| 1980–81 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Jack Rippingale[1] | |
| Manager | Bobby Roberts | |
| Stadium | Layer Road | |
| Third Division | 22nd (relegated) | |
| FA Cup | 3rd round (eliminated by Watford) | |
| League Cup | 1st round (eliminated by Gillingham) | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Kevin Bremner (10) All: Kevin Bremner (8) | |
| Highest home attendance | 7,769 vWatford, 3 January 1981[2] | |
| Lowest home attendance | 1,430 vCarlisle United, 2 May 1981[3] | |
| Average home league attendance | 2,956[4] | |
| Biggest win | 3–0 vMillwall, 13 September 1980 vPortsmouth, 22 November 1980 vOxford United, 29 November 1980 | |
| Biggest defeat | 0–4 vExeter City, 30 August 1980 vCarlisle United, 6 December 1980 | |
The1980–81 season wasColchester United's 39th season in their history and fourth successive season in third tier ofEnglish football, theThird Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in theFA Cup and theLeague Cup.
On the back of the success of the previous season, Colchester crashed out of the Third Division, relegated in 22nd-position. Several winless streaks contributed to their downfall. In the cup competitions, the U's were defeated in the first round of the League Cup byGillingham, whileWatford overcame Colchester in the third round of the FA Cup.
The club's chairman warned financial difficulties would result in an exodus of players, but in the summer months, onlySteve Dowman left the club, joiningWrexham for £75,000. The club also received their first-ever shirt sponsorship fromRoyal London Insurance.
In the opening game of the season in theLeague Cup againstGillingham, debutantNigel Crouch became the first Colchester player to besent off on their debut following an altercation with Gillingham'sSteve Bruce. Colchester failed to win any of their opening eight games. When they beatMillwall 3–0 in their ninth game, it attracted national media coverage. Sergeant Frank Ruggles ofEssex Police marched on the field during play and attempted to arrest MillwalldefenderMel Blyth for swearing.
ManagerBobby Roberts signed unknownHighland League playerKevin Bremner for a then-club record £25,000. Following this came six consecutive home wins, and Colchester were well-placed in the table by Christmas. However, afterTrevor Lee moved toGillingham for a club record deal worth £90,000, the U's form dipped and they began to slip down the table again. In response to this, on transfer deadline day, Roberts matched Colchester's record fee paid for Bremner, signingRoger Osborne fromIpswich Town, while also paying £15,000 each forRoy McDonough andPhil Coleman.
Eight games without a win from March to the penultimate game of the season ensured Colchester were relegated by just two points. Amid news of a 25,000 all-seater stadium development in the pipeline, the stark reality was that a new all-time low attendance of 1,430 witnessed the final day 1–0 win overCarlisle United, with a league average of just 2,641.
