The 2019–20 season was Colchester United's 83rd season in their history and their fourth successive season competing in League Two. Along with competing in League Two, the club participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
| 2019–20 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Robbie Cowling | |||
| Chairman | Robbie Cowling | |||
| Head coach | John McGreal | |||
| Stadium | Colchester Community Stadium | |||
| League Two | 6th | |||
| Play-offs | Semi-final (eliminated by Exeter City) | |||
| FA Cup | First round (eliminated by Coventry City) | |||
| EFL Cup | Quarter-final (eliminated by Manchester United) | |||
| EFL Trophy | Second round (southern section) (eliminated by Stevenage) | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Theo Robinson (11) All: Theo Robinson (12) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 9,481 v Tottenham Hotspur, 24 September 2019[1] | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 959 v Stevenage, 3 December 2019[2] | |||
| Average home league attendance | 3,606 | |||
| Biggest win | 3–0 v Swindon Town, 13 August 2019 & 17 September 2019 v Plymouth Argyle, 8 February 2020 v Carlisle United, 7 March 2020 | |||
| Biggest defeat | 0–3 v Manchester United, 18 December 2019 v Port Vale, 15 February 2020 | |||
In a season that was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Colchester reached the play-offs after the season was drawn to an early close. The U's occupied a play-off spot when the season was postponed on 13 March 2020. The campaign officially ended on 9 June following a vote by all League Two member clubs. Final league positions were determined on a points-per-game basis, and Colchester's 1.57 points-per-game was enough to secure sixth position in the league and the third of four play-off spots.
In their play-off semi-final first leg with Exeter City, the U's won 1–0 at home, but lost 3–2 on aggregate following a 3–1 extra time defeat at St James Park.
Colchester equalled their best-ever performance in the EFL Cup, reaching the quarter-finals. After dispatching of League Two rivals Swindon Town in the first round, the U's travelled to Premier League Crystal Palace in round two. Their resolute defending took the tie to a penalty shoot-out which they won 5–4. In the third round, Colchester hosted further Premier League opposition, with Tottenham Hotspur visiting the Colchester Community Stadium. Again, Colchester's staunched defending took the tie to penalties and they went on to win 4–3. In the fourth round, Colchester beat league rivals Crawley Town 3–1 to set up a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. Three second-half goals were enough for the home side to seal a convincing victory.
In the EFL Trophy, Colchester won their first group with wins over Gillingham and local rivals Ipswich Town, but were defeated in the second round by Stevenage.
Colchester's FA Cup campaign ended in the first round with a home defeat by League One side Coventry City.
Season overview
Preseason
Colchester's place in League Two for the 2019–20 season was confirmed on the final day of the 2018–19 season on 4 May 2019 after a dramatic late goal for Newport County ensured they finished ahead of the U's in seventh place achieving a place in the play-offs.[3]
The club announced the first departures of the close season on 14 May when twelve under-23 and Academy graduates were not offered new deals. These players included David Agboola, Aaron Barnes, George Brown, Ken Charles, Noah Chesmain, Chris Forino, Arjanit Krasniqi, Eoin McKeown, Paul Rooney, Decarrey Sheriff, Sam Warde, and Will Wright.[4][5]
On 17 May, young midfielder Kwame Poku signed his first professional contract, joining United from Worthing following a successful trial at the end of the 2018–19 season.[6]
On 20 May, Colchester announced that all out of contract players had been offered new deals, except for forward Mikael Mandron, who was allowed to leave the club after two years and 95 appearances, and winger Ryan Gondoh, who had spent the end of last season on loan at Halifax Town.[7]
Brennan Dickenson opted against signing a new contract with Colchester, instead signing for newly promoted League One club Milton Keynes Dons on 30 May.[8]
On 7 June, Colchester announced the signing of former Leicester City under-23 midfielder Sammie McLeod on a two-year contract, joining from Maldon & Tiptree to link up with the U's under-23 side.[9][10]
On 11 June, forward Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, who had been on loan at Derry City until 1 June, had his contract extended by a further year after Colchester activated a clause in his contract. He would remain on loan with Derry until the end of the 2019 League of Ireland Premier Division season on 19 November.[11]
Long-serving defender Tom Eastman agreed a two-year contract extension on 13 June.[12]
On 18 June, Colchester signed former VfB Stuttgart defender Danny Collinge on a two-year contract.[13]
Sam Saunders ended his short association with the club on 21 June by announcing his retirement from playing at the age of 35.[14]
After making 141 appearances for the club, defender Frankie Kent left Colchester to sign for League One Peterborough United for an undisclosed fee on 22 June.[15]
On 26 June, Colchester signed Malta international winger Luke Gambin on a two-year contract from Luton Town.[16]
Sammie Szmodics ended a 16-year association with Colchester United on 28 June when he signed for Championship side Bristol City on a three-year deal in an undisclosed compensation deal after his U's contract had expired.[17]
On 1 July, Colchester made several movements in the transfer market. First, they announced Diaz Wright had signed a one-year contract extension with the club.[18] Then, winger Michael Fernandes arrived from Farnborough on a two-year deal,[19] Next, it was announced goalkeeper coach and player Rene Gilmartin had opted to leave the U's to join Bristol City,[20] before announcing the signing of Colchester-born Yeovil Town defender Omar Sowunmi on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[21]
On 2 July, Colchester announced that TEXO Scaffolding would be the new front of home shirt sponsors for kits for the next three seasons.[22] Later the same day, the club announced the signing of Denmark youth international Matthew Weaire from Brighton & Hove Albion on a two-year contract.[23]
On 3 July, Luke Ige arrived from Aston Villa on a one-year contract to join up with the Under-23 squad.[24]
On 4 July, Colchester made a double signing with Cambridge United forward Jevani Brown arriving on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee, while Paris Cowan-Hall later arrived at the club following his release from Wycombe Wanderers. The winger also signed a two-year deal with the U's.[25]
Colchester started their pre-season friendlies with a game at Isthmian League Premier Division side Bowers & Pitsea on 5 July where they ran out 2–0 winners. The second-half goals were scored by Louis Dunne and Luke Norris.[26]
In the U's second pre-season friendly on 9 July, they took on Dulwich Hamlet of the National League South. Colchester again won 2–0, with second-half goals from Courtney Senior and summer signing Omar Sowunmi.[27]
On 13 July, Dean Gerken signed for Colchester following his release from Ipswich Town at the end of the 2018–19 season. He had been training with the U's and signed ahead of their friendly with Cefn Druids the same day.[28]
New signing Gerken played the opening 45-minutes as the U's beat the Welsh side 3–0 with goals from Andre Hasanally in the first half, and Omar Sowunmi and Luke Norris in the second half.[29]
