| 1988–89 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Jonathan Crisp[1] | |
| Manager | Roger Brown (until 15 October) Steve Foley (caretaker) (21 October until 12 January) Jock Wallace (from 12 January) | |
| Stadium | Layer Road | |
| Fourth Division | 22nd | |
| FA Cup | 4th round (eliminated by Sheffield United) | |
| League Cup | 1st round (eliminated by Northampton Town) | |
| Associate Members' Cup | Quarter-final (southern section) (eliminated by Hereford United) | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Mario Walsh (9) All: Mario Walsh (15) | |
| Highest home attendance | 7,588 vSheffield United, 31 January 1989[2] | |
| Lowest home attendance | 993 vSouthend United, 20 December 1988[3] | |
| Average home league attendance | 2,871[4] | |
| Biggest win | 4–0 vExeter City, 5 May 1989 | |
| Biggest defeat | 0–8 vLeyton Orient, 15 October 1988 | |
The 1988–89 season wasColchester United's 47th season in their history and eighth consecutive season in fourth tier ofEnglish football, theFourth Division. Alongside competing in the Fourth Division, the club also participated in theFA Cup, theLeague Cup and theAssociate Members' Cup.
Roger Brown's unsuccessful tenure came to and end following a club record 8–0 defeat atLeyton Orient in October. With the club languishing bottom of the entire football league, formerRangersmanagerJock Wallace boosted the club and helped them avoid relegation to theConference, ending the season 22nd of 24 clubs.
Remarkably, Colchester had a successful FA Cup run as they saw offFulham,Swansea City andShrewsbury Town on their way to a fourth round tie withSheffield United, who knocked out the U's following aLayer Road replay. They again reached the area quarter-final of the Associate Members' Cup where they were defeated byHereford United, and a 5–0 thrashing atNorthampton Town spelt an early exit from the League Cup.
Following a club record 8–0 defeat atLeyton Orient on 15 October,Roger Brown was dismissed from his position asmanager. With the club bottom of the entireFootball League for the first time since 1972,Steve Foley once again stepped up ascaretaker manager. Under Foley's stewardship, the U's embarked on a successfulFA Cup run, where they defeatedThird DivisionFulham andSecond DivisionSwansea City andShrewsbury Town. However, Third DivisionSheffield United won 2–0 in a replay atLayer Road to progress to the fifth round.
Just weeks after signing for the club for £35,000,Paul McGee was sold toWimbledon for a club record fee of £150,000, representing a huge profit in a short period of time.
Incoming as Brown's replacement was formerRangers managerJock Wallace, withEnglandWorld Cup winnerAlan Ball his assistant. The impact of Wallace's appointment was instantaneous, with crowds rising over 3,500 the town became gripped by his passion and desire to avoidrelegation to theConference.
On 29 April, the U's travelled to their closest rivalsDarlington, a game which Colchester won 2–1 thanks to aRobert Scott goal. The win lifted Colchester off the bottom of the league table for the first time since Brown's departure, and two successive home wins againstHalifax Town andExeter City confirmed Colchester'sFourth Division status for another year.
