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:''For a statistical breakdown by season, see List of Colchester United F.C. seasons'' Colchester United is an English football club based in Colchester, Essex. The History of Colchester United F.C. spans the club's roots, forming in 1937 as a professional club alongside amateur counterparts Colchester Town through to present day. Colchester played in the Southern League from 1937 to 1950 when they were elected to the Football League and remained in the lower two divisions of the league between 1950 and 1990, when they were relegated to the Football Conference. United were promoted from the conference in 1992 and have remained a league club since. The club made a slow climb through the Third Division and then the Second Division. In 2006, the club finished 2nd in League One, the club's highest ever finish to that point, resulting in promotion to the Championship – the second tier of English football. The following season, Colchester achieved a 10th-place finish in the Championship, their record highest finish, this despite having the divisions lowest average attendance. The following season, Colchester were relegated back to League One, where the club are currently competing. ==Colchester Town Era: 1873–1936== Colchester Town F.C. was founded in October 1873, although they were not part of any league or association until September 1882, when club was a founder member of the Essex County FA and a season later won the inaugural Essex Senior Cup defeating Braintree by 3–1. Town reached the coveted Essex Senior Cup Final on two further occasions, losing to Ilford in 1892 and Leyton in 1900. By 1885 a club rule change meant that it was permissible to play in shirts rather than knitted jerseys and Town changed its colours in dramatic fashionfrom blue tops to came chocolate and pink quarters. As the new century began, the club changed its colours again – adopting red jerseys and white knickerbockers. Nicknamed 'The Oysters', Colchester Town was not the only club in the borough, as The Excelsior club emerged and were on par with The Oysters, so much so that in September 1890 it was agreed that the two clubs would merge to play stronger teams whilst keeping their own identity for local fixtures. With their Cambridge Road ground required for building work and the emergence of Colchester Crown, a new team to the area, it was feared that Town would fold but funds were found to prepare a new pitch for 1902–03 at Reed Hall. Town suffered a nomadic existence over the next few years playing at The Drury Field and then at Albert Road. In 1908, the club vacated Albert Road for Sheepen Road for a pitch which became known as The Oval. The pitch was a quagmire having previously been the Borough's refuse dump. Players often took it upon their selves to jump in the nearby river after proceedings to wash off the 'municipal dust'. The Oval was often under water and Town would be forced to hire a pitch at Land Lane. The 4th Battalion Kings Rifle Regiment were the incumbent regiment in the town's Sobrahan Barracks from 1906 and in order to progress into the South Essex League had prepared a pitch on Layer Road. The first ever match staged at Layer Road was on 30 September 1907, when the KRR entertained South Weald, the Essex Senior Cup holders, which the KRR won 10–2. Matters came to a head in early 1909, as Town's attractive fixture with Norwich City Reserves in the East Anglian League was switched to Land Lane, but attracted takings of only four pounds – meanwhile the KRR's played in front of a record 4,000 Layer Road crowd as they entertained Ilford in the FA Amateur Cup. The KRR's were posted to India and on 19 April 1909, the Town committee seized the chance to secure a three-year lease on Layer Road. For 1910–11, Town joined the South Essex League. Many famous names visited Layer Road in exhibition matches with Sheffield United, Derby, Millwall and Norwich to name a few. When Town entertained Luton in the autumn of 1911 the Committee issued what is believed to be the earliest known programme issue. Town struggled in the South Essex League until in 1912–13 they won the title. The club also won the Essex and Suffolk Border League, the East Anglian League and the Worthington-Evans Cup. For the 1914–15 season, a friendly match was arranged with Sparta of Rotterdam but with War looming, any chance of the game going ahead was curtailed. On 31 August 1914, the Committee met and closed down the football club. The Layer Road enclosure was earmarked for drill purposes or recreational activities by HM Forces. Seven club members are died during The Great War and their names were inscribed on a tablet in the Layer Road dressing room. Following the announcement of Armistice the committee reformed and the club purchased the Layer Road enclosure. Town entered the 1919–20 English Cup (FA Cup) and were narrowly defeated in the Fourth Qualifying Round replay by Ilford at Layer Road in front of their own record crowd. In 1922–23 they joined the Middlesex and District League winning the title at the first attempt. Three years later Town found themselves in the Spartan League, their best season saw them finishing fourth in 1928–29, but more often they were placed around 10th in the thirteen-team League. The East Anglian Cup was secured in 1931–32 but, with limited success, Town joined the Eastern Counties League in 1935–36. Town finished joint top with Harwich & Parkeston in that inaugural Eastern Counties League season. Although Town were joint-reigning champions, attendances were poor and moves were afoot to form a new professional club in Colchester. 2 March 1936 marked the end for Town and the birth of a team that would become Colchester United. The Committee had hoped to run the Amateurs alongside the Professionals, but Essex County rules stated that a single group could not run the affairs of clubs of differing status.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The U's History: Colchester Town Era )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「History of Colchester United F.C.」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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