1965–66 Colchester United F.C. season
# 1965–66 Colchester United F.C. season

The 1965–66 season was Colchester United's 24th season in their history and their first back in the fourth tier of English football, the Fourth Division, following relegation the previous season. Alongside competing in the Fourth Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Colchester were immediately promoted back to the Third Division after ending the season in fourth position. Queens Park Rangers handed Colchester another early FA Cup exit following a replay, while Middlesbrough knocked the U's out of the League Cup in the second round.

## Season overview

Neil Franklin brought in forward Reg Stratton to lead the line for the new season and he responded with 18 league goals and 21 in total. They won ten times on their travels, setting a new club record, while losing just three times at Layer Road. After leading the Fourth Division table across Easter, subsequent defeats to promotion rivals Darlington on two occasions and Torquay United saw Colchester drop to fourth position ahead of the final game of the season. A 2–1 defeat to Newport County left fans awaiting the result of Luton Town's game with Chester with Luton just one point behind and the game kicking off 15-minutes later than the U's fixture. The game finished 1–1 with Colchester, Luton, and Tranmere Rovers all tied on 56 points. Goal average would separate the sides, with Franklin's side pipping Tranmere to the final promotion spot by 0.08.

As the club did four years prior, the U's bounced back from the Fourth Division at the first attempt. The season was also notable as player replacements were allowed for the first time. Ray Price became Colchester's first substitute when he came on to replace the injured Ted Phillips after 85-minutes of their 2–0 home win over Rochdale on 18 September.

## Players

    As of match played 28 May 1966.

| Name | Position | Place of birth | Date of birth | Apps | Goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| Alan Buck | GK | Colchester | (1946-08-25)25 August 1946 (aged 18) | 11 | 0 | Amateur | July 1963 | Free transfer |
| Sandy Kennon | GK | Johannesburg | (1933-11-28)28 November 1933 (aged 31) | 10 | 0 | Norwich City | March 1965 | Free transfer |
| Defenders ||||||||||
| Duncan Forbes | CB | Edinburgh | (1941-06-19)19 June 1941 (aged 23) | 141 | 0 | Musselburgh Athletic | 4 September 1961 | Nominal |
| John Fowler | FB | Leith | (1933-10-17)17 October 1933 (aged 31) | 412 | 5 | Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic | 20 August 1955 | Free transfer |
| Brian Hall | LB | Burbage | (1939-03-09)9 March 1939 (aged 26) | 10 | 1 | Mansfield Town | March 1965 | Free transfer |
| David Laitt | FB | Colchester | (1946-11-01)1 November 1946 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Amateur | Summer 1962 | Free transfer |
| Mick Loughton | CB | Colchester | (1942-12-08)8 December 1942 (aged 22) | 28 | 1 | Amateur | August 1961 | Free transfer |
| Ray Price | FB | Hetton-le-Hole | (1944-05-18)18 May 1944 (aged 21) | 11 | 0 | Norwich City | Summer 1964 | Free transfer |
| David Raine | FB | Darlington | (1937-03-28)28 March 1937 (aged 28) | 0 | 0 | Doncaster Rovers | 1 June 1965 | Nominal |
| Midfielders ||||||||||
| Bobby Blackwood | MF | Edinburgh | (1934-08-20)20 August 1934 (aged 30) | 0 | 0 | Ipswich Town | 1 June 1965 | Free transfer |
| David Buck | WH | Colchester | (1946-08-25)25 August 1946 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | 16 October 1965 | Free transfer |
| Dave Lamont | MF | Glasgow | (1949-04-02)2 April 1949 (aged 16) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | July 1965 | Free transfer |
| John Mansfield | MF | Colchester | (1946-09-13)13 September 1946 (aged 18) | 1 | 0 | Apprentice | August 1964 | Free transfer |
| Derek Trevis | MF | Birmingham | (1942-09-09)9 September 1942 (aged 22) | 60 | 7 | Aston Villa | 7 March 1964 | Free transfer |
| Forwards ||||||||||
| Barrie Aitchison | WG | Colchester | (1937-11-15)15 November 1937 (aged 26) | 41 | 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1 August 1964 | £750 |
| Peter Barlow | FW | Portsmouth | (1950-01-09)9 January 1950 (aged 15) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | September 1965 | Free transfer |
| Dennis Barrett | IF | | | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | Summer 1964 | Free transfer |
| Peter Bullock | FW | Stoke-on-Trent | (1941-11-17)17 November 1941 (aged 23) | 0 | 0 | Southend United | 30 October 1965 | Nominal |
| Mike Grice | WG | Woking | (1931-11-03)3 November 1931 (aged 33) | 248 | 30 | Coventry City | 18 August 1962 | £1,000 |
| John Hornsby | WG | Ferryhill | (1945-08-03)3 August 1945 (aged 19) | 0 | 0 | Evenwood Town | October 1965 | £25/5s |
| Arthur Kaye | WG | Higham | (1933-05-09)9 May 1933 (aged 32) | 0 | 0 | Middlesbrough | 21 August 1965 | Free transfer |
| Ted Phillips | IF | Leiston | (1933-08-21)21 August 1933 (aged 31) | 0 | 0 | Luton Town | 11 September 1965 | Part exchange |
| Reg Stratton | FW | Kingsley | (1939-07-10)10 July 1939 (aged 25) | 0 | 0 | Fulham | 28 May 1965 | Free transfer |

