1997–98 Colchester United F.C. season

Colchester United 1997–98 football season
Colchester United
1997–98 season
ChairmanGordon Parker[1]
ManagerSteve Wignall
StadiumLayer Road
Third Division4th (promoted)
Play-offsWinners
FA Cup2nd round
(eliminated by
Hereford United)
League Cup1st round
(eliminated by
Luton Town)
Football League Trophy1st round (southern section)
(eliminated by
Leyton Orient)
Top goalscorerLeague:
Paul Abrahams
Neil Gregory
Mark Sale
Aaron Skelton (7)
All:
David Gregory (10)
Highest home attendance6,220
v Leyton Orient, 25 April 1998[2]
Lowest home attendance1,867
v Chester City, 19 December 1997[3]
Average home league attendance3,267[4]
Biggest win5–1
v Macclesfield Town, 14 March 1998
Biggest defeat1–4
v Cambridge United, 2 September 1997
Home colours

The 1997–98 season was Colchester United's 56th season in their history and their sixth consecutive season in the fourth tier of English football, the Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Football League Trophy.

Colchester ended the season with a strong finish, one point shy of automatic promotion in fourth place. This meant another attempt at promotion via the play-offs. Colchester faced Barnet in the semi-final first leg, and they lost 1–0 at Underhill Stadium. In the return leg at Layer Road, Colchester won 3–1 to defeat Barnet 3–2 on aggregate thus achieving a place in the final and a second trip to Wembley in a year. In the final, the U's faced Torquay United. A David Gregory penalty was enough to separate the sides and promote Colchester to the third tier of English football for the first time in 17 years.

Despite reaching the final of the Football League Trophy the season prior, Colchester were knocked out at the first round stage by Leyton Orient this term. They suffered a same fate at the hands of Luton Town in the League Cup and saw a second round exit in the FA Cup to Hereford United.

Season overview

Colchester were eliminated at the first round stage of the League Cup, and also the first round of the Football League Trophy after reaching the 1997 Final. They once again lost to a non-League side in Hereford United in the FA Cup second round following a replay.

The club were awarded a settlement of £300,000 from Ipswich Town owing to the saga over George Burley's acrimonious exit from Colchester to their Suffolk neighbours in late 1994. Meanwhile, Alfred McAlpine were named as the consultants commissioned for the process of building a new stadium for Colchester United, with the club's lease on Layer Road due to expire in 2002.

Manager Steve Wignall broke the club's transfer record by spending £50,000 on Neil Gregory, who joined from Ipswich Town to reunite with his brother David.

Colchester's had a late season upturn in form, winning ten of their final 15 games as they missed automatic promotion by just one point. This meant that they had qualified for the play-offs, where they would face seventh-placed Barnet, who themselves earned a place in the play-offs by just one point ahead of Scunthorpe United.

Barnet won the first-leg at Underhill Stadium 1–0, but both sides were reduced to ten men in the game after Guy Branston was sent off for the U's and Sean Devine saw red for Barnet. Colchester won the Layer Road leg 3–1 after extra time with goals from David Gregory and David Greene. Barnet also had Lee Howarth sent off on 60 minutes while Barnet were leading 2–1 on aggregate.

The win took Colchester to Wembley for the second time in a year and a third trip in six years. The fixture was moved to Friday night to accommodate an England versus Saudi Arabia friendly, and as such attracted a relatively low crowd of 19,486. The game was also broadcast on Sky Sports. David Gregory converted from the penalty spot on 22 minutes to win the match 1–0 for Colchester and earn promotion back to the third tier of English football for the first time in 17 years.[5]