Meanwhile, in theLeague Cup, Colchester suffered an early exit following a 0–0 draw at home toNorthampton Town and then a 5–0 hammering at theCounty Ground in the return leg. In theAssociate Members' Cup, Colchester won their two group stage games againstLincoln City andSouthend United, before regaining some pride by beating Leyton Orient at Layer Road to progress to the area quarter-final. They were then beaten 1–0 by visitorsHereford United.[5]
| Name | Position | Nationality | Place of birth | Date of birth | Apps | Goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||||
| Mark Walton | GK |  | Merthyr Tydfil | (1969-06-01)1 June 1969 (aged 19) | 24 | 0 |  Luton Town | 26 December 1987[a] | £17,500 | ||
| Defenders | |||||||||||
| Phil Coleman | FB | | Woolwich | (1960-09-08)8 September 1960 (aged 27) | 105 | 7 |  MyPa | December 1988 | Free transfer | ||
| Scott Daniels | CB | | South Benfleet | (1969-11-22)22 November 1969 (aged 18) | 1 | 0 | Apprentice | 23 April 1988[b] | Free transfer | ||
| Tony English | DF/MF | | Luton | (1966-10-19)19 October 1966 (aged 21) | 166 | 23 | Coventry City | 24 December 1984 | Free transfer | ||
| Stuart Hicks | CB | | Peterborough | (1967-05-30)30 May 1967 (aged 21) | 7 | 0 | Wisbech Town | March 1988 | Free transfer | ||
| Colin Hill | CB |  | Uxbridge | (1963-11-12)12 November 1963 (aged 24) | 30 | 1 |  Marítimo | 30 October 1987[b] | Undisclosed | ||
| John Pollard | CB | | Chelmsford | (1971-11-17)17 November 1971 (aged 16) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | 5 May 1989[b] | Free transfer | ||
| Rodney Rooke | FB | | Orsett | (1970-04-07)7 April 1970 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | Summer 1988 | Non-contract | ||
| Robert Scott | FB |  | Broxburn | (1964-01-13)13 January 1964 (aged 24) | 0 | 0 | Whitburn Junior | 24 March 1989[b] | Free transfer | ||
| Clive Stafford | FB | | Ipswich | (1963-04-04)4 April 1963 (aged 25) | 0 | 0 | Diss Town | February 1989 | Unknown | ||
| Midfielders | |||||||||||
| Mark Radford | MF | | Leicester | (1968-12-20)20 December 1968 (aged 19) | 16 | 0 | Apprentice | 26 January 1987[b] | Free transfer | ||
| Les Taylor | MF | | North Shields | (1956-12-04)4 December 1956 (aged 31) | 0 | 0 | Reading | January 1989 | £20,000 | ||
| Richard Wilkins | MF/DF | | Lambeth | (1965-05-28)28 May 1965 (aged 23) | 84 | 15 | Haverhill Rovers | 18 November 1986[b] | Undisclosed | ||
| Forwards | |||||||||||
| Ian Allinson | WG | | Hitchin | (1957-10-01)1 October 1957 (aged 30) | 363 | 82 | Luton Town | 16 December 1988[c] | Free transfer | ||
| Gary Bennett | WG | | Enfield Town | (1970-11-13)13 November 1970 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Tottenham Hotpsur | 21 October 1988[b] | Free transfer | ||
| Steve Restarick | FW | | Barking | (1971-11-28)28 November 1971 (aged 16) | 0 | 0 | West Ham United | Early 1988–89 season | Free transfer | ||
| Mario Walsh | FW | | Paddington | (1966-01-19)19 January 1966 (aged 22) | 15 | 2 | Torquay United | Summer 1987 | £15,000 | ||
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1988 | FB | | Kevin Bedford | Wimbledon | Undisclosed | [7] |
| Summer 1988 | FB | | Steve Cartwright | Tamworth | Free transfer | [8] |
| Summer 1988 | FB | | Rodney Rooke | Apprentice | Non-contract | [9] |
| Summer 1988 | FB | | Dave Swindlehurst | Wimbledon | Undisclosed | [10] |
| Summer 1988 | MF | | Dave Barnett | Windsor & Eton | Undisclosed | [11] |
| Early 1988–89 season | FW | | Steve Restarick | West Ham United | Free transfer | [12] |
| October 1988 | WG | | Ian Brown | Harwich & Parkeston | Non-contract | [13] |
| 21 October 1988 | WG | | Gary Bennett | Tottenham Hotspur | Free transfer | [14][a] |
| 11 November 1988 | GK | | Mark Coombe | Bristol City | Non-contract | [15][a] |
| December 1988 | FB | | Phil Coleman | MyPa | Free transfer | [16] |
| 16 December 1988 | WG | | Ian Allinson | Luton Town | Free transfer | [17][b] |
| January 1989 | MF | | Les Taylor | Reading | £20,000 | [18] |
| February 1989 | FB | | Clive Stafford | Diss Town | Unknown | [19] |
| 8 February 1989 | WG |  | Paul McGee | Bohemian | £35,000 | [20] |
| 18 February 1989 | FW | | John Warner | Burnham Ramblers | Free transfer | [21] |
