1947–48 Colchester United F.C. season

Colchester United
1947–48 season
Chairman Bill Allen[1]
Manager Ted Fenton
(until June 1948)
Stadium Layer Road
Southern League 4th
FA Cup 5th round
(eliminated by
Blackpool)
Southern League Cup Runners-up
Top goalscorer League:
Arthur Turner (25)
All:
Bob Curry (30)
Highest home attendance 17,048
v Bradford Park Avenue, 24 January 1948[2]
Lowest home attendance 4,665
v Bedford Town, 20 December 1947[3]
Average home league attendance 9,231[4]
Biggest win 8–0
v Gloucester City, 6 September 1947
Biggest defeat 0–5
v Blackpool, 7 February 1948
Football kit (white jersey with blue, vertical stripes; white shorts; and blue socks with white, horizontal hoops).
Home colours
← 1946–47 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:

“ The peace of Blackpool was shattered at dawn today by thousands of Colchester fans, waving rattles, ringing bells, blowing trumpets and shouting "Up the U's". Not since pre-war Illumination weekends has there been such an invasion as stormed our streets from 4 o'clock this morning. ”

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

As of match played 1 May 1948.[6]
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee
Goalkeepers
John Le MareGKEnglandIpswich15 April 1926 (aged 21)00England Woodbridge TownNovember 1947Free transfer
Ernest SetchellGKEnglandHammersmith9 March 1928 (aged 19)00England Dartford5 June 1947Free transfer
Harry WrightGKEnglandTottenham3 June 1909 (aged 37)230England Chelmsford City11 July 1946Free transfer
Defenders
Bill BowerFBWalesWrexham17 November 1911 (aged 35)691England Millwall28 November 1945Free transfer
Aubrey DarmodyFBWalesSwansea17 March 1921 (aged 26)00England Norwich City28 July 1947Free transfer
Digger KettleFBEnglandColchester3 June 1922 (aged 24)161England Arclight SportsSeptember 1946Free transfer
Albert PageCBEnglandWalthamstow18 March 1916 (aged 31)120England Tottenham Hotspur26 March 1947Free transfer
Albert WalkerFBEnglandLittle Lever4 February 1910 (aged 37)360England Doncaster Rovers30 May 1946Free transfer
Midfielders
Harry BearrymanWHEnglandWandsworth26 September 1924 (aged 22)00England Chelsea4 July 1947Free transfer
Arthur BiggsWHEnglandWootton26 May 1915 (aged 32)42England Bedford Town7 May 1947Free transfer
Ted FentonWHEnglandForest Gate7 November 1914 (aged 32)362England West Ham United15 April 1946Free transfer
Frank StamperWH/IREnglandHartlepool22 February 1926 (aged 21)20Colchester Garrison Army Fire Fighting Centre3 March 1947Free transfer
Forwards
Bob AllenWGEnglandBromley-by-Bow11 October 1916 (aged 30)00England Gainsborough Trinity13 June 1946Free transfer
Andy BrownIFScotlandCoatbridge20 February 1915 (aged 32)00England Torquay United17 June 1947Free transfer
Len CaterCFEnglandColchester3913Free agent6 June 1946Free transfer
Bob CurryIFEnglandGateshead2 November 1918 (aged 28)3919England Northampton Town13 June 1947Free transfer
Fred CuttingIFEnglandNorth Walsham4 December 1921 (aged 25)00England Norwich City6 December 1947[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Ian GillespieIFEnglandPlymouth6 May 1913 (aged 34)51England Ipswich Town15 May 1947Free transfer
Dennis HillmanWGEnglandSouthend-on-Sea27 November 1918 (aged 28)347England Brighton & Hove Albion21 September 1946Free transfer
Vic KeebleCFEnglandColchester25 June 1930 (aged 16)00England King George Youth Club23 May 1947£10
Bob NevilleOL72England RowhedgeOctober 1946Free transfer
Ray TownrowIREnglandWest Ham00England Wolverhampton Wanderers2 January 1948Free transfer
Arthur TurnerCFEnglandPoplar22 January 1921 (aged 26)3224England Charlton AthleticSeptember 1946Free transfer
  1. ↑ 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.
23 May 1947 CF England Vic Keeble England King George Youth Club £10 [7]
5 June 1947 GK England Ernest Setchell England Dartford Free transfer [8]
13 June 1947 WG England Bob Allen England Northampton Town Free transfer [9]
17 June 1947 IF Scotland Andy Brown England Torquay United Free transfer [10]
26 June 1947 CB England Frank Rist England Charlton Athletic Free transfer [11]
4 July 1947 WH England Harry Bearryman England Chelsea Free transfer [12]
28 July 1947 FB Wales Aubrey Darmody England Norwich City Free transfer [13]
13 September 1947 WG England Taffy Williams England Northampton Town Free transfer [14]
November 1947 GK England John Le Mare England Woodbridge Town Free transfer [15]
6 December 1947 IF England Fred Cutting England Norwich City Free transfer [16][lower-alpha 1]
2 January 1948 IR England Ray Townrow England Wolverhampton Wanderers Free transfer [17]
  1. ↑ Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club