Players

As of match played 22 May 1998.[6]
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee
Goalkeepers
Carl Emberson GK England Epsom (1973-07-13)13 July 1973 (aged 23) 129 0 England Millwall 6 July 1994 £25,000
Tamer Fernandes GK England Paddington (1974-12-07)7 December 1974 (aged 22) 0 0 England Peterborough United 28 January 1998 Free transfer
Defenders
Simon Betts FB England Middlesbrough (1973-03-03)3 March 1973 (aged 24) 172 11 England Scarborough 11 December 1992 Free transfer
Peter Cawley CB England Walton-on-Thames (1965-09-15)15 September 1965 (aged 31) 184 9 England Barnet 30 October 1992[a] Free transfer
Joe Dunne FB Republic of Ireland Dublin (1973-05-25)25 May 1973 (aged 24) 47 2 England Gillingham 27 March 1996 Free transfer
David Greene CB Republic of Ireland England Luton (1973-10-26)26 October 1973 (aged 23) 71 4 England Luton Town 21 June 1996 £30,000
Nicky Haydon DF/MF England Barking (1978-08-10)10 August 1978 (aged 18) 1 1 Youth team 1 August 1995 Free transfer
Scott Stamps FB England Edgbaston (1975-03-20)20 March 1975 (aged 22) 8 0 England Torquay United 26 March 1997 £15,000
Midfielders
Paul Buckle MF England Hatfield (1970-12-16)16 December 1970 (aged 26) 29 3 England Wycombe Wanderers 28 November 1996 Free transfer
Karl Duguid MF England Letchworth (1978-03-21)21 March 1978 (aged 19) 42 4 Youth team 9 December 1995[b] Free transfer
Steve Forbes MF England Stoke Newington (1975-12-24)24 December 1975 (aged 21) 1 1 England Millwall 14 March 1997 Free transfer
Jeremy Goss MF Wales United Kingdom Dhekelia (1965-05-11)11 May 1965 (aged 32) 0 0 Scotland Heart of Midlothian January 1998 Free transfer
David Gregory MF England Sudbury (1970-01-23)23 January 1970 (aged 27) 58 1 England Peterborough United 8 December 1995 Free transfer
Dave Rainford MF England Stepney (1979-04-21)21 April 1979 (aged 18) 0 0 Youth team July 1997 Free transfer
Aaron Skelton MF/DF England Welwyn Garden City (1974-11-22)22 November 1974 (aged 22) 0 0 England Luton Town 3 July 1997 Free transfer
Richard Wilkins MF/DF England Lambeth (1965-05-28)28 May 1965 (aged 32) 230 34 England Hereford United 3 July 1996 £17,500
Forwards
Paul Abrahams FW/WG England Colchester (1973-10-31)31 October 1973 (aged 23) 119 24 England Brentford 23 October 1996 £20,000
Tony Adcock FW England Bethnal Green (1963-03-27)27 March 1963 (aged 34) 314 143 England Luton Town 3 August 1995 Free transfer
Neil Gregory FW England Zambia Ndola (1972-10-07)7 October 1972 (aged 24) 10 5 England Ipswich Town 26 March 1998 £50,000
Ian Hathaway WG England Wordsley (1968-08-22)22 August 1968 (aged 28) 0 0 England Torquay United 1 August 1997 Free transfer
Tony Lock FW England Harlow (1976-09-03)3 September 1976 (aged 20) 10 2 Apprentice 28 January 1995[b] Free transfer
Mark Sale FW England Burton upon Trent (1972-02-27)27 February 1972 (aged 25) 13 3 England Mansfield Town 10 March 1997 £23,500
  1. ^ Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game in his second spell for the club
  2. ^ a b 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.
July 1997 MF England Dave Rainford Youth team Free transfer [7][8]
3 July 1997 MF/DF England Aaron Skelton England Luton Town Free transfer [9][10]
1 August 1997 WG England Ian Hathaway England Torquay United Free transfer [11][12]
8 September 1997 GK England Paul Newell England Sittingbourne Non-contract [13]
January 1998 MF Wales Jeremy Goss Scotland Heart of Midlothian Free transfer [14]
28 January 1998 GK England Tamer Fernandes England Peterborough United Free transfer [15][16]
26 March 1998 FW England Neil Gregory England Ipswich Town £50,000 [17][18]
  • Total spending: Decrease ~ £50,000

