List of Colchester United F.C. managers

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Colchester United Football Club is an English association football club based in Colchester, Essex that plays in Football League One.

The twelve directors that formed the Board appointed Ted Davis, a former Huddersfield goalkeeper and Bath City manager, to be in charge of team affairs. On 14 July 1937 came the public announcement that the new club would be named Colchester United - a week after Davis' Yorkshire contacts enabled the players to be kitted out in the same blue and white strip as his former club Huddersfield. In the 1939–40 season, after just three Southern League games, the Second World War was declared and the club closed down until the war was over in 1945.

The determination of former Colchester Town player Syd Fieldus along with a couple of Directors kept the club alive but dormant during the war years. Fieldus was appointed Secretary-Manager for 1945–46, and liaising with Major Dai Rees, forged a strong relationship with the Garrison and as United only had four contracted players the Colchester team was complimented by servicemen of varying degrees of ability. Fieldus urged the board to appoint a full-time manager for the 1946–47 season. The new manager was no stranger to Layer Road. Ted Fenton, of West Ham fame, had turned out for Colchester Town in the early 1930s whilst a teenager. He had excellent contacts and wasted no time in assembling his team from an array of professionals looking for a new start after the long war years. Following a successful FA Cup run in 1947–48, he became assistant manager at West Ham in the summer of 1948.

Former Aston Villa and Portsmouth centre-half Jimmy Allen was given the reigns and the ex-England international took over the mandate to get Colchester into the Football League. Colchester were elected to the Football League in the summer of 1950 under Allen's management.[1] Allen resigned on May 2, 1953. Jack Butler, a former Arsenal player, was appointed Allen's replacement. Butler had been coaching in Belgium with the Royal Daring Club and had been in charge of the Belgian national team between 1935–40 leading them to the 1938 FIFA World Cup Finals. Suffering from a nervous breakdown Butler resigned in January 1955. The Board chose Benny Fenton to be player/manager. Fenton assembled his own squad for 1955–56. Fenton gained a reputation for spotting players in Scottish Junior football with the acquisition of John Fowler, Sammy McLeod and Bobby Hill.[2] Benny Fenton left and took over the manager's role at Orient in November 1963. Replacing him was former Stoke and England centre-half Neil Franklin. Suffering three relegations in eight seasons was too much and Franklin was sacked.

Colchester's new manager was Dick Graham. Graham then adopted a policy of employing an older more experienced player.[3] When the club held its AGM in September 1972, Graham was so incensed of the questioning, by a shareholder, of his team and tactics that he tendered his resignation. A month later an unknown Jim Smith was appointed manager. He had led Boston United to the Northern Premier League title. Smith left to join Second Division Blackburn in the summer of 1975. His coach Bobby Roberts was appointed manager.[4]

Following a drop in form, Roberts was asked to resign in April 1982. He refused and was promptly sacked a month later. Former Ipswich centre-half Allan Hunter accepted a player-manager's role and introduced former Ipswich coach Cyril Lea as his assistant for 1982–83. On the back of having to give up his own playing career through injury and the John Lyons' suicide, Hunter resigned in January 1982 with United in seventh place. Lea took over until the end of the campaign and won 8 of his first eleven games. Four defeats in 17 days during April cost U's and again they finished sixth just two points away from promotion. Four months after becoming caretaker, Lea was appointed full-time with Stewart Houston assisting. He had a good record and produced a free-scoring side but could not get the club over the promotion finishing line and was sacked.

Former goalkeeper Mike Walker, coach of U's reserves, took over as caretaker and United were unbeaten in the remaining eight matches - winning five. Walker had hoisted U's to seventh just nine points short of promotion. Walker was appointed full-time becoming Colchester's fourth manager of the 1980s. He was sensationally sacked by the chairman Jonathan Crisp as United were joint top of the Fourth Division. Crisp claimed Walker had resigned, but an alleged personal matter between the pair was said to have been the spark. Roger Brown took over the team. On 15 October 1988, Leyton Orient despatched Brown's sorry team by 8-0 at Brisbane Road. The manager's days were over, and caretaker Steve Foley disposed of Brown's misfits.