On 16 July, Colchester won 3–0 at Wealdstone with goals coming from three new signings; Paris Cowan-Hall, Michael Fernandes and Luke Gambin.[30]
On 19 July, young winger Todd Miller left the club to join Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, with the U's expected to receive compensation for the teenager.[31] The same day, in their first home friendly of pre-season, Colchester suffered a 5–0 defeat to neighbours and rivals Ipswich Town. The visitors led 1–0 going into half-time, with four goals arriving in the second-half.[32]
After turning down a new contract with the club, goalkeeper Dillon Barnes signed for Championship club Queens Park Rangers on a two-year contract on 22 July.[33]
On 23 July, Charlton Athletic won 2–1 with a late goal in the U's latest pre-season friendly after Luke Norris had handed the home side the lead early in the second-half.[34]
In Colchester's final pre-season friendly, Luke Norris scored again to secure a late 1–1 draw with Dover Athletic on 27 July.[35]
August
On the eve of the season opener against Port Vale, Colchester signed former Arsenal left-back Cohen Bramall on a two-year contract.[36]
Colchester were held to a 1–1 draw by Port Vale at the Colchester Community Stadium on 3 August. The visitors took the lead through a Tom Pope penalty in the fifth minute, but the U's equalised through Luke Norris on the stroke of half-time.[37]
Plymouth Argyle hosted the U's on 10 August and won 1–0 with a second-half goal from Antoni Sarcevic.[38]
The U's earned their first victory of the season on 13 August in their EFL Cup first round tie with Swindon Town. On the back of a goalless first-half, both teams had a man sent off for violent conduct in the 62nd-minute, with Cohen Bramall shown red for Colchester and Jerry Yates for Swindon. Tom Eastman broke the deadlock in the 77th-minute, before substitute Courtney Senior doubled the lead in the second minute of injury time. Fellow substitute Brandon Comley added a third in the seventh minute of injury time to complete the 3–0 victory and see the U's reach the second round for the first time since 2010.[39]
On 17 August, Colchester hosted Cambridge United in the league. A ninth minute Luke Norris penalty gave the U's a 1–0 lead going into the interval, but two Cambridge goals in the second-half left Colchester to a 2–1 defeat.[40]
Ipswich Town confirmed the signing of Kane Vincent-Young on 19 August for an undisclosed fee reportedly in the region of £500,000. He left the U's to sign a four-year deal with Town with the option of a further year.[41]
Colchester continued their winless run with another second-half collapse against Grimsby Town on 20 August. Frank Nouble and Luke Norris had given the U's a 2–0 first-half lead, but goals for Grimsby in the 48th and 87th-minutes succumbed them to a draw and more dropped points.[42]
On 24 August, the U's picked up their first league win of the season, beating Northampton Town 1–0 courtesy of a Luke Norris penalty, who racked up his fourth goal in five league matches.[43]
In the second round of the EFL Cup on 27 August, Colchester travelled to Premier League Crystal Palace. Following a goalless 90-minutes, the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Andros Townsend stepped up to take the first penalty for the hosts, but his effort was saved by Dean Gerken in the U's goal. Each of the following penalties were scored by their takers, and U's Academy product Noah Chilvers converted the decisive spot kick to send Colchester through to the third round and their first win in the League Cup against top-flight opponents since 1979.[44]
On 28 August, Colchester signed young Bristol City striker Freddie Hinds on loan until January.[45]
On 29 August, the U's signed another striker with the arrival of Southend United's Theo Robinson on loan until January.[46]
After making his first-team debut on the opening weekend of the season, Andre Hasanally signed his first professional contract with the club on 30 August, signing until June 2022.[47]
Colchester rounded out August with a 1–0 win at Oldham Athletic on 31 August. Frank Nouble's strike on the stroke of half-time proved to be the difference between the sides.[48]
September
On 2 September, transfer deadline day, Colchester signed young Charlton Athletic midfielder Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu on loan until January, with injuries ruling out Tom Lapslie, Harry Pell and Diaz Wright, and with Brandon Comley and Luke Gambin on international duty.[49]
Sarpong-Wiredu and Kwame Poku both made their debuts on 3 September in Colchester's 3–2 EFL Trophy win against Gillingham. Paris Cowan-Hall scored his first goal for the U's after just eight minutes, before Gillingham equalised. Theo Robinson then scored his first goal for the club after 55-minutes to put the visitors back in front, before Cowan-Hall recorded his second goal of the evening to put Colchester 3–1 up. Former U's player Mikael Mandron pulled a goal back for Gillingham but Colchester held on for victory.[50]
On 5 September, Colchester signed former loanee winger Callum Harriott on a two-year contract following his release from Reading during the summer.[51]
On 7 September, Colchester were held to a goalless draw by Walsall at the Community Stadium.[52]
On 14 September, Colchester were beaten 1–0 at Forest Green Rovers following a Luke Prosser own goal.[53]
Colchester returned to winning ways on 17 September with another 3–0 win against Swindon Town, on this occasion away in the league. Tom Eastman opened the scoring in first-half injury time before a Theo Robinson brace sealed the win.[54]
On 21 September, Colchester won 2–1 at home to Leyton Orient. Kwame Poku scored his debut professional goal after just three minutes, before Ryan Jackson doubled the U's lead in the 28th-minute. Conor Wilkinson pulled a goal back for the visitors just after half-time but Colchester held on to move them up to tenth in the League Two table.[55]
Colchester drew their biggest crowd of the season of 9,481 when they hosted Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the EFL Cup on 24 September. Colchester had last reached the third round in the 2004–05 campaign. Colchester were dominated by the opposition for much of the game, registering just four shots and none on target while Spurs had 75 per cent possession. Despite this, a resilient U's side held on for 90-minutes with the tie ending goalless and going on to a penalty shoot-out. Dean Gerken in the Colchester goal saved the first penalty from Christian Eriksen, and despite Jevani Brown's poor Panenka penalty kick keeping the score level overall, Lucas Moura hit the bar only for Tom Lapslie to score the winning penalty for the U's. This put them through to the fourth round for the first time since the 1974–75 when they reached the quarter-finals.[1]
The U's returned to league action on 28 September, drawing 1–1 at Macclesfield Town. Theo Robinson scored Colchester's goal, his fourth of the season.[56]
October
On 5 October, Colchester started the month with a 3–1 win against League Two's bottom club Stevenage. The visitors opened the scoring with a first-half deflected goal, but Tom Eastman equalised shortly after the break. It wasn't until the 82nd-minute that the U's took the lead after Frank Nouble had been fouled in the penalty area and he stepped up to convert the spot kick. A minute later, he turned provider for Kwame Poku to score his second Colchester goal and seal the victory.[57]