Despite relegation, Roberts was given a vote of confidence by the board, while the local Council refused the new stadium plans ensuring the U's would remain atLayer Road for the foreseeable future.[5]
| Name | Position | Nationality | Place of birth | Date of birth | Apps | Goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||||
| Ian Cranstone | GK |  | Rochford | 0 | 0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Summer 1977 | Free transfer | |||
| Bobby Hamilton | GK | 0 | 0 | Unknown | Summer 1977 | ||||||
| Mike Walker | GK |  | Colwyn Bay | (1945-11-28)28 November 1945 (aged 34) | 366 | 0 | Watford | July 1973 | £4,000 | ||
| Defenders | |||||||||||
| Phil Coleman | FB | | Woolwich | (1960-09-08)8 September 1960 (aged 19) | 0 | 0 | Millwall | February 1981 | £15,000 | ||
| Micky Cook | FB | | Enfield | (1951-04-09)9 April 1951 (aged 29) | 501 | 15 | Orient | 1 March 1969 | Free transfer | ||
| Nigel Crouch | FB | | Ardleigh | (1958-11-24)24 November 1958 (aged 21) | 0 | 0 | Ipswich Town | Summer 1980 | Free transfer | ||
| Leo Cusenza | FB | | Edmonton | (1963-02-20)20 February 1963 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | Summer 1979 | Free transfer | ||
| Mick Packer | FB | | Willesden | (1950-04-20)20 April 1950 (aged 30) | 317 | 18 | Watford | July 1973 | Free transfer | ||
| Steve Wignall | CB | | Liverpool | (1954-09-17)17 September 1954 (aged 25) | 135 | 9 | Doncaster Rovers | September 1977 | £5,000 | ||
| Steve Wright | CB | | Clacton-on-Sea | (1959-06-16)16 June 1959 (aged 20) | 76 | 2 | Woods Athletic | 1 October 1977 | Free transfer | ||
| Midfielders | |||||||||||
| Russell Cotton | MF | | Wellington | (1960-04-04)4 April 1960 (aged 20) | 7 | 0 | Apprentice | 26 October 1977 | Free transfer | ||
| Tony Evans | MF | | Colchester | (1960-03-14)14 March 1960 (aged 20) | 22 | 2 | Apprentice | 4 March 1978[a] | Free transfer | ||
| Steve Foley | MF | | Clacton-on-Sea | (1953-06-21)21 June 1953 (aged 26) | 276 | 51 | Apprentice | July 1969 | Free transfer | ||
| Steve Leslie | MF | | Hornsey | (1952-09-04)4 September 1952 (aged 27) | 344 | 41 | Apprentice | 20 April 1971[a] | Free transfer | ||
| Dennis Longhorn | MF | | Hythe | (1950-09-12)12 September 1950 (aged 29) | 0 | 0 | Aldershot | May 1980 | Free transfer | ||
| Roger Osborne | MF | | Otley | (1950-03-09)9 March 1950 (aged 30) | 0 | 0 | Ipswich Town | February 1981 | £25,000 | ||
| Eddie Rowles | MF | | Gosport | (1951-03-10)10 March 1951 (aged 29) | 71 | 18 | Darlington | 26 December 1977[a] | £15,000 | ||
| Forwards | |||||||||||
| Tony Adcock | FW | | Bethnal Green | (1963-03-27)27 March 1963 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Apprentice | 31 March 1981 | Free transfer | ||
| Ian Allinson | WG | | Hitchin | (1957-10-01)1 October 1957 (aged 22) | 205 | 23 | Apprentice | Summer 1974 | Free transfer | ||
| Kevin Bremner | FW |  | Banff | (1957-10-07)7 October 1957 (aged 22) | 0 | 0 | Keith | October 1980 | £25,000 | ||
| Gary Harvey | FW | | Colchester | (1961-11-19)19 November 1961 (aged 18) | 4 | 2 | Apprentice | March 1978 | Free transfer | ||
| Bobby Hodge | WG | | Exeter | (1952-04-30)30 April 1952 (aged 28) | 82 | 10 | Exeter City | September 1978 | £15,000 | ||
| Roy McDonough | FW | | Solihull | (1958-10-16)16 October 1958 (aged 21) | 0 | 0 | Chelsea | February 1981 | £15,000 | ||
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1980 | FB | | Nigel Crouch | Ipswich Town | Free transfer | [7] |
| May 1980 | MF | | Dennis Longhorn | Aldershot | Free transfer | [8] |
| October 1980 | FW | | Kevin Bremner | Keith | £25,000 | [9] |
| February 1981 | FB | | Phil Coleman | Millwall | £15,000 | [10] |
| February 1981 | MF | | Roger Osborne | Ipswich Town | £25,000 | [11] |
| February 1981 | FW | | Roy McDonough | Chelsea | £15,000 | [12] |
| 31 March 1981 | FW | | Tony Adcock | Apprentice | Free transfer | [13] |
~ £80,000| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of season | CB | | Steve Dowman | Wrexham | £75,000 | [14] |