| 24 March 1989 | FB | | Robert Scott | Whitburn Junior | Free transfer | [22][a] |
| 5 May 1989 | CB | | John Pollard | Apprentice | Free transfer | [23][a] |
~ £55,000
~ £267,500| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 October 1988 | MF | | Tony Kelly | West Bromwich Albion | 21 January 1989 | [35][a] |
| February 1989 | GK | | Tom McAlister | West Ham United | 1 May 1989 | [36][a] |
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1988 | FB | | Dave Swindlehurst | Peterborough United | December 1988 | [10] |
| 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 | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A |
| Result | W | D | L | D | W | L | L | W | L | L | L | L | D | L | L | D | L | L | D | L | L | D | L | L | D | D | W | W | D | L | W | L | L | D | L | W | D | L | D | D | D | W | W | W | W | W |
| Position | 8 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Stockport County | 46 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 54 | 52 | +2 | 51 | |
| 21 | Halifax Town | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 69 | 75 | −6 | 50 | |
| 22 | Colchester United | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 60 | 78 | −18 | 50 | |
| 23 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 49 | 78 | −29 | 49 | |
| 24 | Darlington(R) | 46 | 8 | 18 | 20 | 53 | 76 | −23 | 42 | Relegation to theFootball Conference |
| 27 August 1988 (1988-08-27)1 | Colchester United | 1–0 | York City | Colchester |
| 15:00BST | Tempest 58'Barnett   | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,664 Referee: R Pawley |
| 2 September 1988 (1988-09-02)2 | Tranmere Rovers | 0–0 | Colchester United | Birkenhead |
| Report | Stadium:Prenton Park Attendance: 3,401 Referee:Keith Cooper |
| 9 September 1988 (1988-09-09)3 | Colchester United | 0–1 | Doncaster Rovers | Colchester |
| Report | Rankine 80' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,726 Referee: J Moules |
| 16 September 1988 (1988-09-16)4 | Wrexham | 2–2 | Colchester United | Wrexham |
| Hunter 55' Cooper 68' | Report | Swindlehurst 17' Tempest 83' | Stadium:Racecourse Ground Attendance: 2,873 Referee: R Hamer |
| 20 September 1988 (1988-09-20)5 | Colchester United | 3–1 | Scarborough | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | Swindlehurst 23' (pen.) Tempest 88'Wilkins 90' | Report | Cook 50' (pen.) | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,420 Referee: Kelvin Morton |
| 24 September 1988 (1988-09-24)6 | Burnley | 2–0 | Colchester United | Burnley |
| Rowell 43' O'Connell 55' | Report | Stadium:Turf Moor Attendance: 7,177 Referee:Alan Wilkie |
| 1 October 1988 (1988-10-01)7 | Colchester United | 1–3 | Lincoln City | Colchester |
| Swindlehurst 14' | Report | Hobson 5',90' Hill 51' (o.g.) | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,529 Referee: M James |
| 4 October 1988 (1988-10-04)8 | Carlisle United | 1–2 | Colchester United | Carlisle |
| Sendall 48' | Report | Tempest 47' Swindlehurst 61' | Stadium:Brunton Park Attendance: 2,193 Referee: A Simmons |
| 8 October 1988 (1988-10-08)9 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Scunthorpe United | Colchester |
| Hedman 28' Barnett 78' | Report | Flounders 13' Richardson 86' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,299 Referee: Ian Borrett |
| 15 October 1988 (1988-10-15)10 | Leyton Orient | 8–0 | Colchester United | Leyton |
| Hull 8',53',74' Sitton 11'Baker 20'Comfort 41'Hales 85' (pen.)Day 90' | Report | Stadium:Brisbane Road Attendance: 3,421 Referee:Paul Durkin |
| 21 October 1988 (1988-10-21)11 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Cambridge United | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | English 88' | Report | Anderson 65',79' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,138 Referee: G Pooley |
| 25 October 1988 (1988-10-25)12 | Rotherham United | 2–0 | Colchester United | Rotherham |
| Green 48' Williamson 90' | Report | Stadium:Millmoor Attendance: 4,066 Referee:John Lloyd |
| 28 October 1988 (1988-10-28)13 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Stockport County | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Tempest 37' | Report | Hill 48' (o.g.) | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,643 Referee:Paul Alcock |
