IT remains Colchester United's biggest-ever league victory, 60 years on.

On this day in 1961, the U's demolished Bradford City 9-1 at Layer Road, in a fourth division match.

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There was no real hint going into the game that the contest would be such a one-sided one.

Indeed, Colchester were second heading into the match.

But they were still smarting after being thumped 4-1 on Boxing Day...at Bradford.

Benny Fenton's side were looking for a big reaction in front of their own fans after that loss.

But surely not even the U's manager could have predicted what was to unfold in front of a crowd of 4,415.

Colchester wasted no time in getting going, taking the lead after just 40 seconds through Bobby Hill.

Bradford levelled things up after 18 minutes through Barry Tait, but it was one-way traffic after that and 3-1 at half-time.

Gazette:

Captain Bobby Hunt (pictured above) scored four times, from inside left.

Fellow U's prolific goalscorer Martyn King was also in superb form on that memorable day, also netting four times.

It was only the second time that two Colchester players have scored four goal each, in the same game.

Four of Colchester's nine goals came in the final ten minutes of the game.

Colchester went on to win promotion from division four at the first time of asking.

They finished runners-up to Millwall, scoring a club record 104 goals in the process.

The U's win over Bradford is their joint biggest-ever win, along with their 9-1 triumph over Leamington in the FA Cup on November 5, 2005.

The Colchester team that day was Percy Ames, Tommy Millar, John Fowler, Trevor Harris, Brian Abrey, Ron Hunt, Mike Foster, Bobby Hunt, Martyn King, Bobby Hill, Peter Wright.