JANUARY

The year started with Colchester United goalkeeper Tamer Fernandes making his debut in a 2-2 draw against Luton Town. Goalscorers for Colchester were David Gregory (penalty) and Paul Abrahams.

The U's line-up was: Fernandes, Dunne, Betts, Williams, Greene, Buckle, Wilkins, Gregory D, Sale, Abrahams and Duguid.

Trouble was brewing however with manager Steve Wignall when he complained about player's agent involvement scuppering a deal when he tried to sign Scarborough forward Neil Campbell.

A certain Lomana Tresor Lua Lua made his debut in a 4-1 defeat at Chesterfield. He marked his first game with a goal.

By the end of the month Wignall resigns after another attempted signing falls through saying: "I don't think I can take the team any further."

Colchester Rugby Club hit bottom place in the league following an 18-11 defeat by Braintree.

But there is good news on the athletic front when the Colchester and Tendring ladies team win five silver medals at the Essex cross country championships while Colchester Harriers men's team win the relay event for the first time in the club's history.

Former Scarborough and Carlisle coach Mick Wadsworth is appointed the new U's boss on January 28.

FEBRUARY

More than 300 Harwich fight fans pack out the Dovercourt Haven caravan camp for the first ever boxing match staged by Harwich Amateur Boxing Club. The night is hailed as a great success.

Young Colchester and East Essex cricketer Ian Flannagan hits 53 runs for an on-tour England Under 19 squad against New Zealand.

Another Colchester athlete to gain international recognition is promising athlete Sarah Claxton who is called up for the Great Britain squad to take on France in an indoor international.

Dovercourt schoolgirl and Colchester Gymnastic Club member Hayley Doyle wins the regional apparatus gymnastics championship at the British Schools Gymnastics Association East Region finals.

New U's manager Mick Wadsworth makes his first signing for the club when he brings Warren Aspinall to the club from Brentford in a loan deal, he also signs former Carlisle defender Stephane Pounewatchy.

Colchester Harriers win the Today Runners League title for the third year in a row.

MARCH

The month started with Essex County Cricket Club appointing Ronnie Irani as vice-captain and Colchester United extending their unbeaten run with a 1-1 draw with Reading. Neil Gregory netted his first goal for the club for six months.

The month also produced a fair amount of national success for local athletes, Colchester boasted national champions in bowls when the ladies team of Colchester Indoor Bowls club took the title in the finals in Exeter.

At the National Cross-Country championships staged at Newark, Colchester and Tendring AC's Grace Greenhalgh produces the best run ever by a local athlete to finish 34th out of a total of 2,000 competitors. And in the sport of boxing, St Helena School pupil Hector Seaman becomes the ABA Schoolboy Champion.

At local level there was success for the Colchester Hornets Basketball team who won the Mid-Essex League title for the first time in the club's history.

The men of Mersea Rugby Club triumphed in the Suffolk Plate final 19-9 against Thurston to win the club's first-ever piece of silverware in the club's 10-year history.

APRIL

Whitehall clinched the KeConnect Colchester and East Essex League title without kicking a ball when closest rivals Eight Ash Green were involved in a shock 5-2 defeat by Oyster.

After a season of disappointment on the playing field Colchester Rugby Club lost their final league game by an embarrasing 58-5 scoreline to Old Verulamians and were relegated back to the London Division Three North-East league.

After a draw and a win against Northampton and Bournemouth respectively which ensures Colchester United retain their Division Two status, manager Mick Wadsworth pledges his future to the club while scotching speculation about a possible move to the vacant Barnsley job.

He says: "I'm happy here and I want to see things through. The fans have been fantastic." As someone else once said: "It's a funny old game."

MAY

Former U's left-back Ian Phillips is linked with the Clacton Town job but he rules himself out despite admitting he received an approach from the club.

Ipswich lose out in the play-offs for the third year running. They take the semi-final second leg against Bolton into extra-time before bowing out on the away goals rule.

Midfielder Kieron Dyer pledges his future to the club after the game but less than two weeks later he hands in a transfer request.

Mick Wadsworth's Layer Road revolution continues when he signs Joe Keith from West Ham, Sagi Burton from Crystal Palace, and Brian Launders from Derby. Keeper Carl Emberson turns down a new deal with the club and signs for Walsall.

More good news follows when Lua Lua signs a new deal at Layer Road which takes him through to the summer of 2001.

Wadsworth said: "Lomana is going to be worth a lot of money one day."

Clacton Town A were dubbed the cleanest team in the country after going through the entire season without picking up a booking in division three of the Ke-Connect League.

England's elimination from the cricket World Cup means Nasser Hussain makes a return to the Essex batting line-up sooner than expected.

JUNE

History is made in the Osborne Cricket League when Eight Ash Green include two women in their line-up for their match against Dedham, Caroline Woodman and Cheryl Pinch who takes three wickets. But Dedham win the match.

Mistley Cricket Club are rocked by the sudden walk-out of South African batsman Evert Ferreira who hits two centuries in four matches after the club has paid £500 for his return air-fare from his homeland.

Out-of-contract defender Stephane Pounewatchy quits the U's after turning down a new contract and club skipper Richard Wilkins slaps in a transfer request after being told he was not going to feature in manager Mick Wadsworth's plans for the new season.

With the departure of Paul Buckle to Exeter on a two-year deal it takes the number of players to leave Layer Road over the summer to 11 after nine were given free transfers.

Essex skipper Nasser Hussain is named new England captain, taking over from Alec Stewart following England's disappointing performance in cricket's World Cup.