| 4 November 1988 (1988-11-04)14 | Crewe Alexandra | 3–1 | Colchester United | Crewe |
| Gardiner 13' Edwards 63'Callaghan 76' | Report | Walsh 9' | Stadium:Gresty Road Attendance: 2,787 Referee:David Allison |
| 8 November 1988 (1988-11-08)15 | Halifax Town | 3–2 | Colchester United | Halifax |
| Martin 42' McPhillips 45' (pen.),87' | Report | Kelly 13' Wilkins 84' | Stadium:The Shay Attendance: 2,176 Referee:Joe Timmons |
| 11 November 1988 (1988-11-11)16 | Colchester United | 2–2 | Torquay United | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | English 13' Kelly 85' | Report | Loram 62' Thompson 90' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,926 Referee:David Elleray |
| 25 November 1988 (1988-11-25)17 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Darlington | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Radford 72' | Report | Worthington 26' (pen.),62' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,550 Referee:Tony Ward |
| 3 December 1988 (1988-12-03)18 | Exeter City | 4–2 | Colchester United | Exeter |
| Taylor 18' Neville 30'Hiley 53'Rowbotham 88' | Report | Swindlehurst 25' Tempest 79' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 2,132 Referee:Keith Cooper |
| 16 December 1988 (1988-12-16)19 | Rochdale | 1–1 | Colchester United | Rochdale |
| O'Shaughnessy 29' | Report | Walsh 58' | Stadium:Spotland Stadium Attendance: 1,258 Referee: J Key |
| 26 December 1988 (1988-12-26)20 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Peterborough United | Colchester |
| 15:00GMT | Walsh 65' | Report | Gunn 44' (pen.) McElhinney 87' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,828 Referee: I Hemley |
| 30 December 1988 (1988-12-30)21 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Hartlepool United | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | English 45' | Report | Borthwick 67' Stokes 78' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,359 Referee: Vic Callow |
| 2 January 1989 (1989-01-02)22 | Grimsby Town | 2–2 | Colchester United | Cleethorpes |
| O'Kelly 14' Alexander 26' | Report | Wilkins 32' Allinson 76' | Stadium:Blundell Park Attendance: 4,472 Referee:Stephen Lodge |
| 13 January 1989 (1989-01-13)23 | Colchester United | 2–3 | Tranmere Rovers | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Walsh 16',50' | Report | McCarrick 53' Harvey 61'Vickers 89' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,458 Referee: M James |
| 21 January 1989 (1989-01-21)24 | York City | 2–0 | Colchester United | York |
| Dixon 33' Howlett 66' | Report | Stadium:Bootham Crescent Attendance: 2,219 Referee:Roger Dilkes |
| 4 February 1989 (1989-02-04)25 | Scarborough | 0–0 | Colchester United | Scarborough |
| Report | Stadium:Athletic Ground Attendance: 1,913 Referee:Keith Hackett |
| 10 February 1989 (1989-02-10)26 | Colchester United | 2–2 | Burnley | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Allinson 62' Walsh 74' | Report | White 14',16' (pen.) | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,809 Referee: M Bailey |
| 18 February 1989 (1989-02-18)27 | Scunthorpe United | 2–3 | Colchester United | Scunthorpe |
| Lister 57' Nicol 75' | Report | Wilkins 10' English 23'Warner 84' | Stadium:Glanford Park Attendance: 4,286 Referee: K Redfearn |
| 24 February 1989 (1989-02-24)28 | Colchester United | 1–0 | Leyton Orient | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Allinson 20' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 4,269 Referee: Ian Borrett |
| 28 February 1989 (1989-02-28)29 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Rotherham United | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Allinson 81' | Report | Grealish 27' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,671 Referee: D Hedges |
| 5 March 1989 (1989-03-05)30 | Cambridge United | 3–1 | Colchester United | Cambridge |
| Taylor 32' Leadbitter 42'Ryan 53' | Report | Wilkins 30' | Stadium:Abbey Stadium Attendance: 4,205 Referee: J Moules |
| 10 March 1989 (1989-03-10)31 | Colchester United | 2–1 | Crewe Alexandra | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | English 19',82' | Report | Murphy 43' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,088 Referee: A Seville |
