Tributes Pour in for Colchester's Peter Heard

Colchester United are mourning the death of their former chairman, Peter Heard. He died at the age of 87.

What happened?

Tributes have been paid to the U’s life president, who was instrumental in the club’s rise to English football's second tier for the first time in their history, in 2006.

Why it matters for Colchester

Mr Heard was at the helm at Colchester for nine years and helped guide the U's to the second tier of English football for the first time in their history. He also enabled the club to seal their move to a new stadium.

Current context

As of the end of the 2025-2026 season, Colchester United are 12th in League Two, with 66 points from 46 games, and a recent form of WLLWW. They scored 62 goals and conceded 49, with a goal difference of +13. Their last result was a 4-1 win against Cheltenham on 2026-05-02.

Colchester United Former Players Association said: ‘I have been advised that Peter Heard sadly passed away in hospital this morning. ‘A true gentleman and a great stalwart and benefactor of Colchester United FC. ‘RIP Peter Heard - a true gentleman and as Perry Groves said enjoy your time in the boardroom in heaven.’ Prior to succeeding Gordon Parker as Colchester United’s chairman, Mr Heard had been a major shareholder at the club. He was first invited to join the U’s board by former chairman James Bowdidge, in 1990. Mr Heard served as vice-chairman at Colchester for a number of years before taking the helm of the club, in the summer of 1998. He then took over as chairman from Gordon Parker and oversaw a terrific upturn in fortunes for the U’s, both on and off the field. During his time as chairman, Mr Heard helped guide the U's to the second tier of English football for the first time in their history and enabled the club to seal their move to a new stadium. In the summer of 2007, Mr Heard stepped down after nine years at the helm of the club. He sold his controlling shareholding to Robbie Cowling in September 2006 but remained as chairman for a period of time, to allow for a smooth handover. Speaking to the Gazette in October, 2008, Mr Heard insisted he had no regrets about leaving his position as Colchester United’s chairman. He said: “I don’t have any regrets about stepping down. “Robbie Cowling has taken over and helped us move closer to a new training ground, which is another big step.” During his time with the U’s, Mr Heard oversaw a hugely successful period, the highlight of which was the promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in the club’s history. “I came in in the early nineties when the club was in a terrible financial state,” he said. “Since then though, there have been some happy memories. “We’ve seen the club go from the Conference to the Championship. “There have also been some lows, like the quarrels with Ipswich Town and the Mick Wadsworth period, although he kept us in the division we were in at the time. “There was also the departure of Phil Parkinson. “But we also had the highs of the cup runs under Phil Parkinson and the promotion.” After stepping down as chairman, Mr Heard stayed on in the capacity of consultant to facilitate the ongoing progress of the Community Stadium through to the ground opening in 2008. The Colchester United board offered Mr Heard the post of life president in honour of his achievements. He succeeded Maurice Cadman, who died in 2007. Mr Heard enjoyed a lifetime in football. In addition to his long association with the U’s, he spent more than three decades as a referee. He has also held a number of positions within the game, including his role as chairman of Colchester United.