stadium: Layer Road |
Southern League Cup
Norwich City Reserves v Colchester United
| 28 August 1939 (1939-08-28) 1938–39 Semi-final 1st leg | Norwich City Reserves | 1–5 | Colchester United | Norwich |
| Coleman | Report | Law 57' Astill 60'Pritchard Birch (pen.) | Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 1,480 |
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Southern League | Southern League Cup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||||
| GK | ENG | Billy Light | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| DF | ENG | Joe Birch | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| DF | ENG | Syd Fieldus | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| DF | ENG | George Leslie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| DF | ENG | Alf Worton | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| MF | SCO | Bill Main | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| MF | ENG | Robert Morris | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| FW | ENG | Len Astill | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| FW | ENG | Ken Burditt | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| FW | SCO | Alec Cheyne | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| FW | ENG | George Law | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| FW | WAL | Arthur Pritchard | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| FW | ENG | George Wallis | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season | |||||||||||||
| FW | SCO | Robert Murray | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
Goalscorers
| Place | Nationality | Position | Name | Southern League | Southern League Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | IL | Len Astill | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | LB/RB | Joe Birch | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| | IH | Alec Cheyne | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| | CF | George Law | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 5 | | CF | Arthur Pritchard | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Own goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| TOTALS | 4 | 5 | 9 | |||
Disciplinary record
| Nationality | Position | Name | Southern League | Southern League Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | | | | | |||
| | IF | George Wallis | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Captains
Number of games played as team captain.[32]
| Place | Nationality | Position | Player | Southern League | Southern League Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | IH | Alec Cheyne | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | CB | George Leslie | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Not recorded | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| TOTALS | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
Clean sheets
Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.[33]
| Place | Nationality | Player | Southern League | Southern League Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Billy Light | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
Player debuts
Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[34]
| Position | Nationality | Player | Date | Opponent | Ground | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WH | | Bill Main | 26 August 1939 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Layer Road | |
| IF | | Ken Burditt | 26 August 1939 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Layer Road | |
| CF | | George Law | 26 August 1939 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Layer Road |
See also
References
General
Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
Specific
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Colchester Utd 3–1 Plymouth Argyle Reserves". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "Average Attendance Figures Per Season". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Hudson, Matt (11 August 2013). "The 1930s and 1940s". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Appearances". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Ken Burditt". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ a b "George Law". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Bill Main". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "George Ritchie". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "George Smith". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "George Merritt". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Ian Haley". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Ronnie Dunn". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Cecil Allan". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Jack Hodge". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Ernie Matthews". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "George Williams". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Don Youngs". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "George Crisp". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Bob Murray". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Joe Birch". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "George Leslie". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Robert Morris". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Alf Worton". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Len Astill". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Geo Wallis". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "James Baker". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Arthur Pritchard". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Alec Cheyne". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Goals". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Discipline". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "All matches". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ "Clean sheets (1st team)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- ^ "Alltime- List of Debuts". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
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