Colchester United have sacked former Blues central defender Wayne Brown as their head coach.

Brown, 45, was appointed interim boss of the U’s for the third time in January before being given the job on a permanent basis in May.

However, the U’s have made a disappointing start to the season and sit fourth from bottom of League Two, having taken two points from 15 in their last five matches.

Brown's best moment this season came at Portman Road when the North Essex side beat the Blues 1-0 in the Caraboa Cup.

Chairman Robbie Cowling issued a statement outlining the reasons for the decision: “I and everyone associated with the club will always be extremely grateful to Wayne Brown for the job he did last season when he lifted the club from being in the midst of a relegation battle to finishing a very respectable 15th place.

“However, we have decided to act swiftly and decisively following the team’s poor start to this season.

“I accept that many of you will feel I have made a harsh decision, given Wayne’s success last season and given that he has been such an exceptional servant to Colchester United over the years as a player, coach and manager.

“On a personal level, I feel that too but as the club’s chairman I have a duty to make what I believe are the right decisions for the long-term future of Colchester United.

“We thank Wayne for the hard work and attention to detail he has shown in not only his role as head coach, but in all his roles here at the club.”

Brown’s departure is likely to lead to speculation that former Blues skipper Luke Chambers might be keen to take his first steps into management. The 36-year-old has long harboured ambitions to become a manager with fellow former Town man Cole Skuse keen to be his assistant.

Photo: TWTD

PortmanTerrorist added 19:43 - Sep 18 Sad for Wayne but can't be a shock given firm this season. As for Chambo and Skuse, we'll you have to wonder if they have come to accept losing given how long it has been since they have been in winning teams. Have a soft spot for Col U and hope they make a more progressive appointment, though history suggests the chattels will take the cheapest option.....again. And in the absence of any investment, maybe that is all that is realistic.

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Ipswichbusiness added 20:03 - Sep 18 Hiring all our cast offs may not have been a good decision.
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Smithy63 added 20:19 - Sep 18 Well all of our cast offs proves they were the reason we didn't do well. Wayne try and come back to us as a coach somewhere in the set up even if it's youth level
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Cakeman added 20:47 - Sep 18 Things just haven't been the same for Col U since they left Layer Road. They were an excellent team in The Championship then. Unfortunately for Wayne he inherited a team consisting of many players that were past their sell by date. Hopefully they can climb the leagues again as it's good to have the local competition but to do that they need to put the younger players in and give it a go. Even if they have to go down to the National League first.

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churchmans added 22:50 - Sep 18 Pony club! I remember taking a guest of ours to Cambridge a&e when they had an accident on a day out! We got chatting to this young woman who asked where we where from and when we said ipswich she replied ' oh no sorry I don't talk to anyone from ipswich! WTF!!! and on a visit to a construction site in Manningtree got talking to a digger driver who is a col u fan and he hates ipswich with a passion and said that all col u supporters do even non footballing people from Colchester do! so PORTMAN TERRORIST think about that and stick that up your pipe hole with your soft spot for col u

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superblues9 added 23:10 - Sep 18 I heard guardiola is on his way for talks !
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Dog added 00:15 - Sep 19 Churchmans - what does a young woman in cambridge a and e have to do with colchester. Presume you mean colchester a and e??.
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RobsonWark added 00:29 - Sep 19 That'll be Chambers leading them down to non league.
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RobsonWark added 00:32 - Sep 19 Chambers that some people embarrassingly on here call him an Ipswich Town Town legend. WTF? He is nothing but a leg end!
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therein61 added 06:43 - Sep 19 Thats a job for big gob then all his favourite pals are there already.
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ChrisFelix added 08:53 - Sep 19 I thought Brown was a good fit for Colchester. Sacked after only a few games is stupidity. As far as our cast offs most were present as we declined. What ever people say all well by sell by date when they departed PR.they etc Chambers & Skues might be the answer, as what they lacked in skill they made up with enthusiasm
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churchmans added 09:21 - Sep 19 DOG we where in Cambridge A&E and woman from Colchester was a student there! Trust me many people from Colchester and there supporters hate ipswich in general! The club and its people I have experienced it so many times! So my point to Portman terrorist is don't feel to sorry for them! FECK Mr dog didn't you read the post
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SussexTractor added 09:30 - Sep 19 Harsh on Brown. I would like to thank Chambers and Skuse for their dedicated service to ITFC and hope they get their chance of managing Colchester. Many on this site appear to forget that they were in the ITFC championship team under Mick McCarthy for many years. Then Mick left and relegation beckoned, because the manager and owners have a big influence on whether a club is successful, just look at ITFC now - we will get back into the championship this season !

