theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
Welcome to the Private memorabilia collection of 'theyflysohigh'
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West Ham United's five year involement with the Pearson Charity Cup came to an end with the 1960 contest. The record books don't reveal what happened in the following 1960-61 but a year later the 1961-62 contest was back to Colchester United versus Chelmsford City.
It seems the 1962-63 match was probably lost due to Colchester's fixture back-log and the last U's involvement was losing 3-0 at Chelmsford on May 24, 1964.
Pearson Charity Cup ...
by Kevin Drury
The Colchester United and West Ham United connection as Football League clubs started back in the 1950s. Colchester United were founded in June 1937 as a Southern League side and were elected to the Football League (Third Division South) in the summer of 1950. In August of the same year West Ham's Board of Directors appointed their third-ever manager, Ted Fenton.
The Layer Road club had ended the 1953-54 and 54-55 campaigns below the dotted line in relegation positions and having to seek re-election to the Football League. Following the Essex club's successful 54-55 re-election they appointed Ted's younger brother, Benny, as their player / manager for the 1955–56 season.
At the end of campaign the two brothers opposed each other for the first time as managers of the teams in the Pearson Charity Cup.
Football in Colchester
Apart from the Essex Cup which was founded in 1883, competitive football in Colchester starts from 1893 with the formation of the Colchester Borough League (CBL), later the Colchester & District League and since 1911 the Essex & Suffolk Border League.
Although involved in the initial meetings that set up the Colchester Borough League the town club, Colchester F.C., declined to enter as they had already filled their fixture list. Many of their players though turned out for the Crusaders club and at the end of the season Colchester F.C. and Crusaders formally merged. In practice Colchester F.C. just absorbed Crusaders.
Pearson Charity Cup Inaugurated
The Pearson Charity Cup was inaugurated in the Summer of 1894, on the back of the success of the first year of the CBL, by Sir Weetman Pearson, later Lord Cowdray, to raise funds for the Essex County Hospital. Pearson was then the Liberal candidate for Colchester and before the end of the season would be MP for the town, holding the seat for 15 years.
The eight teams invited for the first season were Colchester FC, Excelsior, St Peter's Institute, Brantham, 20th Hussars, 2nd Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment, 2nd Battalionn Northants Regiment & Royal Artillery (7 Colchester teams plus Brantham).
The first game kicked-off on January 26, 1895 a crowd of about 300 watching the Artillery beat St Peter's 3-2. 2nd Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment won the first final beating 20th Hussars 2-1 at Colchester FC's Cambridge Road ground on March 23, 1895 with a reported gate of 4,000.
Thereafter the final was played on the Recreation Ground, usually held on Easter Monday, and became one of the big events in the local social calendar with its underlying fundraising purpose meaning many who would not otherwise attend a football match felt obligated to be seen to be supporting the worthy cause. Good four figure gates were the norm.
The Pearson Charity Cup was always an invitation competition, primarily for the senior clubs in Colchester and often split into civilian and military sections for at least part. From the early 1920s the split was usually right the way up to the Final. The location of the Garrison meant Colchester was uniquely placed in being able to support its own senior competitions with usually around half a dozen clubs of senior status. By contrast the equivalent clubs of neighbouring major towns, the likes of Chelmsford, Braintree, Ipswich etc, and indeed throughout East Anglia, had to combine over long distances to form leagues of sufficient strength.
In the 20 years to World War One military teams led their civilian counterparts 11 wins to 9 with Colchester Town who by now were playing at Layer Road contributed 4 of those 9 wins. After the war Town dominated and when they beat 4th Divisional Signals 4-3 in the 1933-34 final it was their 10th win in 15 years.
Sir Weetman Pearson
When the new club Colchester United was formed in June 1937, like Town they also played their matches at Layer Road. The flegling 'United' club had joined the Southern League and crowds at Town matches quickly began to dwindle.
In December of 1937, United had formed a reserve team, signing many of the Town players. As a result of this and Town's financial problems the club were now £300 in debt, they folded in the same month.
The U's continued in the tradition of their predecessors by playing in blue and white striped shirts combined with white shorts, they also adopted the Colchester coat of arms for their club crest, which features the living cross of St Helena and the crowns of the Three Kings.