After beating the Tottenham Hotspur first-team in the EFL Cup, Colchester hosted their under-21 side in the EFL Trophy group stage. A Luke Norris headed goal put Colchester ahead on 44 minutes, but the visitors equalised 15-minutes from full-time through Tashan Oakley-Boothe. The game ended 1–1 and the match went to a penalty shoot-out, which Spurs won to claim a bonus point.[58]
On 11 October, teenage defender Ollie Kensdale joined National League South side Bath City in a month-long loan deal.[59]
Colchester visited Crawley Town on 12 October, and despite taking a first half lead through Luke Prosser, the home side scored twice in the second half to claim victory.[60]
On 18 October, Noah Chilvers joined Ollie Kensdale at Bath City in a month-long loan deal.[61]
On 19 October, Colchester suffered their second successive defeat, on this occasion a 1–0 reverse against League Two's bottom side Morecambe.[62]
Colchester held league leaders Crewe Alexandra to a 0–0 draw at Gresty Road on 22 October, but had the chance to win the game from the penalty spot in the seventh minute of stoppage time. However, Crewe goalkeeper Will Jääskeläinen saved Frank Nouble's effort after U's forward Theo Robinson had been sent off in an off the ball incident after the penalty had been awarded.[63]
Colchester returned to winning ways on 26 October for the first time in three weeks with a 3–1 home win against Newport County. The visitors were in front after just five minutes, but first-half goals from Ryan Jackson and Ben Stevenson put the U's in control. A goal from Courtney Senior 15 minutes from the full-time whistle rounded off the victory for Colchester.[64]
On 29 October, Colchester reached the quarter-final of the League Cup for only the second time in the club's history, coming from behind to win 3–1 for the second time in three days. Crawley were the hosts and opened the scoring on 20-minutes, but a Luke Norris header two minutes later levelled the score. In the second-half, Colchester went ahead after Cohen Bramall's free kick hit the bar, struck Crawley goalkeeper Michael Luyambula and went in. Substitute and former-Crawley loanee Luke Gambin sealed victory in the 79th-minute, his first goal for the U's.[65]
November
Colchester travelled to Mansfield Town on 2 November where they won 3–2. The U's took an eighth-minute lead through Brandon Comley, but Mansfield equalised on the stroke of half-time. Courtney Senior reinstated Colchester's lead on 74-minutes, before Luke Gambin scored his second in as many games three minutes from full-time to secure victory. In the 90th-minute, Omari Sterling-James pulled a goal back for the home side.[66]
On 8 November, Cameron James joined National League South side Maidstone United on loan for a month.[67]
Colchester suffered defeat in the FA Cup first round for the fourth consecutive season when they lost 2–0 to League One side Coventry City on 9 November.[68]
U's youngsters Luke Ige and Ollie Sims were loaned out to Witham Town and Bowers & Pitsea respectively on initial 28-day contracts.[69][70]
On 12 November, Colchester played their final group game in the EFL Trophy. They faced Ipswich Town and won 1–0 with a first senior goal from Ryan Clampin, topping the group in the process.[71]
Colchester were held to a 1–1 draw at Cheltenham Town on 23 November. Luke Norris scored his fifth league goal of the season to hand the visitors the lead, but in the second-half, Dean Gerken fouled Reuben Reid in the penalty area and Conor Thomas converted to equalise.[72]
December
On 3 December, Colchester were defeated in the second round of the EFL Trophy at home to Stevenage in front of a crowd of just 959. Stevenage led 2–0 after half an hour of play, but the home side pulled a goal back in the second-half from a Chris Stokes own goal.[2]
Teenage midfielder Kwame Poku, who had only joined Colchester in the summer of 2019, signed a new 2+1⁄2-year contract extension with the club on 5 December to keep him with the U's until summer 2022.[73]
On 7 December, Colchester earned their first win in almost a month with a 93rd-minute winner against Salford City in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. Harry Pell scored his first goal of the season with an injury time header.[74]
Midfielder Diaz Wright joined National League side Dagenham & Redbridge on loan until 6 January 2020.[75] Also leaving the club on loan was fellow midfielder Tyrique Hyde, who joined Dartford in the National League South for one month.[76]
After falling behind by two goals in their League Two game at Scunthorpe United on 14 December, Colchester battled back in the second half to claim a 2–2 draw. Former Colchester loanee Abo Eisa scored late in the first half for the home side, then Kevin van Veen doubled Scunthorpe's advantage two minutes into the second half. Luke Norris scored to reduced the deficit just before the hour mark, and Luke Prosser scored his second of the season four minutes later to earn a point for the U's.[77]
Colchester travelled to Old Trafford for the first time in their history to face Manchester United in the EFL Cup quarter-final. The visitors held their Premier League opposition in the first half, going in to the interval at 0–0. In the second half, it took Marcus Rashford six minutes to open the scoring, and five minutes later, Ryan Jackson scored an own goal to double United's lead. Anthony Martial added a third on 61-minutes to complete the scoring.[78]
Colchester continued their good run of league form with a commanding 3–0 win over Carlisle United at the Community Stadium on 21 December. Nathaniel Knight-Percival's own goal in the 26th-minute put the U's 1–0 up and Callum Harriott's first goal since his return to the club doubled Colchester's advantage in the 41st-minute. In the second half, Cohen Bramall registered his first goal in the English Football League with a well taken free kick seven minutes after the restart to seal the victory.[79]
In the early League Two kickoff on Boxing Day, Colchester beat Leyton Orient 3–1 at Brisbane Road to move up to fourth in the table. Theo Robinson gave the U's a 1–0 lead after 41-minutes, then Harry Pell doubled Colchester's lead in the 64th-minute. Orient pulled a goal back four minutes from time, but Robinson added a second for himself and scored Colchester's third goal in the 91st-minute.[80]
Fourth-placed Colchester hosted second-placed Exeter City in their final game of 2019 on 29 December. The visitors took an eighth-minute lead through Jake Taylor, but Harry Pell levelled the score after 16-minutes to earn his second goal in as many games. After the break, Theo Robinson put the U's in front with his third goal in two games. Tom Lapslie was sent off for a foul in the penalty area and denying a goalscoring opportunity, a penalty which substitute Ryan Bowman converted. Colchester held on with ten men to draw 2–2.[81]
January
Colchester maintained their unbeaten run with a 1–1 draw with Crawley on New Year's Day. Frank Nouble's fourth goal of the season in the 64th-minute was later cancelled out by a Luke Prosser own goal.[82]
On 4 January, Jevani Brown left the club to join League Two rivals Forest Green Rovers on loan until the end of the season, having played 17 games for the U's but only five in the league.[83]
Also on 4 January, Colchester were held to a disappointing 0–0 draw against ten-man, bottom of the table Stevenage. Tom Soares had been sent off for the home side in the 19th-minute, but a dominant Colchester couldn't get the ball past Stevenage goalkeeper Paul Farman.[84]
On 6 January, Percy Kiangebeni joined Southern League Premier Division South side Hendon on loan for a month.[85]