There is also success for Clacton's Shotokan Karate Club in the Junior and Cadet World Cup as members Sarah Prosser and Bradley Hopper pick up medals, a silver and bronze respectively.

JULY

The Colchester 10k run is won by Colchester Harriers member Pete West and Harriers also pick-up the team trophy.

Halstead angler Peter Terry re-writes the record books when he lands a 17lb 8oz sea bass off St Osyth. It's the second largest of its kind ever recorded.

Pressure headed by coach John Hyland pays off as the Garrison Track is opened during the school holidays for the first time for members of the town's athletic clubs.

Wivenhoe player/boss Julian Hazel withdraws a transfer request following a boardroom re-shuffle and Warren Aspinall is installed as the new skipper of Colchester United.

AUGUST

The month was dominated by the shock news from Layer Road of the departure of Colchester United's managing director Stephen Gage after three years with the club.

An even bigger shock came a few weeks later when manager of seven months Mick Wadsworth resigns his position.

The club say the parting with Gage is amicable, the official reason for Wadsworth departure is the burden of living in the north and managing a club in the south of England.

A day later Wadsworth takes up a position as coach with Crystal Palace.

Former coach and player Steve Whitton takes over as manager and is told there is no money available for any new players. He starts his reign with a 3-2 home win against Reading but the U's are stuffed 5-2 by Bury in the next.

Elsewhere Colchester's annual county cricket fesitval is totally washed out on the first two days because as a torrential downpour floods the Castle Park wicket.

In golf, the men from Braintree Golf Club reach the final of the Leslie Wood Competition for the first time in the club's history. They eventually play out a 7-7 draw with Crondon Park and decide that both clubs will share the trophy for six months.

SEPTEMBER

Halstead Cricket Club begin the month with some silverware after winning the Jaygate Homes Two Counties League Cup final over local rivals Clacton.

Graham Napier almost equals Gary Sobers' world record of six sixes in an over when he hits five for Colchester and East Essex against Brentwood. Meanwhile, the club miss out on promotion to the new Shepherd Neame Premier League after losing to Hadleigh and Thundersley by three wickets.

In angling Halstead's Bob Nudd is hailed as the greatest angler of all time after winning the World Angling Championship in Spain for the fourth time.

Essex are condemned to county cricket's second division next season when they fail to finish in the top nine in this year's county championship.

Former U's boss Mick Wadsworth is appointed head coach at Premiership Newcastle United under new boss, former Ipswich and England manager, Bobby Robson. Back at Layer Road Richard Wilkins is appointed club captain after Warren Aspinall is loaned out to Brighton with mid-fielder Andy Arnott coming the other way.

OCTOBER

Colchester United chairman Peter Heard announce the club is running at an annual loss of £450,000 but plans for a new stadium are near to fruition.

The club hit rock bottom of Nationwide division two and mid-fielder Brian Launders, who has his contract torn up by the club, says he will be taking private action to have his remaining £150,00 pound contract paid up.

It was a month of comings and goings amongst local non-league clubs, Witham Town appoint Paul Adams as new boss and watches his new side lose 5-0 to Berhhamstead in his first match.

Harwich and Parkeston sack manager Phil Boyland and Gary Harvey quits at struggling Brightlingsea while former Halstead player Shaun Bailey replaces sacked Terry Benson.

Tiptree's Ali Carter stuns the snooker world when he knocks out reigning world champion Stephen Hendry from the British Grand Prix event in Preston.

Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham pops into Holmwood House, Lexden to see his 11-year-old son Charlie hit the winning goal as his Forest School, Snaresbrook win the East Anglian Preparatory School Football Tournament final.

NOVEMBER

Another managerial casualty is Heybridge Swifts' Robbie Nihill who resigns as his attempts to lure a multi-millionaire pop singer, believed to be Rod Stewart, into the club are rejected by the Swifts' committee. Tony Adcock and Liam Cutbush are installed as caretaker bosses.

There's more success for Tiptree snooker ace Ali Carter when he wins the Benson and Hedges Championship and thereby qualifies for the UK Masters to be staged at Wembley.

Great Bromley racing driver Tick Steward is crowned World Legends Cars champion when he takes on and beats the Americans in their own back yard.

Frinton Tennis Club veterans also taste success when they win the National Club Veterans Championship at Telford, the team is made up of Jeremy Lyon, David Garman, Ken Bate and Barry Todd.

Colchester United players are told they are not good enough to stay in division two when their defensive frailities are exposed following a 3-0 reverse to Cardiff.

This comes after defender Sagi Burton, signed by Mick Wadsworth, leaves the club by mutual consent saying the club were not ambitious enough.

Highlight of the month is Colne Valley golfer Paul Curry's success in the US golf tour school where he qualifies for the full US PGA tour by one shot after a 67 final round in Florida.

DECEMBER

The month begins on a low when Essex wicketkeeper Robert Rollins is forced to quit first class cricket following a knee injury and one of Colchester's best known faces, Douglas Parmenter, the former head golf professional and greenkeeper at Colchester Golf Club dies.

The men of Mersea Island Rugby Club create a little history when they defeat Hitchin 20-8 in the fourth round of the Tetley Bitter Vase, the furthest the club has reached in the competition.

Plans are announced to stage the Mirror Yacht class European Championships at Brightlingsea in August 2000.

The year ends with some good news for fans of Colchester United when former Layer Road favourite Joe Dunne is re-signed after being released by former boss Mick Wadsworth and manager Steve Whitton announces star forward Lomana Tresor Lua Lua is "not for sale at any price" yet!

Watch this space.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.