Colchester United

A lengthy discussion ensued but, in the main, it was pretty clear as to who should make it into the final five and become part of the first group of players to be inducted.
Following the fans inaugural inductions, the Hall of Fame committee got to choose their men.

Those three inductees were Brian Hall, Tony English and Mark Kinsella.

Although not a deliberate action, it means that the first five inductees cover a good spread of time, with Brian representing the U's in the late sixties and early seventies, through to Mark who performed with such aplomb right the way until the mid-nineties.

Sadly, the hugely popular Brian is no longer with us, having passed away just after the turn of the century, but he will be represented here today by his son and daughter. 

Brian's family all still live locally to Colchester and his wife admitted his induction represents a proud moment for all of them.

She told the website: "I know Brian would be very proud that he has been inducted. All of us as a family, we are all really, really taken aback by this because it means so much to us all. I genuinely can't put into words how proud we all are.

"When we were up at Mansfield, I never missed a game that Brian played in. But, just before we moved, I had my daughter and so, from then, didn't get to many games when he was at Colchester. 

"We were a close knit family and Brian used to come home to a meal after he had played. 

"I did, of course, go to the Leeds game and it was a great season for everyone at the club. We were all so pleased for the team at that time and this induction shows that he has not been forgotten."

Being remembered in such a fashion was also something that had touched former skipper Tony English. He represented the U's in over 400 league games and, despite more than ten years having passed since his departure, he remains a hero to many.

"When you first hear that you've been nominated, you're sure what it means, but then you look at who else has been shortlisted and you just think 'wow'.

"With the number of players that have come through here, it's nice to be appreciated. You probably don't appreciate it so much when you're playing, it's only when you come out of football that that support really hits home.

"It's nice to know that you've been remembered by the fans and the club and it's a fantastic honour for me and my family. I can't thank the fans and supporters enough."

Having played alongside Tony for much of his time at Layer Road, Mark Kinsella went on to play at the very top of the game.

He played for several years in the Premiership and represented the Republic of Ireland at the World Cup at the height of his career.

"It's a great honour," he confessed.

"It's the icing on the cake of my career. I played here for seven years and I had some great memories that I'll never forget.

"They jokingly said that my career couldn't get any lower than Colchester when I signed, but then we got relegated out of the league so I went a bit lower still!

"It stood me in good stead for the rest of my career though, particularly now when I'm looking after young players. 

"I played against people who had to get up the next day to go to work when we were in the Conference, so I can tell the youngsters that hard work is needed to get into football fulltime."

"Colchester are the only club I look out for on a Saturday afternoon," Tony stressed. "They always have been and they always will be.

"For a club of this size, it's just phenomenal what they've done in recent years and they should get all of the plaudits that they have received."