Out

Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
End of season MF England Ernie Cooksey England Heybridge Swifts Released [19][20]
Summer 1997 GK Canada Garrett Caldwell Canada Toronto Supra Undisclosed [21][22]
Summer 1997 CB England Andy Partner England Heybridge Swifts Free transfer [23]
31 May 1997 FB England Paul Gibbs England Torquay United Free transfer [24][25]
31 May 1997 CB Republic of Ireland Tony McCarthy Republic of Ireland Shelbourne[a] Released [26][27]
July 1997 MF/WG Wales Chris Fry England Exeter City Released [28][29]
1 August 1997 MF/FB England Adam Locke England Bristol City Free transfer [30][31]
17 September 1997 GK England Paul Newell England Northampton Town[b] Released [13]
27 February 1998 FW England Steve Whitton Free agent[c] Retired [32][33]
  • Total incoming: Increase ~ £0
  1. ^ Following Tony McCarthy's release by Colchester United, he later signed for Shelbourne.
  2. ^ Following Paul Newell's release by Colchester United, he later signed for Northampton Town.
  3. ^ After retiring through injury, Steve Whitton remained at Colchester United as assistant manager.

Loans in

Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.
26 September 1997 FW England Isaiah Rankin England Arsenal 26 December 1997 [34][35]
16 October 1997 CB England Wayne Brown England Ipswich Town 8 November 1997 [36][37]
1 January 1998 FW England Neil Gregory England Ipswich Town 2 March 1998 [17][18]
9 February 1998 CB England Guy Branston England Leicester City 10 May 1998 [38][39][a]
  1. ^ Loan end date refers to the date of the player's final game in his first spell for the club

Loans out

Date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref.
24 December 1997 MF England Dave Rainford England Wivenhoe Town 24 February 1998 [7][8]

Match details

Third Division

Results round by round

Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
2 Macclesfield Town[a] 46 23 13 10 63 44 +19 82 Promoted
3 Lincoln City 46 20 15 11 60 51 +9 75
4 Colchester United 46 21 11 14 72 60 +12 74 Promoted through play-offs
5 Torquay United 46 21 11 14 68 59 +9 74 Participated in play-offs
6 Scarborough 46 19 15 12 67 58 +9 72
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
Notes:
  1. ^ New club in the league