| 3 January 1981 | FW | | Trevor Lee | Gillingham | £90,000 | [15][a] |
| March 1981 | FW | | Bobby Gough | Hendon | Released | [16] |
~ £170,000| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Late 1980 | MF | | Tony Evans |  Kongsvinger | Late 1980 | [17] |
| Late 1980 | FW | | Gary Harvey | Kongsvinger | Late 1980 | [18] |
| 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 | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | A | H |
| Result | D | L | D | L | L | W | D | W | D | L | L | W | D | D | L | D | W | L | L | W | W | D | W | L | W | L | W | W | L | L | L | L | W | D | W | L | W | L | L | D | L | L | D | L | L | W |
| Position | 9 | 16 | 15 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 59 | 74 | −15 | 41 | |
| 21 | Sheffield United(R) | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 65 | 63 | +2 | 40 | Relegation to theFourth Division |
| 22 | Colchester United(R) | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 45 | 65 | −20 | 39 | |
| 23 | Blackpool(R) | 46 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 45 | 75 | −30 | 32 | |
| 24 | Hull City(R) | 46 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 40 | 71 | −31 | 32 |
| 16 August 1980 (1980-08-16)1 | Colchester United | 2–2 | Plymouth Argyle | Colchester |
Hodge 53'Gough 90' | Report | Kemp 18' Murphy 46' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,061 Referee: D Letts |
| 20 August 1980 (1980-08-20)2 | Fulham | 1–0 | Colchester United | Fulham |
| Lock 59' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 4,250 Referee: R Toseland |
| 23 August 1980 (1980-08-23)3 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Walsall | Colchester |
| Rowles 74' | Report | O'Kelly 23' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,979 Referee:Ron Challis |
| 30 August 1980 (1980-08-30)4 | Exeter City | 4–0 | Colchester United | Exeter |
| Neville 45' Giles 64'Delve 72'Kellow 82' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 3,918 Referee: T Spencer |
| 6 September 1980 (1980-09-06)5 | Burnley | 1–0 | Colchester United | Burnley |
| Hamilton 27' | Report | Stadium:Turf Moor Attendance: 4,391 Referee: T Farley |
| 13 September 1980 (1980-09-13)6 | Colchester United | 3–0 | Millwall | Colchester |
| Foley 23' Lee 51'Rowles 74' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,724 Referee: H Taylor |
| 16 September 1980 (1980-09-16)7 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Chesterfield | Colchester |
| Lee 60' | Report | Green 39' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,171 Referee: J Deakin |
| 20 September 1980 (1980-09-20)8 | Charlton Athletic | 1–2 | Colchester United | Charlton |
| Hales 35' (pen.) | Report | Foley 43' Hodge 88' | Stadium:The Valley Attendance: 4,323 Referee: L Burden |
| 27 September 1980 (1980-09-27)9 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Chester | Colchester |
| Lee 90' | Report | Jones 77' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,147 Referee: J Martin |
| 30 September 1980 (1980-09-30)10 | Chesterfield | 3–0 | Colchester United | Chesterfield |
| Moss 4' Walker 43'Birch 44' | Report | Stadium:Saltergate Attendance: 6,674 Referee:George Courtney |
| 4 October 1980 (1980-10-04)11 | Huddersfield Town | 2–0 | Colchester United | Huddersfield |
| Kindon 50' (pen.) Brown 64' | Report | Stadium:Leeds Road Attendance: 8,400 Referee: K McNally |
| 7 October 1980 (1980-10-07)12 | Colchester United | 1–0 | Portsmouth | Colchester |
| Lee 86' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,702 Referee:Tony Ward |
| 11 October 1980 (1980-10-11)13 | Colchester United | 2–2 | Barnsley | Colchester |
| Gough 20' Hodge 87' | Report | Parker 30' Glavin 37' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,749 Referee: M Dimblebee |
| 18 October 1980 (1980-10-18)14 | Blackpool | 1–1 | Colchester United | Blackpool |
| Williams 24' | Report | Allinson 57' | Stadium:Bloomfield Road Attendance: 6,997 Referee: G Owen |
