The 1997–98 season was Colchester United's 56th season in their history and their sixth consecutive season in the fourth tier of English football, the Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Football League Trophy.
Colchester ended the season with a strong finish, one point shy of automatic promotion in fourth place. This meant another attempt at promotion via the play-offs. Colchester faced Barnet in the semi-final first leg, and they lost 1–0 at Underhill Stadium. In the return leg at Layer Road, Colchester won 3–1 to defeat Barnet 3–2 on aggregate thus achieving a place in the final and a second trip to Wembley in a year. In the final, the U's faced Torquay United. A David Gregory penalty was enough to separate the sides and promote Colchester to the third tier of English football for the first time in 17 years.
Despite reaching the final of the Football League Trophy the season prior, Colchester were knocked out at the first round stage by Leyton Orient this term. They suffered a same fate at the hands of Luton Town in the League Cup and saw a second round exit in the FA Cup to Hereford United.
Season overview Colchester were eliminated at the first round stage of the League Cup, and also the first round of the Football League Trophy after reaching the 1997 Final. They once again lost to a non-League side in Hereford United in the FA Cup second round following a replay.
The club were awarded a settlement of £300,000 from Ipswich Town owing to the saga over George Burley's acrimonious exit from Colchester to their Suffolk neighbours in late 1994. Meanwhile, Alfred McAlpine were named as the consultants commissioned for the process of building a new stadium for Colchester United, with the club's lease on Layer Road due to expire in 2002.
Manager Steve Wignall broke the club's transfer record by spending £50,000 on Neil Gregory, who joined from Ipswich Town to reunite with his brother David.
Colchester's had a late season upturn in form, winning ten of their final 15 games as they missed automatic promotion by just one point. This meant that they had qualified for the play-offs, where they would face seventh-placed Barnet, who themselves earned a place in the play-offs by just one point ahead of Scunthorpe United.
Barnet won the first-leg at Underhill Stadium 1–0, but both sides were reduced to ten men in the game after Guy Branston was sent off for the U's and Sean Devine saw red for Barnet. Colchester won the Layer Road leg 3–1 after extra time with goals from David Gregory and David Greene. Barnet also had Lee Howarth sent off on 60 minutes while Barnet were leading 2–1 on aggregate.
The win took Colchester to Wembley for the second time in a year and a third trip in six years. The fixture was moved to Friday night to accommodate an England versus Saudi Arabia friendly, and as such attracted a relatively low crowd of 19,486. The game was also broadcast on Sky Sports. David Gregory converted from the penalty spot on 22 minutes to win the match 1–0 for Colchester and earn promotion back to the third tier of English football for the first time in 17 years.
Players
Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee GoalkeepersCarl EmbersonGKEpsom1290 Millwall6 July 1994£25,000Tamer FernandesGKPaddington00 Peterborough United28 January 1998Free transfer DefendersSimon BettsFBMiddlesbrough17211 Scarborough11 December 1992Free transferPeter CawleyCBWalton-on-Thames1849 Barnet30 October 1992Free transferJoe DunneFBDublin472 Gillingham27 March 1996Free transferDavid GreeneCB Luton714 Luton Town21 June 1996£30,000Nicky HaydonDF/MFBarking11Youth team1 August 1995Free transferScott StampsFBEdgbaston80 Torquay United26 March 1997£15,000 MidfieldersPaul BuckleMFHatfield293 Wycombe Wanderers28 November 1996Free transferKarl DuguidMFLetchworth424Youth team9 December 1995Free transferSteve ForbesMFStoke Newington11 Millwall14 March 1997Free transferJeremy GossMF Dhekelia00 Heart of MidlothianJanuary 1998Free transferDavid GregoryMFSudbury581 Peterborough United8 December 1995Free transferDave RainfordMFStepney00Youth teamJuly 1997Free transferAaron SkeltonMF/DFWelwyn Garden City00 Luton Town3 July 1997Free transferRichard WilkinsMF/DFLambeth23034 Hereford United3 July 1996£17,500 ForwardsPaul AbrahamsFW/WGColchester11924 Brentford23 October 1996£20,000Tony AdcockFWBethnal Green314143 Luton Town3 August 1995Free transferNeil GregoryFW Ndola105 Ipswich Town26 March 1998£50,000Ian HathawayWGWordsley00 Torquay United1 August 1997Free transferTony LockFWHarlow102Apprentice28 January 1995Free transferMark SaleFWBurton upon Trent133 Mansfield Town10 March 1997£23,500