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club
* ↑ Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game in his second spell for the club

## Transfers

### In

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 28 May 1965 | FW | Reg Stratton | Fulham | Free transfer |
| 1 June 1965 | FB | David Raine | Doncaster Rovers | Nominal |
| 1 June 1965 | MF | Bobby Blackwood | Ipswich Town | Free transfer |
| July 1965 | MF | Dave Lamont | Apprentice | Free transfer |
| 21 August 1965 | WH | Jackie Bell | Norwich City | Free transfer |
| 21 August 1965 | WG | Arthur Kaye | Middlesbrough | Free transfer |
| September 1965 | FW | Peter Barlow | Apprentice | Free transfer |
| 11 September 1965 | IF | Ted Phillips | Luton Town | Part exchange with Billy Stark |
| October 1965 | WG | John Hornsby | Evenwood Town | £25/5s |
| 16 October 1965 | WH | David Buck | Apprentice | Free transfer |
| 30 October 1965 | FW | Peter Bullock | Southend United | Nominal |

* Total spending: ~ £25/5s
* 1 2 3 4 5 Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club

### Out

| Date | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| End of season | WH | John Docherty | Chelmsford City | Released |
| End of season | FB | Richie Griffiths | Haverhill Rovers | Released |
| End of season | IF | Gareth Salisbury | Chesterfield | Released |
| 23 April 1965 | IF | Bobby Hill | Bury Town | Released |
| 23 April 1965 | IF | Arthur Langley | Nottingham Forest | Released |
| 28 August 1965 | FW | Billy Stark | Luton Town | £1,000 plus Ted Phillips |
| October 1965 | WH | Tecwyn Jones | Crewe Alexandra | Nominal |
| 12 February 1966 | WH | Jackie Bell | Gainford Town | Released |

* Total incoming: ~ £1,000
* 1 2 3 4 Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club

## Match details

### Fourth Division

**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 | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | A | A | A |
| Result | L | W | D | W | W | D | W | L | W | L | L | W | D | W | W | W | W | L | W | W | D | L | D | L | W | W | W | W | L | D | W | W | W | W | L | D | D | W | D | D | L | L | W | W | L | L |
| Position | 21 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |

**League table**

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Liverpool (C) | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 79 | 34 | 2.324 | 61 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Leeds United | 42 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 79 | 38 | 2.079 | 55 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup second round |
| 3 | Burnley | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 79 | 47 | 1.681 | 55 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 4 | Manchester United | 42 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 84 | 59 | 1.424 | 51 | |
| 5 | Chelsea | 42 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 65 | 53 | 1.226 | 51 | |
| 6 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 91 | 69 | 1.319 | 50 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup second round |
| 7 | Leicester City | 42 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 80 | 65 | 1.231 | 49 | |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 75 | 66 | 1.136 | 44 | |
| 9 | Sheffield United | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 56 | 59 | 0.949 | 43 | |
| 10 | Stoke City | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 65 | 64 | 1.016 | 42 | |
| 11 | Everton | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 56 | 62 | 0.903 | 41 | Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 12 | West Ham United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 70 | 83 | 0.843 | 39 | |
| 13 | Blackpool | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 55 | 65 | 0.846 | 37 | |
| 14 | Arsenal | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 62 | 75 | 0.827 | 37 | |
| 15 | Newcastle United | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 50 | 63 | 0.794 | 37 | |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 69 | 80 | 0.863 | 36 | |
| 17 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 66 | 0.848 | 36 | |
| 18 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 72 | 0.778 | 36 | |
| 19 | Sunderland | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 51 | 72 | 0.708 | 36 | |
| 20 | Fulham | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 67 | 85 | 0.788 | 35 | |
| 21 | Northampton Town (R) | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 55 | 92 | 0.598 | 33 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Blackburn Rovers (R) | 42 | 8 | 4 | 30 | 57 | 88 | 0.648 | 20 | Relegation to the Second Division |

* ↑ Everton qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as the 1965–66 FA Cup winners.

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | Darlington | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 72 | 53 | 1.358 | 59 | Promoted |
| 3 | Torquay United | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 72 | 49 | 1.469 | 58 | Promoted |
| 4 | Colchester United | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 70 | 47 | 1.489 | 56 | Promoted |
| 5 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 24 | 8 | 14 | 93 | 66 | 1.409 | 56 | |
| 6 | Luton Town | 46 | 24 | 8 | 14 | 90 | 70 | 1.286 | 56 | |

## Squad statistics

### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Fourth Division | Fourth Division | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | RSA | Sandy Kennon | 50 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Duncan Forbes | 46 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | John Fowler | 27 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Brian Hall | 50 | 11 | 46 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| | DF | ENG | David Laitt | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Mick Loughton | 49 | 1 | 45 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Ray Price | 5 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | David Raine | 25 | 0 | 19+3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Bobby Blackwood | 45 | 5 | 41 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | David Buck | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | John Mansfield | 7 | 1 | 5+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Derek Trevis | 47 | 4 | 43 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Barrie Aitchison | 15 | 3 | 13+1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Peter Bullock | 36 | 11 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Mike Grice | 15 | 0 | 12+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | John Hornsby | 12 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Arthur Kaye | 42 | 2 | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Ted Phillips | 34 | 13 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Reg Stratton | 39 | 21 | 37 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season ||||||||||||
| | MF | ENG | Jackie Bell | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | WAL | Tecwyn Jones | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Billy Stark | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Goalscorers

| Place | Position | Name | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | FW | Reg Stratton | 18 | 0 | 3 | 21 |
| 2 | IF | Ted Phillips | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 3 | FW | Peter Bullock | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 3 | LB | Brian Hall | 9 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 5 | MF | Bobby Blackwood | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | MF | Derek Trevis | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | WG | Barrie Aitchison | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | WG | Arthur Kaye | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | CB | Duncan Forbes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | WG | John Hornsby | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | CB | Mick Loughton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | MF | John Mansfield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | Billy Stark | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | | Own goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| | | TOTALS | 70 | 3 | 4 | 77 |

### Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.

| Place | Nationality | Player | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | | Sandy Kennon | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| | | TOTALS | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |

### Player debuts

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

| Position | Player | Date | Opponent | Ground |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| WH | Jackie Bell | 21 August 1965 | Port Vale | Vale Park |
| WG | John Hornsby | 21 August 1965 | Port Vale | Vale Park |
| WG | Arthur Kaye | 21 August 1965 | Port Vale | Vale Park |
| FW | Reg Stratton | 21 August 1965 | Port Vale | Vale Park |
| MF | Bobby Blackwood | 1 September 1965 | Exeter City | Layer Road |
| IF | Ted Phillips | 11 September 1965 | Barnsley | Layer Road |
| FB | David Raine | 22 September 1965 | Middlesbrough | Layer Road |
| WH | David Buck | 16 October 1965 | Hartlepools United | Layer Road |
| FB | David Laitt | 30 October 1965 | Southport | Layer Road |
| FW | Peter Bullock | 30 October 1965 | Southport | Layer Road |