| 13 March 1989 (1989-03-13)32 | Stockport County | 1–0 | Colchester United | Stockport |
| Cooke 49' | Report | Stadium:Edgeley Park Attendance: 2,027 Referee:George Courtney |
| 18 March 1989 (1989-03-18)33 | Doncaster Rovers | 3–1 | Colchester United | Doncaster |
| Rankine 22',38' Jones 89' | Report | Walsh 16' 84' | Stadium:Belle Vue Attendance: 1,237 Referee: R Pawley |
| 24 March 1989 (1989-03-24)34 | Colchester United | 0–0 | Grimsby Town | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 4,507 Referee: Alan Gunn |
| 27 March 1989 (1989-03-27)35 | Peterborough United | 3–0 | Colchester United | Peterborough |
| Hetzke 34' (o.g.) Longhurst 85',90' | Report | Hetzke 88' | Stadium:London Road Stadium Attendance: 3,529 Referee: D Reeves |
| 31 March 1989 (1989-03-31)36 | Colchester United | 3–0 | Rochdale | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | Scott 50' Bennett Wilkins 75' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,631 Referee: D Axcell |
| 4 April 1989 (1989-04-04)37 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Hereford United | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | English 35' | Report | Bradley 27' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,862 Referee: I Hemley |
| 8 April 1989 (1989-04-08)38 | Hartlepool United | 2–1 | Colchester United | Hartlepool |
| Tinkler 47' Barker 69' | Report | Scott 66' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 2,015 Referee: I Hendrick |
| 12 April 1989 (1989-04-12)39 | Hereford United | 1–1 | Colchester United | Hereford |
| McLoughlin 85' | Report | Scott 44' | Stadium:Edgar Street Attendance: 2,015 Referee: Roger Gifford |
| 15 April 1989 (1989-04-15)40 | Lincoln City | 1–1 | Colchester United | Lincoln |
| McGinley 62' | Report | Wilkins 83' | Stadium:Sincil Bank Attendance: 3,519 Referee: T West |
| 21 April 1989 (1989-04-21)41 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Carlisle United | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | Scott 90' | Report | Proudlock 44' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,906 Referee:Brian Hill |
| 25 April 1989 (1989-04-25)42 | Colchester United | 2–1 | Wrexham | Colchester |
| Allinson 26' Hetzke 88' | Report | Russell 40' Buxton 73' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,918 Referee: Kelvin Morton |
| 29 April 1989 (1989-04-29)43 | Darlington | 1–2 | Colchester United | Darlington |
| Bonnyman 21' (pen.) | Report | Walsh 39' Scott 66' | Stadium:Feethams Attendance: 7,126 Referee:Keith Hackett |
| 1 May 1989 (1989-05-01)44 | Colchester United | 3–2 | Halifax Town | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | Wilkins 61' Warner 74'Allinson 79' (pen.) | Report | Hill 27' (o.g.) McPhillips 54' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 5,065 Referee: Phil Don |
| 5 May 1989 (1989-05-05)45 | Colchester United | 4–0 | Exeter City | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | Walsh 5' Allinson 40'Pollard 83'English 90' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 5,256 Referee: J Ashworth |
| 13 May 1989 (1989-05-13)46 | Torquay United | 1–3 | Colchester United | Torquay |
| Allinson 46' (o.g.) | Report | Warner 52' Hetzke 88'Tempest 90' | Stadium:Plainmoor Attendance: 2,066 Referee: J Deakin |
| 29 August 1988 (1988-08-29)1st round 1st leg | Colchester United | 0–0 | Northampton Town | Colchester |
| 19:30BST | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,678 Referee: Phil Don |
| 6 September 1988 (1988-09-06)1st round 2nd leg | Northampton Town | 5–0 | Colchester United | Northampton |
| Singleton 9' Culpin 27'Adcock 43',81'Gilbert 68' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:County Ground Attendance: 3,957 | ||
| Note: Northampton won 5–0 on aggregate. | ||||
| 19 November 1988 (1988-11-19)1st round | Fulham | 0–1 | Colchester United | Fulham |
| Report | Walsh 10' | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 4,481 Referee: J Moules |
| 10 December 1988 (1988-12-10)2nd round | Colchester United | 2–2 | Swansea City | Colchester |
| 15:00GMT | Hedman 13' Wilkins 66' | Report | Coleman 38' Melville 66' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,697 Referee:Keith Cooper |
