SOUTHEND UNITED F.C.
A Brief History of the Shrimpers

It all started in 1906 in the Blue Boar pub in Victoria Avenue when the town's first professional football club was formed, initially as Prittlewell United. The club successfully applied to join the prestigious Southern League in the same year.

In the summer of 1920, Southend United became founder members of the new Football League Third Division along with many of its Southern League counterparts and played its first ever League game on 28 August 1920 against Brighton & Hove Albion. Almost 10,000 fans packed into the Kursaal to watch the home side triumph by two goals to nil. Southend finished their first season in 17th position.

A year later the Third Division became regionalised and Southend United found themselves in the Football League Third Division (South). The club had a torrid season and had to apply for re-election after just two seasons in Football League; the club finished top of the poll and managed to retain their status.

In 1925/26 Southend United had one of the most successful seasons in the FA Cup when they reached the Fifth Round, beating First Division Derby County along the way. However they were finally knocked out of the competition by Nottingham Forest.

Southend narrowly missed out on promotion to the Football League Second Division in 1931/32 when they finished third in the division. Three years later the club moved to a new premises, signing a seven-year lease to play at the new Southend Stadium in Grainger Road, an area now occupied by the Greyhound Retail Park. In 1934/35, their first season at the new ground, Southend recorded a club record score in the FA Cup when they thrashed Golders Green (now Hendon) by ten goals to one. The following season they establish a record League victory when they beat Newport County 9-2.

In 1949/50 Southend finished third, their best finish since 1931/32. In fact the club looked almost certain for promotion but poor form last in the season destroyed any hope of joining the Second Division for the first time. A couple of season later, Southend reached the last 16 of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, losing out to Sheffield United in front of nearly 22,000 at the Southend Stadium.

In 1955/56 the club moved to Roots Hall. The entire cost of the construction was raised by the Southend United Supporters Club and less than a dozen loyal men carved out the ground from nothing. The move captured the imagination of the public of Southend-on-Sea and attendances averaged around 11,000 for what was a "golden era" for football in the town.

In 1958 Southend United became founder members of the new national Football League Third Division and became one of only six clubs to have been ever-present in the Football League Third Division (South) after becoming founder members back in 1920.

In 1963/64 Southend United made their first ever appearance in the Football League Cup.

In 1965/66 Bobby Gilfillan became the club's first ever substitute. In the same season, the club suffered their worst ever League defeat when they lost 9-2 to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goldstone Ground. At the end of the season, Southend United were relegated for the first time ever in their history, joining the Football League Fourth Division.

In 1971 the club embarked on a pre-season tour of the USSR, the first made by a British team for many years. The following season saw the Shrimpers win their first ever promotion when they finished runners-up to Grimsby Town in the Fourth Division. On 24 November 1972 Southend United played their 1000th home League match against Bristol Rovers.

At the end of the 1975/76 season, Southend United dropped back down into the Fourth Division and the following season they conceded just 45 goals in 46 matches, a club record, but finished tenth. In 1977/78 they returned to the Third Division after finishing as runners-up behind Watford.

On 10 January 1979 a club record 31,033 packed into Roots Hall to watch Southend United hold the mighty Liverpool to a goalless draw in the Third Round of the FA Cup; the Reds won the replay at Anfield. The following season the Shrimpers were relegated once again.

The 1980/81 season proved to be one of the most successful in the club's history. Crowned as champions of the Fourth Division - which remains the club's only major honour - the Shrimpers broke twenty club records, including most successive wins (18), the longest unbeaten home run (31), most wins in a season (30), and the most cleans sheets (25). Manager Dave Smith was named as Fourth Division Manager of the Year.

The mid-80s brought the club close to extinction. Local businessman Anton Johnson siezed control of the club, sacked Dave Smith and installed Peter Morris as manager. The club was relegated to the Fourth Division and recorded a club record twelve consecutive games without a win. Attendances slumped to below 2,000 and the Shrimpers soon finished in their worst ever position, 20th in the Fourth Division, narrowly avoiding re-election. The club was also over £700,000 in debt and, controversially, the board had dipped into the SUFC Christmas Fund and taken over £70,000, money they couldn't pay back. In 1985 Johnson was arrested and found guilty of breaching Football League regulations. Director Vic Jobson took control and pledged that the club would be re-built.

In 1986/87 Southend United won promotion to the Third Division after a last-day win at Stockport County. The side returned to the basement league two seasons later but David Webb began a era that saw Southend produce some of its most successful football. In 1989/90 they won promotion to the Third Division; the following season they finished runners-up behind Cambridge United - after leading the division for much of the season - and won promotion to the Second Division for the first time in the club's history. On 1 January 1992 a 4-0 home win over Newcastle United saw Southend United sitting atop the Second Division table for just a few hours. They finished their first season as Full Members in 12th spot, the club's highest ever position in the Football League.

In 1992/93 the foundation of the FA Premier League saw the Second Division become the new Football League Division One, effectively making Southend United one of the few teams to make it from Fourth to the First in successive seasons!

In 1996/97 the club suffered relegation to Division Two after finishing bottom. The following season they finished bottom once again and found themselves in Division Three, back in the basement of the Footall League where they remain to this day. In 1998/99 they finish 18th, their lowest finish in the League since the mid-80s.

In 2003/04 Sir Steve Tilson was appointed manager, to end a long run of blundering mediocrity, and Southend United duly reached their first ever major final when they battled through to the LDV Vans Trophy Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Over 20,000 Southend fans made the journey to Wales, only to see Southend lose 2-0 to Blackpool, conceding the fastest goal at the venue in the process.

Just to prove it wasn't a fluke, in 2004/05 Tilson led Southend to Cardiff again - not once but twice! The first occasion in March was a return to LDV Vans Trophy Final action for the Shrimpers, which disappointingly ended with the same scoreline - a 2-0 defeat this time at the hands of Wrexham. However, Southend returned to the Millennium Stadium again in May for the Play-Off Final after an excellent season that saw the team denied automatic promotion only on the last day of the season after a 1-1 draw at Grimsby. The team had now learned how to win 2-0 in a major finals however, and Lincoln were dispatched in the Shrimpers first ever Play Off Finals appearance to seal promotion to Coca-Cola League One after a memorable season. Star striker Freddy Eastwood, signed in October from Grays Athletic had provided the firepower and we saw the kind of purpose and commitment that we hadn't seen in a Southend team for what had seemed an eternity.

Despite the new found air of optimism around the town with SUFC Player of the Millennium (as voted by Southend fans) Steve Tilson in charge, even the hardiest Shrimper was looking no further than avoiding relegation as the 2005/06 season kicked off. However, following some astute signings - among them veteran Bermudian striker Shaun Goater, returning Southend heroes Andy 'Eagle' Edwards and Spencer 'Spinner' Prior and Lee Bradbury - Southend left most of us speechless by storming to the League One title and a second successive promotion in a marvellous achievement by all connected with the club.

Now that season 2006/07 is upon us, most fans are again erring on the side of caution and hoping for enough Coca-Cola Championship points to remain at that level for the 2007/08 season. More astute signings have been secured by Ron Martin and Steve Tilson - Scottish International Stevie Hammell and Football League U21 International Simon Francis give more strength and skill in the full back positions, Steve Collis will push Darryl Flahavan all the way for the goalkeeper's jersey and former England International Michael Ricketts, still only 26, adds a quality option up front if he can be kept fit. Bring it on!