# 1996–97 Colchester United F.C. season

The 1996–97 season was Colchester United's 55th season in their history and their fifth 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.
Following the play-off disappointment of last season, the U's looked to earn a play-off spot at the very least, but missed out by just one point, finishing in eighth.
Colchester reached the 1997 Football League Trophy Final, reaching Wembley for only the second time where they faced Carlisle United. The score remained 0–0 after extra time but Colchester were defeated 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out.
In the FA Cup, Colchester were eliminated by old foes Wycombe Wanderers in the first round, while Huddersfield Town defeated the U's at the second round stage.

## Season overview

Layer Road's Clock End received a makeover during the off season, with a new covered and all seated stand in place.
In the League Cup, Colchester overturned a 3–2 first leg deficit against West Bromwich Albion into victory with a 3–1 win at The Hawthorns with Steve Whitton in goal for the entire second half following an injury to goalkeeper Garrett Caldwell. They were then defeated in the second round by Huddersfield Town.
Colchester made a first round FA Cup exit following defeat by old rivals Wycombe Wanderers.
In September, Mark Kinsella made a move to Charlton Athletic for £150,000.
Paul Buckle scored Colchester's first-ever golden goal in the Football League Trophy against Millwall following a first round win against Cambridge United. In the area quarter-final, the U's dispatched Brentford and then Northampton Town in the semi-final. Colchester then overturned a 2–0 deficit from the first leg of the area final with Peterborough United to win 3–0 after extra time to set up a Wembley final with Carlisle United.
In the final with 45,077 in attendance, neither side could find a breakthrough, and the tie went to extra time following a goalless 90 minutes. Another goalless 30 minutes followed and the match went to a penalty shoot-out. The U's took the lead in the shoot-out after Owen Archdeacon missed Carlisle's second effort, but consecutive misses from youth team product Karl Duguid and Peter Cawley meant that Steve Hayward's converted effort won the shoot-out for Carlisle 4–3.
In the league, six defeats in eight league matches saw Colchester slip to 13th in the table. Manager Steve Wignall said:
   I won't be happy until I have guided this club to promotion. All I ask of the fans is trust me with your club.
Colchester ended the season in 8th position, one point shy of the play-off positions.

