Memory Lane 50 Years ago Today- 1971-72 Promotion Season - Wednesday 3 May 1972 - We finish as runners up! - Southend United 2 Gillingham 2

[sufc_statto]

Tuesday April 25, 1972 - Division 4
Scunthorpe Utd (1) 1 (Kirk 3')
Southend Utd (1) 1 (Best 30')
Venue: Old Show Ground, Scunthorpe. KO: 7.15
Attendance: 8,867

Scunthorpe Utd: G Barnard, P Markham, J Barker, A Davidson, S Deere, M Atkin, C McDonald, R Fletcher, G Kerr, N Jackson, H Kirk.
Southend Utd: J Roberts, R Ternent, A Smith, D Elliott, B Albeson, J Jacques, T Johnson, B Best, B Garner, G Moore, D Booth. Sub: P Taylor.

Match Report
They've done it! After six seasons in the Fourth Division, Southend got out of the soccer doghouse with a point at Scunthorpe, on Tuesday night.

And manager Arthur Rowley has already got plans for an assault on the third division title. Rowley as he shook hands with his players as they came off the park, was delighted with Blues' performances especially over the final run-in of 16 games, which brought 25 points out of a possible 32.

The only defeat in this run was with a depleted side after goalkeeper Derek Bellotti's injury on Friday.

Rowley was also full of praise for the fans. "They must be the best crowd of supporters in the country." he said. “I'm only sorry we couldn't clinch promotion in front of them.

"However, we still have a chance of going up as champions. I hope, with at least some of the pressure off, we can open up in the last match of the season, when Gillingham visit Roots Hall next Wednesday and give the supporters something they can really cheer about."

Rowley said they would make an immediate assault on the third division title. He anticipated a first team pool of around 15/16 players with youngsters being brought along in the background.

His present squad could form the nucleus of a team good enough to make itself felt in higher division.

But he also made It clear that he was always on the lookout for players to strengthen the side and this policy he will continue.

Tuesday's vital promotion goal came from Billy Best right on the half-hour. Bill Garner hooked back a high ball from Ray Ternent and Best got his head to it. The ball rolled slowly and agonisingly into the net as full-back Peter Markham and goalkeeper Geoff Barnard each left it to the other.

This equalised Scunthorpe’s three minute lead when Harry Kirk’s in-swung a corner from the right under the angle of the far-post and cross bar But United looked good for at least one point before they got on terms. Their attacks were fewer and less fiery than than the Scunthorpe efforts were to get the two points they needed to assure them of promotion but they much more method and always looked dangerous.

Blues built up from the back and Dave Elliott took over in midfield to set the front line going. When Scunthorpe powered forward, it was Blues’ defence which won all round praise with Albeson magnificent.

I know many fans will say this is only back to where they were six seasons ago, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

League Table

 

[LCBB72]

RIP for three of that team that got us up that night , Gary Moore , Joe Jacques and Brian Albeson , also our management team Arthur Rowley and Lawrie Leslie .

 

[ozzie]

On the way to the game a coach full of i think Grimsby fans over took our coach.As it went past someone on that coach, on the back seat, started waving an axe at us.
As happy as i was going up,the relief of doing it was as big.Some of the "backseat" boys popped into Scunnies social club for a quick celebration drink(before heading back home).I stood alone(did not drink then,16) staring at the empty pitch just soaking it all up.My mate (CD)came out with a bottle of light ale or something,finished it off and threw it onto the darkened pitch as an act of defiance...we were up...RELIEF.
So now its off to Gillingham,white coats and all...Leigh comm coaches..
Im sure the Leigh comm lads started wearing the "butchers coats" and then everybody started wearing them.Im not sure why, white coats,but maybe because of that then "cult" film..CLOCKWORK ORANGE... I even went to the flicks here in Germany many moons ago and watched it German!!
So off to the Rainham Road end!!! Poor old Gillingham and Kent police had their hands full that saturday...a day not for the PC mob.
Does any of the Leigh comm lads know why and when "white coats"?? Im sure it started a couple of home games from the end of the saeson??

 

[Elmsleigh shrimper]

Remember it well. Getting promoted was great but the game was a low key affair with both teams settling for the draw. It seemed a bit underwhelming compared to what would have been had we beaten Cambridge at the hall 4 days earlier. Also recall the coach being pulled over for speeding on the way up. The driver came all the way home at what seemed like 30mph and consequently got back the hall at some silly time.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Does any of the Leigh comm lads know why and when "white coats"?? Im sure it started a couple of home games from the end of the saeson??

TBH i don't actually remember!. Possibly because Chelsea fans started wearing them in that Jan/Feb in numbers, & some of our 'lads' also used to go there on a Saturday, if we played on the Fri night, & got the idea from there?.

