page_title: 2015–16 Colchester United F.C. season
section_title: Pre-season
hierarchical_section_title: 2015–16 Colchester United F.C. season / Season overview / Pre-season
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of Richard Brindley taken by myself following the friendly game between Tamworth and Rotherham United at The Lamb Ground in Tamworth.
context_page_description: The 2015–16 season was Colchester United's 79th season in their history and their eighth consecutive season in League One, the third tier of English football. Along with competing in League One, the club will also participate in the FA Cup, League Cup and Football League Trophy. The club suffered relegation to League Two, the fourth tier of English football, for the first time in 18-years after finishing the season in 23rd position and in the relegation zone. Colchester made an early exit in the League Cup at the hands of Reading, while they made the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in ten years but were defeated by Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur 4–1.
  The season was notable for managerial changes. Tony Humes began the season in charge, but after a string of successive defeats, he left by mutual consent in November. Richard Hall and John McGreal took temporary charge for one match before they were replaced by Wayne Brown. Kevin Keen took up the reins in December but was unable to transform the U's fortunes, and they were relegated under his stewardship.
context_section_description: Just two days after Colchester United had secured their League One status for another year, the club began making changes to its playing staff. Following his public disagreement with manager Tony Humes in February 2015 when substituted in the game against Doncaster Rovers, Sean Clohessy had his contract terminated just one year into his two-year deal, having made 37 appearances for the club and captained the side. Following him out the exit door was Dominic Smith, who made his one and only first-team appearance in Humes' first game in charge against Walsall in September 2014, following the expiry of his one-year deal.
  Three players extended their contracts with Colchester on 8 May, with Jack Curtis, Byron Lawrence and Michael O'Donoghue all remaining with the club for a further year. After featuring for the club eight times during the 2014–15 season, recently released Rotherham United defender Richard Brindley held talks with Colchester with a view to joining the club on a permanent basis. It was then announced on 15 May that club captain Magnus Okuonghae would not be offered a new deal to remain with the club when his deal expired. Okuonghae, who had spent six years with the U's, played 215 games for the club, but a ruptured achilles tendon early in the previous campaign brought a premature end to his season. Tony Humes described Okuonghae as "an excellent servant to the club". Also leaving the Colchester Community Stadium was Colchester United influential sports scientist Dave Carolan, who headed to Birmingham City to take up a role as the head of sports science for the Championship club. Meanwhile, winger Dion Sembie-Ferris, who made his first-team debut against Cardiff City in the FA Cup third round last season, committed his future to the club by signing a new three-year deal.
  Tony Humes continued his clear out of players in preparation for the new season. Leaving the club were winger Sanchez Watt, Jabo Ibehre and academy defender Kevin Lokko, who were all out of contract and out of favour under Humes. Colchester were also considering making offers to former loanees Elliott Hewitt and Matthew Briggs following their release from Ipswich Town and Millwall respectively, while they had also offered a new contract to David Fox following the expiry of his short-term deal with the club.
  Richard Brindley became the first new signing of the summer on 2 June, joining from Rotherham after his release. He signed a two-year deal with the U's following his loan spell with the club at the end of the 2014–15 season. On 10 June, it was announced that former West Ham United youngster Kieran Bailey had signed a development contract with the club, after he had featured for John McGreal's under-21 squad during the closing stages of the 2014–15 season. Another former loanee signed up with the U's on a permanent basis on 22 June, with Matthew Briggs signing a two-year contract on a free transfer after the expiry of his contract with Millwall. Stand-in captain David Fox decided against signing a new contract with the U's in order to return to the North West of England where his family were situated in late June. Left-back Ben Gordon was allowed to leave the club on 1 July, having been displaced in the first-team by Matthew Briggs last season and his subsequent arrival on a permanent basis. He was one year into a two-year deal.
  After rejecting a reduced-terms contract offer with Oldham Athletic, Colchester re-signed George Elokobi on a two-year contract on 3 July, having spent 2004 to 2008 with the U's. Colchester then announced the signing of former Yeovil Town midfielder and captain Joe Edwards on 6 July on a free transfer, joining on a one-year contract with an option of a further year.
  After returning for pre-season training on 1 July, the players had their first friendly match at Scraley Road on 11 July against Heybridge Swifts. Humes fielded two different teams in either half, both scoring four and not conceding to hand the U's a comfortable 8–0 win. Chris Porter, who captained the side during the first-half, scored the opening goal a
caption: Richard Brindley became Tony Humes' first signing of the summer on 2 June, joining from Rotherham United following his release.[16]
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