Matches

Colchester United v Darlington
9 August 1997 (1997-08-09) 1 Colchester United 2–1 Darlington Colchester
15:00 BST Abrahams 32'
Buckle 59' (pen.)		 Report Oliver 75' (pen.)
Brydon Red card 81'		 Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,958
Referee: Barry Knight
Hartlepool United v Colchester United
16 August 1997 (1997-08-16) 2 Hartlepool United 3–2 Colchester United Hartlepool
Baker 3'
Allon 56', 63'		 Report Buckle 38' (pen.)
Abrahams 60'		 Stadium: Victoria Park
Attendance: 2,174
Referee: P Robinson
Colchester United v Barnet
22 August 1997 (1997-08-22) 3 Colchester United 1–1 Barnet Colchester
19:45 BST Wilkins 72' Report Howarth 59' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 3,286
Referee: M Bailey
Torquay United v Colchester United
30 August 1997 (1997-08-30) 4 Torquay United 1–1 Colchester United Torquay
Gittens 85' Report Wilkins 65' Stadium: Plainmoor
Attendance: 2,081
Referee: D Crick
Cambridge United v Colchester United
2 September 1997 (1997-09-02) 5 Cambridge United 4–1 Colchester United Cambridge
19:45 BST Butler 6', 46'
Taylor 61', 68'		 Report D. Gregory 36' Stadium: Abbey Stadium
Attendance: 3,264
Referee: Fraser Stretton
Colchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion
8 September 1997 (1997-09-08) 6 Colchester United 3–1 Brighton & Hove Albion Colchester
19:45 BST Greene 4', 57'
Abrahams 49'		 Report Baird 47' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 3,081
Referee: J Kirkby
Colchester United v Scarborough
12 September 1997 (1997-09-12) 7 Colchester United 1–0 Scarborough Colchester
19:45 BST Lock 87' Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,756
Referee: Alan Wiley
Swansea City v Colchester United
20 September 1997 (1997-09-20) 8 Swansea City 0–1 Colchester United Swansea
Report Greene 49' Stadium: Vetch Field
Attendance: 3,414
Referee: Scott Mathieson
Colchester United v Exeter City
27 September 1997 (1997-09-27) 9 Colchester United 1–2 Exeter City Colchester
15:00 BST Abrahams 52'
Greene Red card 62'		 Report Rowbotham 28'
Flack 56'		 Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 3,175
Referee: A Butler
Mansfield Town v Colchester United
4 October 1997 (1997-10-04) 10 Mansfield Town 1–1 Colchester United Mansfield
Whitehall 6' Report Greene 12' Stadium: Field Mill
Attendance: 2,341
Referee: K Lynch
Peterborough United v Colchester United
11 October 1997 (1997-10-11) 11 Peterborough United 3–2 Colchester United Peterborough
Carruthers 55'
Houghton 58'
Quinn 78'		 Report Rankin 32'
Adcock 82'		 Stadium: London Road Stadium
Attendance: 6,277
Referee: Paul Taylor
Colchester United v Shrewsbury Town
18 October 1997 (1997-10-18) 12 Colchester United 1–1 Shrewsbury Town Colchester
15:00 BST Skelton 51' Report Seabury 25' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,977
Referee: Rob Harris
Colchester United v Doncaster Rovers
21 October 1997 (1997-10-21) 13 Colchester United 2–1 Doncaster Rovers Colchester
19:45 BST Sale 8'
Skelton 8'		 Report McDonald 31' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,588
Referee: Andy D'Urso
Leyton Orient v Colchester United
25 October 1997 (1997-10-25) 14 Leyton Orient 0–2 Colchester United Leyton
15:00 BST Report Adcock 4'
Forbes 78'		 Stadium: Brisbane Road
Attendance: 4,592
Referee: Anthony Bates
Colchester United v Scunthorpe United
31 October 1997 (1997-10-31) 15 Colchester United 3–3 Scunthorpe United Colchester
19:30 GMT Rankin 2'
Buckle 35'
Sale 40'		 Report Hope 52'
D'Auria 61', 63'		 Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 3,134
Referee: Roger Furnandiz
Macclesfield Town v Colchester United
4 November 1997 (1997-11-04) 16 Macclesfield Town 0–0 Colchester United Macclesfield
Report Stadium: Moss Rose
Attendance: 1,577
Referee: Chris Foy
Rochdale v Colchester United
8 November 1997 (1997-11-08) 17 Rochdale 2–1 Colchester United Rochdale
Stuart 44'
Painter 65' (pen.)		 Report Duguid 60' Stadium: Spotland Stadium
Attendance: 1,702
Referee: Terry Heilbron
Colchester United v Notts County
18 November 1997 (1997-11-18) 18 Colchester United 2–0 Notts County Colchester
19:45 GMT Sale 67'
Rankin 86'		 Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,643
Referee: Rob Styles
Colchester United v Lincoln City
22 November 1997 (1997-11-22) 19 Colchester United 0–1 Lincoln City Colchester
Cawley Yellow card 61' Red card 90' Report Gordon 61' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,932
Referee: R Pearson
Rotherham United v Colchester United
29 November 1997 (1997-11-29) 20 Rotherham United 3–2 Colchester United Rotherham
Glover 11', 62'
Knill 73'		 Report Skelton 47'
Sale 61'		 Stadium: Millmoor
Attendance: 3,259
Referee: William Burns
Hull City v Colchester United
13 December 1997 (1997-12-13) 21 Hull City 3–1 Colchester United Kingston upon Hull
Dewhurst 54'
Rioch 57' (pen.)
Darby 82'		 Report Adcock 88' Stadium: Boothferry Park
Attendance: 3,896
Referee: Mike Jones
Colchester United v Chester City
19 December 1997 (1997-12-19) 22 Colchester United 2–0 Chester City Colchester
19:45 GMT Adcock 13'
Duguid 75'		 Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 1,867
Referee: M Pierce
Brighton & Hove Albion v Colchester United
26 December 1997 (1997-12-26) 23 Brighton & Hove Albion 4–4 Colchester United Gillingham
Emblen 47', 61', 67'
