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Carl Connors

Cricko

Zone Owner⭐⭐
Staff member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
38,497
Location
Leigh-On-Sea
For all of us old SUFC supporters. It was very sad and tearful to hear the news of Carl passing away this weekend.....I have known him for 45 years, he was a TRUE BLUE and was always on the terraces with us older guys in our days....

I loved the man for all he stood for in later life, truth,compassion and integrity. He never had a bad word to say about anybody. He was one of my closest friends.

He died alone on a beach in Chalkwell, after having heart problems...

R.I.P my friend xx
 
Ah, shame sorry to hear that mate. I heard the news report of a man found dead on the beach - I take it that was him.

RIP chap.
 
This day last week, was his 60th Birthday. Life can be very cruel at times. Guarantee on the day of his funeral, there will be many left outside, as he was such a popular guy.:sad:
 
I hadn't seen Carl for many years but hoped I would see him again. He was a big figure in my youth as I lived close to him in the late 60s/early 70s and I spent a lot of time over his house as a kid. He figured a few times on the '100 Legendary Shrimpers Fans' (? sic) thread a few years ago. I caught up with him a bit via Facebook and we had planned to meet up some time when I got back to Southend but sadly we didn't get it together in time. It seemed like he remained a real larger than life character all these years and the love for him on his FB page is really moving to see. RIP Carlos.
 
Oh so sad.. i loved the bloke,like many people...
I have so many great times with him,sadly the last time i met Sir Carl was our Wembley final,we had a big hug.
Maybe ,at the weekend, i will write(after a few beers) about some of our "experiences" watching Sarfend.Like Derby away,that FA cup game or Bury away,the first game(away) of the 74-75 season.
I remember,yonks ago,when they opened up the underground pass under the then new shopping center near Send Victoria station.
Big white walls...the first name written on it was..Sir Carl Conners esq...did not take long then everybodys name was sprayed there.
Or who remember,our mate Carl...mid 70s??...on a friday night..too much beer(who him!!)...somehow broke into CHELSEA GIRL..near the top of the high st and then fell asleep.
Only to be found saturday morning by the shop workers and woken up by the Police:hilarious:
CARLOS,mate..you were-are a ONE OFF,a legend...like Stevie Waller,i will miss you...XX
 
.Like Derby away,that FA cup game or Bury away,the first game(away) of the 74-75 season.

I remember seeing you & Carl 'perform' at Derby ( 2nd time we played there in FA Cup)!. Re the Bury game, wasn't that when a transit van full of Millwall picked you up, hitchhiking down the Motorway?. They initially thought you were Manx fans?.
 
Yep,very true,but it was a lorry full of fans...hanging out of it.it was the 70s!!
How do you know that,from Sir Carl??
 
Met Carl in the Shrimpers late friday night,then started to hitch to Bury.Nothing much happened,cannot even remember the score,only that we both popped into the Bury supporters club for a few beers.
But on the way back!!
The same day we played Bury,Man utd played there first home game in div 2....v MILLWALL..
Manchester United fans wore at the time loads of TARTAN stuff,cuffs,turn ups on the trousers,scarfs etc,so i took a tartan scarf,just in case.They were like the BAYCITY ROLLERS
Did not want to end up in Manchester General..getting a kick-in for being a Millwall fan..Southern voice,cockney.etc.
So after the game,Carl and myself got a double decker bus into Manchester Picc or Central,usual crack,pay 10p ,then sit on the bus till the center.
I then put my scarf on and we found the main "drag" out of Manchester,towards the M6?? We were walking and hitching at the same time,in a built up area,people everywhere when i lorry stopped,i never saw it coming,but then saw Carl talking to them,then shout out "OZ we have a lift to the M6"
 
The lorry had 3 sides-shutters open,with a safety bar going round all three sides.The Man utd fans were sitting with their legs hanging down,holding onto the bar:Even in the 70s this was not allowed,but!!
Must have been about 20 fans,singing all the 70s AGGRO songs..WE are COCKNEY reds,etc.
EVERY alarm bell in my body started ringing,DONT GET ON, but Carl was getting on,you cannot leave Carl.We got in,and we were" moved",very clever like,me by the front part and Carl to the back.
They kept singing about Man u..we kick to kill,etc and the bells were still ringing.THen afew came to me and said they were COCKNEY REDS..you have heard of us..we are Manutd...you must be a Cockney red as well or,scarf,from London??
I explained to them ,no.
,we are Southend,,the reason why i wore the tartan scarf,did not want to be attacked,them thinking we are Millwall,etc.
They kept looking at us,maybe thinking it was not true...then they asked me,We are hard,we are Cockney Reds.. but what do you think of Millwall lads then ..tossers?
Thank god i said no,Millwall are mental..must be careful there..they kept looking at me,not sure,till i got my Bury football programme out of my back pocket...then it all changed
 