| 13 February 1988 (1988-02-13)2nd round replay | Swansea City | 1–3 | Colchester United | Swansea |
| Wade 55' | Report | Hedman 9' Walsh 39'Wilkins 65' | Stadium:Vetch Field Attendance: 4,045 Referee:Keith Cooper |
| 7 January 1989 (1989-01-07)3rd round | Shrewsbury Town | 0–3 | Colchester United | Shrewsbury |
| Report | Walsh 17' Pratley 47' (o.g.)Allinson 85' (pen.) | Stadium:Gay Meadow Attendance: 3,982 Referee: R Nixon |
| 28 January 1989 (1989-01-28)4th round | Sheffield United | 3–3 | Colchester United | Sheffield |
| 15:00GMT | Todd 40' Deane 58'Bryson 72' | Report | Hicks 27' Hill 37'Hetzke 81' | Stadium:Bramall Lane Attendance: 14,406 Referee: Alan Gunn |
| 31 January 1989 (1989-01-31)4th round replay | Colchester United | 0–2 | Sheffield United | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Report | Deane 3',76' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 7,588 Referee: Alan Gunn |
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester United (Q) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| Southend United(Q) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Lincoln City | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
(Q) Qualified for next round
| 30 November 1988 (1988-11-30)Preliminary round (southern section) | Lincoln City | 1–2 | Colchester United | Lincoln |
| Gamble 57' (pen.) | Report | Walsh 55',85' | Stadium:Sincil Bank Attendance: 1,448 Referee: G Stones |
| 20 December 1988 (1988-12-20)Preliminary round (southern section) | Colchester United | 2–1 | Southend United | Colchester |
| Tempest 23' Swindlehurst 90' | Report | Young 29' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 993 Referee: D Vickers |
| 17 January 1989 (1989-01-17)1st round (southern section) | Colchester United | 3–1 | Leyton Orient | Colchester |
| 19:30GMT | Walsh 27' Allinson 58'Wilkins 77' | Report | Hull 66' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,736 Referee: R Wiseman |
| 14 February 1989 (1989-02-14)Quarter-final (southern section) | Colchester United | 0–1 | Hereford United | Colchester |
| Report | Stant 18' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,059 Referee: Alf Buksh |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| GK | WAL | Mark Walton | 32 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Phil Coleman | 14 | 0 | 6+4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Scott Daniels | 34 | 0 | 18+8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Tony English | 45 | 8 | 36 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Stuart Hicks | 46 | 1 | 34+3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| DF | NIR | Colin Hill | 52 | 1 | 42+2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | John Pollard | 2 | 1 | 0+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Rodney Rooke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO | Robert Scott | 12 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Clive Stafford | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Mark Radford | 36 | 1 | 16+14 | 1 | 2+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Les Taylor | 16 | 0 | 14+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Richard Wilkins | 47 | 11 | 39+1 | 8 | 2+1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 | |
| FW | ENG | Ian Allinson | 31 | 9 | 24+1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| FW | ENG | Gary Bennett | 9 | 1 | 6+3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | ENG | Mario Walsh | 36 | 15 | 25+2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season | |||||||||||||