 

[LBBlue]

On the way to the game a coach full of i think Grimsby fans over took our coach.As it went past someone on that coach, on the back seat, started waving an axe at us.
As happy as i was going up,the relief of doing it was as big.Some of the "backseat" boys popped into Scunnies social club for a quick celebration drink(before heading back home).I stood alone(did not drink then,16) staring at the empty pitch just soaking it all up.My mate (CD)came out with a bottle of light ale or something,finished it off and threw it onto the darkened pitch as an act of defiance...we were up...RELIEF.
So now its off to Gillingham,white coats and all...Leigh comm coaches..
Im sure the Leigh comm lads started wearing the "butchers coats" and then everybody started wearing them.Im not sure why, white coats,but maybe because of that then "cult" film..CLOCKWORK ORANGE... I even went to the flicks here in Germany many moons ago and watched it German!!
So off to the Rainham Road end!!! Poor old Gillingham and Kent police had their hands full that saturday...a day not for the PC mob.
Does any of the Leigh comm lads know why and when "white coats"?? Im sure it started a couple of home games from the end of the saeson??

Grimsby were on their way to Peterborough… probably passed them going the other way…

 

[TSG]

On the way to the game a coach full of i think Grimsby fans over took our coach.As it went past someone on that coach, on the back seat, started waving an axe at us.
As happy as i was going up,the relief of doing it was as big.Some of the "backseat" boys popped into Scunnies social club for a quick celebration drink(before heading back home).I stood alone(did not drink then,16) staring at the empty pitch just soaking it all up.My mate (CD)came out with a bottle of light ale or something,finished it off and threw it onto the darkened pitch as an act of defiance...we were up...RELIEF.
So now its off to Gillingham,white coats and all...Leigh comm coaches..
Im sure the Leigh comm lads started wearing the "butchers coats" and then everybody started wearing them.Im not sure why, white coats,but maybe because of that then "cult" film..CLOCKWORK ORANGE... I even went to the flicks here in Germany many moons ago and watched it German!!
So off to the Rainham Road end!!! Poor old Gillingham and Kent police had their hands full that saturday...a day not for the PC mob.
Does any of the Leigh comm lads know why and when "white coats"?? Im sure it started a couple of home games from the end of the saeson??

No idea who started the white coats, certainly inspired by Clockwork Orange, though I had to go to Odeon Leicester Sq. at age 15 to see it. Yes, it was an 'X' rated movie but there you go, as I'm sure it was banned by Southend Council, al la Life of Brian I think, blimey, and my late Dad voted for the bans, bless him!
Went to the Army & Navy in Westcliff to buy mine, on the Friday, & got to work with the slogans & various artworks felt tipped on overnight. As for the game itself, that's another story!
Sure I was at Scunthorpe, but can't remember a thing ?

 

[LCBB72]

TBH i don't actually remember!. Possibly because Chelsea fans started wearing them in that Jan/Feb in numbers, & some of our 'lads' also used to go there on a Saturday, if we played on the Fri night, & got the idea from there?.

I have no idea where they came from , everyone seemed to be wearing them .

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I have no idea where they came from , everyone seemed to be wearing them .

1st time i saw many guys wearing them, was Jan that year in Tottenham High Rd, before Spurs v Chelsea League cup semi final 2nd leg. Chelsea fans were wearing them, & as Jaffa, S.S & several others who were with us saw this, that's why possibly/probably we got the idea from?.
What-ever reason, they were out in force at Gillingham!. Just imagine a Blue's fan getting up to antics that day, & OB asked for a description. 'Er, he was wearing a white butcher's coat'!.
That would have been as helpful as a chocolate fireguard!.

 

[Mick]

Remember it well. Getting promoted was great but the game was a low key affair with both teams settling for the draw. It seemed a bit underwhelming compared to what would have been had we beaten Cambridge at the hall 4 days earlier. Also recall the coach being pulled over for speeding on the way up. The driver came all the way home at what seemed like 30mph and consequently got back the hall at some silly time.

Indeed. Looking back now, what seems incredible was just how few of us travelled up to Scunthorpe for this historic occasion. Doubt there was even a couple of hundred. Think how many would travel to even a non-league potentially promotion winning game these days. I was also on the coach that was stopped for speeding and the rest of the journey and the return was made at a snail's pace. The game was not the best but after we had overcome the early setback, thanks to a bit of help from their Southend-born keeper Barnard, a draw suited everyone. Just time for a celebratory beer in the clubhouse and that slow journey home.
Apart from the promotion it was good to come away from the Old Showground with a point having been there in each of the preceding three seasons and seeing three defeats, 3-0, 2-0 and 4-1 not to mention going there for two postponed matches!

