THE moment Colchester United became a professional football club has been unearthed in long lost documents.

The U’s had no record of the 1937 founding meetings until the notes were found in a box of memorabilia dropped off at the club.

They include how two of the first players, Jack Hodge and Alexander Wood, were paid £5 and £4aweek, respectively.

Club colours were agreed to be “blue and white stripes with blue knickers” and the cost of a standing-only season ticket would be £2, two shillings.

Matt Hudson, U's media manager, said: “A chap came into reception with a crate full of stuff.

“There were a lot of photos from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties of the players including action shots and squad shots and this book was in there too.

“We believe it might be something to do with Hal Mason, who used to be a journalist and covered the Us for many years, but that is a deduction rather than knowing.

“The guy who brought them in just wanted to hand them over.”

Mr Hudson began leafing through the book and after a few pages realised it contained minutes of the club’s inception.

He said: “The first few pages of the minutes were about appointments including the first ever manager, Ted Davis.

“It says it was proposed he would be paid £7 a week for three years.”

Minutes from subsequent meetings include how the club agreed to pay £130 for a stand at its original ground in Layer Road. The first players to be signed were James Baker and George Leslie.

Mr Hudson said: “Everybody was genuinely very excited. This was pretty much the starting point.

“Colchester would have eventually had a professional team, but this was the first stage of it all happening because of this board.”

When it was officially formed, Colchester United replaced Colchester Town Football Club, which had been running since 1873.

The new club took over the ground at Layer Road, where the side played until 2008 when it relocated to the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Over the last couple of years the club has tried to put a bit of Layer Road history back into the new stadium and the minutes book will potentially be the centrepiece.

A typed transcript of the minutes has been prepared so the original item can go on display at a later date.

Mr Hudson said the club is considering holding an archive day to showcase the notes and encourage fans to bring in more photos and other memorabilia.

U’s players on £4 a week wages ‘In the minutes it said the first manager, Ted Davis, was paid £7 a week for three years