# 1967–68 Colchester United F.C. season

The 1967–68 season was Colchester United's 26th season in their history and their second successive season in the third tier of English football, the Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Colchester were relegated to the Fourth Division after a two–year stay in the Third Division. They succumbed following 15 defeats in 22 games, recording just one win during this time. Manager Neil Franklin was sacked two days after the season ending 5–1 home defeat by Peterborough United. They fared better in the FA Cup, earning a third round replay against First Division West Bromwich Albion where they were defeated 4–0, but exited the League Cup in the first round, beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion by the same scoreline.

## Season overview

Colchester's league and FA Cup form contrasted during the 1967–68 season. A trip to Torquay United in the first round of the Cup saw the U's earn a replay at home, where they won 2–1. Essex rivals Chelmsford City were beaten 2–0 in the second round, a joint–best result for the campaign for Colchester. Layer Road then played host to First Division West Bromwich Albion in front of a crowd just short of 16,000. With the score at 1–1, both goalscorer Reg Stratton and John Mansfield had goals ruled out for infringements late on as the tie went to a replay. The U's lost 4–0 at The Hawthorns to the eventual Cup winners.
With the attention on Colchester's cup run, their league form had dropped significantly. After challenging for the promotion positions, Colchester lost 15 of their remaining 22 games after Boxing Day, winning just once. A new all-time record low attendance of 2,483 watched the final day 5–1 defeat by Peterborough United at Layer Road.
With Colchester relegated, and their third relegation in eight seasons, manager Neil Franklin was sacked two days after the season-ending defeat to Peterborough.

## Players

    As of match played 11 May 1968.
| Name | Position | Place of birth | Date of birth | Apps | Goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| Ernie Adams | GK | Hackney | (1948-01-17)17 January 1948 (aged 19) | 0 | 0 | Arsenal | 1 July 1967 | Free transfer |
| Alan Buck | GK | Colchester | (1946-08-25)25 August 1946 (aged 20) | 37 | 0 | Amateur | July 1963 | Free transfer |
| Defenders ||||||||||
| Alan Dennis | CB | Colchester | (1951-02-22)22 February 1951 (aged 16) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | April 1967 | Free transfer |
| Duncan Forbes | CB | Edinburgh | (1941-06-19)19 June 1941 (aged 25) | 236 | 2 | Musselburgh Athletic | 4 September 1961 | Nominal |
| Brian Hall | LB | Burbage | (1939-03-09)9 March 1939 (aged 28) | 108 | 14 | Mansfield Town | March 1965 | Free transfer |
| Mick Loughton | CB | Colchester | (1942-12-08)8 December 1942 (aged 24) | 102 | 2 | Amateur | August 1961 | Free transfer |
| Dennis Mochan | FB | Falkirk | (1935-12-12)12 December 1935 (aged 31) | 35 | 0 | Nottingham Forest | 24 September 1966 | Free transfer |
| Bob Walker | CB | Wallsend | (1942-07-23)23 July 1942 (aged 24) | 0 | 0 | Bournemouth | 7 October 1967 | Free transfer |
| Midfielders ||||||||||
| Bobby Blackwood | MF | Edinburgh | (1934-08-20)20 August 1934 (aged 32) | 67 | 5 | Ipswich Town | 1 June 1965 | Free transfer |
| David Buck | WH | Colchester | (1946-08-25)25 August 1946 (aged 18) | 1 | 0 | Apprentice | 16 October 1965 | Free transfer |
| Roger Joslyn | MF | Colchester | (1950-05-07)7 May 1950 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | 23 December 1967 | Free transfer |
| John Mansfield | MF | Colchester | (1946-09-13)13 September 1946 (aged 20) | 16 | 3 | Apprentice | August 1964 | Free transfer |
| Derek Trevis | MF | Birmingham | (1942-09-09)9 September 1942 (aged 24) | 155 | 11 | Aston Villa | 7 March 1964 | Free transfer |
| Forwards ||||||||||
| Peter Barlow | FW | Portsmouth | (1950-01-09)9 January 1950 (aged 17) | 4 | 0 | Apprentice | September 1965 | Free transfer |
| Peter Bullock | FW | Stoke-on-Trent | (1941-11-17)17 November 1941 (aged 25) | 79 | 26 | Southend United | 30 October 1965 | Nominal |
| Ken Hodgson | FW | Newcastle upon Tyne | (1942-01-19)19 January 1942 (aged 25) | 47 | 16 | Bournemouth | 20 August 1966 | £4,000 |
| Johnny Martin | WG | Ashington | (1946-12-04)4 December 1946 (aged 20) | 49 | 8 | Aston Villa | 20 August 1966 | Free transfer |
| Jim Oliver | FW | Falkirk | (1941-12-03)3 December 1941 (aged 25) | 0 | 0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | January 1968 | £2,000 |
| Terry Price | WG | Colchester | (1945-10-11)11 October 1945 (aged 21) | 0 | 0 | Orient | 16 September 1967 | £2,000 |
| Alan Shires | WG | Leigh-on-Sea | (1948-06-29)29 June 1948 (aged 18) | 17 | 2 | Southend United | 27 August 1966 | Free transfer |
| Reg Stratton | FW | Kingsley | (1939-07-10)10 July 1939 (aged 27) | 88 | 45 | Fulham | 28 May 1965 | Free transfer |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 July 1967 | GK | Ernie Adams | Arsenal | Free transfer |
| 23 December 1967 | MF | Roger Joslyn | Apprentice | Free transfer |
| 9 September 1967 | FB | John Fowler | Free agent | Free transfer |
| 16 September 1967 | FW | Tommy McKechnie | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | Free transfer |
| 16 September 1967 | WG | Terry Price | Orient | £2,000 |
| 7 October 1967 | CB | Bob Walker | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | Free transfer |
| January 1968 | FW | Jim Oliver | Brighton & Hove Albion | £2,000 |
* Total spending: ~ £4,000
* 1 2 3 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 | GK | Sandy Kennon | Lowestoft Town | Released |
| End of season | FB | David Raine | Burton Albion | Released |
| Summer 1967 | FB | Ray Price | Chelmsford City | Released |
| July 1967 | CF | Brian Westlake | Royal Daring Club de Bruxelles | £5,000 |
| 13 November 1967 | FB | John Fowler | Free agent | Released |
| 28 February 1968 | MF | Dave Lamont | Eastern Gas | Released |
| 22 April 1968 | FW | Tommy McKechnie | Bury Town | Free transfer |
* Total incoming: ~ £5,000
* 1 2 Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club

