The 1968–69 season was
Colchester United's 27th season in their history and their first season back in the fourth tier of
English football, 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 ...
following relegation the previous season. Alongside competing in the Fourth Division, the club also participated in the
FA Cup and the
League Cup.
In a transitional season under new manager
Dick Graham
Richard D. Graham (6 May 1922 – 7 March 2013) was an English footballer and football manager who played and coached in the Football League. He played as a goalkeeper for Crystal Palace, making over 150 league appearances.
He went on to m ...
, Colchester missed an instant return to the third tier by four points, finishing the season in sixth place. The U's were eliminated at the second round of both FA and League Cups.
Season overview
Colchester appointed former
Crystal Palace manager
Dick Graham
Richard D. Graham (6 May 1922 – 7 March 2013) was an English footballer and football manager who played and coached in the Football League. He played as a goalkeeper for Crystal Palace, making over 150 league appearances.
He went on to m ...
to replace
Neil Franklin. Having guided Palace from 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 ...
to the
Second Division, Graham intended to emulate his work at
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst in the London Borough of Croydon which is the home ground of Premier League side Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted international footba ...
.
Seven games into the season, with his side earning just one point, Graham cleared out the squad, ousting six players and sold
Duncan Forbes and
Derek Trevis for a combined fee of £19,000. He brought in a number of players, including goalkeeper
Tony Macedo and former
Tottenham Hotspur double-winner
Terry Dyson. Colchester's form drastically improved, earning 33 points from a possible 42 to propel up the table into fourth position and the promotion places. However, after a poor Easter period, earning just two points against promotion-rivals
Bradford City,
Halifax Town and
Swansea Town saw the U's slip back into sixth place and four points short of promotion.
Players
Transfers
In
* Total spending: ~ £30,000
Out
* Total incoming: ~ £21,000
Loans in
Loans out
Match details
Fourth 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
Disciplinary record
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.
See also
*
List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
Colchester United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Colchester, Essex, that was founded in 1937.
Colchester United competed in the Southern Football League from 1937 until 1950, when they were elected to the Foo ...
References
General
Books
*
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*
Websites
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Specific
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colchester United F.C. Season 1968-69
1968-69
English football clubs 1968–69 season