| GK | ENG | Mark Coombe | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| GK | SCO | Tom McAlister | 21 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Kevin Bedford | 36 | 0 | 24+2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Steve Cartwright | 12 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Stephen Grenfell | 9 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Rudi Hedman | 22 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Steve Hetzke | 32 | 3 | 22+2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Dave Swindlehurst | 18 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| MF | ENG | Dave Barnett | 30 | 0 | 19+1 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Nick Chatterton | 4 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Tony Kelly | 20 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| FW | ENG | Lee Hunter | 8 | 0 | 4+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | IRL | Paul McGee | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| FW | ENG | Dale Tempest | 41 | 8 | 25+8 | 7 | 3+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| FW | ENG | John Warner | 15 | 3 | 7+8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | ENG | Winston White | 12 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Place | Nationality | Position | Name | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | FW | Mario Walsh | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 | | MF/DF | Richard Wilkins | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 3 | | WG | Ian Allinson | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | | DF/MF | Tony English | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
 | FW | Dale Tempest | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| 6 | | FB | Dave Swindlehurst | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | | FB | Robert Scott | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | | CB | Rudi Hedman | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| CB | Steve Hetzke | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| FW | John Warner | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | | MF | Tony Kelly | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | | WG | Gary Bennett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| CB | Stuart Hicks | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| CB | Colin Hill | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| CB | John Pollard | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | Mark Radford | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Own goals | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| TOTALS | 60 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 79 | |||
| Nationality | Position | Name | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | |||
| MF | Dave Barnett | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| CB | Steve Hetzke | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | Mario Walsh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
Number of games goalkeepers kept aclean sheet.[39]
| Place | Nationality | Player | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Tom McAlister | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mark Walton | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | | Mark Coombe | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||
Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[40]
| Position | Nationality | Player | Date | Opponent | Ground | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | | Dave Barnett | 27 August 1988 | York City | Layer Road | |
| FB | | Steve Cartwright | 27 August 1988 | York City | Layer Road | |
| FB | | Dave Swindlehurst | 27 August 1988 | York City | Layer Road | |
| FB | | Kevin Bedford | 2 September 1988 | Tranmere Rovers | Prenton Park | |
| WG | | Gary Bennett | 21 October 1988 | Cambridge United | Layer Road | |
| MF | | Tony Kelly | 25 October 1988 | Rotherham United | Millmoor | |
| GK | | Mark Coombe | 11 November 1988 | Torquay United | Layer Road | |
| WG | | Ian Allinson | 16 December 1988 | Rochdale | Spotland Stadium | [41][a] |
| FB | | Phil Coleman | 20 December 1988 | Southend United | Layer Road | [42][a] |
| FB | | Rodney Rooke | 20 December 1988 | Southend United | Layer Road | |
| MF | | Les Taylor | 13 January 1989 | Tranmere Rovers | Layer Road | |
| GK | | Tom McAlister | 4 February 1989 | Scarborough | Athletic Ground | |
| WG | | Paul McGee | 10 February 1989 | Burnley | Layer Road | |
| FW | | John Warner | 18 February 1989 | Scunthorpe United | Glanford Park | |
| FB | | Clive Stafford | 5 March 1989 | Cambridge United | Abbey Stadium | |
| FB | | Robert Scott | 24 March 1989 | Grimsby Town | Layer Road | |
| CB | | John Pollard | 5 May 1989 | Exeter City | Layer Road |
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