## Match details
### Third 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 | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H |
| Result | D | D | W | W | L | D | W | D | L | W | D | L | W | D | L | L | W | L | D | D | W | L | W | L | L | L | L | L | L | D | W | L | L | D | L | L | L | L | D | L | L | D | D | D | D | L |
| Position | 12 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 |

#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 20 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 51 | 67 | 0.761 | 37 | |
| 21 | Grimsby Town (R) | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 52 | 69 | 0.754 | 37 | Relegation to 1968–69 Fourth Division |
| 22 | Colchester United (R) | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 50 | 87 | 0.575 | 33 | Relegation to 1968–69 Fourth Division |
| 23 | Scunthorpe United (R) | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 56 | 87 | 0.644 | 32 | Relegation to 1968–69 Fourth Division |
| 24 | Peterborough United (R) | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 79 | 67 | 1.179 | 31 | Relegation to 1968–69 Fourth Division |
* ↑ Peterborough deducted 19 points for making irregular payments to players

#### Matches
### FA Cup
## Squad statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Third Division | Third Division | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | ENG | Ernie Adams | 50 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Alan Buck | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Duncan Forbes | 52 | 1 | 46 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Brian Hall | 46 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Mick Loughton | 31 | 5 | 28+1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Dennis Mochan | 46 | 2 | 40 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Bob Walker | 19 | 0 | 13+4 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Bobby Blackwood | 50 | 3 | 43+1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Roger Joslyn | 12 | 0 | 10+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | John Mansfield | 21 | 0 | 13+2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Derek Trevis | 51 | 4 | 45 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Peter Barlow | 18 | 5 | 14+2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Peter Bullock | 23 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 1+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Ken Hodgson | 13 | 3 | 11+1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Johnny Martin | 31 | 3 | 25 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Jim Oliver | 15 | 0 | 14+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Terry Price | 39 | 3 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Alan Shires | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Reg Stratton | 33 | 11 | 29 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season ||||||||||||
| | DF | SCO | John Fowler | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Dave Lamont | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Tommy McKechnie | 27 | 6 | 22+1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

### Goalscorers

| Place | Position | Name | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
| 1 | FW | Reg Stratton | 9 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | FW | Peter Bullock | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | FW | Tommy McKechnie | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | FW | Peter Barlow | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | CB | Mick Loughton | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | MF | Derek Trevis | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | MF | Bobby Blackwood | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | FW | Ken Hodgson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | WG | Johnny Martin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | WG | Terry Price | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | LB | Brian Hall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | FB | Dennis Mochan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | CB | Duncan Forbes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | WG | Alan Shires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | | Own goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | | TOTALS | 50 | 6 | 0 | 56 |

### Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.
| Place | Nationality | Player | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
| 1 | | Ernie Adams | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| | | TOTALS | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |

### Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.
| Position | Player | Date | Opponent | Ground |
| GK | Ernie Adams | 19 August 1967 | Oldham Athletic | Layer Road |
| FB | John Fowler | 9 September 1967 | Oxford United | Manor Ground |
| FW | Tommy McKechnie | 16 September 1967 | Bury | Layer Road |
| WG | Terry Price | 16 September 1967 | Bury | Layer Road |
| CB | Bob Walker | 7 October 1967 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Layer Road |
| MF | Dave Lamont | 4 November 1967 | Torquay United | Layer Road |
| MF | Roger Joslyn | 23 December 1967 | Bristol Rovers | Layer Road |
| FW | Jim Oliver | 24 February 1968 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Goldstone Ground |
* ↑ Second debut for the club