FRIDAY sees the ten-year anniversary of Colchester United winning promotion to English football’s second tier for the first time in their history.

Their 0-0 draw at Yeovil Town was enough to clinch Phil Parkinson’s side runners-up spot in League One and earn them a place in the Championship.

A decade on, the Daily Gazette goes back down memory lane and looks at the U’s heroes who helped the club earn a crucial point on an iconic day at Huish Park and what they are doing now.

DEAN GERKEN

SPENT much of the season on the bench but finished the campaign between the sticks and was part of the side that clinched that valuable point at Yeovil, due to first-choice keeper Aidan Davison’s injury.

Now aged 30, Dean Gerken about to complete his third season at Ipswich Town having joined the Championship club from Bristol City in 2013.

GREG HALFORD

AS a fresh-faced 21-year-old, Greg Halford was a regular in Phil Parkinson’s promotion-winning side, making 55 appearances that season and playing a big part in helping Colchester go up.

Has been well travelled in the Football League since leaving the U’s for £2.5m in 2007 and has represented the likes of Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Brighton; currently plying his trade for Neil Warnock’s Rotherham United on loan from Birmingham City.

PAT BALDWIN

AFFECTIONATELY nicknamed “Rio” by Colchester fans due to his cultured playing style which bore resemblance to that of former England defender Rio Ferdinand, Pat Baldwin was another player who performed consistently well in the 2005-06 season.

The popular centre-half spent nearly a decade with the U’s before finally leaving them in 2012 initially for Southend United and spent more than three seasons at Exeter City before most recently playing for non-league Weymouth.

LIAM CHILVERS

A REGULAR alongside both Pat Baldwin and Wayne Brown over the course of the promotion-winning season, former Arsenal trainee Liam Chilvers made 40 appearances during the memorable campaign.

Chilvers left Layer Road shortly after the U’s promotion to the Championship to join Preston North End and went on to play for the likes of Port Vale and Notts County before retiring.

JOHN WHITE

ENDED up a promotion winner in only his second-ever season as a professional, after the versatile defender from Great Totham played his part in Colchester’s success.

U’s youth-team product White spent more than a decade at the club before leaving in the summer of 2013; has since skippered Southend United to promotion via the League Two play-offs in 2015.

Returned to haunt his former club earlier this season when he scored for the Shrimpers in their Boxing Day Essex derby win over Colchester, at the Community Stadium.

KARL DUGUID

HAVING sat out the whole of the previous season due to a serious knee injury, Karl Duguid returned as captain to lead Colchester to their first-ever promotion to the Championship for the first time ever, followed by their highest-ever league position 12 months later.

The U’s legend left for Plymouth Argyle in 2008 before returning for a second spell at the U’s, three years later and has most recently been playing for non-league outfit Needham Market having previously had a spell on the U's coaching staff alongside former manager Joe Dunne.

NEIL DANNS

THE energetic midfielder was a near ever-present in Phil Parkinson’s side, scoring some crucial goals from midfield after joining Colchester on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers in 2004.

Neil Danns quit the U’s soon after their promotion-winning triumph to join Birmingham City and ended up playing against his old club on the opening day of the following season.

Danns, who has just suffered relegation from the Championship with Bolton Wanderers, has also represented the likes of Leicester City and Crystal Palace in a career that has produced more than 450 league and cup appearances.

KEVIN WATSON

CULTURED midfield playmaker Kevin Watson proved to be one of Phil Parkinson’s best signings as Colchester manager, making more than 50 appearances during their promotion season.

The former Spurs youngster went on to excel for them in the Championship and also represented Luton Town before hanging up his boots in 2010.

Has most recently been assistant manager to former U’s team-mate Teddy Sheringham at Stevenage and is now looking for a route back into the game as a coach, having also been a regular on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show.

JAMEL CAMPBELL-RYCE

WINGER Jamel Campbell-Ryce’s one and only start for Colchester United came in their pivotal game at Yeovil Town, after arriving on loan from Rotherham United six weeks earlier.

Campbell-Ryce, who made a total of four appearances during his brief spell with the U’s, also spent time on loan at Southend United earlier in the same season and ended the campaign by representing Jamaica in their 6-0 international friendly defeat at the hands of England.