The coat of arms crest was used up until 1972. The emblem we see today is a shield shaped crest with golden eagle set against a blue and white striped background.
By the late 1930s both the Pearson Charity Cup and the "opposition" Worthington Evans Charity were struggling to get their competitions completed as league and cup commitments grew. Colchester Town's poor performances in the Eastern Counties League had convinced their supporters that the club should turn professional like nearby neighbours Ipswich Town. However club officials were opposed to the idea.
The Begining of the End for Town
Colchester United's original club crest
Pearson Cup Ressurrected
In 1948 the Pearson Charity Cup was resurrected as an invitation challenge match with Colchester United and Chelmsford City the participants. The U's travelled to New Writtle Street on May 14, 1949 for the first post war renewal and won 4-3 in front of over 7,000.
Up to and including 1955 the two sides met annually at the end of the season, taking it in turn to stage the game. Chelmsford City were distinctly miffed when the organising committee decided to invite West Ham United to take their place for the 1955-56 encounter, even though the Chelmsford club was in dire straits at the time and had finished in the bottom four of the Southern League for the past three years. The U's versus the Hammers' became an annual in the Layer Road calendar for the next five years.
1955-56
Colchester United 1 - 2 West Ham United
Layer Road
Wednesday May 2, 1956
West Ham United:
Dare, Sexton
Attendance: 4,664
West Ham United:
Gregory
Bond
Cooper
Parker
Brown
Lansdowne
Grice
Sexton
Dare
Matthews
Musgrove
Colchester United 3 - 4 West Ham United
Layer Road
Wednesday May 1, 1957
West Ham United:
Cantwell, Lewis, Musgrove, Neville
West Ham United:
Gregory
Bond
Cantwell
Pyke
Brown
Allison
Grice
Smith
Lewis
Dick
Musgrove
1956-57
Ernie Gregory's 1956 medal
Malcolm Pyke's 1957 medal
Colchester United 2 - 4 West Ham United (HT 1-2)
Layer Road
Tuesday May 6, 1958
West Ham United:
Newman 3, Keeble
Attendance: 5,000
West Ham United:
Rhodes
Wright
Cooper
Moore
Brown
Lansdowne
Grice
Lewis
Keeble
Newman
Musgrove
1957-58
Colchester United 2 - 2 West Ham United (HT 1-1)
Layer Road
Thursday April 23, 1959
West Ham United:
Bond, Cantwell
Attendance: 3,663
West Ham United:
Dwyer
Kirkup
Bond
Malcolm
Brown
Lansdowne
Grice
Smith
Cantwell
Nelson
Musgrove
1958-59
Colchester United 3 - 1 West Ham United (HT 0-1)
Layer Road
Wednesday May 4, 1960
West Ham United:
Dunmore
Attendance: 3,375
West Ham United:
Rhodes
Bond
Burkett
Malcolm
Brown
Moore
Grice
Cartwright
Dunmore
Smillie
Musgrove
1959-60
Jack Burkett's 1960 Runners-up medal
Colchester United:
Ames, Marshall, Fisher, Parker, Milligan, Hammond, Blake, McLeod, Langman, Evans, Johnstone
The match was a draw, so the cup was presented to both captains, George Fisher and Noel Cantwell.
The presentation was made by Colchester United chairman Mr. William Allen
Colchester United:
Ames
Laidlaw
Fowler
Parker
Milligan
Hammond
Blake
Hill
Langman
King
Wright
Colchester United:
Evans, Langman
Colchester United:
Plant, McCurley
Colchester United:
McCurley, Williams, Parker
aet (90 mins 3-3)
Cup shared: Because of fading light extra time was restricted to five minutes each way with no further score.
'theyflysohigh' would like to thank Colchester United historians Kevin Drury, Jeff Whitehead and Graeson Laitt
Colchester Gazettee: April 28th
Essex County Standard: May 9, 1958
Essex County Standard: May 3, 1957
Colchester United:
Ames, Rumney, Fowler, Hains, Stewart, Parker, Williams, Plant, McCurley, Hill, Blake
Colchester United:
Ames
Marshall
Fisher
Evans
Dobson
Hunt
Blake
Plant
McCurley
McNeil
Fowler
Essex County Standard: May 1956