1980–81 Colchester United F.C. season

The 1980–81 season was Colchester United's 39th season in their history and fourth successive season in third tier of English football, the Third Division. Alongside competing in the Third Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Colchester United

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 v Watford, 3 January 1981[2]
Lowest home attendance	1,430 v Carlisle United, 2 May 1981[3]
Average home league attendance	2,956[4]
Biggest win	3–0 v Millwall, 13 September 1980 v Portsmouth, 22 November 1980 v Oxford United, 29 November 1980
Biggest defeat	0–4 v Exeter City, 30 August 1980 v Carlisle United, 6 December 1980
Home colours
← 1979–80 1981–82 →

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 by Gillingham, while Watford overcame Colchester in the third round of the FA Cup.

Season overview

The club's chairman warned financial difficulties would result in an exodus of players, but in the summer months, only Steve Dowman left the club, joining Wrexham for £75,000. The club also received their first-ever shirt sponsorship from Royal London Insurance.

In the opening game of the season in the League Cup against Gillingham, debutant Nigel Crouch became the first Colchester player to be sent off on their debut following an altercation with Gillingham's Steve Bruce. Colchester failed to win any of their opening eight games. When they beat Millwall 3–0 in their ninth game, it attracted national media coverage. Sergeant Frank Ruggles of Essex Police marched on the field during play and attempted to arrest Millwall defender Mel Blyth for swearing.

Manager Bobby Roberts signed unknown Highland League player Kevin 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, after Trevor Lee moved to Gillingham 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, signing Roger Osborne from Ipswich Town, while also paying £15,000 each for Roy McDonough and Phil 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 over Carlisle 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 at Layer Road for the foreseeable future.^[5]

Players

As of match played 2 May 1981.^[6]

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

1. Date of signing refers to the date of the player's first game for the club

Transfers

In

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]

• Total spending: ~ £80,000

Out

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]

• Total incoming: ~ £170,000

1. Date of departure refers to the date of the player's final game for the club

Loans out

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]

Match details

Third Division

Main article: 1980–81 Football League

Results round by round

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

Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

League table

Pos	Team v t e	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 the Fourth 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

Source: rsssf.com
(R) Relegated

Matches

Colchester United v Plymouth Argyle

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

Fulham v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Walsall

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

Exeter City v Colchester United

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

Burnley v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Millwall

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

Colchester United v Chesterfield

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

Charlton Athletic v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Chester

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

Chesterfield v Colchester United

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

Huddersfield Town v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Portsmouth

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

Colchester United v Barnsley

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

Blackpool v Colchester United

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

Reading v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Rotherham United

25 October 1980 (1980-10-25) 16	Colchester United	0–0	Rotherham United	Colchester
		Report		Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 2,623 Referee: B Hill

Colchester United v Hull City

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

Sheffield United v Colchester United

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

Portsmouth v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Swindon Town

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

Colchester United v Fulham

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

Plymouth Argyle v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Oxford United

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

Carlisle United v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Newport County

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

Brentford v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Gillingham

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

Colchester United v Blackpool

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

Oxford United v Colchester United

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

Walsall v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Exeter City

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

Millwall v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Burnley

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

Chester v Colchester United

21 February 1981 (1981-02-21) 34	Chester	0–0	Colchester United	Chester
		Report		Stadium: Sealand Road Attendance: 1,778 Referee: A Challinor

Colchester United v Charlton Athletic

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

Colchester United v Huddersfield Town

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

Hull City v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Reading

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

Rotherham United v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Sheffield United

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

Barnsley v Colchester United

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

Swindon Town v Colchester United

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

Gillingham v Colchester United

18 April 1981 (1981-04-18) 43	Gillingham	0–0	Colchester United	Gillingham
15:00 BST		Report		Stadium: Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 4,408 Referee: A Robinson

Colchester United v Brentford

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

Newport County v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Carlisle United

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

League Cup

Main article: 1980–81 Football League Cup

Colchester United v Gillingham

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

Gillingham v Colchester United

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

FA Cup

Main article: 1980–81 FA Cup

Colchester United v Portsmouth

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

Colchester United v Yeovil Town

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

Yeovil Town v Colchester United

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

Colchester United v Watford

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

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

^[6][19]

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

Goalscorers

^[19]

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

Disciplinary record

^[20]

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

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.^[21]

Place	Nationality	Player	Third Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Total
1		Mike Walker	12	2	0	14
		TOTALS	12	2	0	14

Player debuts

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

See also

• List of Colchester United F.C. seasons