On 8 January, Tyrique Hyde extended his loan spell at Dartford for a further month.[86]
On 10 January, both Cameron James and Diaz Wright joined National League South side Welling United on loan for one month.[87]
Colchester were held to a 1–1 draw on 11 January at League Two's bottom club Morecambe. The U's had taken a 35th-minute lead through Frank Nouble, but were pegged back on 69-minutes. Ryan Jackson was then sent off seven minutes from time for a second booking.[88]
On 14 January, Colchester confirmed the signing of Theo Robinson on loan from Southend until the end of the season.[89]
On 18 January, Plymouth Argyle defender Tafari Moore joined Colchester on loan until the end of the season. He went straight into the U's squad to face Macclesfield Town the same day.[90] Later that day, Moore played 60-minutes as Colchester ended a streak of four consecutive draws to record a 2–1 victory. Callum Harriott opened the scoring after 14-minutes, before the lead was doubled following a Fiacre Kelleher own goal. The visitors reduced the deficit in the second half but the U's held on to extend their unbeaten run to 13 games.[91]
Colchester were held to a 0–0 draw at home by Bradford City on 21 January. Their game in hand to clubs around them meant they moved back into the play-off places.[92]
On 25 January, midfielder Louis Dunne joined Southern League Premier Division South side Farnborough on loan until the end of February.[93]
Colchester moved up to fifth in the League Two table with a 0–0 draw at second-placed Exeter City on 25 January to record their sixth draw in seven games.[94]
The U's hosted league leaders Swindon Town on 28 January. The visitors took the lead three minutes after half-time, but Luke Norris scored against his old club to level the score on 74-minutes. 15 minutes later and Colchester had taken a 3–1 lead following a Theo Robinson brace in the 85th and 89th-minutes. The match finished 3–1 to the U's as they recorded their third victory of the season against Swindon.[95]
February
Colchester's unbeaten run, stretching back to October, was finally ended on 1 February to managerless Cambridge United. Similar to Colchester's August home defeat to Cambridge, Luke Norris had given the U's the lead, but two goals within the space of 70 seconds late in the second half ended their 16-game streak.[96]
On 5 February, the club announced the departure of Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe to Israeli Premier League side Hapoel Hadera on a permanent contract.[97]
The U's bounced back from their defeat to Cambridge in impressive style, beating Plymouth Argyle 3–0 on 8 February. Argyle had started the day in the automatic promotion positions, but three first-half goals sealed victory for the home side. Ben Stevenson opened the scoring for Colchester after 14-minutes, then Theo Robinson headed in his tenth goal of the season on the half-hour mark. Six minutes later, he earned himself a brace to record a convincing victory.[98]
On 11 February, Colchester were beaten at home by Grimsby Town. After taking the lead through captain Luke Prosser after 17-minutes, Charles Vernam scored for the away side four minutes later. The U's retook the lead three minutes before half time with Theo Robinson's twelfth goal for the club. However, Vernam scored two goals in the space of three second-half minutes to snatch a victory for Grimsby.[99]
Colchester fell to their heaviest league defeat of the season on 15 February when they were beaten 3–0 at Port Vale.[100]
After leaving league rivals Macclesfield Town in January, defender Miles Welch-Hayes on 21 February on a free transfer. He signed a contract until summer 2022.[101]
On 23 February, Colchester won their first match in three games with a 2–1 victory at Salford City. Kwame Poku's solo effort put the U's ahead, before Callum Harriott doubled the advantage after 41-minutes. Two minutes later, the home side pulled a goal back through Ashley Hunter, but the visitors held on for the win.[102]
On 29 February, Colchester dropped out of the play-off places and had Omar Sowunmi sent off as they fell to a 2–0 home defeat to Cheltenham Town.[103]
Season postponement
Colchester made a quick return to the play-off positions with a convincing 3–0 away win at Carlisle United on 7 March. Kwame Poku opened the scoring for the U's on 41-minutes, and the lead was doubled by Luke Norris two minutes later. Poku then earned himself a brace in the 59th-minute.[104]
On 13 March, the EFL suspended the season until 3 April at the earliest in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.[105]
On 3 April, the EFL provided an update to the postponement of the season by suspending all football indefinitely until matches were safe to resume.[106]
On 27 April, two days after they were scheduled to have played their final game of the 2019–20 season, Colchester United became the first English Football League team to announce the release of first-team players in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chairman Robbie Cowling announced that four first-team players, namely Brandon Comley, Ryan Jackson, Frank Nouble, and club captain Luke Prosser, would not be offered new deals once their contracts expired at the end of June. This was despite the fact that Cowling admitted under normal circumstances he "would have been determined to re-sign".[107]
The following day, the club released a list of twelve further players who would not be offered new deals on the expiry of their current contracts. These included Dean Ager, Callum Anderson, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Louis Dunne, Chandler Hallett, Tyrique Hyde, Luke Ige, Tariq Issa, Cameron James, Callum Jones, Percy Kiangebeni, and Bailey Vose.[108]
On 9 June, League Two clubs voted in favour of ending the season with immediate effect. As Colchester were placed sixth in the League Two table, they were confirmed a play-off place, with the U's set to face Exeter City in the semi-finals.[109]
Colchester played their play-off semi-final first leg at an empty Colchester Community Stadium on 18 June. The hosts won the tie 1–0 through a Cohen Bramall free-kick late in the second-half.[110]
In the play-off semi-final second leg on 22 June, Colchester were beaten 3–1 after extra time, with Exeter heading to the Wembley final with a 3–2 aggregate victory. The hosts had taken an early lead, before taking control of the tie with a second goal just before the hour mark. Courtney Senior levelled the score on aggregate 2–1 after 78-minutes, before the tie went to extra time. With nine minutes remaining, Exeter scored again to progress to the final and spelt another season in League Two for the U's.[111]
Players
| No. | Name | Position | Nat. | Place of birth | Date of birth | Apps | Goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Dean Gerken | GK |  | Southend-on-Sea | 22 May 1985 (aged 34) | 126 | 0 | Ipswich Town | 13 July 2019[a] | Free transfer | ||
| 29 | Ethan Ross | GK | | Enfield Town | 6 March 1997 (aged 22) | 3 | 0 | West Bromwich Albion | 7 June 2018 | Free transfer | ||
| 32 | Bailey Vose | GK | | Sidcup | 11 May 1998 (aged 21) | 0 | 0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 24 May 2018 | Undisclosed | ||
| 46 | Callum Coulter | GK | | Frimley | 24 October 2000 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Academy | Free transfer | |||
| Defenders | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Ryan Jackson | RB | | Streatham | 31 July 1990 (aged 28) | 95 | 4 | Gillingham | 1 July 2017 | Free transfer | ||
| 3 | Cohen Bramall | LB | | Crewe | 2 April 1996 (aged 23) | 0 | 0 | Arsenal | 2 August 2019 | Free transfer | ||
