Colchester Athletic won silverware galore in 1910/11 season

Grandad Thomas George Hazell was goalkeeper and captain of the famous team, who were a force to be reckoned with in the years prior to the First World War.

Known as the Tics, the team scooped several trophies and claimed victories over the more illustrious Colchester Town (the forerunners to the U’s).

They won five pieces of silverware alone in the 1910/11 campaign, winning every competition they entered and finishing unbeaten.

They were the first Colchester side to scoop the much-coveted Essex Junior Cup and the first junior team to win the Pearson Charity Cup.

Nick, 65, said: “The Tics were recalled in the local press back in 1972 under the headline ‘Were They The Greatest?’”

Making the press - The Tics during their record-breaking 1910-11 season. This picture appeared in the local press and Nick’s grandad, Thomas George Hazell, is in the middle of the back row (the goalkeeper). Either side of him are full-backs Albert Leech and C Carlo. In the next row down, Richard John Fisher is second from the left while in the next row (seated) is club president George Joseph Eley (third from the left). For many years, he was landlord of the Clarendon pub, at East Gates. Next to him is believed to be the centre-forward, Frederick George Fisher. Six and seventh from the left in the same row are Bill Beechinor and Fred Hudson. Other players somewhere in the photo are most probably Oliver Chapman, Len Firmin, Albert (Bogey) Mann, Fred Thompson, Earnest A Talbot and Bert Talbot

“It’s lovely looking at these pictures and one of them was used in the Essex County Standard.

“I can identify four or five of the players with a good degree of certainty, while having a stab at some of the others.

“I’m doing some research into what became of these men and hoping to make some connections with their descendants in the slim hope of finding out a little more.

“I’ve already found a couple of good leads so I’ll be writing to them and will see what happens.”

The Tics carved a special place in north Essex football history but, sadly, within months of their triumphs, the team disbanded before reforming as Colchester Junior Athletic.

New era - the resurrected team in 1913-14, then known as Colchester Junior Athletic

Mr Hazell added: “I’ve recently been going through the record books and have written an account of grandad’s team during their record-breaking season.

“As far as the picture on the left goes, the only two of the five trophies I can identify with some certainty are the Wivenhoe Charity Cup (second from the left) and the Pearson Charity Cup (centre) - the same cup Colchester United won in 1960 when they beat West Ham United 3-1 in the final at Layer Road.”

In the Pearson Charity Cup, the Tics beat West Yorkshire Regiment 1-0.

They then won the Essex Junior Cup, defeating Southend Amateurs 2-1 in a replay after a 3-3 draw, and the Colchester Junior Cup, seeing off Colchester St Nicholas 1-0.

Travelling in style - The Tics touring the town after one of their successes in 1911

These first three trophies were all won in April 1911.

The Tics then added to their silverware haul by winning the Colchester and District League division two championship and the Wivenhoe Charity Cup, beating Brightlingsea 6-2.

Their last league match was also in April, although it is thought they had already secured the league title by then.

Their last trophy was won later that year and it was unclear why there was such a delay in playing the final.

This was won at the same time that the club disbanded.

Making headlines - the Essex County Standard headline from 1972, regarding The Tics' outstanding 1910-11 season

READ MORE:

• Nostalgia: ‘My tasks as an apprentice included buying meat for my boss’s dog'
• Incredible archive pictures reflect a bygone era in Colchester's history
• Nostalgia: The day north Essex publicans visited the famous Guinness factory