| 22 October 1980 (1980-10-22)15 | Reading | 1–0 | Colchester United | Reading |
| Williams 37' | Report | Stadium:Elm Park Attendance: 3,955 Referee: A Hamil |
| 25 October 1980 (1980-10-25)16 | Colchester United | 0–0 | Rotherham United | Colchester |
| Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,623 Referee: B Hill |
| 28 October 1980 (1980-10-28)17 | Colchester United | 2–0 | Hull City | Colchester |
| Allinson 16' Lee 89' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,239 Referee: D Reeves |
| 1 November 1980 (1980-11-01)18 | Sheffield United | 3–0 | Colchester United | Sheffield |
| Kenworthy 1' Trusson 44'Charles 68' | Report | Stadium:Bramall Lane Attendance: 12,810 Referee: G Nolan |
| 4 November 1980 (1980-11-04)19 | Portsmouth | 2–1 | Colchester United | Portsmouth |
| Gregory 34',65' | Report | Lee 38' | Stadium:Fratton Park Attendance: 10,895 Referee: E Read |
| 8 November 1980 (1980-11-08)20 | Colchester United | 1–0 | Swindon Town | Colchester |
| Hodge 76' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,153 Referee: B Martin |
| 11 November 1980 (1980-11-11)21 | Colchester United | 3–2 | Fulham | Colchester |
| Wignall 16' Allinson 17',70' | Report | Beck 24' Davies 53' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,543 Referee: D Lloyd |
| 15 November 1980 (1980-11-15)22 | Plymouth Argyle | 1–1 | Colchester United | Plymouth |
| Kemp 78' | Report | Bremner 38' | Stadium:Home Park Attendance: 4,905 Referee:David Hutchinson |
| 29 November 1980 (1980-11-29)23 | Colchester United | 3–0 | Oxford United | Colchester |
| Hodge 73' (pen.) Bremner 75',78' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,114 Referee: Colin Downey |
| 6 December 1980 (1980-12-06)24 | Carlisle United | 4–0 | Colchester United | Carlisle |
| Brown 34' Beardsley 43',46'Staniforth 75' | Report | Stadium:Brunton Park Attendance: 3,196 Referee: J Hough |
| 20 December 1980 (1980-12-20)25 | Colchester United | 1–0 | Newport County | Colchester |
| Hodge 43' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,160 Referee:Alf Grey |
| 26 December 1980 (1980-12-26)26 | Brentford | 2–1 | Colchester United | Brentford |
| Kruse 18' Hurlock 71' | Report | Bremner 43' | Stadium:Griffin Park Attendance: 6,240 Referee: G Napthine |
| 27 December 1980 (1980-12-27)27 | Colchester United | 2–1 | Gillingham | Colchester |
| Packer 27' Lee 90' | Report | Price 37' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,879 Referee: C White |
| 10 January 1981 (1981-01-10)28 | Colchester United | 3–2 | Blackpool | Colchester |
| Foley 12' Gough 56',74' | Report | Morris 37' Ball 68' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,378 Referee: M Bidmead |
| 17 January 1981 (1981-01-17)29 | Oxford United | 2–1 | Colchester United | Oxford |
| Shotton 18' Jeffrey 68' | Report | Foley 89' | Stadium:Manor Ground Attendance: 3,498 Referee: M Baker |
| 31 January 1981 (1981-01-31)30 | Walsall | 3–1 | Colchester United | Walsall |
| Waddington 8' Mower 25'Smith 90' | Report | Allinson 78' | Stadium:Fellows Park Attendance: 3,195 Referee: D Owen |
| 3 February 1981 (1981-02-03)31 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Exeter City | Colchester |
| Bremner 33' | Report | Forbes 11' Pullar 29' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,357 Referee: J Bray |
| 7 February 1981 (1981-02-07)32 | Millwall | 3–1 | Colchester United | New Cross |
| Bartley 18' Martin 57'Horrix 66' | Report | Bremner 44' | Stadium:The Den Attendance: 4,565 Referee: L Shapter |
| 14 February 1981 (1981-02-14)33 | Colchester United | 2–1 | Burnley | Colchester |
| McDonough 25' Bremner 63' | Report | Hamilton 79' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,082 Referee: Tom Bune |
| 21 February 1981 (1981-02-21)34 | Chester | 0–0 | Colchester United | Chester |
| Report | Stadium:Sealand Road Attendance: 1,778 Referee: A Challinor |
| 28 February 1981 (1981-02-28)35 | Colchester United | 2–0 | Charlton Athletic | Colchester |