| 5 | Luke Prosser (c) | CB | | Enfield Town | 28 May 1988 (aged 31) | 74 | 3 | Southend United | 22 June 2015 | Free transfer | ||
| 6 | Omar Sowunmi | CB | | Colchester | 7 November 1995 (aged 23) | 0 | 0 | Yeovil Town | 1 July 2019 | Undisclosed | ||
| 12 | Miles Welch-Hayes | DF | | Oxford | 25 October 1996 (aged 22) | 0 | 0 | Macclesfield Town | 21 February 2020 | Free transfer | ||
| 17 | Cameron James | CB/FB/DM | | Chelmsford | 11 February 1998 (aged 21) | 27 | 0 | Academy | 15 July 2015 | Free transfer | ||
| 18 | Tom Eastman | CB | | Colchester | 21 October 1991 (aged 27) | 315 | 17 | Ipswich Town | 19 May 2011 | Free transfer | ||
| 19 | Ollie Kensdale | CB/CM | | Colchester | 20 April 2000 (aged 19) | 3 | 0 | Academy | 12 July 2016 | Free transfer | ||
| 21 | Ryan Clampin | LB/LW | | Colchester | 29 January 1999 (aged 20) | 1 | 0 | Academy | Free transfer | |||
| 36 | Miquel Scarlett | RB/MF | | Lambeth | 27 September 2000 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Gillingham | Free transfer | |||
| 41 | Danny Collinge | DF | | Haywards Heath | 9 April 1998 (aged 21) | 0 | 0 |  VfB Stuttgart | 18 June 2019 | Undisclosed | ||
| 47 | Luke Ige | RB | | 12 November 2000 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Aston Villa | 3 July 2019 | Free transfer | |||
| 48 | Matthew Weaire | CB |  | Tunbridge Wells | 20 August 2001 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 July 2019 | Free transfer | ||
| 53 | Percy Kiangebeni | DF | | Enfield Town | 13 February 1997 (aged 22) | 0 | 0 | St Albans City | 1 February 2019 | Free transfer | ||
| Midfielders | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Tom Lapslie | CM | | Waltham Forest | 5 October 1995 (aged 23) | 131 | 4 | Academy | 25 April 2013 | Free transfer | ||
| 8 | Harry Pell | MF | | Tilbury | 21 October 1991 (aged 27) | 34 | 7 | Cheltenham Town | 10 May 2018 | Undisclosed | ||
| 10 | Jevani Brown | MF |  | Letchworth | 16 October 1994 (aged 24) | 0 | 0 | Cambridge United | 4 July 2019 | Undisclosed | ||
| 14 | Brandon Comley | MF |  | Islington | 18 November 1995 (aged 23) | 55 | 1 | QPR | 17 January 2018 | Undisclosed | ||
| 16 | Diaz Wright | MF | | Greenwich | 22 February 1998 (aged 21) | 14 | 0 | Academy | 30 June 2016 | Free transfer | ||
| 23 | Louis Dunne | MF |  | Colchester | 7 September 1998 (aged 20) | 5 | 0 | Academy | 1 July 2015 | Free transfer | ||
| 24 | Ben Stevenson | MF | | Leicester | 23 March 1997 (aged 22) | 27 | 2 | Wolves | 30 January 2019 | Undisclosed | ||
| 27 | Noah Chilvers | AM | | Chelmsford | 22 February 2001 (aged 18) | 2 | 0 | Academy | 3 July 2017 | Free transfer | ||
| 34 | Dean Ager | AM | | Chelmsford | 27 October 1999 (aged 19) | 0 | 0 | Academy | 12 July 2016 | Free transfer | ||
| 37 | Andre Hasanally | MF | | Waltham Forest | 10 February 2002 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Academy | Free transfer | |||
| 42 | Sammie McLeod | MF | | Tunbridge Wells | 23 April 2000 (aged 19) | 0 | 0 | Maldon & Tiptree | 7 June 2019 | Undisclosed | ||
| 44 | Tyrique Hyde | MF | | Redbridge | 8 April 1999 (aged 20) | 0 | 0 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 1 February 2019 | Free transfer | ||
| 49 | Kwame Poku | MF |  | Croydon | 11 August 2001 (aged 17) | 0 | 0 | Worthing | 17 May 2019 | Undisclosed | ||
| 50 | Callum Anderson | MF | | 3 September 2000 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Academy | Free transfer | ||||
| Forwards | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Courtney Senior | WG | | Croydon | 30 June 1997 (aged 21) | 66 | 10 | Brentford | 28 June 2016 | Free transfer | ||
| 9 | Luke Norris | CF | | Stevenage | 3 June 1993 (aged 25) | 36 | 8 | Swindon Town | 27 June 2018 | Undisclosed | ||
| 11 | Paris Cowan-Hall | WG | | Hillingdon | 5 October 1990 (aged 28) | 0 | 0 | Wycombe Wanderers | 4 July 2019 | Free transfer | ||
| 15 | Callum Harriott | WG |  | Norbury | 4 March 1994 (aged 25) | 23 | 7 | Reading | 5 September 2019[a] | Free transfer | ||
| 26 | Luke Gambin | WG |  | Sutton | 16 March 1993 (aged 26) | 0 | 0 | Luton Town | 26 June 2019 | Free transfer | ||
| 28 | Ollie Sims | WG | | Bury St Edmunds | 29 March 2001 (aged 18) | 0 | 0 | Academy | 3 July 2017 | Free transfer | ||
| 31 | Tariq Issa | FW | | 2 September 1997 (aged 21) | 4 | 0 | Academy | 15 July 2015 | Free transfer | |||
| 40 | Michael Fernandes | WG | | Hounslow | 24 June 1999 (aged 19) | 0 | 0 | Farnborough | 1 July 2019 | Undisclosed | ||
| 43 | Callum Jones | CF | | Colchester | 1999 | 0 | 0 | Academy | 12 July 2016 | Free transfer | ||
| 45 | Frank Nouble | CF | | Lewisham | 24 September 1991 (aged 27) | 46 | 9 |  Newport County | 8 June 2018 | Free transfer | ||
Transfers and contracts
In
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 May 2019 | MF | | Kwame Poku | Worthing | Undisclosed | [6][a] |
| 7 June 2019 | MF | | Sammie McLeod | Maldon & Tiptree | Undisclosed | [9][10][a] |
| 18 June 2019 | DF | | Danny Collinge | VfB Stuttgart | Free transfer | [13][a] |
| 26 June 2019 | WG | | Luke Gambin | Luton Town | Free transfer | [16][a] |
| 1 July 2019 | WG | | Michael Fernandes | Farnborough | Undisclosed | [19] |
| 1 July 2019 | CB | | Omar Sowunmi | Yeovil Town | Undisclosed | [21] |
| 2 July 2019 | CB | | Matthew Weaire | Brighton & Hove Albion | Free transfer | [23] |
| 3 July 2019 | RB | | Luke Ige | Aston Villa | Free transfer | [24] |
| 4 July 2019 | MF | | Jevani Brown | Cambridge United | Undisclosed | [25] |
| 4 July 2019 | WG | | Paris Cowan-Hall | Wycombe Wanderers | Free transfer | [25] |
| 13 July 2019 | GK | | Dean Gerken | Ipswich Town | Free transfer | [28] |
| 2 August 2019 | LB | | Cohen Bramall | Arsenal | Free transfer | [36] |
| 5 September 2019 | WG | | Callum Harriott | Reading | Free transfer | [51] |
| 21 February 2020 | DF | | Miles Welch-Hayes | Macclesfield Town | Free transfer | [101] |
Out
Loans in
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 August 2019 | ST | | Freddie Hinds | Bristol City | January 2020 | [45] |
| 29 August 2019 | ST | | Theo Robinson | Southend United | End of season | [46][89] |
| 2 September 2019 | MF | | Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu | Charlton Athletic | January 2020 | [49] |
| 18 January 2020 | DF | | Tafari Moore | Plymouth Argyle | End of season | [90] |
Loans out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June 2019 | FW | | Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe |  Derry City | 19 November 2019 | [11] |
| 11 October 2019 | CB/CM | | Ollie Kensdale | Bath City | 11 November 2019 | [59] |
| 18 October 2019 | AM | | Noah Chilvers | Bath City | 18 November 2019 | [61] |
| 8 November 2019 | CB/FB/DM | | Cameron James | Maidstone United | 8 December 2019 | [67] |
| 10 November 2019 | RB | | Luke Ige | Witham Town | 8 December 2019 | [69] |
| 10 November 2019 | WG | | Ollie Sims | Bowers & Pitsea | 8 December 2019 | [70] |
| 7 December 2019 | MF | | Tyrique Hyde | Dartford | End of season | [76][86][127][128] |
| 7 December 2019 | MF | | Diaz Wright | Dagenham & Redbridge | January 2020 | [75] |
| 4 January 2020 | MF | | Jevani Brown | Forest Green Rovers | End of season | [83] |
| 6 January 2020 | DF | | Percy Kiangebeni | Hendon | End of season | [85][127] |
| 10 January 2020 | CB/FB/DM | | Cameron James | Welling United | April 2020 | [87][129] |
| 10 January 2020 | MF | | Diaz Wright | Welling United | April 2020 | [87][129] |
| 25 January 2020 | MF | | Louis Dunne | Farnborough | End of season | [93][130] |
Contracts
New contracts and contract extensions.