 

[Whispering Bob]

I'm sure it was banned by Southend Council, al la Life of Brian I think, blimey, and my late Dad voted for the bans, bless him!

Yep, me and Bruv had to watch it in Chelsea IIRC. We giggled all the way home 'Welease Woderick' we barked at bemused commuters as they disembarked the train.

 

[LCBB72]

1st time i saw many guys wearing them, was Jan that year in Tottenham High Rd, before Spurs v Chelsea League cup semi final 2nd leg. Chelsea fans were wearing them, & as Jaffa, S.S & several others who were with us saw this, that's why possibly/probably we got the idea from?.
What-ever reason, they were out in force at Gillingham!. Just imagine a Blue's fan getting up to antics that day, & OB asked for a description. 'Er, he was wearing a white butcher's coat'!.
That would have been as helpful as a chocolate fireguard!.

I was one of the very few that never had a white coat , I think that Doug Kerry RIP was about the first one I saw wearing a white coat . I have to say are you saying that 'Jaffa' had an idea .

 

[The Big Dady]

Went to the Army & Navy in Westcliff to buy mine, on the Friday, & got to work with the slogans & various artworks felt tipped on overnight.

That is exactly what I did, and wore mine with pride.

I still see a couple of Shrimper character's wearing them now.

 

[mfurok]

That is exactly what I did, and wore mine with pride. View attachment 20257

I still see a couple of Shrimper character's wearing them now.

View attachment 20256

Nice Frank ’Will the boys please get off the pitch immediately please’ Gill reference there.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I was one of the very few that never had a white coat , I think that Doug Kerry RIP was about the first one I saw wearing a white coat . I have to say are you saying that 'Jaffa' had an idea .

I didn't have one either!. If you speak to Jaffa, he'd probably say he had one 2 years earlier!.

 

[LCBB72]

50 years ago today Southend United 'invaded' Gillingham . I know there have been bigger away games 'Liverpool , Chelsea , Sheff Wed , Derby 'twice and Everton . But to those Southend United Supporters of a certain age Gillingham will always be very special . I would like to mention the Leigh Comm Boys who went and are no longer with us Bob Jennings , Ian Southgate , Alan Vincent , Tony 'Weasle Livermore , Dave Pearman , Fat Harry Roberts , John Welham , John Wheatley Trevor 'Ollie' Oliver , Mark 'Crust' Smith , Rick Farrell , Dick Hughes , Paul Osborne and Doug Kerry . This flag is a relic from that day that was on one of the Leigh Com coaches that went.

 

[TSG]

50 years ago today Southend United 'invaded' Gillingham . I know there have been bigger away games 'Liverpool , Chelsea , Sheff Wed , Derby 'twice and Everton . But to those Southend United Supporters of a certain age Gillingham will always be very special . I would like to mention the Leigh Comm Boys who went and are no longer with us Bob Jennings , Ian Southgate , Alan Vincent , Tony 'Weasle Livermore , Dave Pearman , Fat Harry Roberts , John Welham , John Wheatley , Mark 'Crust' Smith , Rick Farrell , Dick Hughes , Paul Osborne and Doug Kerry . This flag is a relic from that day that was on one of the Leigh Com coaches that went.

Always have strong memories of this one, only just 16, white coats already mentioned, but I wondered if it was some of those guys above who rescued me from a good beating! In the home end, went for a quick toilet break when some Gillingham fans followed me in, I was a dead man, but in came some Leigh Com lads, I was told to get out, & what happened after that I can only imagine, but I don't think it ended well for the Gills boys!!

 

[sufc_statto]

Saturday April 29, 1972 - Division 4
Gillingham (0) 0
Southend Utd (0) 0
Venue: Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham. KO: 2.30
Attendance: 6,092

Gillingham: P Shearing, T Parmenter, D Peach, B Williams, K Hill, D Quirke, D Tydeman, G Knight, A Wilks, R Woolcott, B Yeo.
Southend Utd: J Roberts, R Ternent, A Smith, D Elliott, B Albeson, J Jacques, P Taylor, B Best, B Garner, G Moore, D Booth. Sub: T Johnson.

Match Report
With promotion already assured, most of the United tensions had disappeared before this game at Priestfield Stadium on Saturday. But so, too, had some of the urgency which has been one of the greatest features of their displays in recent weeks, Writes Alf Smirk.

They never looked like losing but, on the other hand, seldom looked like winning. The players appeared to be happy with the situation and, after such a hectic time over the last couple of months, who can really blame them.

Perhaps it was a big disappointment to the thousands of United fans who had made the short trip. They certainly made themselves heard and must have made up at least a third of the 6,092 crowd.

At regular, intervals, there was more interest in what was happening on the terraces than what was going on on the field.