They then said loud to each other..they are not Man u..they are Southend.
HE said ,who do you think we are....you said you are Manu...no we are Millwall,not MUFC
They then explained what they were going to do to us,when they found out we were MUFC,they were going to close the shutters and give us both are bad kick-in,then throw us off the lorry somewhere.And they would have done it.
The reason they were so late,they told us,was because they had to wait for two Millwall fans who had been arrested and bailed.
they would have done us bad,because sadly,outside in the countryside,just before the m6?? someone shouted "Man.U",the lorry stopped and everyone of them jumped out,other than Carl and myself.
We watched in horror as one got away,but they caught his mate and they all jumped on him.
The Millwall fans got back onto the lorry and as they pushed the shutters down,cars on both side of the road stopped and ran to help this poor lad.
I thought,was sure,the lorry would get stopped on the motorway by the police,but they did not.
They dropped Carl & myself off by the "tunnel",told us their names,etc and said anytime we went to Millwall,pop in we are welcome.
We never went there for a visit
 
That's a coincidence the same thing happened with Jimmy Cook and me as we thumbed it back from the 1974 FA Cup Semi. A van full of Millwall stopped to pick us up, once they sussed us out they were fine and dropped us at Dartford tunnel as well. Would love to share some Carl memories, I've got plenty of 'em, but it is all still too raw. Loved the man and gutted I won't ever see him again.
 
OMG I remember this guy from many years back.
How sad he passed alone
RIP x
 
I didn’t know him personally, but my brother in law knew him from around Leigh and my sister knew his daughter. RIP - sounded like a great bloke.
 
Front Page of the Echo today and a nice write up and tribute from his family.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/156...bute_to____wonderful____Carl/#comments-anchor


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Family pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ Carl Connors of Southend
 
RIP Carl Connors

Details of Carl's funeral.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/15694707.Family_announce_funeral_arrangements_for_Carl_Connors/


THE family of Carl Connors has announced the funeral details of the much-loved Southend “legend”.

Carl, 60, sadly died in November. His funeral will take place on December 11 at Southchurch Crematorium Sutton Road at 4pm.

For those that are unable to make the ceremony, Carl will be taking his usual route through Leigh Broadway, Leigh Road and the Seafront sometime before 3:45pm.

There is no dress code - should you wish to attend in true Carlos style in desert boots, shorts and on your bike you would raise a smile and get a warm welcome.

Following the ceremony family and friends will be moving on to one of his favourite places, Bellinis.

The family welcome floral tributes, sent ahead of the funeral to W Thorp & Son Funeral Directors, 62 The Broadway, Leigh on Sea.

Donations should be made to Help for Heroes, a charity which meant a great deal to Carl. Email emma.wilding@helpforheroes.org.uk for more information or send donations to the funeral directors.
 
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I've known Carlos since we were at school together at Belfairs. We used to hang out at Chalkwell Park in the summer months, and drive big Ollie(Another legend sadly gone) the skinhead groundsman mad. We would wind him up and he would chase us on a sit on lawnmower. We became friends with Ollie as he was a top bloke. Ollie became good friends with the old Leigh Comm lot. He nicknamed some of us at the park the quality street gang. Me and Carl would meet up at Prittlewell Chase to get our conkers to take on challengers at school the next day. In later years we would sometimes meet up in the Sutton Arms before big Southend Games. We also used to bump into each other at the big games, home and away. We normally had an adventure to tell each other. The years went past and we would see each other at a funeral or I would see him on his bike, usually in Leigh. He would greet you with that big smile. He never lost the charisma he always had even as a young lad. He really was a wonderful man, with morals, rules and dignity, and of course he was very warm hearted. He was old school which left him frustrated sometimes, normally with the behaviour of younger lads or men. He liked the outdoor life, and was always a bit of an action man. As said by others, he was a huge character that will very much be missed by family and his huge amount of friends. His funeral is tomorrow. This will be one of the best ever attended in Southend, to say goodbye to one of the very best.
 
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