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | Length | Expiry | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 June 2019 | MF | | Sammie McLeod | 2 years | June 2021 | [9][10] |
| 11 June 2019 | FW | | Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe | 1 year | June 2020 | [11] |
| 13 June 2019 | CB | | Tom Eastman | 2 years | June 2021 | [12] |
| 18 June 2019 | DF | | Danny Collinge | 2 years | June 2021 | [13] |
| 26 June 2019 | WG | | Luke Gambin | 2 years | June 2021 | [16] |
| 1 July 2019 | WG | | Michael Fernandes | 2 years | June 2021 | [19] |
| 1 July 2019 | CB | | Omar Sowunmi | 2 years | June 2021 | [21] |
| 1 July 2019 | MF | | Diaz Wright | 1 year | June 2020 | [18] |
| 2 July 2019 | CB | | Matthew Weaire | 2 years | June 2021 | [23] |
| 3 July 2019 | RB | | Luke Ige | 1 year | June 2020 | [24] |
| 4 July 2019 | ST | | Jevani Brown | 2 years | June 2021 | [25] |
| 4 July 2019 | WG | | Paris Cowan-Hall | 2 years | June 2021 | [25] |
| 2 August 2019 | LB | | Cohen Bramall | 2 years | June 2021 | [36] |
| 30 August 2019 | MF | | Andre Hasanally | 3 years | June 2022 | [47] |
| 30 August 2019 | WG | | Callum Harriott | 2 years | June 2021 | [51] |
| 5 December 2019 | MF | | Kwame Poku | 2+1⁄2 years | June 2022 | [73] |
| 21 February 2020 | DF | | Miles Welch-Hayes | 2+1⁄2 years | June 2022 | [101] |
Match details
Preseason friendlies
Colchester United announced four pre-season fixtures on 24 May with games lined up at Dulwich Hamlet, Wealdstone and Dover Athletic, and a home fixture against Ipswich Town.[131] A further fixture was added on 5 June with a game against Bowers & Pitsea,[132] and then on 10 June, Charlton Athletic were named as Colchester's sixth pre-season opponents.[133] Colchester scheduled a friendly against Welsh Premier League side Cefn Druids during pre-season trip to Wales for 13 July.[134]
| 5 July 2019 Friendly | Bowers & Pitsea | 0–2 | Colchester United | Pitsea |
| 19:30 BST | Report | Dunne  60'Norris 85' | Stadium: Len Salmon Stadium |
| 9 July 2019 Friendly | Dulwich Hamlet | 0–2 | Colchester United | East Dulwich |
| 19:30 BST | Report | Senior 52' Sowunmi 56' | Stadium: Champion Hill |
| 13 July 2019 Friendly | Cefn Druids | 0–3 | Colchester United | Rhosymedre |
| 13:00 BST | Report | Hasanally 2' Sowunmi 60'Norris 90' | Stadium: The Rock |
| 16 July 2019 Friendly | Wealdstone | 0–3 | Colchester United | Ruislip |
| 19:30 BST | Report | Cowan-Hall 15' Fernandes 65'Gambin 78' | Stadium: Grosvenor Vale |
| 19 July 2019 Friendly | Colchester United | 0–5 | Ipswich Town | Colchester |
| 19:30 BST | Report | Norwood 17' (pen.), 62', 71' Jackson 47', 73' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium |
| 23 July 2019 Friendly | Colchester United | 1–2 | Charlton Athletic | Colchester |
| 19:30 BST | Norris 49' | Report | Odoh 69' Wiredu 90' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium |
| 27 July 2019 Friendly | Dover Athletic | 1–1 | Colchester United | River |
| 15:00 BST | Woods 43' | Report | Norris 89' (pen.) | Stadium: Crabble Athletic Ground |
League Two
Results round by round
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Crewe Alexandra (P) | 37 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 67 | 43 | +24 | 69 | 1.86 | Promotion to EFL League One |
| 3 | Plymouth Argyle (P) | 37 | 20 | 8 | 9 | 61 | 39 | +22 | 68 | 1.84 | |
| 4 | Cheltenham Town | 36 | 17 | 13 | 6 | 52 | 27 | +25 | 64 | 1.78 | Qualification for League Two play-offs[a] |
| 5 | Exeter City | 37 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 53 | 43 | +10 | 65 | 1.76 | |
| 6 | Colchester United | 37 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 52 | 37 | +15 | 58 | 1.57 | |
| 7 | Northampton Town (O, P) | 37 | 17 | 7 | 13 | 54 | 40 | +14 | 58 | 1.57 | |
| 8 | Port Vale | 37 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 50 | 44 | +6 | 57 | 1.54 | |
| 9 | Bradford City | 37 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 54 | 1.46 | |
| 10 | Forest Green Rovers | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 43 | 40 | +3 | 49 | 1.36 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[135]
(O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Notes:
Matches
On 20 June 2019, the EFL League Two fixtures were revealed.[136]
| 3 August 2019 1 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Port Vale | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Norris 45' | Report | Pope 5' (pen.) | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,729 Referee: Darren Drysdale |
| 10 August 2019 2 | Plymouth Argyle | 1–0 | Colchester United | Plymouth |
| 15:00 BST | Sarcevic 57' | Report | Stadium: Home Park Attendance: 10,542 Referee: John Busby |
| 17 August 2019 3 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Cambridge United | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Norris 9' (pen.) | Report | Richards 54' Darling 86' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 4,148 Referee: Antony Coggins |
| 20 August 2019 4 | Grimsby Town | 2–2 | Colchester United | Cleethorpes |
| 19:45 BST | Hanson 48' (pen.) Green 87' | Report | Nouble 25' Norris 45+1' | Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 4,103 Referee: Robert Lewis |
| 24 August 2019 5 | Colchester United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Norris 66' (pen.) | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,164 Referee: Ollie Yates |
| 31 August 2019 6 | Oldham Athletic | 0–1 | Colchester United | Oldham |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Nouble 45' | Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 3,091 Referee: Josh Smith |
| 7 September 2019 7 | Colchester United | 0–0 | Walsall | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,265 Referee: Brett Huxtable |
| 14 September 2019 8 | Forest Green Rovers | 1–0 | Colchester United | Nailsworth |
| 15:00 BST | Prosser 31' (o.g.) | Report | Stadium: The New Lawn Attendance: 2,758 Referee: Will Finnie |
| 17 September 2019 9 | Swindon Town | 0–3 | Colchester United | Swindon |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Eastman 45+1' Robinson 55', 75' | Stadium: County Ground Attendance: 6,634 Referee: Andy Woolmer |
| 21 September 2019 10 | Colchester United | 2–1 | Leyton Orient | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Poku 3' Jackson 28' | Report | Wilkinson 44' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 5,519 Referee: Tom Nield |
| 28 September 2019 11 | Macclesfield Town | 1–1 | Colchester United | Macclesfield |
| 15:00 BST | Osadebe 13' | Report | Robinson 45+1' | Stadium: Moss Rose Attendance: 1,532 Referee: Christopher Pollard |
| 5 October 2019 12 | Colchester United | 3–1 | Stevenage | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Eastman 48' Nouble 82' (pen.)Poku 83' | Report | Cowley 17' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,331 Referee: Nick Kinseley |
| 12 October 2019 13 | Crawley Town | 2–1 | Colchester United | Crawley |
| 15:00 BST | Grego-Cox 55' Bloomfield 80' | Report | Prosser 35' | Stadium: Broadfield Stadium Attendance: 2,636 Referee: Martin Coy |
| 19 October 2019 14 | Colchester United | 0–1 | Morecambe | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stockton 66' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,011 Referee: Trevor Kettle |
| 22 October 2019 15 | Crewe Alexandra | 0–0 | Colchester United | Crewe |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Robinson  90+5' | Stadium: Gresty Road Attendance: 3,659 Referee: Andy Haines |
| 26 October 2019 16 | Colchester United | 3–1 | Newport County | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Jackson 33' Stevenson 42'Senior 75' | Report | Abrahams 5' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 2,955 Referee: James Oldham |
| 2 November 2019 17 | Mansfield Town | 2–3 | Colchester United | Mansfield |
| 15:00 GMT | Sweeney 45' Sterling-James 90' | Report | Comley 8' Senior 74'Gambin 87' | Stadium: Field Mill Attendance: 4,125 Referee: Seb Stockbridge |
| 16 November 2019 | Colchester United | P–P | Bradford City | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium | |||
| Note: On 6 November, the match was postponed due to international call-ups.[137] | ||||
| 23 November 2019 18 | Cheltenham Town | 1–1 | Colchester United | Cheltenham |
| 15:00 GMT | Thomas 70' (pen.) | Report | Norris 28' | Stadium: Whaddon Road Attendance: 3,045 Referee: Ben Toner |
| 7 December 2019 19 | Colchester United | 1–0 | Salford City | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Pell 90+3' | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,713 Referee: Josh Smith |
| 14 December 2019 20 | Scunthorpe United | 2–2 | Colchester United | Scunthorpe |
| 15:00 GMT | Eisa 42' van Veen 47' | Report | Norris 58' Prosser 62' | Stadium: Glanford Park Attendance: 3,081 Referee: Ross Joyce |
| 21 December 2019 21 | Colchester United | 3–0 | Carlisle United | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Knight-Percival 26' (o.g.) Harriott 41'Bramall 52' | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,164 Referee: Craig Hicks |
| 26 December 2019 22 | Leyton Orient | 1–3 | Colchester United | Leyton |
