The 1967–68 season was Colchester United's 26th season in their history and their second successive season in the third tier of English football, the

Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the League Cup. Colchester were relegated to the

Fourth Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

after a two–year stay in the Third Division. They succumbed following 15 defeats in 22 games, recording just one win during this time. Manager

Neil Franklin Cornelius "Neil" Franklin (24 January 1922 – 9 February 1996) was an English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra, Hull City, Stockport County and Stoke City as well as the England national team. Career Stoke City Franklin was ...

was sacked two days after the season ending 5–1 home defeat by Peterborough United. They fared better in the FA Cup, earning a third round replay against First Division West Bromwich Albion where they were defeated 4–0, but exited the League Cup in the first round, beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion by the same scoreline.

Season overview

Colchester's league and FA Cup form contrasted during the 1967–68 season. A trip to

Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...

in the first round of the Cup saw the U's earn a replay at home, where they won 2–1. Essex rivals Chelmsford City were beaten 2–0 in the second round, a joint–best result for the campaign for Colchester. Layer Road then played host to First Division West Bromwich Albion in front of a crowd just short of 16,000. With the score at 1–1, both goalscorer Reg Stratton and

John Mansfield John Mansfield may refer to: *John Mansfield (Beverley MP), member for Beverley (UK Parliament constituency) in 1593 * John Mansfield (American politician) (1822–1896), American soldier and politician * John Mansfield (English politician) (1889� ...

had goals ruled out for infringements late on as the tie went to a replay. The U's lost 4–0 at The Hawthorns to the eventual Cup winners. With the attention on Colchester's cup run, their league form had dropped significantly. After challenging for the promotion positions, Colchester lost 15 of their remaining 22 games after Boxing Day, winning just once. A new all-time record low attendance of 2,483 watched the final day 5–1 defeat by Peterborough United at Layer Road. With Colchester relegated, and their third relegation in eight seasons, manager

was sacked two days after the season-ending defeat to Peterborough.

Players

Transfers

In

* Total spending: ~ £4,000

Out

* Total incoming: ~ £5,000

Match details

Third Division

Results round by round

League table

Matches

League Cup

FA Cup

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

, - !colspan="14", ''Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season''

Goalscorers

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a

clean sheet In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

Player debuts

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

References

General

Books * Websites * * *

Specific

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colchester United F.C. Season 1967-68 1967-68 English football clubs 1967–68 season