The 1937–38 season was Colchester United's first ever season after the formation as a professional club from amateur predecessors Colchester Town. Alongside competing in the Southern League, the club also participated in the Southern League Mid-Week Section and Southern League Cup. The club did not enter the FA Cup, but did win the Southern League Cup at the first attempt. Colchester finished 6th position in the league, and finished as runners-up to Millwall Reserves in the Mid-Week Section.

Quick Facts Chairman, Manager ...

Colchester United

1937–38 season
Chairman	Maurice Pye[1]
Manager	Ted Davis
Stadium	Layer Road
Southern League	6th
Southern League Mid-Week Section	2nd
Southern League Cup	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: Alec Cheyne (19) All: Alec Cheyne (35)
Highest home attendance	11,000 (estimate) v Ipswich Town, 4 September 1937[2]
Lowest home attendance	2,500 (estimate) v Norwich City Reserves, 16 September 1937[3]
Average home league attendance	5,167[4]
Biggest win	8–0 v Newport County Reserves, 30 April 1938
Biggest defeat	2–5 v Norwich City Reserves, 23 April 1938
Home colours
1938–39 →

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During a transitional period from the amateur organisation at Colchester Town to a professional club, twelve directors formed the board, appointing former Huddersfield Town goalkeeper and Bath City manager Ted Davis to take charge of team affairs. On 14 July 1937, the announcement was publicly made that the new club would be named Colchester United. A week after his appointment, Davis had already organised for the club to play in the same blue and white striped kit as his former club Huddersfield.

With trial matches taking place between 19 and 26 August 1937, Colchester United played their first ever professional match on 28 August 1937, travelling to The Huish to face Yeovil & Petters United. The game ended 3–0 to Yeovil, but Colchester made amends in their first game at Layer Road against Davis' old side Bath City on 2 September in the Mid-Week Section. The U's thrashed their counterparts 6–1, with Reg Smith registering the club's first hat-trick. Proficient bugle and cornet player Ronnie Dunn, Colchester's goalkeeper, welcomed the players of both sides to the pitch with a rendition of the post horn galop, a tradition which would remain throughout the club's years at Layer Road. The attendance was recorded as £250 instead of numbers of supporters, with the amount equating to an approximate attendance of 3,500. Two days later, an estimated 11,000 came to Layer Road to witness a 3–3 draw in the first meeting between Colchester United and nearby rivals Ipswich Town.

Reg Smith was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 1937 for £250, and with a deal agreed for Cliff Fairchild to join Arsenal at the end of the season for £500, Davis used his entrepreneurial skills to arrange for both First Division clubs to contest the Colchester Challenge Cup at Layer Road. The friendly fixture proved to be a success, with 17,584 seeing Wolves beat Arsenal 1–0.

Following an excellent beginning to Colchester United's existence spelt a swift demise for Colchester Town. With the Oysters suffering financial difficulty, the amateur club folded in 1937, having joined the six-club Essex Senior League. The club re-emerged briefly in January 1938 to complete an Essex Senior Cup tie in order to avoid a fine, but the withdrawal of Town meant that United could enter a reserve side into the Eastern Counties League one month later, with the reserve squad boosted by many of those previously on the books with Colchester Town.

Layer Road suffered severe damage to the roof in January 1938 during a severe gale, with a recently erected corrugated iron roof and timber structure damaging nearby buildings, causing the ground to be closed for two days to clear the debris.

The return match with Ipswich saw 8,000 Colchester fans set a new Portman Road ground record attendance of 23,890, with United wearing a new orange and black away strip. They had worn these kits a week earlier in a friendly against Charlton Athletic to acclimatise themselves to the new strip.

At the end of the season, Colchester finished mid-table, but did reach the Southern League Cup final. They lost the first leg 2–1 at Yeovil, but triumphed 3–1 at Layer Road to win 4–3 on aggregate and secure the club's first ever trophy. The club then adopted the nickname "The U's" to differentiate themselves from "The Oysters" of Colchester Town. Across the season, Colchester found the back of the net 155 times in all competitions, with Alec Cheyne scoring 35 goals, Arthur Pritchard 29 goals and Jack Hodge 24 goals helping the U's to that total. With professional football proving to be a success, the same applied for Colchester's neighbours and rivals Ipswich Town, who were elected to the Football League for the 1938–39 season.^[5]

As of match played 7 May 1938.^[6]

More information Name, Position ...

Name	Position	Nationality	Place of birth	Date of birth	Apps	Goals	Signed from	Date signed	Fee
Goalkeepers
Ronnie Dunn	GK		Southall	(1908-11-24)24 November 1908 (aged 28)	0	0	Crystal Palace	3 July 1937	Free transfer
Don Youngs	GK				0	0	Martlesham RAF	5 November 1937	Free transfer
Defenders
Jimmy Baker	CB/RH		Trethomas	(1904-05-05)5 May 1904 (aged 33)	0	0	Bristol City	9 July 1937	Free transfer
Cliff Fairchild	RB		Great Yarmouth	(1917-10-23)23 October 1917 (aged 19)	0	0	Northfleet United	28 August 1937[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
Syd Fieldus	DF		Romford	(1909-05-27)27 May 1909 (aged 28)	0	0	Brentford	3 July 1937	Free transfer
Ian Haley	RB		North Bierley		0	0	Colchester Town	1 January 1938[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
George Leslie	CB		Slough	(1907-07-09)9 July 1907 (aged 29)	0	0	Guildford City	9 July 1937	Free transfer
Alexander Wood	LB		Lochgelly	(1907-06-12)12 June 1907 (aged 29)	0	0	Nottingham Forest	16 July 1937	Free transfer
Midfielders
Jimmy Collins	LH/RH		Brentford	(1903-07-14)14 July 1903 (aged 33)	0	0	West Ham United	3 July 1937	Free transfer
George Ritchie	LH		Maryhill	(1904-01-16)16 January 1904 (aged 33)	0	0	Leicester City	12 August 1937	Free transfer
George Smith	RH		Connah's Quay		0	0	Bath City	27 October 1937	Free transfer
Forwards
Bill Barraclough	OL		Kingston upon Hull	(1909-01-03)3 January 1909 (aged 28)	0	0	Chelsea	7 August 1937	Free transfer
Albert Bennett	CF				0	0	Colchester Town	25 November 1937[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
Alec Cheyne	IH		Glasgow	(1907-04-28)28 April 1907 (aged 30)	0	0	Chelsea	13 August 1937	£3,000
George Crisp	WG		Pontypool	(1911-06-30)30 June 1911 (aged 25)	0	0	Newport County	28 August 1937[lower-alpha 1]	Undisclosed
Jack Hodge	OR		Plymouth		0	0	Luton Town	13 July 1937	Free transfer
Ken Mayes	IL/OL		Wickford	(1910-10-08)8 October 1910 (aged 26)	0	0	Fulham	3 July 1937	£500
Bill Pendergast	CF/IL		Penygroes	(1915-04-13)13 April 1915 (aged 22)	0	0	Bristol Rovers	9 December 1937	Free transfer
Arthur Pritchard	CF		Newport	(1917-10-22)22 October 1917 (aged 19)	0	0	Yeovil & Petters United	28 August 1937[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
Ivan Thacker	CF		Lowestoft		0	0	Lowestoft Town	18 February 1938	Free transfer
George Wallis	IF		Sawley		0	0	Bath City	28 February 1938	Free transfer
George Williams	IR/CF				0	0	Ipswich Town	17 July 1937	Free transfer

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• List of Colchester United F.C. seasons