1939–40 Colchester United F.C. season

The 1939–40 season was Colchester United's third season in their history and their third in the Southern League. Alongside competing in the Southern League, the club were also due to participate in the Southern League Mid-Week Section, FA Cup and Southern League Cup. They were also due to play the Southern League Cup matches remaining from the previous season during the campaign, but only played the outstanding semi-final fixture against Norwich City Reserves. The season was to end prematurely, with competitive football abandoned with the outbreak of World War II. Colchester United played regular season fixtures until 2 September 1939, with the 0–0 draw at Layer Road with Ipswich Town Reserves the final competitive fixture to be played by the club for almost six years.

Colchester United
1939–40 season
ChairmanWalter Clark[1]
ManagerTed Davis
(until September 1939)
StadiumLayer Road
Southern LeagueLeague abandoned
Top goalscorerLeague:
Alec Cheyne (2)
All:
Len Astill
Joe Birch
Alec Cheyne
George Law (2)
Highest home attendance4,200
v Plymouth Argyle Reserves, 26 August 1939[2]
Lowest home attendance4,200
v Plymouth Argyle Reserves, 26 August 1939[2]
Average home league attendance4,200[3]
Biggest win5–1
v Norwich City Reserves, 28 August 1939
Biggest defeat1–2
v Chelmsford City, 31 August 1939

Season overview

War loomed over Europe during the beginning of the 1939–40 campaign. After kicking the season off with a win against Plymouth Argyle Reserves on 26 August 1939, Colchester played Norwich City Reserves in the first-leg of the delayed Southern League Cup semi-final, beating their opponents 5–1. After only three Southern League games, World War II was declared, and as with predecessors Colchester Town during World War I, the club closed down, denying the club a chance to earn League football after gaining considerable momentum over the previous two seasons.

Colchester United continued to play friendlies against local opposition until December 1939, when the Army Fire Fighting Corp took over Layer Road for drill practice. The ground itself did continued to host matches during hostilities, as a number of high-profile military encounters took place at the stadium. The influx of military personnel through Colchester Garrison ensured that Layer Road played host to a number of star players through the war years.[4]

Players
As of match played 2 September 1939.[5]
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee
Goalkeepers
Billy LightGKEnglandWoolston (1913-06-11)11 June 1913 (aged 25)420England West Bromwich Albion17 June 1938£1,500
Defenders
Jimmy BakerCB/RHWalesTrethomas (1904-05-05)5 May 1904 (aged 35)523England Bristol City9 July 1937Free transfer
Joe BirchLB/RBEnglandHednesford (1904-07-06)6 July 1904 (aged 34)621England Fulham24 June 1938£750
Syd FieldusDFEnglandRomford (1909-05-27)27 May 1909 (aged 30)223England Brentford3 July 1937Free transfer
George LeslieCBEnglandSlough (1907-07-09)9 July 1907 (aged 31)1011England Guildford City9 July 1937Free transfer
Alf WortonLBEnglandWolverhampton (1914-04-04)4 April 1914 (aged 25)640England Norwich City3 June 1938Free transfer
Midfielders
Bill MainWHScotlandSt Monans00England Cardiff City19 August 1939Free transfer
Robert MorrisLH/RHEnglandHatton (1913-03-11)11 March 1913 (aged 26)655England Norwich City22 July 1938£500
Forwards
Len AstillIL/OLEnglandWolverhampton (1916-12-30)30 December 1916 (aged 22)4121England Ipswich Town20 May 1938Free transfer
Ken BurdittIFEnglandIbstock (1906-11-12)12 November 1906 (aged 32)00England Notts County25 May 1939£1,000
Alec CheyneIHScotlandGlasgow (1907-04-28)28 April 1907 (aged 32)9456England Chelsea13 August 1937£3,000
George LawCFEnglandWellingborough (1912-05-12)12 May 1912 (aged 27)00England Norwich City18 June 1939£100
Arthur PritchardCFWalesNewport (1917-10-22)22 October 1917 (aged 21)9672England Yeovil & Petters United28 August 1937[lower-alpha 1]Free transfer
Ivan ThackerCFEnglandLowestoft52England Lowestoft Town18 February 1938Free transfer
George WallisIFEnglandSawley7931England Bath City28 February 1938Free 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.
25 May 1939 IF England Ken Burditt England Notts County £1,000 [6]
18 June 1939 CF England George Law England Norwich City £100 [7]
19 August 1939 WH Scotland Bill Main England Cardiff City Free transfer [8]
  • Total spending: Decrease ~ £1,100