Minton 86' (pen.)		 Report Rankin 15', 29'
Adcock 13'
Stamps 75'		 Stadium: Priestfield Stadium
Attendance: 2,647
Referee: Mark Halsey
Colchester United v Cambridge United
29 December 1997 (1997-12-29) 24 Colchester United 3–2 Cambridge United Colchester
19:45 GMT Wilkins 45', 48'
Skelton 67'		 Report Barnwell-Edinboro 6', 69' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 4,518
Referee: Paul Rejer
Colchester United v Hartlepool United
3 January 1998 (1998-01-03) 25 Colchester United 1–2 Hartlepool United Colchester
15:00 GMT Buckle 81' Report Clark 13'
Howard 74'		 Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,885
Referee: Alan Wiley
Darlington v Colchester United
10 January 1998 (1998-01-10) 26 Darlington 4–2 Colchester United Darlington
Gaughan 40'
Roberts 59'
Haydon 84' (o.g.)
Dorner 86'		 Report N. Gregory 69', 78' Stadium: Feethams
Attendance: 2,170
Referee: Scott Mathieson
Colchester United v Torquay United
16 January 1998 (1998-01-16) 27 Colchester United 1–0 Torquay United Colchester
19:45 GMT Lock 86' Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,776
Referee: Fraser Stretton
Colchester United v Cardiff City
20 January 1998 (1998-01-20) 28 Colchester United 2–1 Cardiff City Colchester
N. Gregory 69'
Buckle 79'		 Report Dale 85' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 1,929
Referee: M Bailey
Barnet v Colchester United
24 January 1998 (1998-01-24) 29 Barnet 3–2 Colchester United Chipping Barnet
Devine 44', 65'
McGleish 59'		 Report Skelton 4'
Wilkins 83'		 Stadium: Underhill Stadium
Attendance: 2,471
Referee: Paul Danson
Scarborough v Colchester United
31 January 1998 (1998-01-31) 30 Scarborough 1–1 Colchester United Scarborough
Campbell 83' Report Whitton 46' Stadium: Athletic Ground
Attendance: 2,219
Referee: Graham Laws
Colchester United v Swansea City
6 February 1998 (1998-02-06) 31 Colchester United 1–2 Swansea City Colchester
19:45 GMT N. Gregory 27' Report Coates 52'
Price 78'		 Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,789
Referee: J Kirkby
Colchester United v Mansfield Town
13 February 1998 (1998-02-13) 32 Colchester United 2–0 Mansfield Town Colchester
19:45 GMT Lock 30'
D. Gregory 68'		 Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,320
Referee: J Robinson
Exeter City v Colchester United
21 February 1998 (1998-02-21) 33 Exeter City 0–1 Colchester United Exeter
Report Lock 68' Stadium: St James Park
Attendance: 3,346
Referee: Anthony Bates
Shrewsbury Town v Colchester United
24 February 1998 (1998-02-24) 34 Shrewsbury Town 0–2 Colchester United Shrewsbury
Report N. Gregory 7'
D. Gregory 68'		 Stadium: Gay Meadow
Attendance: 1,972
Referee: Clive Wilkes
Colchester United v Peterborough United
27 February 1998 (1998-02-27) 35 Colchester United 1–0 Peterborough United Colchester
19:45 GMT Branston 61' Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 4,117
Referee: D Crick
Colchester United v Rochdale
3 March 1998 (1998-03-03) 36 Colchester United 0–0 Rochdale Colchester
19:45 GMT Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,112
Referee: Steve Baines
Scunthorpe United v Colchester United
7 March 1998 (1998-03-07) 37 Scunthorpe United 1–0 Colchester United Scunthorpe
McAuley 17' Report Stadium: Glanford Park
Attendance: 2,143
Referee: K Lynch
Colchester United v Macclesfield Town
14 March 1998 (1998-03-14) 38 Colchester United 5–1 Macclesfield Town Colchester
15:00 GMT Sale 36', 57'
Skelton 76'
Abrahams 79'
Lock 88'		 Report Whittaker 38' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,760
Referee: Steve Bennett
Notts County v Colchester United
21 March 1998 (1998-03-21) 39 Notts County 0–0 Colchester United Nottingham
Report Stadium: Meadow Lane
Attendance: 6,284
Referee: E Lomas
Lincoln City v Colchester United
28 March 1998 (1998-03-28) 40 Lincoln City 0–1 Colchester United Lincoln
Report Dunne 28' Stadium: Sincil Bank
Attendance: 4,040
Referee: J Brandwood
Colchester United v Rotherham United
3 April 1998 (1998-04-03) 41 Colchester United 2–1 Rotherham United Colchester
19:30 BST Skelton 11'
Sale 55'		 Report Martindale 12' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 3,824
Referee: Rob Styles
Cardiff City v Colchester United
11 April 1998 (1998-04-11) 42 Cardiff City 0–2 Colchester United Cardiff
Report Abrahams 48'
D. Gregory 60'		 Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,809
Referee: M Fletcher
Colchester United v Hull City
13 April 1998 (1998-04-13) 43 Colchester United 4–3 Hull City Colchester
15:00 BST D. Gregory 6'
Lock 13'
Dunne 79'
Duguid 90'		 Report Boyack 24'
McGinty 48'
Darby 70'		 Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 4,700
Referee: Paul Taylor
Chester City v Colchester United
18 April 1998 (1998-04-18) 44 Chester City 3–1 Colchester United Chester
Whelan 19'
Fisher 35'
Rimmer 36'		 Report Abrahams 75' Stadium: Deva Stadium
Attendance: 1,780
Referee: P Richards
Colchester United v Leyton Orient
25 April 1998 (1998-04-25) 45 Colchester United 1–1 Leyton Orient Colchester
15:00 BST N. Gregory 45' Report Inglethorpe 44' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 6,220
Referee: Andy Hall
Doncaster Rovers v Colchester United
2 May 1998 (1998-05-02) 46 Doncaster Rovers 0–1 Colchester United Doncaster
15:00 BST Report N. Gregory 56' Stadium: Belle Vue
Attendance: 3,572
Referee: Terry Heilbron

