Hopes of building on the Jock Wallace regime were tattered when Colchester failed to win any of the opening eight games of 1989/90. Only two wins were secured before the turn of the year. Assistant manager Alan Ball left for Stoke and it was a closely guarded secret that Wallace was very ill with the onset of Parkinson's disease. Wallace moved upstairs and once again Steve Foley was in temporary charge. Many wanted him appointed permanently but Foley preferred his youth team duties.

Chairman Jonathan Crisp's regime was now over; £1m in debt and his next new manager was former Ipswich Town and England defender Mick Mills, recently sacked from Stoke. The new appointment had immediate effect as U's won three out of four in February and, as with the season before, faced up to a crunch game at the home of their nearest rivals. Leading Wrexham twice United succumbed to a 3-2 defeat. There was still time to recover but six defeats in the last eight games ended United's 40 season Football League tenure.

Crisp's dream of Second Division football in five years was light years away and new plans for a stadium at Wick Lane, Ardleigh had been thrown out before ink was dry.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

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