The 2001–02 season was Colchester United's 60th season in their history and their fourth successive season in the third tier of English football, the Second Division. Alongside competing in the Second Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Football League Trophy.
Steve Whitton led the U's to a 15th placed league finish. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by York City in the first round. In the League Cup, Colchester defeated First Division Portsmouth at Fratton Park, before falling to defeat to Barnsley in the second round. They also reached the second round of the Football League Trophy, beating Swindon Town in the first round but they were eliminated by Reading in the second round.
Season overview Colchester leapt to the top of the Second Division table by the end of August, having beaten Chesterfield 6–3 in the opening game of the season, and also knocked out First Division Portsmouth out of the League Cup at Fratton Park. However, they failed to capitalise on this despite manager Steve Whitton equalling the club's record transfer fee of £50,000 for Northern Ireland international Adrian Coote from Norwich City. They finished 15th, a steady year-on-year improvement after recording 18th and then 17th-place finishes in the previous campaigns respectively.
After beating Portsmouth in the first round of the League Cup, Barnsley proved too much for the U's in the second round. York City eliminated Colchester from the FA Cup in the first round, and Reading defeated the U's in the second round of the Football League Trophy following a first round win over Swindon Town.
Players
No. Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee Goalkeepers1Simon BrownGKChelmsford640 Tottenham Hotspur20 July 1999Free transfer13Glenn WilliamsonGKEnfield Town00Youth team1 August 1999Free transfer Defenders2Joe DunneFBDublin1785 Dover Athletic7 December 1999Nominal3Joe KeithFBPlaistow795 West Ham United24 May 1999Free transfer5Ross JohnsonCBBrighton360 Brighton & Hove Albion14 February 2000Free transfer6Con BlatsisCBMelbourne00 Lillestrøm15 March 2002Non-contract12Scott FitzgeraldCB Westminster320 Millwall19 October 2000Free transfer18Anthony AllmanDF/MFSidcup00 Charlton Athletic27 July 2001Free transfer19Alan WhiteCBDarlington420 Luton Town16 July 2000Free transfer26David HadravaFBIlford00Youth team1 August 2001Free transfer Midfielders4Gavin JohnsonMFEye692 Dunfermline Athletic14 November 1999Free transfer7Karl DuguidMFLetchworth19429Youth team9 December 1995Free transfer8David GregoryMFSudbury24028 Peterborough United8 December 1995Free transfer10Kemal IzzetMFWhitechapel61 Charlton Athletic13 April 2001Free transfer14Chris KeebleMFColchester252 Ipswich Town23 March 2000Free transfer15Thomas PinaultMFGrasse101 AS Cannes1 July 1999Free transfer17Bobby BowryMF Hampstead00 Millwall25 July 2001Free transfer20Mick StockwellMFChelmsford5211 Ipswich Town23 July 2000Free transfer23Matt HearnMFBarking00Youth team1 July 2000Free transfer25Marc CanhamMF Wegberg00Youth team1 August 2001Free transfer Forwards9Scott McGleishFWChipping Barnet3811 Barnet12 January 2001£15,00016Dean MorganFW Edmonton40Youth team1 August 2000Free transfer21Kevin RapleyFWReading00 Notts County1 August 2001Free transfer22Triston ChambersFWEnfield Town00Youth team20 August 2001Free transfer23Lloyd OparaFWEnfield Town00Youth team20 August 2001Free transfer27Ben CranfieldFWIpswich00Youth team1 August 2001Free transfer28Adrian CooteFW Great Yarmouth00 Norwich City21 December 2001£50,000
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.25 July 2001MFBobby Bowry MillwallFree transfer27 July 2001DF/MFAnthony Allman Charlton AthleticFree transfer1 August 2001MFMarc CanhamYouth teamFree transfer1 August 2001FWBen CranfieldYouth teamFree transfer1 August 2001FBDavid HadravaYouth teamFree transfer1 August 2001FWLloyd OparaYouth teamFree transfer1 August 2001FWKevin Rapley Notts CountyFree transfer20 August 2001FWTriston ChambersYouth teamFree transfer18 September 2001CBOlly BlackwellYouth teamFree transfer21 December 2001FWAdrian Coote Norwich City£50,00015 February 2002FWPatrice Tano TelstarNon-contract15 March 2002CBCon Blatsis LillestrømNon-contract Total spending: ~ £50,000
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.31 May 2001MFSam Okafor SittingbourneReleased1 July 2001FWSteve McGavin Dagenham & RedbridgeReleased4 July 2001MF/DFAaron Skelton Luton TownFree transfer1 August 2001MFAndy Arnott Stevenage BoroughFree transfer8 August 2001FWKeith Scott Dover AthleticFree transfer31 January 2002CBSimon Clark Woodlands WellingtonReleased4 March 2002FWPatrice Tano FalkirkFree transfer18 March 2002CBOlly Blackwell Billericay TownUndisclosed28 March 2002GKAndy Woodman Oxford UnitedFree transfer Total incoming: ~ £0
Loans in Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.14 December 2001FWGraham Barrett Arsenal21 April 200218 January 2002FBJohn Halls Arsenal18 February 200227 March 2002FWCharlie MacDonald Charlton Athletic21 April 200228 March 2002GKRichard Knight Oxford United21 April 2002
Loans out Date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref.18 January 2002GKAndy Woodman Oxford United18 March 200215 February 2002MFMatt Hearn Southend United15 March 2002
Match details
Second Division
League table
Results round by round
Matches
Football League Cup
Football League Trophy
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 Second Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Total19FWScott McGleish1510016220MFMick Stockwell901111321FWKevin Rapley9000943FBJoe Keith401057MFKarl Duguid4100510MFKemal Izzet30115711FWGraham Barrett4000428FWAdrian Coote40004919CBAlan White30003102FBJoe Dunne20002114MFGavin Johnson100015CBRoss Johnson1000117MFBobby Bowry1000130FWCharlie MacDonald10001Own goals40004TOTALS6523272
Disciplinary record
Number Nationality Position Name Second Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Total7MFKarl Duguid610000006115MFThomas Pinault700010109019CBAlan White700000007017MFBobby Bowry600000006010MFKemal Izzet40001000504MFGavin Johnson30100000406CBSimon Clark300010004028FWAdrian Coote40000000403FBJoe Keith30000000308MFDavid Gregory01000000019FWScott McGleish30000000302FBJoe Dunne20000000206CBCon Blatsis20000000205CBRoss Johnson100000001011FWGraham Barrett100000001012CBScott Fitzgerald100000001016FWDean Morgan100000001021FWKevin Rapley100000001029GKAndy Woodman1000000010TOTALS562103010612
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Number Nationality Player Second Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Total11Simon Brown40015229Andy Woodman21003TOTALS61018
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Number Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground Notes17MFBobby Bowry11 August 2001ChesterfieldSaltergate21FWKevin Rapley11 August 2001ChesterfieldSaltergate23FWLloyd Opara13 October 2001BlackpoolBloomfield Road26FBDavid Hadrava30 October 2001ReadingMadejski Stadium11FWGraham Barrett15 December 2001Peterborough UnitedLayer Road28FWAdrian Coote22 December 2001Huddersfield TownLayer Road30FBJohn Halls19 January 2002ChestefieldLayer Road6CBCon Blatsis16 March 2002Queens Park RangersLayer Road30FWCharlie MacDonald30 March 2002Brighton & Hove AlbionLayer Road22FWTriston Chambers6 April 2002Cardiff CityLayer Road25MFMarc Canham6 April 2002Cardiff CityLayer Road31GKRichard Knight13 April 2002BuryGigg Lane
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References General Books
Websites
Specific