Out
Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
End of season LH Scotland George Ritchie England Ipswich Town Reserves assistant coach Free transfer [9]
End of season RH Wales George Smith Free agent Released [10]
End of season IF England George Merritt Free agent Released [11]
4 May 1939 RB England Ian Haley Free agent Released [12][lower-alpha 1]
31 May 1939 GK England Ronnie Dunn Free agent Released [13]
31 May 1939 LB Ireland Cecil Allan England Colchester Casuals Free transfer [14]
31 May 1939 OR England Jack Hodge England Hereford United Free transfer [15]
31 May 1939 CF England Ernie Matthews England Ashington Free transfer [16]
31 May 1939 IR/CF George Williams Free agent Released [17]
1 July 1939 GK England Don Youngs Free agent Released [18]
21 July 1939 WG Wales George Crisp England Nottingham Forest Undisclosed [19]
31 August 1939 IF Scotland Robert Murray Free agent Released [20][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 LB/RB England Joe Birch Free agent Released [21][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 CB England George Leslie Free agent Released [22][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 WH Scotland Bill Main Free agent Released [8][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 LH/RH England Robert Morris Free agent Released [23][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 LB England Alf Worton Free agent Released [24][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 IL England Len Astill Free agent Released [25][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 IF England Ken Burditt Free agent Released [6][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 CF England George Law Free agent Released [7][lower-alpha 1]
2 September 1939 IF England George Wallis Free agent Released [26][lower-alpha 1]
7 September 1939 CB/RH Wales Jimmy Baker Retired Retired [27]
7 September 1939 CF Wales Arthur Pritchard Free agent Released [28]
5 January 1940 IH Scotland Alec Cheyne England Chelmsford City Released [29]
  1. Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club

Match details

Friendlies
16 August 1939 (1939-08-16) Friendly Southend United 2–2 Colchester United Southend-on-Sea
Martin 25'
Ormandy 		Report Pritchard Stadium: Southend Stadium
Attendance: 1,753
30 September 1939 (1939-09-30) Friendly Crittall Athletic 1–1 Colchester United Braintree
Unknown goalscorer Report Law Attendance: 800
7 October 1939 (1939-10-07) Friendly Colchester United 4–1 17th/21st Lancers Colchester
15:00 Leslie 25'
Morris 70'
Bidewell 71'
Law 72'		 Report Simpson 32' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 500
14 October 1939 (1939-10-14) Friendly Colchester United 1–2 Crittall Athletic Colchester
15:00 Cheyne 30' Report Edwards 37'
Rees 75'		 Stadium: Layer Road
21 October 1939 (1939-10-21) Friendly Chelmsford City 4–0 Colchester United Chelmsford
Wright 30'
Shaw 37'
Burley 		Report Stadium: New Writtle Street
Attendance: 3,417
28 October 1939 (1939-10-28) Friendly Colchester United 3–3 Norwich City Reserves Colchester
Cheyne 47', 75'
Birch 60' (pen.)		 Report Coleman 30'
Rose 35'
Houseago 62'		 Stadium: Layer Road
7 November 1939 (1939-11-07) Friendly Colchester United 7–0 Officers' Cadet Training Unit Colchester
15:00 Edwards
Fieldus
Perrett
Rees 		Report Stadium: Layer Road
11 November 1939 (1939-11-11) Friendly Southend United 3–2 Colchester United Southend-on-Sea
Shalcross
Oswald
Lewis 		Report Mullane 15', 18' Stadium: Southend Stadium
25 November 1939 (1939-11-25) Friendly Colchester United 2–1 Fulham Reserves Colchester
14:40 Fieldus
Birch (pen.)		 Report Cranfield Stadium: Layer Road
2 December 1939 (1939-12-02) Friendly Colchester United 4–0 Southend United Colchester
14:30 Birch 30' (pen.)
Rees 45'
Cheyne 		Report Stadium: Layer Road
9 December 1939 (1939-12-09) Friendly Colchester United 4–3 17th/21st Lancers Colchester
14:30 Little 10'
Perrett
Pendergast 		Report Elder 65'
McCormack 		Stadium: Layer Road
16 December 1939 (1939-12-16) Friendly Colchester United 1–1 Chelmsford City Colchester
Cheyne 25' Report Jones 20' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 500
23 December 1939 (1939-12-23) Friendly Chelmsford City 6–1 Colchester United Chelmsford
Beauchamp
Burley
Jones
McCormick
Sliman (pen.)		 Report Cheyne Stadium: New Writtle Street
Attendance: 1,300
25 December 1939 (1939-12-25) Friendly Norwich City Reserves 1–2 Colchester United Norwich
Unknown goalscorer Report Little
Rees 		Stadium: Carrow Road
26 December 1939 (1939-12-26) Friendly Colchester United 3–4 Norwich City Reserves Colchester
14:15 Potts
Simpson 		Report Unknown goalscorer Stadium: Layer Road
30 December 1939 (1939-12-30) Friendly Colchester United 3–2 Dartford Colchester
Morris 60'
Fieldus 		Report Rozier Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 200