Football League play-offs

Barnet v Colchester United
10 May 1998 (1998-05-10) Semi-final 1st leg Barnet 1–0 Colchester United Chipping Barnet
13:30 BST Heald 48'
Devine Red card 82'		 Report Branston Yellow card 82' Red card Stadium: Underhill Stadium
Attendance: 3,858
Referee: Eddie Wolstenholme
Colchester United v Barnet
13 May 1998 (1998-05-13) Semi-final 2nd leg Colchester United 3–1 (a.e.t.) Barnet Colchester
19:45 BST D. Gregory 12' (pen.), 95'
Greene 65'		 Report Goodhind 41'
Howarth Red card 60'		 Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 5,863
Referee: Terry Heilbron
Note: Colchester win 3–2 on aggregate.
Colchester United v Torquay United
22 May 1998 (1998-05-22) Final Colchester United 1–0 Torquay United Wembley
19:45 BST D. Gregory 22' (pen.) Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 19,486
Referee: M Fletcher

Football League Cup

Colchester United v Luton Town
12 August 1997 (1997-08-12) 1st round 1st leg Colchester United 0–1 Luton Town Colchester
19:45 BST Report Thorpe 87' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 2,840
Referee: Steve Bennett
Luton Town v Colchester United
26 August 1997 (1997-08-26) 1st round 2nd leg Luton Town 1–1 Colchester United Luton
Thorpe 34' Report Hathaway 51' Stadium: Kenilworth Road
Attendance: 2,816
Note: Luton win 2–1 on aggregate.

