WHEN IN COLCHESTER DO AS THE ROMANS DO!

July 13th 1974 was a significant day for US (not the U.S. of A); having left university with my fiancee, we married on that day and started a life together in the "close season", as it was known; i.e. the time of the year when not a lot of football was being played. However, during the "close season", there were friendlies, pre-season training, new signings and a future in front of every footballer, young and old, boy and girl. For us, it was a new beginning.

So today is an anniversary, you may work out which one; we are heading off to a local restaurant,  called "Devour", where "Jo is looking forward to hosting us. As you do, I got into conversation with Jo, since her accent was not Yorkshire and it came about that she was from Colchester. She didn't know that her local footy club, "The U's", Colchester United, presently in League Two, had a decent cup run a few years ago.....here I go.....During this time, the club embarked on one of the most notable runs in FA Cup history, as manager Dick Graham, took his ageing side to the 1970-1 quarter-finals, dispatching non-league Ringmer (from Sussex) 3-0, Cambridge Utd 3-0, Barnet away 0-1 and Rochdale at home 5-0, following a replay away 3-3. With the draw having been made prior to the replay against Rochdale, the U's knew that they would face a home tie with top Division, Leeds United if they succeeded and so were inspired.  

The reward, a match with Leeds, when the U's raced to an unprecedented 3–0 lead in front of a 16,000 Layer Road home crowd, with two goals from Ray Crawford and one from Dave Simmonds. Leeds did grab two goals back. 

The club faced Everton in the quarter-finals but succumbed to a 5–0 defeat in front of 53,028 at Goodison Park. Everton lost to Liverpool in the semis and Arsenal beat Liverpool in the Final 2-1.

Ahead of the new 1974-5 season, Colchester's board warned that a break-even gate of 9,200 was required every time and that players would be sold if attendances didn't reach an average of 7,500. However, the later to be legendry manager, Jim Smith, negotiated with his former club, Boston United, to sign John Froggatt, for £6,000. Froggatt's strike partner, Bobby Svarc signed for non-league Boston United for £2,000 in 1971, and it seemed that his days as full professional were over. However, when his manager, Jim Smith, took over the reins at Colchester United, he insisted on bringing with him his star player for a transfer fee of £6,000. At Boston, Svarc had scored 21 goals in 28 matches.This signing proved to be fruitful, with Svarc finding the back of the net 24 times, in the league and 25 times in total.  Froggatt registered 18 with 16 in the league, so not a bad return for that modest investment.

Having reached the Quarter-final of the FA Cup four seasons prior, the U's emulated that achievement in the League Cup. After beating Oxford United and Southend Utd, they then hosted Carlisle United DOES THIS BOTHER YOU??  IT SHOULD!! At the time, Carlisle had just won promotion to the top Football League division (at that time the First Division). and although they didn't stay there long, nevertheless they were clearly a decent and confident side; one of the top 22 in the country.

However, "Giant Killing" Colchester beat the Cumbrians 2–0 to earn a home tie with Southampton. 

A 0–0 draw with the Saints at Layer Road led to a 1–0 replay win away at The Dell. 

This set up a home quarter-final tie with Aston Villa, a top division team, who proved just too strong for United, with Villa winning 2–1 before a crowd of 11,812.

Colchester's success in the League Cup was not replicated in the FA Cup in 1974-5, as they were knocked out by Non-League Leatherhead, in the second round. You may remember the "Leatherhead Lip" who tormented some serious sides during his team's run to Round 4 in the FA Cup that year.

In the league, a strong start to the season was followed up by a weaker second half to the campaign as the U's fell from fifth to eleventh where they ended the season.

Crowds fell a long way short of the target expected by the board, with a league average of 4,941 attending during the season.

STAR MAN? Freddie Sears: here's his record...

Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2012	West Ham United	46	(2)
2009	→ Crystal Palace (loan)	18	(0)
2010	→ Coventry City (loan)	10	(0)
2010–2011	→ Scunthorpe United (loan)	9	(0)
2011–2012	→ Colchester United (loan)	11	(2)
2012–2015	Colchester United	93	(29)
2015–2021	Ipswich Town	203	(32)
2021–	Colchester United	45	(14)