| 13:00 GMT | Sotiriou 86' | Report | Robinson 41', 90+1' Pell 64' | Stadium: Brisbane Road Attendance: 5,648 Referee: Nick Kinseley |
| 29 December 2019 23 | Colchester United | 2–2 | Exeter City | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Pell 16' Robinson 59'Lapslie 76' | Report | Taylor 8' Bowman 77' (pen.) | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 4,739 Referee: Charles Breakspear |
| 1 January 2020 24 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Crawley Town | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Nouble 64' | Report | Prosser 72' (o.g.) | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,729 Referee: Antony Coggins |
| 4 January 2020 25 | Stevenage | 0–0 | Colchester United | Stevenage |
| 15:00 GMT | Soares 19' | Report | Stadium: Broadhall Way Attendance: 3,027 Referee: Ollie Yates |
| 11 January 2020 26 | Morecambe | 1–1 | Colchester United | Morecambe |
| 15:00 GMT | Phillips 69' | Report | Nouble 35' Jackson  75'  82' | Stadium: Globe Arena Attendance: 1,593 Referee: Robert Lewis |
| 18 January 2020 27 | Colchester United | 2–1 | Macclesfield Town | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Harriott 14' Kelleher 16' (o.g.) | Report | Stephens 72' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,252 Referee: David Rock |
| 21 January 2020 28 | Colchester United | 0–0 | Bradford City | Colchester |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,022 Referee: Trevor Kettle |
| 25 January 2020 29 | Exeter City | 0–0 | Colchester United | Exeter |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: St James Park Attendance: 4,745 Referee: Darren Handley |
| 28 January 2020 30 | Colchester United | 3–1 | Swindon Town | Colchester |
| 19:45 GMT | Norris 74' Robinson 85', 89' | Report | Jaiyesimi 48' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,258 Referee: Gavin Ward |
| 1 February 2020 31 | Cambridge United | 2–1 | Colchester United | Cambridge |
| 15:00 GMT | Dallas 85' Knibbs 86' | Report | Norris 67' | Stadium: Abbey Stadium Attendance: 5,015 Referee: Brett Huxtable |
| 8 February 2020 32 | Colchester United | 3–0 | Plymouth Argyle | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Stevenson 14' Robinson 30', 36' | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 4,768 Referee: James Oldham |
| 11 February 2020 33 | Colchester United | 2–3 | Grimsby Town | Colchester |
| 19:45 GMT | Prosser 17' Robinson 42' | Report | Vernam 21', 66', 69' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 2,954 Referee: Will Finnie |
| 15 February 2020 34 | Port Vale | 3–0 | Colchester United | Burslem |
| 15:00 GMT | Conlon 14' Cullen 54', 72' | Report | Stadium: Vale Park Attendance: 5,199 Referee: Leigh Doughty |
| 22 February 2020 35 | Salford City | 1–2 | Colchester United | Salford |
| 15:00 GMT | Hunter 43' | Report | Poku 27' Harriott 41' | Stadium: Moor Lane Attendance: 2,689 Referee: Andy Haines |
| 29 February 2020 36 | Colchester United | 0–2 | Cheltenham Town | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Sowunmi 76' 90+9' | Report | May 39' Hussey 79' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,698 Referee: Sam Purkiss |
| 7 March 2020 37 | Carlisle United | 0–3 | Colchester United | Carlisle |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Poku 41', 59' Norris 43' | Stadium: Brunton Park Attendance: 3,769 Referee: Thomas Bramall |
| 14 March 2020 | Colchester United | P–P | Scunthorpe United | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium | |||
| Note: Season suspended until 3 April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[105] | ||||
| 17 March 2020 | Colchester United | P–P | Crewe Alexandra | Colchester |
| 19:45 GMT | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium | |||
| Note: Season suspended until 3 April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[105] | ||||
| 21 March 2020 | Newport County | P–P | Colchester United | Newport |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Rodney Parade | |||
| Note: Season suspended until 3 April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[105] | ||||
| 28 March 2020 | Colchester United | P–P | Mansfield Town | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium | |||
| Note: Season suspended until 3 April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[105] | ||||
| 4 April 2020 | Bradford City | P–P | Colchester United | Bradford |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Valley Parade | |||
| Note: On 3 April 2020, the English Football League postponed all football until safe to resume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[106] | ||||
| 10 April 2020 | Northampton Town | P–P | Colchester United | Northampton |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Sixfield Stadium | |||
| Note: On 3 April 2020, the English Football League postponed all football until safe to resume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[106] | ||||
| 13 April 2020 | Colchester United | P–P | Oldham Athletic | Colchester |
| 13:00 BST | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium | |||
| Note: On 3 April 2020, the English Football League postponed all football until safe to resume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[106] | ||||
| 18 April 2020 | Walsall | P–P | Colchester United | Walsall |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Bescot Stadium | |||
| Note: On 3 April 2020, the English Football League postponed all football until safe to resume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[106] | ||||
| 25 April 2020 | Colchester United | P–P | Forest Green Rovers | Colchester |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium | |||
| Note: On 3 April 2020, the English Football League postponed all football until safe to resume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[106] | ||||
Play-offs
| 18 June 2020 Semi-final first leg | Colchester United | 1–0 | Exeter City | Colchester |
| 17:15 BST | Bramall 81' | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Referee: Josh Smith |
| 22 June 2020 Semi-final second leg | Exeter City | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Colchester United | Exeter |
| 17:15 BST | Martin 10' Richardson 58'Bowman 111' | Report | Senior 78' | Stadium: St James Park Referee: Charles Breakspear |
| Note: Exeter City win 3–2 on aggregate | ||||
FA Cup
The first round draw was made on 21 October 2019.[138]
| 9 November 2019 First round | Colchester United | 0–2 | Coventry City | Colchester |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Shipley 11' McCallum 27' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 2,919 Referee: Chris Sarginson |
EFL Cup
The first round draw was made on 20 June.[139] The second round draw was made on 13 August 2019 following the conclusion of all but one first-round matches.[140] The third round draw was confirmed on 28 August 2019, live on Sky Sports.[141] The draw for the fourth round was made on 25 September 2019.[142] The quarter-final draw was conducted on 31 October, live on BBC Radio 2.[143]
| 13 August 2019 First round | Colchester United | 3–0 | Swindon Town | Colchester |
| 19:45 BST | Bramall 62' Eastman 77'Senior 90+2'Comley 90+7' | Report | Yates 62' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 1,595 Referee: Charles Breakspear |
| 27 August 2019 Second round | Crystal Palace | 0–0 (4–5 p) | Colchester United | Selhurst |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Stadium: Selhurst Park Referee: Andy Woolmer | ||
| Penalties | ||||
Townsend  Ayew  Benteke Camarasa Zaha | Norris Nouble Brown Cowan-Hall Chilvers | |||
| 24 September 2019 Third round | Colchester United | 0–0 (4–3 p) | Tottenham Hotspur | Colchester |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 9,481 Referee: Jarred Gillett | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| Norris Nouble Brown Cowan-Hall Lapslie | Eriksen Alli Lamela Son Lucas Moura | |||
| 29 October 2019 Fourth round | Crawley Town | 1–3 | Colchester United | Crawley |
| 19:45 GMT | Bulman 20' | Report | Norris 22' Luyambula 53' (o.g.)Gambin 79' | Stadium: Broadfield Stadium Attendance: 5,612 Referee: Tony Harrington |
| 18 December 2019 Quarter-final | Manchester United | 3–0 | Colchester United | Manchester |
| 20:00 GMT | Rashford 51' Jackson 56' (o.g.)Martial 61' | Report | Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 57,559 Referee: David Coote |
EFL Trophy
On 9 July 2019, the pre-determined group stage draw was announced with Invited clubs to be drawn on 12 July 2019.[144] The draw for the second round was made on 16 November 2019 live on Sky Sports.[145]
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L2 | Colchester United | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 | Advance to Round 2 |
| 2 | L1 | Ipswich Town | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 | L1 | Gillingham | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 | ACA | Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 2 |
| 3 September 2019 Group stage | Gillingham | 2–3 | Colchester United | Gillingham |