Now 33, the well-travelled attacker is currently on loan at Chesterfield from Sheffield United, for whom he featured against the U’s earlier this season.

CHRIS IWELUMO

PLUCKED out of relative football obscurity by Phil Parkinson after being signed from German outfit Alemannia Aachen, big striker Chris Iwelumo proved a massive hit at Layer Road in their promotion-winning season.

He hit 19 goals in all competitions and went on to strike up a superb partnership with Jamie Cureton in the Championship, the following season.

Iwelumo left Colchester for Charlton Athletic in 2007 and went on to play for the likes of Watford and Burnley in addition to earning international honours with Scotland.

He is now a highly respected TV and radio pundit, appearing regularly on TalkSPORT and Football League Tonight.

SCOTT VERNON

ANOTHER of Phil Parkinson’s inspired loan signings, Scott Vernon arrived at Layer Road from Blackpool and made a telling impact in the six weeks he spent with Colchester, making seven appearances in total.

Crucially, he scored their winner in the U’s vital 2-1 win at Bournemouth and went on to help them clinch promotion in the final two games of the campaign.

Vernon returned to Colchester on a permanent basis in January 2008 after being signed by Geraint Williams and spent two and a half years at the Weston Homes Community Stadium before leaving for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen in the summer of 2010.

Ironically, Vernon’s last competitive appearance came for his current club Shrewsbury Town in their 0-0 draw with Colchester at the end of February.

USED SUBSTITUTES:

KEM IZZET

HAVING missed most of the previous season due to an ankle injury, Colchester legend Kem Izzet bounced back to play his part in their promotion-winning success.

The tenacious midfielder came on as a 76th-minute substitute for Jemal Campbell-Ryce at Yeovil and made more than 400 appearances for Colchester over a 12-year period, before leaving in 2013 by mutual consent.

Izzet, 35, who recently declared an interest in the vacant Colchester manager’s job prior to John McGreal's appointment, is currently plying his trade at Ryman League outfit Needham Market.

TONY THORPE

TONY Thorpe appeared as an 81st minute replacement for Scott Vernon in Colchester United’s 0-0 draw at Yeovil Town.

After joining them on a free transfer from Swindon Town in January 2006, the striker’s time at the U’s was short-lived but he nevertheless made 14 appearances for the club in their promotion run-in.

Thorpe, who also played for the likes of Luton Town and Bristol City, is still playing at the age of 42 for Leicester Senior League club, Melton Mowbray.

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES:

BILLY CLARKE

SIGNED on loan as an 18-year-old from neighbours Ipswich Town in March 2006, Billy Clarke made a total of six appearances for Colchester United in their promotion run-in.

The striker has gone on to represent the likes of Blackpool, Crawley Town and current club Bradford City, where he has been reunited with Parkinson and played against the U’s for the Bantams, earlier this season.

GARRY RICHARDS

AFTER progressing through the Colchester United academy, Garry Richards was handed his senior debut by Phil Parkinson in September 2005 and went onto make 19 appearances for them in their promotion-winning season.

After finding first-team opportunities in short supply at Layer Road, the central defender left for Southend United in 2007 and also played for Gillingham and Luton Town before retiring from the game in 2013.

MARK COUSINS

GOALKEEPER Mark Cousins was just 19 years old when he was part of the Colchester United squad that won promotion at Yeovil Town, having been an unused substitute at Huish Park.

Cousins had to wait until August 2007 before he made his senior debut for the U’s, coming on as a first-half substitute after Dean Gerken was sent off in a 2-2 draw with Barnsley in a Championship game at Layer Road.

Cousins finally left Colchester in the summer of 2014 to join Dagenham and Redbridge, for whom he played 28 games this season as they suffered a disappointing relegation to the National League.

PHIL PARKINSON

REGARDED by many Colchester United supporters as the club’s greatest manager of all time, Phil Parkinson took over at Layer Road in February 2003 and little more than two years later, had led them to a historic promotion.

Parkinson quit the U’s in controversial circumstances a few weeks after they had gone up to take over at Hull City and has also managed Charlton Athletic and Bradford City, his current club.

He has just guided the Bantams to the League One play-offs and ten years on, will be hoping to emulate the success he had at Colchester and guide the Yorkshire club to the second tier of English football.