There had apparently been wholesale confrontations between rival bands of young supporters going on for a long time before the game even started. The friction hotted up during the game, and young men were marched off right, left and centre, firmly held by policemen until they had seen off the premises.

As all the supporters apparently wore blue favours (United hod to change into their amber colours to avoid the clash with Gillingham’s blue shirts), it was difficult to decide which club's fans were led away.

United made one change, bringing in Spud Taylor for Terry Johnson; they swapped places for the substitute's bench. But conditions were all against good football, heavy rain leaving a greasy surface and a swirling wind making ball-control difficult.

Neither goalkeeper saw a lot of the ball unless it was from back-passes and there were only three attempts worthy of the name in the first half.

Brian Yeo headed just wide from a free-kick after 18 minutes, John Roberts made a good save from a Roy Woolcott header six minutes later, and right on halftime, Ray Ternent shot narrowly past a post following a great over-lapping run.

Although the second half was a little livelier, the number of incidents were no more numerous.

Billy Best almost squeezed a header under the crossbar from an Alex Smith free-kick but Peter Shearing pulled it down at the last moment. Then four minutes later (67 mins), Brian Albeson hooked the ball over the bar after Bill Garner had headed back a Taylor cross.

The only excitement at the other end came in between these two incidents. Roberts had to run out of his penalty area to kick away a long clearance by David Peach and his clearance hit Alan Wilks but the rebound ran wide of the goal.

Ternent and Smith did their fair share of over-lapping support and the ground conditions more than the opposition were responsible for most of the errors at the back.

Dennis Booth took the honours in United's mid-field three, but Best and Dave Elliott were not far behind. But up front, little was seen of United's front-runners.

Nothing to enthuse over, but after all, it has been all enthusiasm with United for so long that they must be well pleased to have most of the pressures behind them.

At least there was to ill-feeling in the game and Norwich referee Tommy Dawes must have had one of his easiest afternoons.

League Table

Division 4 Results

 

[LBBlue]

Saturday 29th April 1972 - Gillingham 0 Southend United 0

This was supposed to be the last game of the season. As Alf Smirk reported, not a lot happened. The Gills had been relegated back to Div 4 in 70/71 so it was our first League game against them since Easter Monday 1966.

My mum's family all lived in the Medway towns so it was a family day for me.

Arthur Rowley gave Spud a start in Terry Johnson's place, - Before the game we still had a chance of overhauling Grimsby, but we didn't show a lot of urgency. I can understand it would be hard to maintain the level they had been playing at. So we had the 5th goal less game of the season.

As it was Grimsby were 2-0 at home to Peterborough after 20 minutes but fought back to win 3-2. We were left 2 points behind with one to play each. Both Brentford and Scunthorpe lost.

So the last game of the season would be at Roots Hall on Wed 3rd May. Gillingham had an away game at Darlington on the Monday night, so should be exhausted! Grimsby were at home to Exeter on the Tuesday.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Tuesday 25th April 1972 Scunthorpe United 1 Southend United 1


50 years ago today Southend United - left the small group of clubs that had never won a promotion and got the point they needed to seal a return to Division 3 after 6 years in the 4th Division.

After the shock of Friday night a trip to Scunthorpe wasn't really ideal. Even 50 years ago Scunthorpe had become a bit of a bogey side as we went there having played them 11 times won 1 Drawn 2 and lost 8! Scunthorpe were having the promotion jitters though, having lost just 4 of the first 31games they had lost 5 and drawn 2 of the next 12.

So I went on the away club coach for the 2nd and last time - did we get stopped for speeding on the A15 on the way there? A small band of followers made the trip
and were in the crowd of 8,540 as Scunthorpe would have clinched their promotion with a win

John Roberts came back into goal for his first game since the 4-1 home defeat to Colchester at the end of January. In that Colchester game Roberts had let a goal in direct from a corner and we had the worst possible start as would you believe Harry Kirk scored for Scunthorpe direct for a corner in the 3rd minute.

However the back four playing their 26th consecutive game together dug in and kept out everything Scunthorpe could throw at us. We gradually got control of the game with Garner and Moore causing lots of problems. In the 30th minute Bill Garner had the ball out on the left touchline crossed and their was King Billy getting to the ball firstwith his head and it trickled into the corner of the Scunthorpe net. Relief amongst the band of supporters.

View attachment 20233


As the game went on neither side wanted to lose, Roberts redeemed himself with a couple of great saves and the final whistle signaled job done and celebrations all round!

View attachment 20234

Lincoln drew 0-0 with bottom club Crewe the next evening so Scunthorpe went up as well. Grimsby lost at Peterborough so we were just one point behind them with 2 games to play.

Great to see my old schoolfriend, back row, far right? How are you, Dave?