Out

Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
End of season LW England Bob Hutchings Free agent Released [18]
End of season IF England Trevor Smith England Watford Free transfer [19]
July 1947 GK England Peter Chiswick England West Ham United Free transfer [20]
June 1947 OL Scotland Alan Ross England Brantham Athletic Player-coach [21]
September 1947 CB Bob Harding Free agent Released [22]
9 October 1947 CF England Dennis Cant England Clacton Town Free transfer [23]
December 1947 GK John Jelly England Colchester Casuals Free transfer [24]
1 December 1947 CF Bob Hodgson England Brightlingsea United Manager [25]
27 December 1947 RH England John Leah Free agent Retired [26][lower-alpha 1]
17 March 1948 WG England Taffy Williams England Chingford Town Free transfer [14][lower-alpha 1]
21 April 1948 CB England Frank Rist England Tonbridge Angels Free transfer [11][lower-alpha 1]
  1. 1 2 3 Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club

Match details

Friendlies

Southern League

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGAv1Pts2Promotion, qualification or relegation
2Gillingham34215881431.8847
3Worcester City342131074451.6445
4Colchester United341710788412.1544
5Hereford United341610877531.4542
6Lovell's Athletic341761174501.4840

Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Number of goals scored

(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated; (R) Relegated.

Notes:

1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.

2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Matches

FA Cup

Southern League Cup

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

[6][27]

No. Pos Nat Player TotalSouthern League Southern League
Cup 		FA Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England John Le Mare 5 0 4 0 1 0 0 0
GK England Ernest Setchell 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
GK England Harry Wright 41 0 28 0 7 0 6 0
DF Wales Bill Bower 4 0 3 0 1 0 0 0
DF Wales Aubrey Darmody 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
DF England Digger Kettle 44 0 31 0 7 0 6 0
DF England Albert Page 8 0 6 0 2 0 0 0
DF England Albert Walker 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 0
MF England Harry Bearryman 46 5 32 2 8 3 6 0
MF England Arthur Biggs 10 2 8 1 1 1 1 0
MF England Ted Fenton 30 5 20 4 4 1 6 0
MF England Frank Stamper 6 0 4 0 2 0 0 0
FW England Bob Allen 44 0 31 0 7 0 6 0
FW Scotland Andy Brown 42 3 28 2 8 0 6 1
FW England Len Cater 37 13 26 6 5 7 6 0
FW England Bob Curry 44 30 31 17 7 6 6 7
FW England Fred Cutting 31 15 23 12 3 2 5 1
FW England Dennis Hillman 38 6 27 5 6 1 5 0
FW England Vic Keeble 15 9 12 8 3 1 0 0
FW England Ray Townrow 11 5 8 3 3 2 0 0
FW England Arthur Turner 43 27 30 25 7 1 6 1
Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
DF England Frank Rist 13 1 10 0 3 1 0 0
MF England John Leah 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
FW England Ian Gillespie 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
FW England Taffy Williams 6 0 4 0 1 0 1 0

Goalscorers

[27]

Place Nationality Position Name Southern League Southern League Cup FA Cup Total
1 England IF Bob Curry 17 6 7 30
2 England CF Arthur Turner 25 1 1 27
3 England IF Fred Cutting 12 2 1 15
4 England CF Len Cater 6 7 0 13
5 England CF Vic Keeble 8 1 0 9
6 England WG Dennis Hillman 5 1 0 6
7 England WH Harry Bearryman 2 3 0 5
England WH Ted Fenton 4 1 0 5
England IR Ray Townrow 3 2 0 5
10 Scotland IF Andy Brown 2 0 1 3
11 England WH Arthur Biggs 1 1 0 2
12 England IF Ian Gillespie 0 1 0 1
England CB Frank Rist 0 1 0 1
Own goals 3 0 0 3
TOTALS 88 27 10 125

Captains

Number of games played as team captain.[28]

Place Nationality Position Player Southern League Southern League Cup FA Cup Total
1 England IF Bob Curry 15 3 3 21
Not recorded
 19 3 5 27
TOTALS 34 6 8 48

Clean sheets

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

Place Nationality Player Southern League Southern League Cup FA Cup Total
1 England Harry Wright 7 2 2 11
2 England John Le Mare 1 1 0 2
3 England Ernest Setchell 1 0 0 1
TOTALS 9 3 2 14

Player debuts

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

Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground Notes
WH England Harry Bearryman 30 August 1947 Bedford Town The Eyrie
CB England Frank Rist 30 August 1947 Bedford Town The Eyrie
WG England Bob Allen 30 August 1947 Bedford Town The Eyrie
IF Scotland Andy Brown 30 August 1947 Bedford Town The Eyrie
CF England Vic Keeble 30 August 1947 Bedford Town The Eyrie
WG England Taffy Williams 27 September 1947 Yeovil Town Huish Athletic Ground
IF England Fred Cutting 29 November 1947 Banbury Spencer Layer Road
GK England John Le Mare 6 December 1947 Barry Town Jenner Park Stadium
IR England Ray Townrow 17 January 1948 Bedford Town Layer Road
FB Wales Aubrey Darmody 29 March 1948 Guildford City St Joseph's Road
GK England Ernest Setchell 24 April 1948 Yeovil Town 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

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