## Players

    As of match played 3 May 1997.
| Name | Position | Place of birth | Date of birth | Apps | Goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| Garrett Caldwell | GK | Princeton | (1973-11-06)6 November 1973 (aged 22) | 1 | 0 | Princeton Tigers | 25 September 1995 | Free transfer |
| Carl Emberson | GK | Epsom | (1973-07-13)13 July 1973 (aged 22) | 84 | 0 | Millwall | 6 July 1994 | £25,000 |
| Defenders ||||||||||
| Simon Betts | FB | Middlesbrough | (1973-03-03)3 March 1973 (aged 23) | 158 | 10 | Scarborough | 11 December 1992 | Free transfer |
| Peter Cawley | CB | Walton-on-Thames | (1965-09-15)15 September 1965 (aged 30) | 147 | 8 | Barnet | 30 October 1992 | Free transfer |
| Joe Dunne | FB | Dublin | (1973-05-25)25 May 1973 (aged 23) | 5 | 1 | Gillingham | 27 March 1996 | Free transfer |
| Paul Gibbs | FB | Gorleston | (1972-10-26)26 October 1972 (aged 23) | 37 | 3 | Diss Town | 6 March 1995 | Undisclosed |
| David Greene | CB | Luton | (1973-10-26)26 October 1973 (aged 22) | 16 | 1 | Luton Town | 21 June 1996 | £30,000 |
| Nicky Haydon | DF/MF | Barking | (1978-08-10)10 August 1978 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Youth team | 1 August 1995 | Free transfer |
| Tony McCarthy | CB | Dublin | (1969-11-09)9 November 1969 (aged 26) | 63 | 1 | Millwall | 17 March 1995 | Free transfer |
| Andy Partner | CB | Colchester | (1974-10-21)21 October 1974 (aged 21) | 5 | 0 | Apprentice | 16 December 1991 | Free transfer |
| Scott Stamps | FB | Edgbaston | (1975-03-20)20 March 1975 (aged 21) | 0 | 0 | Torquay United | 26 March 1997 | £15,000 |
| Midfielders ||||||||||
| Paul Buckle | MF | Hatfield | (1970-12-16)16 December 1970 (aged 25) | 0 | 0 | Wycombe Wanderers | 28 November 1996 | Free transfer |
| Ernie Cooksey | MF | Bishop's Stortford | (1980-06-11)11 June 1980 (aged 15) | 0 | 0 | Youth team | Summer 1996 | Free transfer |
| Karl Duguid | MF | Letchworth | (1978-03-21)21 March 1978 (aged 18) | 17 | 1 | Youth team | 9 December 1995 | Free transfer |
| Steve Forbes | MF | Stoke Newington | (1975-12-24)24 December 1975 (aged 20) | 0 | 0 | Millwall | 14 March 1997 | Free transfer |
| Chris Fry | MF/WG | Cardiff | (1969-10-23)23 October 1969 (aged 26) | 100 | 10 | Hereford United | 24 October 1993 | Nominal |
| David Gregory | MF | Sudbury | (1970-01-23)23 January 1970 (aged 26) | 10 | 0 | Peterborough United | 8 December 1995 | Free transfer |
| Adam Locke | MF/FB | Croydon | (1970-08-20)20 August 1970 (aged 25) | 64 | 4 | Southend United | 23 September 1994 | Free transfer |
| Richard Wilkins | MF/DF | Lambeth | (1965-05-28)28 May 1965 (aged 31) | 180 | 31 | Hereford United | 3 July 1996 | £17,500 |
| Forwards ||||||||||
| Paul Abrahams | FW/WG | Colchester | (1973-10-31)31 October 1973 (aged 22) | 83 | 15 | Brentford | 23 October 1996 | £20,000 |
| Tony Adcock | FW | Bethnal Green | (1963-03-27)27 March 1963 (aged 33) | 267 | 129 | Luton Town | 3 August 1995 | Free transfer |
| Tony Lock | FW | Harlow | (1976-09-03)3 September 1976 (aged 19) | 3 | 1 | Apprentice | 28 January 1995 | Free transfer |
| Mark Sale | FW | Burton upon Trent | (1972-02-27)27 February 1972 (aged 24) | 0 | 0 | Mansfield Town | 10 March 1997 | £23,500 |
| Steve Whitton | FW | East Ham | (1960-12-04)4 December 1960 (aged 35) | 68 | 17 | Ipswich Town | 24 March 1994 | £10,000 |
* ↑ Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game in his second spell for the club
* 1 2 3 Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| Summer 1996 | MF | Ernie Cooksey | Youth team | Free transfer |
| 21 June 1996 | CB | David Green | Luton Town | £30,000 |
| 3 July 1996 | MF/DF | Richard Wilkins | Hereford United | £17,500 |
| 5 August 1996 | FB | David Barnes | Watford | Free transfer |
| 11 October 1996 | WG | Tony Kelly | Millwall | Trial |
| 23 October 1996 | FW/WG | Paul Abrahams | Brentford | £20,000 |
| 28 November 1996 | MF | Paul Buckle | Wycombe Wanderers | Free transfer |
| 17 February 1997 | MF | Geoff Pitcher | Kingstonian | Trial |
| 10 March 1997 | FW | Mark Sale | Mansfield Town | £23,500 |
| 14 March 1997 | MF | Steve Forbes | Millwall | Free transfer |
| 26 March 1997 | FB | Scott Stamps | Torquay United | £15,000 |
* Total spending: ~ £106,000

### Out

| Date | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| End of season | MF | Tony Cook | Berkhamsted Town | Undisclosed |
| Summer 1996 | CB | Ben Lewis | Southend United | Released |
| 31 May 1996 | MF | Steve Ball | Sudbury Town | Free transfer |
| 31 May 1996 | CB | Gus Caesar | Dagenham & Redbridge | Released |
| 31 May 1996 | DF/MF | Tony English | Sudbury Town | Free transfer |
| 30 July 1996 | MF | Tony Dennis | Lincoln City | Released |
| September 1996 | FB | Jean Dalli | Dover Athletic | Free transfer |
| 20 September 1996 | MF | Mark Kinsella | Charlton Athletic | £150,000 |
| 19 October 1996 | WG | Tony Kelly | St Albans City | End of trial |
| 13 February 1997 | FW | Robbie Reinelt | Brighton & Hove Albion | £15,000 |
| 1 March 1997 | FB | David Barnes | Free agent | Retired |
| 14 March 1997 | MF | Geoff Pitcher | Kingstonian | End of trial |
* Total incoming: ~ £165,000
* ↑ Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club

### Loans in

| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | End date | Ref. |
| 8 November 1996 | FW | | John Taylor | Luton Town | 26 December 1996 | |
| 3 February 1997 | GK | | John Vaughan | Lincoln City | 28 February 1997 | |

### Loans out

| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | End date | Ref. |
| 4 October 1996 | FW | | Tony Lock | Chelmsford City | 4 November 1996 | |

## 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 | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A |
| Result | L | D | D | D | L | W | D | D | D | L | D | W | W | L | L | W | D | W | D | W | W | D | D | D | D | D | W | D | W | W | W | W | D | L | L | L | W | W | L | L | L | L | W | W | D | W |
| Position | 24 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 |

