Colchester United fans endured the best and worst of times in the 80s

Footballers, meanwhile, work overtime – or at least they used to.

Up until 1979, the Easter weekend involved a three-game schedule consisting of matches on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Monday across all four divisions of English football.

Cup tie – U's fans prepare for an FA Cup fifth round tie against Manchester United in 1979, when Jimmy Greenhoff scored the winner (Image: Newsquest)

The tradition was consigned to history the following year – much to the relief, one suspects, of footballers, managers, and groundsmen.

As for Colchester United supporters, what was it like supporting the U’s in the 1970s when three games in four days over Easter was the norm?

Boss – Colchester director Frank Carson at Layer Road September 1990, when the U's finished runners up in the Conference (Image: Newsquest)

And what has it been like to support the club in the years since after the Easter schedule was cast aside?

The obvious observation is that this was a time when the U’s played at Layer Road, a ground which was as ramshackle then as it was when it was demolished decades later.

Committed – U's fans Allan Sharp, David Flavell and Judy Miller raise money for the league appeal at the Culver Centre in March 1992 (Image: Newsquest)

Colchester was a much smaller place, too, and naturally, average gates at the ground were lower.

Opposition – Manchester United fans made the trip to Layer Road in February 1979 for an FA Cup tie (Image: Newsquest)

That certainly wasn’t the case in the 1979 FA Cup, however, when the U’s enjoyed a strong run which culminated in a fifth-round tie against Dave Sexton’s Manchester United.

Support – Chris Rout and Chris Andrews outside the club shop in May 1998 (Image: Newsquest)

Jimmy Greenhoff’s strike proved the difference, and Manchester United went on to finish runners-up to Terry Neill’s Arsenal in the final.

Passionate – U's fans get behind their team at Layer Road in the 1980s (Image: Newsquest)

Throughout much of the following decade, the U’s’ fortunes declined as they fell into the fourth tier in 1981.

Several top half finishes followed, but typically, as soon as the play-offs were conceived in 1987, Colchester tumbled down the division and were relegated from the football league altogether in 1990.

Queue – fans line up outside Layer Road for a match against Darlington in 1995 (Image: Newsquest)

Despite that disappointment, the 1990s turned out to be quite good fun.

As player-manager in 1992, Roy McDonagh took the U’s back to the Football League courtesy of a 5-0 win over Barrow, and then to FA Trophy glory at Wembley eight days later.

Success – U's fans prepare for the second leg of the the FA Trophy semi-final against Macclesfield Town (Image: Newsquest)

Despite the U’s’ current struggles, there are some positives.

Teamwork –Stephen Garnham and his nine-year-old son Robert track how much money the U's have raised for a fundraising campaign in 1992 (Image: Newsquest)

The side is much harder to beat with the Cowleys in charge, though – and a win against Tranmere would do nicely today.