While most football fans remember Colchester United as the Fourth Division minnows who shocked First Division giants Leeds United 3-2 in the fifth round of the FA Cup in 1971, an arguably more laudable achievement was their historic promotion to the Championship in 2006.

Phil Parkinson's men notched up 22 League wins before gaining the decisive point in Colchester Utd final game of the campaign against Yeovil to go up as League One runners-up - their first appearance in the second tier of English football.

As favourites for the drop, Colchester Utd proved the doubters wrong by finishing in an impressive 10th place - their highest League finish - under new manager Geraint Williams. However, in 2008 the Us finished rock bottom with 38 points and were relegated back to League One.

Set up in 1937, Colchester Utd played in the Southern League until being elected to Football League Division Three South in 1950, which became Division Three after reorganisation in 1958.

Colchester Utd stayed there until 1961 when they were relegated to Division Four, but disaster struck in 1990 when they dropped out of League football and into the Conference.

It took Colchester Utd two seasons to return to the League under player-manager Roy McDonough, the Us winning the Conference on the final day of the season thanks to a 5-0 victory over Barrow and then making it a double by also lifting the FA Trophy, beating Witton Albion 3-1 at Wembley.

Six seasons after returning to Division Four, Colchester United FC won promotion to the new Division Two as champions in 1998 by beating Torquay United in the play-off finals at Wembley, thanks to a penalty from David Gregory, before Parkinson took over and made club history.