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Memory Lane 53 years ago today ....

This is one for you, Dave:

53 years ago today we were at Sealand Road, Chester, watching Billy Best make his debut. The match was goalless and we had no idea what a wonderful career at Southend he had ahead of him.
Hi Mick, so nice to hear from you and also to be reminded of that special day, although just three league matches later and with no goals scored Chester 0-0,Newport lost 2-0 both away (do you remember that pitch?)and the home match against York City lost 0-1, although Billy did manage to score a couple of times for the reserves against Luton Town at Roots Hall the Monday after the Chester match. I do remember feeling quite disappointed at that time that we had not signed a big bustling centre-forward to replace Ray Smith who had joined Wrexham at the beginning of that season.(and scored 4 times against us at the Racecourse).
What happened over the next 5 and a bit seasons has remained with me and many other fans of a certain age for well over 50 years and on a personal note a lovely friendship that still exists to this very day.
Billy Best made 247 appearances for the club including just 1 as a sub. against Watford. scoring 123 goals in both league and cup. Billy has scored more goals at Roots Hall than any other player. His tally broken down was 106 league goals,15 F.A.Cup goals and 2 League Cup goals putting him in second place in the goalscoring stakes behind the late great Roy Hollis.
I was about 18 years old when Billy came to ply his trade at Roots Hall and I have so many stories and memories from that special time in my life that it would take me until Sunday to record them all on Shrimperzone.
If you were like me one of the misty-eyed brigade who filled the "PAK" back in the late 60's and early 70's and have any stories about that time and in particular when Billy Best and co were playing please feel free to express your love for the player that gave so much at that time and is still revered by so many who had the pleasure of seeing him play back in the day.

Many Thanks for the Memories we made together Mick, hope the family are all keeping well and please "Stay Safe:Smile2::Smile2: " Nobbler"x
 
At the time Gary Moore as a mystery to me....

EB for breakfast and Billy Best was a genius and Gary was not ... but probably had a lot more to his game beyond the understanding of a star struck boy ..

My team won the under 13s 7 - a side tournament in Rawreth on a very wet Sunday morning

- Peter Taylor and Terry Johnson came and handed out the medals .
An absolute credit to them for turnng up.

Spud gave Beckham the England captaincy and gave me a winners medal ... I wonder which one he remebers ..
 
I see our FA Cup 'run' had come to an end. Some things never change.

It lasted a bit longer that season as firstly they didn't start the first round until 9th December and secondly the tie was postponed and we went down to Brighton on the following Wednesday for a 1-0 defeat.
We went to see Chelmsford play Oxford United in the Cup on the Saturday when our game was off. It was 3-3, as was the replay and Chelmsford won the second replay at Griffin Park to get to host Colchester in Round Two. Colchester won that and drew with West Brom, the eventual winners on the day we were at Chester !
 
Hi Mick, so nice to hear from you and also to be reminded of that special day, although just three league matches later and with no goals scored Chester 0-0,Newport lost 2-0 both away (do you remember that pitch?)

Of course - they wouldn't even consider playing in those conditions these days. Even four grounds later they still have a pitch which is .... not the best.

It was Howard Moore's debut and I think it's fair to say the pitch didn't suit his physique or style of play.

Many Thanks for the Memories we made together Mick, hope the family are all keeping well and please "Stay Safe:Smile2::Smile2: " Nobbler"x

Thanks for the kind words - and you too !
 
If memory serves me correct (?), Howard Moore was a Right Winger ( no.7 ), & quite thin?.
Correct. His play on the right wing was always disappointing—perhaps we’d been spoilt,having had a succession of very good exponents of that position.......Crossan,Stenhouse,Wall,Woodley,Slater spring to mind.
 
Hi Mick and Dave,

What a time it was, the hope, the optimism, the pride, the atmosphere. I remember those away trips on the Youth Section coaches like they were yesterday (unlike yesterdays match which I'm trying to forget).

I was 15 and during the summer holidays I had worked 42 and a half hours a week for six weeks to save up money to go to away matches.

From memory in date order these were the away games I went to:

York 2-2 Saturday night (after Huddersfield v Blackburn in the afternoon)
Chesterfield 1-3
Darlington 1-1 (overnight trip)
Workington 2-2 (overnight trip)
Halifax 2-1
Crewe 0-1
Brighton 0-1 in the cup as Mick metioned
Brentford 2-1 on Boxing Day by train
Chester 0-0 BBs debut
Rochdale 1-0 (overnight trip)
Exeter 2-0 (overnight trip)
Aldershot 3-1

and then it fell apart
Lincoln 2-4
Doncaster 1-2
Bradford City 1-2
Notts County 3-4

Sadly a couple of those regulars are no longer with us.

Pete
 
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It lasted a bit longer that season as firstly they didn't start the first round until 9th December and secondly the tie was postponed and we went down to Brighton on the following Wednesday for a 1-0 defeat.
We went to see Chelmsford play Oxford United in the Cup on the Saturday when our game was off. It was 3-3, as was the replay and Chelmsford won the second replay at Griffin Park to get to host Colchester in Round Two. Colchester won that and drew with West Brom, the eventual winners on the day we were at Chester !

Cracking game that Chelmsford v Oxford game.

iirc both Atkinsons were playing for Oxford.
 
as an eleven year old,i was at that early January 1968 friendly game V Northampton.We had a free weekend,coz we were out of the cup.
Northampton was Billy Bests old club,as a kid i thought for years(wrongly im sure now) that Billy played one half for us,one for the Northampton.!!!
Did Billy play for us in that game,for the Cobblers or not at all???
 
Cracking game that Chelmsford v Oxford game.

iirc both Atkinsons were playing for Oxford.

You do recall correctly ! In fact Graham scored in the replay. Cup aside, it was a tremendous season for Oxford who won League Division Three to earn promotion to the second tier of English football just 6 years after joining the League and 8 years after changing their name from Headington United.
Even now, Ron Atkinson has most appearances and Graham Atkinson has scored most goals.
 
as an eleven year old,i was at that early January 1968 friendly game V Northampton.We had a free weekend,coz we were out of the cup.
Northampton was Billy Bests old club,as a kid i thought for years(wrongly im sure now) that Billy played one half for us,one for the Northampton.!!!
Did Billy play for us in that game,for the Cobblers or not at all???

A Friday night (5th Jan) friendly:
1611846190205.png

1611846106961.png

Obviously there could have been team changes.
 
as an eleven year old,i was at that early January 1968 friendly game V Northampton.We had a free weekend,coz we were out of the cup.
Northampton was Billy Bests old club,as a kid i thought for years(wrongly im sure now) that Billy played one half for us,one for the Northampton.!!!
Did Billy play for us in that game,for the Cobblers or not at all???
Hi Ozzie,
Although not listed in the match programme for the friendly match against the Cobblers Billy Best played only in the first-half at No.8 being replaced later by John Byrne(not the one who played for Crystal Palace & West Ham Utd). Also playing that Friday night for Northampton Town was Big John Kurila who joined Southend Utd. later in the summer of '68. John was also substituted in that friendly match his place being taken by Ron Flowers who was a member of the 1966 England World Cup Squad.
Billy Best signed for Southend Utd. either the 24th/25th. January.'68 almost 3 weeks later.
 
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