| Foley 6' Packer 10' (pen.) | Report | Tydeman 80'  | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 4,864 Referee: D Richardson |
| 7 March 1981 (1981-03-07)36 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Huddersfield Town | Colchester |
| Packer 45' | Report | Robins 39' Lillis 67' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,644 Referee: J Deakin |
| 17 March 1981 (1981-03-17)37 | Hull City | 0–1 | Colchester United | Kingston upon Hull |
| Report | Cotton 4' | Stadium:Boothferry Park Attendance: 3,586 Referee: R Chadwick |
| 22 March 1981 (1981-03-22)38 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Reading | Colchester |
| Bremner 27' | Report | Heale 8',35' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,705 Referee:Ron Challis |
| 28 March 1981 (1981-03-28)39 | Rotherham United | 2–0 | Colchester United | Rotherham |
| Moore 7',76' | Report | Stadium:Millmoor Attendance: 7,956 Referee:Peter Willis |
| 4 April 1981 (1981-04-04)40 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Sheffield United | Colchester |
| Allinson 13' | Report | Wiggan 52' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,439 Referee: K Salmon |
| 7 April 1981 (1981-04-07)41 | Barnsley | 3–0 | Colchester United | Barnsley |
| McHale 30' Parker 37',84' | Report | Stadium:Oakwell Attendance: 13,283 Referee: P Richardson |
| 11 April 1981 (1981-04-11)42 | Swindon Town | 3–0 | Colchester United | Swindon |
| Rideout 33',77' Rowland 74' | Report | Stadium:County Ground Attendance: 6,120 Referee: Rob Lewis |
| 18 April 1981 (1981-04-18)43 | Gillingham | 0–0 | Colchester United | Gillingham |
| 15:00BST | Report | Stadium:Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 4,408 Referee: A Robinson |
| 20 April 1981 (1981-04-20)44 | Colchester United | 0–2 | Brentford | Colchester |
| Report | Shrubb 22' Booker 43' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,609 Referee: B Hill |
| 25 April 1981 (1981-04-25)45 | Newport County | 1–0 | Colchester United | Newport |
| Aldridge 24' | Report | Stadium:Somerton Park Attendance: 4,619 Referee: T Spencer |
| 2 May 1981 (1981-05-02)46 | Colchester United | 1–0 | Carlisle United | Colchester |
| McDonough 24' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 1,430 Referee:Tony Ward |
| 9 August 1980 (1980-08-09)1st round 1st leg | Colchester United | 0–2 | Gillingham | Colchester |
| Crouch | Report | Price 13' Bruce 60' | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 2,514 Referee: K Salmon |
| 12 August 1980 (1980-08-12)1st round 2nd leg | Gillingham | 2–1 | Colchester United | Gillingham |
| Ford 88' Bruce 90' | Report | Gough 52' | Stadium:Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 5,220 | |
| Note: Gillingham won 4–1 on aggregate | ||||
| 22 November 1980 (1980-11-22)1st round | Colchester United | 3–0 | Portsmouth | Colchester |
| Lee 26' Allinson 81'Bremner 87' | Report | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 5,387 Referee: C Maskell |
| 13 December 1980 (1980-12-13)2nd round | Colchester United | 1–1 | Yeovil Town | Colchester |
| Wignall 86' | Report | Green 14' Broom | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 3,394 Referee: K Salmon |
| 17 December 1980 (1980-12-17)2nd round replay | Yeovil Town | 0–2 | Colchester United | Yeovil |
| Report | Lee 58' Bremner 67' | Stadium:Huish Athletic Ground Attendance: 5,803 |
| 3 January 1981 (1981-01-03)3rd round | Colchester United | 0–1 | Watford | Colchester |
| Report | Poskett | Stadium:Layer Road Attendance: 7,769 Referee: J Martin |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| GK | WAL | Mike Walker | 52 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| DF | ENG | Phil Coleman | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| DF | ENG | Micky Cook | 50 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| DF | ENG | Nigel Crouch | 11 | 0 | 9+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| DF | ENG | Leo Cusenza | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| DF | ENG | Mick Packer | 49 | 3 | 43 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| DF | ENG | Steve Wignall | 48 | 2 | 42 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