Southern League
Main article: 1939–40 Southern Football League
26 August 1939 (1939-08-26) 1 Colchester United 3–1 Plymouth Argyle Reserves Colchester
15:15 Law 14'
Cheyne 51'
Birch 85' (pen.)		 Report Olver 88' Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 4,200
31 August 1939 (1939-08-31) 2 Colchester United 1–2 Chelmsford City Colchester
Cheyne 83'
Wallis Red card		 Report Burley 10'
Phillips 35'		 Stadium: Layer Road
2 September 1939 (1939-09-02) 3 Colchester United 0–0 Ipswich Town Reserves Colchester
Report Stadium: Layer Road

Southern League Cup
28 August 1939 (1939-08-28) 1938–39 Semi-final 1st leg Norwich City Reserves 1–5 Colchester United Norwich
Coleman Report Law 57'
Astill 60'
Pritchard
Birch (pen.)		 Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 1,480

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

[5][30]

No. Pos Nat Player TotalSouthern LeagueSouthern League
Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK England ENG Billy Light 403010
DF England ENG Joe Birch 423111
DF England ENG Syd Fieldus 101000
DF England ENG George Leslie 101000
DF England ENG Alf Worton 403010
MF Scotland SCO Bill Main 302010
MF England ENG Robert Morris 403010
FW England ENG Len Astill 423012
FW England ENG Ken Burditt 302010
FW Scotland SCO Alec Cheyne 323200
FW England ENG George Law 423111
FW Wales WAL Arthur Pritchard 211011
FW England ENG George Wallis 403010
Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
FW Scotland SCO Robert Murray 302010

Goalscorers

[30]

Place Nationality Position Name Southern League Southern League Cup Total
1 England IL Len Astill 0 2 2
England LB/RB Joe Birch 1 1 2
Scotland IH Alec Cheyne 2 0 2
England CF George Law 1 1 2
5 Wales CF Arthur Pritchard 0 1 1
Own goals 0 0 0
TOTALS 4 5 9

Disciplinary record

[31]

Nationality Position Name Southern League Southern League Cup Total
Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card
England IF George Wallis 0 1 0 0 0 1
TOTALS 0 1 0 0 0 1

Captains

Number of games played as team captain.[32]

Place Nationality Position Player Southern League Southern League Cup Total
1 Scotland IH Alec Cheyne 1 0 1
England CB George Leslie 1 0 1
Not recorded
 1 1 2
TOTALS 3 1 4

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.[33]

Place Nationality Player Southern League Southern League Cup Total
1 England Billy Light 1 0 1
TOTALS 1 0 1

Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[34]

Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground Notes
WH Scotland Bill Main 26 August 1939 Plymouth Argyle Reserves Layer Road
IF England Ken Burditt 26 August 1939 Plymouth Argyle Reserves Layer Road
CF England George Law 26 August 1939 Plymouth Argyle Reserves 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 3–1 Plymouth Argyle Reserves". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  3. "Average Attendance Figures Per Season". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. Hudson, Matt (11 August 2013). "The 1930s and 1940s". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  5. "Appearances". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  6. "Ken Burditt". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  7. "George Law". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  8. "Bill Main". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  9. "George Ritchie". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  10. "George Smith". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  11. "George Merritt". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  12. "Ian Haley". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  13. "Ronnie Dunn". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  14. "Cecil Allan". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  15. "Jack Hodge". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  16. "Ernie Matthews". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  17. "George Williams". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  18. "Don Youngs". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  19. "George Crisp". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  20. "Bob Murray". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  21. "Joe Birch". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  22. "George Leslie". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  23. "Robert Morris". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  24. "Alf Worton". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  25. "Len Astill". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  26. "Geo Wallis". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  27. "James Baker". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  28. "Arthur Pritchard". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  29. "Alec Cheyne". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  30. "Goals". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  31. "Discipline". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  32. "All matches". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  33. "Clean sheets (1st team)". Coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  34. "Alltime- List of Debuts". Coludaybyday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
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