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Skip73 added 10:08 - Sep 19 They should never have sacked John McGreal after he 'only' got them to the playoffs. After the way their fans acted down here this season, I hope they get relegated and never come back.
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idmcd added 12:14 - Sep 19 Churchmans, you are talking a load of rubbish. I have been an avid Town supporter for over 50 years; but I play Walking Football for Col U, and also attend other Col U events. I often wear my Town shirt while doing so, and have NEVER had a bad word said to me. Plenty of banter, yes, but I am more than happy to handle that. OK, I grant you there will be some Col U "supporters" who hate Ipswich, just as there are Southend supporters who hate Colchester. But that really is the maniac fringe, not the 90% who are real football supporters. Whilst I will always be 100% Ipswich, I still wish Colchester well. Incidentally, we (ColU Walking Football) recently beat Ipswich 9-0 at Portman Road. Sorry, just had to get that in!

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Dog added 12:25 - Sep 19 Churchmans - thanks for explaining. The young woman was from colchester - get it now. I think they are heading the same way as Southend.
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Skip73 added 13:04 - Sep 19 Chirchmans, I had the same treatment when a few mates and myself went to Colchester for a night out. A coupke of blokes even wanted to fight us. Prob the same morons who behaved so well down here in August.
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Gazelle added 19:06 - Sep 19 I asked one of my work colleagues who is a Col U supporter why he hates Ipswich and his reply was ‘'cos I do”. There's no answer to that.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 19:17 - Sep 19 I must say, I've encountered some hostility more than once over that last few years, including physical on one occasion, from Col U "supporters" just for being ITFC; so I think there's no smoke without fire. Of course, I agree the majority would not stoop to this behaviour. My impression is that it's a relatively new phenomenon. Younger Col U care far more about making ITFC a rival than we care about them. I think back in the day, several of the "oldies" would watch a Town game, and then when Town were playing away, they'd go to Layer Road to see the Us play at home. (Not me, I hasten to add.) But I was at the famous Col U - Leeds match in 1971 and of course I supported the home team. Mind you, Ray Crawford was playing for them at the time, and he's was already an ITFC legend.

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itfcasual added 20:20 - Sep 19 Col U are rubbish and they deserve it. Just an unpleasant bunch of losers.
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Bert added 20:43 - Sep 19 Two towns with one pretending to be a city but without a proper football club and supporters. Sadly, many Col U fans don't behave as rounded individuals. When or if they mature into a club with a decent fan base they may then understand what it is like to support a big club in East Anglia. Sadly for Col U fans, they have no real investment behind the scenes and have to rely on youngsters who move on and players coming to the end of their careers. They should have stuck with McGreal.

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PortmanTerrorist added 23:15 - Sep 19 churchmans, for context, I live in Colchester these days and whilst they now have a new-ish, off-the-shelf stadium, I much preferred being penned in behind the goal with that low tin roof above and having the locals frothing at the mouth at the possibility of beating us, or at least beating us up. The heart has been ripped out of that club and that is not healthy for the region. Don't forget that George Burley earned his stripes in management there. They should never be at our level, but their demise benefits no one.

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itfcasual added 06:02 - Sep 20 I wouldn't be taking so much glee in their abject failure if they weren't such a bunch of spiteful losers. But they are, so I am. Souless stadium, plastic fans and a chairman who truly believes he is a football genius. One thing you are right on though was that it was a proper club when they played at Layer Road. Now they compete with Abba tribute acts for the use of the stadium, and I expect the Abba tributes get bigger crowds.

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