#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 6 | Chester City | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 55 | 43 | +12 | 70 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 7 | Cardiff City | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 69 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 8 | Colchester United | 46 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 62 | 51 | +11 | 68 | |
| 9 | Lincoln City | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 70 | 69 | +1 | 66 | |
| 10 | Cambridge United | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 53 | 59 | −6 | 65 | |

#### Matches
### Football League Trophy
## Squad statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Third Division | Third Division | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Football League Trophy |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | CAN | Garrett Caldwell | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Carl Emberson | 45 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Simon Betts | 14 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Peter Cawley | 37 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 |
| | DF | IRL | Joe Dunne | 42 | 1 | 23+12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Paul Gibbs | 27 | 0 | 18+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 |
| | DF | IRL | David Greene | 55 | 3 | 44 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| | DF | ENG | Nicky Haydon | 1 | 1 | 0+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | IRL | Tony McCarthy | 43 | 0 | 34+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Scott Stamps | 8 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Paul Buckle | 29 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| | MF | ENG | Karl Duguid | 25 | 3 | 10+10 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Steve Forbes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | WAL | Chris Fry | 54 | 8 | 31+11 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2+2 | 1 | 6+1 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | David Gregory | 48 | 1 | 32+6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Adam Locke | 44 | 4 | 22+10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 4+3 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Richard Wilkins | 50 | 3 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Paul Abrahams | 36 | 9 | 27+2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5+1 | 2 |
| | FW | ENG | Tony Adcock | 47 | 14 | 26+10 | 11 | 0+1 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| | FW | ENG | Tony Lock | 7 | 1 | 1+5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Mark Sale | 13 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Steve Whitton | 47 | 7 | 36+3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season ||||||||||||||
| | GK | ENG | John Vaughan | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | David Barnes | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | IRL | Mark Kinsella | 10 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Geoff Pitcher | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Tony Kelly | 3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Robbie Reinelt | 26 | 5 | 8+13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | John Taylor | 9 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

### Goalscorers

| Place | Position | Name | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Total |
| 1 | FW | Tony Adcock | 11 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 2 | FW/WG | Paul Abrahams | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| 3 | MF/WG | Chris Fry | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 4 | FW | Steve Whitton | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | FW | Robbie Reinelt | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | FW | John Taylor | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | MF/FB | Adam Locke | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | MF | Paul Buckle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | MF | Karl Duguid | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | CB | David Greene | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | MF | Mark Kinsella | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | FW | Mark Sale | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | MF/DF | Richard Wilkins | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | FB | Simon Betts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | CB | Peter Cawley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | FB | Joe Dunne | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | MF | Steve Forbes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | MF | David Gregory | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | DF/MF | Nicky Haydon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | FW | Tony Lock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | | Own goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| | | TOTALS | 62 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 79 |

### Disciplinary record

| Position | Name | Third Division | Third Division | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Football League Trophy | Total | Total |
| CB | David Greene | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| CB | Tony McCarthy | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| CB | Peter Cawley | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | Robbie Reinelt | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | Steve Whitton | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| MF | Paul Buckle | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| FB | David Barnes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF/WG | Chris Fry | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FB | Paul Gibbs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | Tony Lock | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GK | John Vaughan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| FW/WG | Paul Abrahams | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Tony Adcock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| GK | Carl Emberson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | David Gregory | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF/FB | Adam Locke | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF/DF | Richard Wilkins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FB | Simon Betts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FB | Joe Dunne | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF/MF | Nicky Haydon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | TOTALS | 50 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 8 |

### Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.
| Place | Player | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Total |
| 1 | Carl Emberson | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 |
| 2 | Garrett Caldwell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | John Vaughan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | TOTALS | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 |

### Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.
| Position | Player | Date | Opponent | Ground |
| FB | David Barnes | 17 August 1996 | Hartlepool United | Layer Road |
| CB | David Greene | 17 August 1996 | Hartlepool United | Layer Road |
| MF/DF | Richard Wilkins | 27 August 1996 | Darlington | Feethams |
| WG | Tony Kelly | 12 October 1996 | Wigan Athletic | Layer Road |
| FW/WG | Paul Abrahams | 26 October 1996 | Lincoln City | Sincil Bank |
| FW | John Taylor | 9 November 1996 | Torquay United | Plainmoor |
| MF | Paul Buckle | 14 December 1996 | Mansfield Town | Field Mill |
| GK | John Vaughan | 4 February 1997 | Leyton Orient | Layer Road |
| FW | Mark Sale | 11 March 1997 | Peterborough United | London Road Stadium |
| MF | Geoff Pitcher | 14 March 1997 | Mansfield Town | Layer Road |
| FB | Scott Stamps | 29 March 1997 | Hartlepool United | Victoria Park |
| MF | Steve Forbes | 3 May 1997 | Barnet | Underhill Stadium |
| DF/MF | Nicky Haydon | 3 May 1997 | Barnet | Underhill Stadium |
* 1 2 3 4 Second debut for the club