Colchester bounced back to the Third Division at the first time of asking, earning their first promotion in the club's history by finishing as runners–up.

By the end of the campaign, Colchester trailed Millwall by just one point, winning 23 games and scoring 104 league goals with Bobby Hunt the division's top scorer.

This tragedy would also spell the end of Millar's Colchester career when he left to return to Scotland in early 1962.

On the back of a 4–1 Boxing Day defeat to Bradford City, Colchester set their record club victory in the return fixture at Layer Road on 30 December.

Millwall took the title by one point as United finished runners-up with eleven away defeats proving costly.