Colchester United 1952–53 football season
The 1952–53 season was Colchester United's eleventh season in their history and their third season in the Third Division South , the third tier of English football . Alongside competing in the Third Division South, the club also participated in the FA Cup . Colchester reached the third round of the FA Cup for the second season running, but were knocked out by Second Division side Rotherham United after a replay. The club struggled in the league, eventually finishing 22nd of 24 teams which would ultimately cost manager Jimmy Allen his job.
Season overview [ ]
The season began with a Layer Road crowd of 14,674 witnessing a 0–0 draw with local rivals Ipswich Town , and in the early stages of the campaign, the club remained mid-table. In the FA Cup , Colchester disposed of Weymouth in the first round following a replay, and then Llanelli in the second round, before once again facing Second Division Yorkshire opposition in Rotherham United . After drawing 2–2 at Millmoor and forcing a replay, Colchester lost the Layer Road replay 2–0.
In the latter stages of the season, a poor run of just one point from six games saw United slip from 13th-position to 22nd, just one place and two points above the re-election positions. Meanwhile, forward Kevin McCurley had justified manager Jimmy Allen 's £750 outlay with a return of 19 goals. However, with Allen's style of play criticised by supporters and his unwillingness to reduce the playing staff as requested by the board saw Allen tender his resignation on 2 May 1953.[5]
Players [ ]
As of match played 2 May 1953. [6]
Name
Position
Nationality
Place of birth
Date of birth
Apps
Goals
Signed from
Date signed
Fee
Goalkeepers
Frank Coombs
GK
East Ham
(1925-04-24 ) 24 April 1925 (aged 27)
13
0
Southend United
8 March 1952[a]
£450
George Wright
GK
Plymouth
(1919-10-10 ) 10 October 1919 (aged 32)
131
0
Plymouth Argyle
May 1949
£1,000
John Wright
GK
Aldershot
(1933-08-13 ) 13 August 1933 (aged 18)
0
0
Colchester Casuals
23 May 1952
Free transfer
Defenders
Roy Bicknell
CB
Doncaster
(1926-02-19 ) 19 February 1926 (aged 26)
0
0
Gravesend & Northfleet
June 1952
£1,000
George French
FB
Colchester
(1926-11-10 ) 10 November 1926 (aged 25)
0
0
West Ham United
February 1949
Free transfer
John Harrison
FB
Leicester
(1927-09-27 ) 27 September 1927 (aged 24)
77
0
Aston Villa
30 September 1950[a]
Nominal
Digger Kettle
FB
Colchester
(1922-06-03 ) 3 June 1922 (aged 29)
168
1
Arclight Sports
September 1946
Free transfer
Phil Rookes
FB
Dulverton
(1919-04-23 ) 23 April 1919 (aged 33)
28
0
Portsmouth
July 1951
£1,000
Trevor Rowlands
FB
Wattstown
(1922-02-02 ) 2 February 1922 (aged 30)
41
2
Norwich City
20 July 1950
£1,000
Reg Stewart
CB
Sheffield
(1925-10-30 ) 30 October 1925 (aged 26)
146
0
Sheffield Wednesday
20 August 1949[a]
£1,000
Midfielders
Harry Bearryman
WH
Wandsworth
(1924-09-26 ) 26 September 1924 (aged 27)
243
9
Chelsea
4 July 1947
Free transfer
Jimmy Elder
WH
Scone
(1928-03-05 ) 5 March 1928 (aged 24)
93
7
Portsmouth
19 August 1950[a]
£1,000
Trevor Harris
WH
Colchester
(1936-02-06 ) 6 February 1936 (aged 16)
0
0
Amateur
July 1951
Free transfer
Bert Hill
WH
West Ham
(1930-03-08 ) 8 March 1930 (aged 22)
0
0
Chelsea
September 1952
£300
Ron Hunt
WH
Colchester
(1933-09-26 ) 26 September 1933 (aged 18)
3
0
Amateur
October 1951
Free transfer
Forwards
Peter Aitchison
WG
Harlow
(1931-09-19 ) 19 September 1931 (aged 20)
9
2
Amateur
August 1950
Free transfer
Bert Barlow
IF
Kilnhurst
(1916-07-22 ) 22 July 1916 (aged 35)
0
0
Leicester City
Summer 1952
<£1,000
John Church
WG
Lowestoft
(1919-09-17 ) 17 September 1919 (aged 32)
83
13
Norwich City
19 August 1950[a]
£1,000
Dick Cullum
FW
Colchester
(1931-01-28 ) 28 January 1931 (aged 21)
0
0
Colchester Colts
28 March 1951[a]
Free transfer
Stan Edwards
CF
Dawdon
(1926-10-17 ) 17 October 1926 (aged 25)
0
0
Chelsea
6 September 1952[a]
£750
Mike Grice
WG
Woking
(1931-11-03 ) 3 November 1931 (aged 20)
0
0
Lowestoft Town
Summer 1952
£25
Kevin McCurley
CF
Consett
(1926-04-02 ) 2 April 1926 (aged 26)
11
6
Liverpool
June 1951
£750
Johnny McKim
IF
Greenock
(1926-01-22 ) 22 January 1926 (aged 26)
51
18
Chelsea
19 August 1950[a]
£1,000
Augie Scott
IF
Sunderland
(1921-02-19 ) 19 February 1921 (aged 31)
48
6
Southampton
18 August 1951[a]
£2,000
Peter Wright
WG
Colchester
(1934-01-26 ) 26 January 1934 (aged 18)
9
0
Amateur
November 1951
Free transfer
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club
Transfers [ ]
In [ ]
Total spending: ~ £3,075
^ Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club
Out [ ]
^ Jump up to: a b Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club
Match details [ ]
Third Division South [ ]
Results round by round [ ]
