Ahead of our matchup against Colchester United this weekend, we delve in the archives to bring you memories of past County successes.
PARKER AT THE DOUBLE
In 1950, Newport County secured their first-ever win over Colchester United in their inaugural meeting. This historic match also took place during County’s fourth consecutive season in the Third Division South.
The game, played at Somerton Park, saw Reg Parker, County’s talented centre-forward, take centre stage. Parker scored a memorable brace, helping his side to a 2-0 victory.
A former Cardiff City player, Parker had served in World War II before returning to football. However, he struggled to break into the Cardiff first team, as he was competing with Stan Richards for a spot in the line-up.
After making only two appearances at the end of the 1947–48 season, Parker made the move to Newport County in August 1948 in exchange for Bryn Allen.
At Newport, Parker enjoyed a prolific spell, making 201 appearances and scoring 99 goals between 1948 and 1954, cementing his place as one of the club’s all-time greats.
CUP JOY
County and Colchester United have faced off in the FA Cup five times since their first meeting in 1950, and one of the most memorable encounters came in November 1969.
The match, which saw County progress to the second round of the FA Cup, was played at Somerton Park in front of 4,224 supporters. County made a blistering start to the game, with Andy White scoring just a minute after the kick-off to give the home side the early advantage.
However, Colchester quickly responded when a Bobby Ferguson own goal on 24 minutes levelled the score. The game remained 1-1 at the break, but County didn’t let the setback derail their momentum.
After a sustained period of pressure early in the second half, Jeff Thomas put County back in front with a well-taken strike on 50 minutes.
That goal proved to be the match-winner, and County advanced to the second round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory, much to the delight of the fans. The win was a memorable cup tie for County and added another historic chapter to their FA Cup encounters with Colchester.
21 YEARS AND COUNTING
Having not won an away game against Colchester with their first away fixture taking place in 1951, a County victory was well and truly overdue, and it finally came in April 1972.
Entering this match off the back of two impressive home wins, County were keen to extend their good form. However, the game did not start well, and they found themselves two goals down after an early brace from Colchester's Eric Burgess.
Just before half-time, a strike from William Brown gave County a glimmer of hope. Then, in a thrilling second half, Len Hill and Roddy Jones found the back of the net to complete a dramatic 3-2 comeback.
This victory proved crucial in County's campaign, as they fought to secure a higher league finish at the end of the 1971-72 season. The win over Colchester not only ended the long drought but also helped keep County in the hunt for promotion that campaign.
Hill, one of the scorers that day, was a mainstay for the original Newport County from 1962 until 1973 and he will be remembered as one of the greatest players ever to wear the Amber shirt.
THE PLAY-OFF PUSH CONTINUES
In March 2021, Newport County faced Colchester United in an important match in their quest for a play-off spot in League Two.
County came away with a crucial 2-0 victory, which lifted them into the playoff positions.
Captain Joss Labadie opened the scoring after a well-worked team move, and shortly after, Colchester's former Newport striker Frank Nouble was sent off following a second yellow card.
But then Padraig Amond sealed the win two minutes later with a close-range finish, ensuring all three points were safely secured.
The victory helped County in their pursuit of promotion through the playoffs and added another memorable chapter to their more recent history against the U's.
