The 1958–59 season was Colchester United's 17th season in their history and their ninth season in the third tier of English football, the newly formed national Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup. Colchester reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, beating Bath City, Yeovil Town and Chesterfield on their way to meeting Arsenal. Drawn at home, Colchester held Arsenal to a 2–2 Layer Road draw, but were defeated 4–0 at Highbury in the replay. Colchester finished fifth in the Third Division, nine points shy of promotion.

Quick Facts Chairman, Manager ...

Colchester United

1958–59 season
Chairman	Bill Allen[1]
Manager	Benny Fenton
Stadium	Layer Road
Third Division	5th
FA Cup	4th round (eliminated by Arsenal)
Top goalscorer	League: Neil Langman (20) All: Neil Langman (27)
Highest home attendance	16,000 v Arsenal, 24 January 1959[2]
Lowest home attendance	4,406 v Notts County, 23 February 1959[3]
Average home league attendance	8,357[4]
Biggest win	8–2 v Stockport County, 4 October 1958; 7–1 v Yeovil Town, 11 December 1958
Biggest defeat	0–4 v Arsenal, 28 January 1959; 0–4 v Brentford, 21 March 1959
Home colours
← 1957–58 1959–60 →

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In the new national Third Division, Colchester excelled against their northern counterparts, winning 21 games, more than half of which were clubs previously in the Third Division North. Colchester finished the season in fifth position, just nine points away from Hull City in second place, and ten behind champions Plymouth Argyle. They also earned a club record win when they beat Stockport County 8–2 on 4 October, and a club record away win when they beat Yeovil Town 7–1.

The club's main highlight during the campaign was their FA Cup run, their first venture outside of the first round in six seasons. Colchester defeated old Southern League rivals Bath City and Yeovil Town in the first and second rounds, before seeing off Chesterfield to set up a fourth round tie with Arsenal. For the first time local police set a limit on crowd numbers at Layer Road for the Arsenal game with 16,000 witnessing the 2–2 draw. 62,686 people watched the replay at Highbury in thick fog as the Gunners ran out 4–0 winners.

Both big-money signings from last season, Neil Langman and John Evans, helped repay their transfer fees by scoring 27 and 16 goals respectively. Meanwhile, the proceeds from the Arsenal fixture meant that floodlighting could be installed at Layer Road for the first time.^[5]

As of match played 4 May 1959.^[6]

More information Name, Position ...

Name	Position	Nationality	Place of birth	Date of birth	Apps	Goals	Signed from	Date signed	Fee
Goalkeepers
Percy Ames	GK		Plymouth	(1931-12-13)13 December 1931 (aged 26)	139	0	Tottenham Hotspur	1 May 1955	Free transfer
John Wright	GK		Aldershot	(1933-08-13)13 August 1933 (aged 24)	4	0	Colchester Casuals	23 May 1952	Free transfer
Defenders
Brian Dobson	CB		Colchester	(1934-03-01)1 March 1934 (aged 24)	23	0	Amateur	January 1956	Free transfer
George Fisher	FB		Bermondsey	(1925-06-19)19 June 1925 (aged 32)	135	4	Fulham	1 September 1955	£1,000
John Fowler	FB		Leith	(1933-10-17)17 October 1933 (aged 24)	106	3	Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic	20 August 1955[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
John Laidlaw	FB		Aldershot	(1936-07-05)5 July 1936 (aged 21)	0	0	Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare	June 1957	Free transfer
Alf Marshall	FB		Dagenham	(1933-05-21)21 May 1933 (aged 25)	0	0	Dagenham	14 October 1957	£25
Chic Milligan	CB		Ardrossan	(1930-07-26)26 July 1930 (aged 27)	62	1	Ardrossan Winton Rovers	18 August 1956[lower-alpha 1]	£1,000
John Roe	FB		Broxburn	(1938-01-07)7 January 1938 (aged 20)	0	0	West Calder United	July 1958	Free transfer
Edgar Rumney	FB		Abberton	(1936-09-15)15 September 1936 (aged 21)	5	0	Colchester Casuals	1 May 1957	Free transfer
Midfielders
Cyril Hammond	WH		Woolwich	(1927-10-10)10 October 1927 (aged 30)	0	0	Charlton Athletic	July 1958	Free transfer
Trevor Harris	WH		Colchester	(1936-02-06)6 February 1936 (aged 22)	10	0	Amateur	July 1951	Free transfer
Ron Hunt	WH		Colchester	(1933-09-26)26 September 1933 (aged 24)	38	0	Amateur	October 1951	Free transfer
Derek Parker	WH		Wivenhoe	(1926-06-23)23 June 1926 (aged 31)	36	1	West Ham United	March 1957	£2,500
Forwards
Russell Blake	WG		Colchester	(1935-07-24)24 July 1935 (aged 22)	15	2	Dedham Old Boys	8 September 1955[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
John Evans	IF		Tilbury	(1929-08-28)28 August 1929 (aged 28)	24	7	Liverpool	23 November 1957[lower-alpha 1]	£4,000
Bobby Hill	IF		Edinburgh	(1938-06-09)9 June 1938 (aged 19)	54	8	Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare	9 June 1955	Free transfer
Ian Johnstone	IF		Galashiels	(1939-03-02)2 March 1939 (aged 19)	0	0	Ormiston Primrose	18 April 1959[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
Martyn King	CF		Birmingham	(1937-08-23)23 August 1937 (aged 20)	3	1	Amateur	Summer 1955	Free transfer
Neil Langman	CF		Bere Alston	(1932-02-21)21 February 1932 (aged 26)	23	8	Plymouth Argyle	November 1957	£6,750
Kevin McCurley	CF		Consett	(1926-04-02)2 April 1926 (aged 32)	218	86	Liverpool	June 1951	£750
Sammy McLeod	IF		Glasgow	(1934-01-04)4 January 1934 (aged 24)	63	6	Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare	20 August 1955[lower-alpha 1]	Free transfer
Tony Miller	IF		Chelmsford	(1937-10-26)26 October 1937 (aged 20)	0	0	Amateur	May 1958	Free transfer
Ken Plant	CF		Nuneaton	(1925-08-15)15 August 1925 (aged 32)	188	79	Bury	January 1954	Undisclosed
Tommy Williams	WG		Battersea	(1935-02-10)10 February 1935 (aged 23)	52	8	Carshalton Athletic	September 1956	Free transfer
Peter Wright	WG		Colchester	(1934-01-26)26 January 1934 (aged 24)	204	46	Amateur	November 1951	Free transfer

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• List of Colchester United F.C. seasons