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Jock Wallace in charge with England World Cup winner Alan Ball as his assistant. Ball left for Stoke and it was a closely guarded secret that Wallace was very ill with the onset of Parkinson's Disease. Wallace moved upstairs and once again Foley was in temporary charge. Former Ipswich and England defender Mick Mills, recently sacked from Stoke, was made the new manager, as Colchester were relegated from the Football league to the Conference.[5]

The onus was on new Player Manager Ian Atkins to make an immediate return to the Football League. The U's, playing as a fully professional team, finished runners-up, as Atkins joined Birmingham as coach. The new chairman appointed Roy McDonough as manager, who had been Atkins' assistant. He led Colchester back to the Football League at the second attempt, winning the FA Trophy to complete a non-league double. Following a disappointing 1993–94 season, McDonough was sacked. Former Ipswich full-back George Burley was appointed McDonough's replacement in July 1994. Tapped up by Ipswich, who had been refused permission to speak to him, Burley walked out on fifth placed Colchester.

Dale Roberts became caretaker for United's first-ever encounter with a Premiership side in a cup tie against Wimbledon. Steve Wignall was named as new manager in January 1995. Under Wignall's management, the U's finished as runners-up in the 1997 Football League Trophy Final and won promotion via the 1998 Football League Third Division play-off Final. Wignall quit in 1999 citing that he had taken his team as far as he could and was frustrated at the role agents were playing in transfer deals he was trying to set up.

Steve Whitton, Wignall's assistant, became caretaker before Mick Wadsworth, former Scarborough manager, was appointed, keeping Whitton on as assistant.[6] Wadsworth later resigned, citing travelling distance to work as his main reason for leaving. Whitton was promoted to become manager in August 1999. After losing to Conference side Chester in the FA Cup at Layer Road and a run of seven games without a win he left by mutual consent in January 2003. Assistant Geraint Williams took caretaker charge, before Reading's player-coach Phil Parkinson as appointed as United's new boss. Under Parkinson, the U's reached the 5th round of the FA Cup and later achieved promotion to the Championship. Parkinson, however, resigned on June 13, 2006 to take over at Hull City.

Geraint Williams was charged with the daunting task of leading United in their first season in the Championship. The 10th placed finish they achieved in the 2006–07 season was the highest in the club's history making them 30th in the entire Football League. Colchester were relegated back to League One in 2008, and following a poor run, United were in the bottom four with a record of 1 League win from 6, as Williams was relieved of his duties. Assistant manager Kit Symons took charge for four games, but on 10 October 2008 former Wycombe manager Paul Lambert was unveiled as Colchester's new manager. He quickly inspired The U's to record their first home victory in a thumping 5-0 win over Carlisle 15 days later. On the first day of the 2009–10 season, United walloped Norwich in a truly sensational 7-1 thrashing at Carrow Road. Norwich approached the Colchester chairman over taking Lambert as their new manager following their sacking of Bryan Gunn. Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd was unveiled as successor to Lambert on 3 September 2009.[7]

In the summer of 2010, Boothroyd joined Coventry City as their new manager on a three-year deal after he led the U's to eighth place in League One.[8] Colchester promoted John Ward to be new manager following the departure of Boothroyd, having been his assistant.[9][10] After two mid table finishs Ward was sacked after a poor start to the 2012-13 Season, being replaced by his assistant Joe Dunne. Joe Dunne was replaced in 2014 by Tony Humes.

Managers

All first team matches are counted, except wartime matches.

Key
Highlight Description
Manager name Highlighted stint as caretaker manager

Statistics are correct as of 26 November 2015.

Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA GD Win % Honours Ref
Ted Davis  England 14 July 1937 2 September 1939 128 80 17 31 327 155 172 62.5 1938–39 Southern League champions
1939–40 Southern League Cup winners		 [11]
Syd Fieldus  England 1 August 1945 31 July 1946 30 10 7 13 49 69 −20 33.3 [11]
Ted Fenton  England 1 August 1946 31 May 1948 88 48 17 23 214 135 79 54.5 [11][12]
Jimmy Allen  England 1 July 1948 1 April 1953 249 108 59 82 433 380 53 43.4 1949–50 Southern League runners-up
1949–50 Southern League Cup winners		 [11][13]
Jack Butler  England 1 June 1953 31 January 1955 77 16 19 42 85 138 −53 20.8 [11][14]
Benny Fenton  England 1 February 1955 31 October 1963 427 166 107 154 736 733 3 38.9 1961–62 Fourth Division runners-up [11][15]
Neil Franklin  England 1 November 1963 1 May 1968 234 72 62 100 313 383 −70 30.8 [11][16]
Dick Graham  England 1 July 1968 8 September 1972 216 93 51 72 322 288 34 43.1 1971 Watney Cup winners [11][17]
Dennis Mochan  Scotland 8 September 1972 1 October 1972 5 0 2 3 2 8 −6 0.0 [11]
Jim Smith  England 1 October 1972 20 June 1975 140 55 36 49 198 167 31 39.3 [11][18]
Bobby Roberts  Scotland 20 June 1975 3 May 1982 375 143 108 124 504 451 53 38.1 [11][19]
Allan Hunter  Northern Ireland 5 May 1982 18 January 1983 36 17 7 12 51 39 12 47.2 [11][20]
Cyril Lea  Wales 1 February 1983 10 April 1986 173 71 46 56 294 243 51 41.0 [11][21]
Mike Walker  Wales 10 April 1986 1 November 1987 83 37 16 30 120 102 18 44.6 [11][22]
Roger Brown  England 1 November 1987 1 October 1988 48 16 12 20 46 68 −22 33.3 [11][23]
Steve Foley  England 1 October 1988 12 December 1988 18 5 5 8 28 31 −3 27.7 [11]
Jock Wallace  Scotland 12 December 1988 20 December 1989 52 12 16 24 63 87 −24 23.1 [11][24]
Steve Foley  England 20 December 1989 2 January 1990 3 2 0 1 5 3 2 66.6 [11][25]
Mick Mills  England 3 January 1990 9 May 1990 25 8 3 14 27 37 −10 32.0 [11][26]
Ian Atkins  England 1 June 1990 30 June 1991 51 30 11 10 80 46 34 58.8 1990–91 Conference runners-up [11][27]
Roy McDonough  England 1 July 1991 15 May 1994 155 69 33 53 271 226 45 44.5 1991–92 Conference winners
1992 FA Trophy winners		 [11][28]
George Burley  Scotland 1 June 1994 26 December 1994 26 12 6 8 41 38 3 46.2 [11][29]
Dale Roberts  England 26 December 1994 12 January 1995 5 1 1 3 5 7 −2 20.0 [11]
Steve Wignall  England 12 January 1995 21 January 1999 218 81 64 73 289 283 6 37.2 1998 Third Division play-off winners
1997 League Trophy runners-up		 [11][30]
Steve Whitton[A]  England 21 January 1999 28 January 1999 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 0.0 [11][31]
Mick Wadsworth  England 28 January 1999 25 August 1999 24 7 7 10 28 41 −13 29.2 [11][32]
Steve Whitton  England 25 August 1999 29 January 2003 180 52 44 84 221 287 −66 28.8 [11][31]
Geraint Williams  Wales 29 January 2003 25 February 2003 5 2 3 0 4 4 0 40.0 [11][33]
Phil Parkinson  England 25 February 2003 14 June 2006 187 79 54 54 256 203 53 42.8 2006 League One runners-up [11][34]
Geraint Williams  Wales 28 July 2006 22 September 2008 104 31 27 46 146 161 −15 29.8 [11][33]
Kit Symons  Wales 22 September 2008 9 October 2008 5 2 0 3 8 9 −1 40.0 [11]
Paul Lambert  Scotland 9 October 2008 18 August 2009 42 19 7 16 55 43 12 45.2 [11][35]
Joe Dunne  Ireland 18 August 2009 1 September 2009 4 1 1 2 5 6 −1 25.0 [11][36]
Aidy Boothroyd  England 2 September 2009 20 May 2010 44 19 12 13 56 52 4 43.2 2009–10 Essex Senior Cup winners [11][37]
John Ward  England 31 May 2010 24 September 2012 111 33 39 39 139 169 −24 29.7 [11][38]
Joe Dunne  Ireland 27 September 2012 1 September 2014 45 16 10 19 80 100 −20 28.4 [11][36]
Tony Humes  England 1 September 2014 26 November 2015 67 22 15 30 101 126 −25 32.8 [11][39]

Notes

A. ^ : Steve Whitton was joint caretaker manager with Micky Cook for a single match in January 1999.

References

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  11. ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 11.16 11.17 11.18 11.19 11.20 11.21 11.22 11.23 11.24 11.25 11.26 11.27 11.28 11.29 11.30 11.31 11.32 11.33 11.34 11.35 11.36 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Joe_Dunne" defined multiple times with different content
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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