| DF | ENG | Steve Wright | 17 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| MF | ENG | Russell Cotton | 20 | 1 | 18+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| MF | ENG | Tony Evans | 10 | 0 | 6+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | |||
| MF | ENG | Steve Foley | 36 | 5 | 30+1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| MF | ENG | Steve Leslie | 47 | 0 | 41+2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| MF | ENG | Dennis Longhorn | 26 | 0 | 21+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| MF | ENG | Roger Osborne | 12 | 0 | 11+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| MF | ENG | Eddie Rowles | 26 | 2 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| FW | ENG | Tony Adcock | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| FW | ENG | Ian Allinson | 52 | 7 | 43+3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
| FW | SCO | Kevin Bremner | 38 | 10 | 33+1 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| FW | ENG | Gary Harvey | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| FW | ENG | Bobby Hodge | 29 | 6 | 22+2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| FW | ENG | Roy McDonough | 12 | 2 | 11+1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season | |||||||||||||
| FW | ENG | Bobby Gough | 18 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 1+1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
| FW | ENG | Trevor Lee | 32 | 9 | 25+1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Place | Nationality | Position | Name | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | FW | Kevin Bremner | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | | FW | Trevor Lee | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | | WG | Ian Allinson | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | | WG | Bobby Hodge | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | | MF | Steve Foley | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| FW | Bobby Gough | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| 7 | | FB | Mick Packer | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | | FW | Roy McDonough | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| MF | Eddie Rowles | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| CB | Steve Wignall | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 11 | | MF | Russell Cotton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Own goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| TOTALS | 45 | 6 | 1 | 52 | |||
| Nationality | Position | Name | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | |||
| FB | Nigel Crouch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| MF | Steve Foley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Number of games goalkeepers kept aclean sheet.[21]
| Place | Nationality | Player | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Mike Walker | 12 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| TOTALS | 12 | 2 | 0 | 14 | ||
Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[22]
| Position | Nationality | Player | Date | Opponent | Ground | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | | Nigel Crouch | 9 August 1980 | Gillingham | Layer Road | |
| FB | | Leo Cusenza | 9 August 1980 | Gillingham | Layer Road | |
| MF | | Dennis Longhorn | 9 August 1980 | Gillingham | Layer Road | |
| FW | | Kevin Bremner | 11 October 1980 | Barnsley | Layer Road | |
| MF | | Roger Osborne | 14 February 1981 | Burnley | Layer Road | |
| FW | | Roy McDonough | 14 February 1981 | Burnley | Layer Road | |
| FB | | Phil Coleman | 21 February 1981 | Chester | Sealand Road | |
| FW | | Tony Adcock | 2 May 1981 | Carlisle United | Layer Road |
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