The 2006–07 season was Colchester United's 65th season in their history and their first-ever season in the second tier of English football, the Championship. Alongside competing in the Championship, the club also participated in the FA Cup and League Cup.
Following Colchester's promotion from League One, bookmakers had the U's as favourites for an immediate return to the third tier, especially following manager Phil Parkinson's acrimonious resignation and subsequent appointment at Hull City. However, under the guidance of Parkinson's former assistant manager Geraint Williams, Colchester achieved a 10th-place finish in the league, defying the odds and a club record best ever league finish. Indeed, Colchester found themselves on the edges of the play-off positions for much of the season, eventually ending the campaign six points shy after a patch of poor form in February and March.
Colchester for the first time ever entered the FA Cup at the third round stage, but were immediately eliminated by League Two Barnet. They suffered a similar fate in the League Cup when another League Two club Milton Keynes Dons knocked the U's out of the competition in extra time.
Season overview On 13 June 2006, manager Phil Parkinson who had led Colchester to their first ever promotion to the second tier, resigned. It was a situation reminiscent of George Burley's resignation and move to Ipswich Town in the 1994–95 season. Hull City's chairman Adam Pearson had approached Parkinson illegally regarding their vacant managers position, and as with Ipswich before, was made to pay when Colchester chairman Peter Heard won £400,000 in damages for the club.
New club owner Robbie Cowling's first task was to appoint Parkinson's successor, with Parkinson's former assistant Geraint Williams overseeing pre-season training. He was ultimately appointed following a lengthy recruitment process and charged with leading United into their first season in the Championship. Mick Harford was brought in as his assistant.
On the back of a successful 2005–06 season for midfielder Neil Danns, scoring 15 goals, he left for Birmingham City in a deal worth up to £850,000. Incoming were former U's loanees Jamie Cureton and Johnnie Jackson.
After a solid yet unsuccessful start to the season, Colchester were without a win after four games, albeit defeats by a single goal on each occasion. They earned their first Championship victory on 26 August when they beat Derby County 4–3 courtesy of a Cureton hat-trick. Colchester then hosted Ipswich Town in the first league derby between the two neighbouring sides for 49 years. Colchester stalwart Karl Duguid's goal was enough to hand the U's victory. Parkinson returned to Layer Road with his struggling Hull side in November as Chris Iwelumo equalled a club record and scored four for himself as the U's beat the Tigers 5–1. Parkinson was sacked by Hull five days later after Colchester's eighth successive home victory on their way to eleven consecutive home victories in the league. By Christmas, the U's found themselves in the play-off positions.
Talk at this point turned to the potential for the U's to ground-share Portman Road with Ipswich Town if they achieved the ultimate dream of promotion to the Premier League as the first turf was cut on the new stadium development at Cuckoo Farm.
In January, the U's received a club record £2.5m from Reading for their England under-20s international Greg Halford.
With two games to spare, Colchester were just one point off the play-off places. Defeat at main rivals Stoke City ended their hopes but the 10th-placed finish was the best in the club's history, making them 30th of all clubs in the English football pyramid. Gates at Layer Road had risen to an average of 5,466, the highest since the 1970–71 season with most games sold out.