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.July 1997MFDave RainfordYouth teamFree transfer3 July 1997MF/DFAaron Skelton Luton TownFree transfer1 August 1997WGIan Hathaway Torquay UnitedFree transfer8 September 1997GKPaul Newell SittingbourneNon-contractJanuary 1998MFJeremy Goss Heart of MidlothianFree transfer28 January 1998GKTamer Fernandes Peterborough UnitedFree transfer26 March 1998FWNeil Gregory Ipswich Town£50,000 Total spending: ~ £50,000
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.End of seasonMFErnie Cooksey Heybridge SwiftsReleasedSummer 1997GKGarrett Caldwell Toronto SupraUndisclosedSummer 1997CBAndy Partner Heybridge SwiftsFree transfer31 May 1997FBPaul Gibbs Torquay UnitedFree transfer31 May 1997CBTony McCarthy ShelbourneReleasedJuly 1997MF/WGChris Fry Exeter CityReleased1 August 1997MF/FBAdam Locke Bristol CityFree transfer17 September 1997GKPaul Newell Northampton TownReleased27 February 1998FWSteve WhittonFree agentRetired Total incoming: ~ £0
Loans in Date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref.26 September 1997FWIsaiah Rankin Arsenal26 December 199716 October 1997CBWayne Brown Ipswich Town8 November 19971 January 1998FWNeil Gregory Ipswich Town2 March 19989 February 1998CBGuy Branston Leicester City10 May 1998
Loans out Date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref.24 December 1997MFDave Rainford Wivenhoe Town24 February 1998
Match details
Third Division
Results round by round
League table
Matches
Football League play-offs
Football League Cup
FA Cup
Football League Trophy
Squad statistics Appearances and goals
!colspan="16"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season
Goalscorers
Place Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Football League play-offs Total1MFDavid Gregory52003102FWMark Sale7100083FW/WGPaul Abrahams700007FWNeil Gregory700007MF/DFAaron Skelton7000076FWTony Lock6000067FWTony Adcock500005MFPaul Buckle500005CBDavid Greene400015FWIsaiah Rankin500005MF/DFRichard Wilkins50000512MFKarl Duguid30000313FBJoe Dunne200002MFSteve Forbes11000215CBGuy Branston100001WGIan Hathaway001001FBScott Stamps100001FWSteve Whitton100001Own goals000000TOTALS72410481
Disciplinary record
Nationality Position Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Football League play-offs TotalCBDavid Greene511000001071CBPeter Cawley510010000061FWMark Sale701000001090FBJoe Dunne303000101080FWSteve Whitton701000000080MFSteve Forbes601000000070MFDavid Gregory500000001060FBScott Stamps500010000060FW/WGPaul Abrahams400000001050FBSimon Betts400000001050CBGuy Branston100000001121MFKarl Duguid301000100050DF/MFNicky Haydon400000000040FWTony Lock400000000040MFRichard Wilkins300000001040FWTony Adcock300000000030MFPaul Buckle300000000030FWNeil Gregory200000000020FWIsaiah Rankin200000000020CBWayne Brown000000100010GKCarl Emberson100000000010WGIan Hathaway100000000010MF/DFAaron Skelton001000000010TOTALS742902030811003
Clean sheets Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet. Place Nationality Player Third Division FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Football League play-offs Total1Carl Emberson15100117TOTALS15100117
Player debuts Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match. Position Nationality Player Date Opponent Ground NotesWGIan Hathaway9 August 1997DarlingtonLayer RoadMF/DFAaron Skelton9 August 1997DarlingtonLayer RoadFWIsaiah Rankin27 September 1997Exeter CityLayer RoadCBWayne Brown18 October 1997Shrewsbury TownLayer RoadFWNeil Gregory3 January 1998Hartlepool UnitedLayer RoadCBGuy Branston13 February 1998Mansfield TownLayer RoadFWNeil Gregory3 April 1998Rotherham UnitedLayer Road
See also List of Colchester United F.C. seasons
References General Books
Websites
Specific