Original Puma football polo Colchester United

Colchester United Football Club, nicknamed The U's, is an English football club based in Colchester (Essex), founded in 1937 as a professional split from Colchester Town, whose board preferred amateur football.

Colchester started in the Southern League and became champions in 1939, the last season before the league was shut down due to the Second World War until 1945. There was no promotion scheme and after the war the club finished eighth twice (1946 and 1947), twice fourth (1948 and 1949) and finally second in 1950. In that season, the English Football League expanded from 88 to 92 clubs and Colchester was elected to the Third Division South of the League, the fourth division of English football.

Until 1990, the club shuttled between the third and fourth divisions, but then the club was relegated to the Conference National, the fifth tier. After promotions in 1992 and 1998, the club played in the third division; the club was able to stabilize and became one of the better of the series. In 2006, the second division was reached for the first time, but since relegations in 2008 to 2016, the club plays in the Football League Two, the fourth division.

In September 2019, Colchester reached the fourth round of the League Cup by taking penalty kicks better (4–3) than Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur after a goalless draw.