Players
No. Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee Goalkeepers1Aidan DavisonGK Sedgefield840 Grimsby Town5 July 2004Free transfer13Dean GerkenGKSouthend-on-Sea310Youth team1 August 2002Free transfer23Mark CousinsGKChelmsford00Youth team1 August 2004Free transfer Defenders3John WhiteFBColchester650Youth team1 July 2003Free transfer5Wayne BrownCBBarking1114 Watford8 July 2004Free transfer12Pat BaldwinCBCity of London1090 Chelsea16 August 2002Free transfer16George ElokobiFB/CBMamfe172 Dulwich Hamlet1 August 2004Free transfer17Lawrie WilsonFBCollier Row00 Charlton Athletic19 August 2006Free transfer19Garry RichardsCBRomford190Youth team1 July 2004Free transfer27Matthew PaineDFSidcup00Youth team18 December 2005Free transfer Midfielders4Johnnie JacksonMFCamden Town80 Tottenham Hotspur20 June 2006Free transfer6Kevin WatsonMFHackney1053 Reading5 July 2004Free transfer7Karl DuguidMFLetchworth35340Youth team9 December 1995Free transfer10Kemal IzzetMFWhitechapel20018 Charlton Athletic13 April 2001Free transfer14Richard GarciaMFPerth6114 West Ham United3 September 2004Nominal21Robbie KingMFChelmsford50Youth team1 July 2004Free transfer25Anthony WordsworthMFCamden Town00Youth team1 July 2006Free transfer Forwards8Jamie CuretonFWBristol107 Swindon Town6 June 2006Free transfer9Marino KeithFWPeterhead124 Plymouth Argyle1 March 2005Free transfer11Chris IwelumoFWCoatbridge5519 Alemannia Aachen6 July 2005Free transfer15Jamie GuyFWBarking80Youth team1 July 2004Free transfer20Kevin McLeodWGLiverpool00 Swansea City30 August 2006Free transfer28Craig HughesFWCanterbury00Youth team24 January 2006Free transfer
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.6 June 2006FWJamie Cureton Swindon TownFree transfer26 June 2006MFJohnnie Jackson Tottenham HotspurFree transfer1 July 2006MFAnthony WordsworthYouth teamFree transfer19 August 2006FBLawrie Wilson Charlton AthleticFree transfer30 August 2006WGKevin McLeod Swansea CityFree transfer Total spending: ~ £0
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.31 May 2006MFRussell PondFree agentReleased31 May 2006FWGareth Williams WeymouthReleased19 June 2006FBStephen Hunt Notts CountyReleased20 June 2006MFNeil Danns Birmingham City£500,00011 July 2006CBLiam Chilvers Preston North EndFree transfer14 July 2006FWTony Thorpe Stevenage BoroughReleased17 July 2006FBSam Stockley Wycombe WanderersReleased30 January 2007FB/MFGreg Halford Reading£2,500,000 Total incoming: ~ £3,000,000
Loans in Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.16 August 2006FBChris Barker Cardiff City7 May 200727 August 2006MFRitchie Jones Manchester United27 November 200623 November 2006FWHogan Ephraim West Ham United7 May 200726 January 2007CBMatt Mills Manchester City30 March 2007
Loans out Date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref.3 November 2006GKMark Cousins Yeading3 December 20068 December 2006FBLawrie Wilson Welling United8 January 200712 January 2007MFRobbie King Heybridge Swifts12 March 200726 January 2007DFMatthew Paine Thurrock31 May 20079 February 2007CBGarry Richards Brentford9 March 200722 March 2007FWCraig Hughes Cambridge United22 April 2007
Match details
Championship
League table
Results round by round
Matches
Football League Cup
FA Cup
Squad statistics Appearances and goals
!colspan="16"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
Goalscorers
Place Number Nationality Position Name Championship FA Cup League Cup Total18FWJamie Cureton231024211FWChris Iwelumo180018314MFRichard Garcia700747MFKarl Duguid500552FB/MFGreg Halford300315FWJamie Guy300320WGKevin McLeod300384MFJohnnie Jackson200295CBWayne Brown10016MFKevin Watson100110MFKemal Izzet100112CBPat Baldwin100119CBGarry Richards100124FWHogan Ephraim1001Own goals0000TOTALS701071
Disciplinary record
Number Nationality Position Name Championship FA Cup League Cup Total18FBChris Barker4200004210MFKemal Izzet600000607MFKarl Duguid5000005014MFRichard Garcia500000505CBWayne Brown4000004024FWHogan Ephraim400000402FB/MFGreg Halford200010308FWJamie Cureton3000003012CBPat Baldwin300000304MFJohnnie Jackson200000206MFKevin Watson2000002011FWChris Iwelumo2000002020WGKevin McLeod2000002022CBMatt Mills2000002015FWJamie Guy1000001016FB/CBGeorge Elokobi1000001022MFRitchie Jones10000010TOTALS4920010502
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Number Nationality Player Championship FA Cup League Cup Total113Dean Gerken800821Aidan Davison5005TOTALS130013
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Number Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground Notes4MFJohnnie Jackson5 August 2006Birmingham CitySt Andrews8FWJamie Cureton5 August 2006Birmingham CitySt Andrews18CBChris Barker19 August 2006West Bromwich AlbionThe Hawthorns20WGKevin McLeod9 September 2006BurnleyTurf Moor22MFRitchie Jones28 October 2006SouthamptonLayer Road24FWHogan Ephraim28 November 2006Hull CityLayer Road22CBMatt Mills30 January 2007Preston North EndLayer Road
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References General Books
Websites
Specific