| 19:45 BST | O'Keefe 23' Mandron 78' | Report | Cowan-Hall 8', 63' Robinson 55' | Stadium: Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 1,055 |
| 8 October 2019 Group stage | Colchester United | 1–1 (5–6 p) | Tottenham Hotspur U21 | Colchester |
| 19:30 BST | Norris 44' | Report | Oakley-Boothe 75' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 1,061 |
| Penalties | ||||
| Norris Brown Robinson Senior Chilvers Eastman Jackson Comley | Binks White Shashoua Patterson Eyoma Etete Hinds Walcott | |||
| 12 November 2019 Group stage | Colchester United | 1–0 | Ipswich Town | Colchester |
| 19:30 GMT | Clampin 80' | Report | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 5,104 |
| 3 December 2019 Second round | Colchester United | 1–2 | Stevenage | Colchester |
| 19:30 GMT | Stokes 61' (o.g.) | Report | Cowley 4' (pen.), 31' | Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 959 |
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
- As of 22 June 2020[146]
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | League Two | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | Play-offs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | ENG | Dean Gerken | 44 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Ryan Jackson | 45 | 2 | 33+1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Cohen Bramall | 32 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Tom Lapslie | 26 | 0 | 7+10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Luke Prosser | 45 | 3 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Omar Sowunmi | 11 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Courtney Senior | 40 | 4 | 19+10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 3+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Harry Pell | 26 | 3 | 20+1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Luke Norris | 42 | 11 | 19+13 | 9 | 0+1 | 0 | 4+1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | JAM | Jevani Brown | 17 | 0 | 5+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Paris Cowan-Hall | 10 | 2 | 2+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Miles Welch-Hayes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | MSR | Brandon Comley | 33 | 2 | 22+2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4+1 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | GUY | Callum Harriott | 26 | 3 | 17+5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Cameron James | 4 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Tom Eastman | 47 | 3 | 35+1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Ollie Kensdale | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | ENG | Ryan Clampin | 17 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Ben Stevenson | 36 | 2 | 24+4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | MLT | Luke Gambin | 37 | 2 | 9+19 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 3+2 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Noah Chilvers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | GK | ENG | Ethan Ross | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | ENG | Andre Hasanally | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | FW | ENG | Frank Nouble | 46 | 5 | 30+6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 49 | MF | GHA | Kwame Poku | 38 | 5 | 23+6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season | |||||||||||||||
| 12 | MF | ENG | Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu | 10 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | FW | JAM | Theo Robinson | 34 | 12 | 19+9 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+3 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Tafari Moore | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Kane Vincent-Young | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goalscorers
| Place | Number | Nation | Position | Name | League Two | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | Play-offs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | | ST | Theo Robinson | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | 9 | | CF | Luke Norris | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 3 | 45 | | CF | Frank Nouble | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 49 | | MF | Kwame Poku | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 5 | 7 | | WG | Courtney Senior | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | 5 | | CB | Luke Prosser | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | | MF | Harry Pell | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 15 | | WG | Callum Harriott | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 18 | | CB | Tom Eastman | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 10 | 2 | | RB | Ryan Jackson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | | LB | Cohen Bramall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 11 | | WG | Paris Cowan-Hall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 14 | | MF | Brandon Comley | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 24 | | MF | Ben Stevenson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 26 | | WG | Luke Gambin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 16 | 21 | | LB/LW | Ryan Clampin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Own goals | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||||
| TOTALS | 52 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 66 | ||||
Disciplinary record
| Number | Nationality | Position | Player | League Two | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | Play-offs | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | ||||
| 8 | | MF | Harry Pell | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 14 | | MF | Brandon Comley | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 5 | | CB | Luke Prosser | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 18 | | CB | Tom Eastman | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 3 | | LB | Cohen Bramall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 45 | | CF | Frank Nouble | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2 | | RB | Ryan Jackson | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | | MF | Tom Lapslie | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | | CB | Omar Sowunmi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 24 | | MF | Ben Stevenson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 13 | | ST | Theo Robinson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | | WG | Callum Harriott | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1 | | GK | Dean Gerken | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | | CF | Luke Norris | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | | MF | Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 21 | | LB/LW | Ryan Clampin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 49 | | MF | Kwame Poku | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | | WG | Paris Cowan-Hall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | | WG | Luke Gambin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 54 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 72 | 5 | |||
Player debuts
Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.[147]
| Number | Position | Player | Date | Opponent | Ground | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Dean Gerken | 3 August 2019 | Port Vale | Colchester Community Stadium | [148][a] |
| 3 | LB | Cohen Bramall | 3 August 2019 | Port Vale | Colchester Community Stadium | [148] |
| 10 | ST | Jevani Brown | 3 August 2019 | Port Vale | Colchester Community Stadium | [148] |
| 26 | WG | Luke Gambin | 3 August 2019 | Port Vale | Colchester Community Stadium | [148] |
| 37 | MF | Andre Hasanally | 3 August 2019 | Port Vale | Colchester Community Stadium | [148] |
| 6 | CB | Omar Sowunmi | 20 August 2019 | Grimsby Town | Blundell Park | [149] |
| 11 | WG | Paris Cowan-Hall | 24 August 2019 | Northampton Town | Colchester Community Stadium | [150] |
| 13 | ST | Theo Robinson | 31 August 2019 | Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | [151] |
| 12 | MF | Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu | 3 September 2019 | Gillingham | Priestfield Stadium | [152] |
| 49 | MF | Kwame Poku | 3 September 2019 | Gillingham | Priestfield Stadium | [152] |
| 15 | WG | Callum Harriott | 19 October 2019 | Morecambe | Colchester Community Stadium | [153][a] |
| 22 | DF | Tafari Moore | 18 January 2020 | Macclesfield Town | Colchester Community Stadium | [154] |
| 12 | DF | Miles Welch-Hayes | 22 June 2020 | Exeter City | St James Park | [155] |
Honours and awards
End-of-season awards
| Award | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year award | Tom Eastman | [156] |
| Young Player of the Year award | Kwame Poku | [156] |
| Player's Player of the Year award | Tom Eastman | [156] |
| Goal of the Season award | Callum Harriott | [156] |
| Community Player of the Year award | Callum Harriott | [156] |
| Colchester United Supporters Association Player of the Year award | Tom Eastman | [156] |
| Colchester United Supporters Association Away Player of the Year award | Tom Eastman | [156] |