Round 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 Ground H H A A H H A A H A A H A H A H A H H A A H A A H H A H A H A H H A H H A A H A A H H A A H Result D W D L W L L L W L W D L D L D W W W D L L W L D W L W D D L D W D D L L D W L L D L L L L Position 13 5 5 13 10 14 17 17 17 17 14 18 20 19 19 19 18 17 15 15 15 18 17 17 17 15 17 16 16 15 17 17 11 12 10 14 16 16 13 16 17 17 21 21 22 22
Source:
11v11.com A = Away;
H = Home;
W = Win;
D = Draw;
L = Loss
League table [ ]
20
Queens Park Rangers
46
12
15
19
61
82
0.744
39
21
Gillingham
46
12
15
19
55
74
0.743
39
22
Colchester United
46
12
14
20
59
76
0.776
38
23
Shrewsbury Town
46
12
12
22
68
91
0.747
36
Re-elected
24
Walsall
46
7
10
29
56
118
0.475
24
Source:[citation needed ]
Matches [ ]
Colchester United v Ipswich Town
23 August 1952 (1952-08-23 ) 1 Colchester United 0–0 Ipswich Town show Colchester
Report Report
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 14,674 Referee: W. Clapton
Colchester United v Reading
28 August 1952 (1952-08-28 ) 2 Colchester United 2–1 Reading show Colchester
McKim
Report
Unknown goalscorer
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 9,190
Reading v Colchester United
3 September 1952 (1952-09-03 ) 4 Reading 2–0 Colchester United show Reading
Unknown goalscorer
Report
Stadium: Elm Park Attendance: 13,908
Colchester United v Swindon Town
Colchester United v Bristol Rovers
11 September 1952 (1952-09-11 ) 6 Colchester United 0–3 Bristol Rovers show Colchester
Report
Unknown goalscorer
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 8,909
Queens Park Rangers v Colchester United
Bristol Rovers v Colchester United
15 September 1952 (1952-09-15 ) 8 Bristol Rovers 3–1 Colchester United show Bristol
Unknown goalscorer
Report
Elder pen.'
Stadium: Eastville Stadium Attendance: 17,336
Colchester United v Shrewsbury Town
20 September 1952 (1952-09-20 ) 9 Colchester United 1–0 Shrewsbury Town show Colchester
Scott
Report
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 7,779
Colchester United v Gillingham
4 October 1952 (1952-10-04 ) 12 Colchester United 1–1 Gillingham show Colchester
Church
Report
Unknown goalscorer
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 8,529
Watford v Colchester United
Colchester United v Leyton Orient
Ipswich Town v Colchester United
Norwich City v Colchester United
26 December 1952 (1952-12-26 ) 21 Norwich City 3–0 Colchester United show Norwich
Unknown goalscorer
Report
Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 19,859
Swindon Town v Colchester United
Colchester United v Queens Park Rangers
24 January 1953 (1953-01-24 ) 25 Colchester United 1–1 Queens Park Rangers show Colchester
Rowlands
Report
Unknown goalscorer
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 9,150
Shrewsbury Town v Colchester United
7 February 1953 (1953-02-07 ) 27 Shrewsbury Town 3–0 Colchester United show Shrewsbury
Unknown goalscorer
Report
Stadium: Gay Meadow Attendance: 7,624
Gillingham v Colchester United
Colchester United v Watford
Colchester United v Crystal Palace
Colchester United v Coventry City
Crystal Palace v Colchester United
Coventry City v Colchester United
Northampton Town v Colchester United
16 April 1953 (1953-04-16 ) 40 Northampton Town 2–0 Colchester United show Northampton
Unknown goalscorer
Report
Stadium: County Ground Attendance: 7,982
Colchester United v Millwall
23 April 1953 (1953-04-23 ) 42 Colchester United 0–0 Millwall show Colchester
Report
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 8,127
Colchester United v Northampton Town
25 April 1953 (1953-04-25 ) 43 Colchester United 1–2 Northampton Town show Colchester
Barlow
Report
Unknown goalscorer
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 8,122
Millwall v Colchester United
Leyton Orient v Colchester United
Colchester United v Norwich City
2 May 1953 (1953-05-02 ) 46 Colchester United 0–4 Norwich City show Colchester
Report
Unknown goalscorer
Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 10,029
FA Cup [ ]
Weymouth v Colchester United
22 November 1952 (1952-11-22 ) 1st round Weymouth 1–1 Colchester United show Weymouth
Rowell
Report
McKim
Stadium: Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,500
Colchester United v Weymouth
Rotherham United v Colchester United
10 January 1953 (1953-01-10 ) 3rd round Rotherham United 2–2 Colchester United show Rotherham 14:15 GMT
Unknown goalscorer
Report Programme
McCurley
Stadium: Millmoor Attendance: 16,547
Colchester United v Rotherham United
Squad statistics [ ]
Appearances and goals [ ]
[6] [20]
Goalscorers [ ]
[20]
Disciplinary record [ ]
[21]
Nationality
Position
Name
Third Division South
FA Cup
Total
IF
Johnny McKim
0
1
0
0
0
1
TOTALS
0
1
0
0
0
1
Clean sheets [ ]
Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet .[22]
Player debuts [ ]
Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[23]
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 .
Ambrosen, Tony (1993). Amber in the Blood: A History Of Newport County . Uxbridge: Yore Publications. ISBN 978-1-874427-40-7 .
Websites
Specific [ ]