FA Cup

Brentford v Colchester United
15 November 1997 (1997-11-15) 1st round Brentford 2–2 Colchester United Brentford
15:00 GMT Taylor 9', 55' Report Sale 38'
D. Gregory 88'		 Stadium: Griffin Park
Attendance: 2,899
Referee: Barry Knight
Colchester United v Brentford
25 November 1997 (1997-11-25) 1st round replay Colchester United 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)		 Brentford Colchester
19:45 GMT Report Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 3,613
Referee: Barry Knight
Colchester United v Hereford United
6 December 1997 (1997-12-06) 2nd round Colchester United 1–1 Hereford United Colchester
15:00 GMT D. Gregory 10' Report Grayson 61' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 3,558
Referee: K Lynch
Hereford United v Colchester United
16 December 1997 (1997-12-16) 2nd round replay Hereford United 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)		 Colchester United Hereford
Grayson 48' Report Forbes 47' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3,725
Referee: K Lynch

Football League Trophy

Leyton Orient v Colchester United
9 December 1997 (1997-12-09) 1st round (southern section) Leyton Orient 1–0 Colchester United Leyton
Inglethorpe 51' Report Stadium: Brisbane Road
Attendance: 933
Referee: Andy Hall

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

[6][40]

No. Pos Nat Player Total Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Football League play-offs
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England ENG Carl Emberson 56 0 46 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 3 0
DF England ENG Simon Betts 23 0 17 0 2+1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
DF England ENG Peter Cawley 33 0 27 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 0
DF Republic of Ireland IRL Joe Dunne 33 2 22+3 2 3+1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0
DF Republic of Ireland IRL David Greene 47 5 38 4 4 0 2 0 0 0 3 1
DF England ENG Nicky Haydon 20 0 9+8 0 1+1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
DF England ENG Scott Stamps 32 1 26 1 2+1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0
MF England ENG Paul Buckle 45 5 33+5 5 1 0 2 0 1 0 3 0
MF England ENG Karl Duguid 28 3 6+15 3 3+1 0 0 0 0+1 0 0+2 0
MF England ENG Steve Forbes 43 2 25+10 1 2 1 1+1 0 0+1 0 3 0
MF England ENG David Gregory 54 10 42+2 5 4 2 2 0 1 0 3 3
MF England ENG Aaron Skelton 48 7 37+2 7 3+1 0 1 0 1 0 2+1 0
MF England ENG Richard Wilkins 43 5 37 5 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0
FW England ENG Paul Abrahams 30 7 16+9 7 1+1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0
FW England ENG Tony Adcock 32 5 19+6 5 3+1 0 0+2 0 1 0 0 0
FW England ENG Neil Gregory 18 7 12+3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
FW England ENG Ian Hathaway 16 1 5+7 0 1+1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0
FW England ENG Tony Lock 41 6 14+18 6 0+3 0 0+2 0 0+1 0 0+3 0
FW England ENG Mark Sale 48 8 38+1 7 3 1 2 0 1 0 3 0
Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
DF England ENG Guy Branston 13 1 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DF England ENG Wayne Brown 2 0 0+2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FW England ENG Isaiah Rankin 12 5 10+1 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
FW England ENG Steve Whitton 23 1 15+6 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Goalscorers

[40]

Place Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Football League play-offs Total
1 England MF David Gregory 5 2 0 0 3 10
2 England FW Mark Sale 7 1 0 0 0 8
3 England FW/WG Paul Abrahams 7 0 0 0 0 7
England FW Neil Gregory 7 0 0 0 0 7
England MF/DF Aaron Skelton 7 0 0 0 0 7
6 England FW Tony Lock 6 0 0 0 0 6
7 England FW Tony Adcock 5 0 0 0 0 5
England MF Paul Buckle 5 0 0 0 0 5
Republic of Ireland CB David Greene 4 0 0 0 1 5
England FW Isaiah Rankin 5 0 0 0 0 5
England MF/DF Richard Wilkins 5 0 0 0 0 5
12 England MF Karl Duguid 3 0 0 0 0 3
13 Republic of Ireland FB Joe Dunne 2 0 0 0 0 2
England MF Steve Forbes 1 1 0 0 0 2
15 England CB Guy Branston 1 0 0 0 0 1
England WG Ian Hathaway 0 0 1 0 0 1
England FB Scott Stamps 1 0 0 0 0 1
England FW Steve Whitton 1 0 0 0 0 1
Own goals 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 72 4 1 0 4 81

Disciplinary record

[41]

Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Football League play-offs Total
Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card
Republic of Ireland CB David Greene 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 1
England CB Peter Cawley 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 1
England FW Mark Sale 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 0
Republic of Ireland FB Joe Dunne 3 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 8 0
England FW Steve Whitton 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
England MF Steve Forbes 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
England MF David Gregory 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 0
England FB Scott Stamps 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
England FW/WG Paul Abrahams 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0
England FB Simon Betts 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0
England CB Guy Branston 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1
England MF Karl Duguid 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 0
England DF/MF Nicky Haydon 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
England FW Tony Lock 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
England MF Richard Wilkins 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
England FW Tony Adcock 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
England MF Paul Buckle 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
England FW Neil Gregory 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
England FW Isaiah Rankin 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
England CB Wayne Brown 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
England GK Carl Emberson 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
England WG Ian Hathaway 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
England MF/DF Aaron Skelton 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
TOTALS 74 2 9 0 2 0 3 0 8 1 100 3

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.[42]

Place Nationality Player Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Football League play-offs Total
1 England Carl Emberson 15 1 0 0 1 17
TOTALS 15 1 0 0 1 17

Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[43]

Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground Notes
WG England Ian Hathaway 9 August 1997 Darlington Layer Road
MF/DF England Aaron Skelton 9 August 1997 Darlington Layer Road
FW England Isaiah Rankin 27 September 1997 Exeter City Layer Road
CB England Wayne Brown 18 October 1997 Shrewsbury Town Layer Road
FW England Neil Gregory 3 January 1998 Hartlepool United Layer Road
CB England Guy Branston 13 February 1998 Mansfield Town Layer Road
FW England Neil Gregory 3 April 1998 Rotherham United Layer Road [44][a]
  1. ^ Second debut for the club

See also

References

General

Books

  • 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.

Websites

  • "Colchester United football club match record: 1998". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 September 2018.

Specific

  1. ^ Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 279. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
  2. ^ "Colchester Utd 1–1 Leyton Orient". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Colchester Utd 2–0 Chester City". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Average Attendance Figures Per Season". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  5. ^ Hudson, Matt (11 August 2013). "The 1990s and 2000s". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Appearances". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b "David Rainford". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  8. ^ a b David Rainford at Soccerbase
  9. ^ "Aaron Skelton". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  10. ^ Aaron Skelton at Soccerbase
  11. ^ "Ian Hathaway". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  12. ^ Ian Hathaway at Soccerbase
  13. ^ a b Paul Newell at Soccerbase
  14. ^ "Jeremy Goss". Flown From the Nest. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Tamer Fernandes". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  16. ^ Tamer Fernades at Soccerbase
  17. ^ a b "Neil Gregory". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  18. ^ a b Neil Gregory at Soccerbase
  19. ^ "Ernie Loses Battle With Cancer". Colchester United FC. 3 July 2008. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  20. ^ Ernie Cooksey at Soccerbase
  21. ^ "Garrett Caldwell (Goalkeeper)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  22. ^ Garrett Caldwell at Soccerbase
  23. ^ "Andy Partner". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Paul Gibbs". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  25. ^ Paul Gibbs at Soccerbase
  26. ^ "Tony McCarthy". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  27. ^ Tony McCarthy at Soccerbase
  28. ^ "Chris Fry". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  29. ^ Chris Fry at Soccerbase
  30. ^ "Adam Locke". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  31. ^ Adam Locke at Soccerbase
  32. ^ "Steve Whitton (Midfielder / Forward)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  33. ^ Steve Whitton at Soccerbase
  34. ^ "Isaiah Rankin". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  35. ^ Isaiah Rankin at Soccerbase
  36. ^ "Wayne Brown". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  37. ^ Wayne Brown at Soccerbase
  38. ^ "Guy Branston". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  39. ^ Guy Branston at Soccerbase
  40. ^ a b "Goals". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  41. ^ "Discipline". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  42. ^ "Clean sheets (1st team)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  43. ^ "Alltime- List of Debuts". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  44. ^ "Colchester Utd 2–1 Rotherham United". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
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