• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

Memory Lane Worst ever away match

Forums New posts
Yeovil, November 2003.

I met a mate at Reading station armed with beers and wine gums, looking forward to a good journey down to Somerset. He arrived, looking like death warmed up. Credit to him for not leaving me high and dry, but he was so poorly, he slept most of the way down.

We then arrived at Yeovil Pen Mill rather than Junction, which, we now know, is a long way from the ground. No taxis - the station closed for the weekend when that train arrived - so a long walk in to town. My mate managed a lemonade in a pub, but couldn't face joining me on the beer.

Once at the stadium, an absolute nightmare for a Southend side who were struggling at the bottom of the fourth tier - a 4-0 defeat and a red card for Neil Jenkins. Just about the only consolation was that we didn't concede in the half hour we were down to ten men.

I don't recall any issues on the trains, but it certainly wasn't a quick journey home and once again my poor pal continued to suffer. Having left Chiswick at around 0830, I got back through the front door at around 2200, with nothing to show for the other day other than an away ground 'tick'.

https://www.11v11.com/matches/yeovil-town-v-southend-united-15-november-2003-17973/
 
Maybe not worst, but most frustrating was 3-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in Feb 2007. Lost in the last minute to a dubious penalty decision (handball when it was fired at Hunt from a couple of yards away...can't have been deliberate). Then the coach broke down on the motorway on the way back and had to wait hours for a replacement. Think I ended up getting in at 1 or 2am.
 
wakes123 said:
Maybe not worst, but most frustrating was 3-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in Feb 2007. Lost in the last minute to a dubious penalty decision (handball when it was fired at Hunt from a couple of yards away...can't have been deliberate). Then the coach broke down on the motorway on the way back and had to wait hours for a replacement. Think I ended up getting in at 1 or 2am.
Click to expand...


Yes - I remember that game - Hunt was playing as a central defender and the penalty decision was just the sort of thing that goes against you when you are down at the bottom of the table. I seem to think Hunt also had a torrid time as central defender at one of my favourite away games - Preston 2 Southend 3. Cracking goals, Gromit. :smile:
 
My worst away game doesn't involve Southend but our local in breeds Col Ewe. Before shouting at me , let me explain.
29th April 1989. With only a couple of games left Darlington were at home to Colchester with both marooned at the bottom of the league. The loser was odds on for relegation to non league. A hardy group of us hired a minibus and travelled up to Darlington hoping to wave Col Ewe goodbye to the league. It started to go wrong when our banner laden minibus was herded in with the Colchester coaches we had abused on the way up. We then for good measure were put in the ground with the A12 commoners. Lastly Col Ewe won 2-1 to pretty much keep themselves up and spoil a beer laden enjoyable day up til then. It was a miserable journey home.
 
wakes123 said:
Maybe not worst, but most frustrating was 3-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in Feb 2007. Lost in the last minute to a dubious penalty decision (handball when it was fired at Hunt from a couple of yards away...can't have been deliberate). Then the coach broke down on the motorway on the way back and had to wait hours for a replacement. Think I ended up getting in at 1 or 2am.
Click to expand...

Remember that one, we pulled it back to 2-2 before shocking penalty decision. Freddy Eastwoods Mum & Dad were sitting in front of us in the Leppings Lane Stand.
 
Sean said:
i listened to BBC Essex for the Grimsby game and that was depressing enough just on the radio. I recall the thread on here after the game, little northern chavs spitting on our fans out of the ground
Click to expand...

We stayed the night in a Hotel in Cleethorpes. During the walk back after the game, the Cod Head chavs tried it on with us. The Cod head chavs made a mistake.
 
B.B.The Legend Lives On. said:
For my worst ever away matches I have decided to pick out two games in particular. Although they were a long time ago they still live long in the memory for various reasons:-
Friday 7th.Feb.1970. Workington 5, Southend United 0. The only saving grace for me personally was that the then Southend manager Ernie Shepherd was good enough to give me a lift home on the players coach. In that particular season from the 6th.Sept 1969 through to the 16th.March 1970 we played a total of 20 away league and cup(2)matches with the following record 1 win 2-0 at Colchester United in Nov. with goals from Eddie Clayton & Sammy McMillan) and 19 defeats in which we scored only 8 goals,(Billy Best 2,Gary Moore 2,Phil Chisnall 2,Eddie Clayton & Dave Chambers 1 each). Three of those goals Chisnall 2, & Clayton were scored in the away match at Crewe Alexandra at the end of Jan. In 13 of those matches we failed to find the net and in that period of time we conceded 46 goals.
The other match in question was played on the 15th.Jan. 1971. Newport County 3, Southend United 0. I have seen many away defeats in my 56 years of following the Blues but this match was in fact Newport's first league win that season their record when we played them on that Friday night at Somerton Park was 4 draws and 21 defeats with a goal difference of 19-55.
Click to expand...

.... and I bet you didn't even need to look any of those facts up :winking:
 
Billy Bests boot laces said:
Remember that one, we pulled it back to 2-2 before shocking penalty decision. Freddy Eastwoods Mum & Dad were sitting in front of us in the Leppings Lane Stand.
Click to expand...

It wasn't even a handball as the ball struck him on the chest / bicep as he threw himself in front of a shot from about five yards away. I then had to sit and explain the penalty rule to some moron of Wednesday fan in the pub after the game, about how it has to hit the hand and be deliberbate - tw&t was having none of it blathering on about advantage being gained and everything. In a parting shot I told him to download the rules of the game and read the handball rule - full in the knowedge there isn't one!

The ref went solely on the crowd reaction that day!

We'd actually bossed the last 20 minutes or so after equalising and Wednesday threw everything in a last minute attack and got the penalty. I still get annoyed about it to this day.
 
I thought of the more obvious ones; Harlow, Aylesbury, Scarborough, Hull (twice), Gillingham (too many to count) and Grimsby, but settled for a match played on Tuesday March 4th 1975 at Huddersfield. I took two friends from university (both serious Wolves fans), the ten mile bus ride to Leeds Road Huddersfield, having sung the praises of Dave Elliott, Chris Guthrie, Alan Moody and Peter Silvester amongst others. We were mid-table and Huddersfield were rock bottom, and less than 3 weeks previously we had beaten them 1-0 at Roots Hall.

For whatever reason we had Elliott, Moody and Neil Townsend out, replaced by debutant Terry Brisley, Steve Dyer and Andy Ford. We were brushed aside 4-1 which was flattering to us, and I never suggested taking my colleagues to a Blues game again!

One other point, I would strongly suspect that the turnout of Southend fans that night was probably the lowest I have ever seen us muster. I stand to be corrected, but I don't believe there was any official supporters coach (not even a mini-bus). Not a night to remember.
 
For me Bristol Rovers away this year. By far the worst I'd seen us play in the flesh. Only Oxley was playing for the whole game as far as I was concerned and was the sole reason we only lost 3 nil. It really could have been 7 or 8. Josh Wright missed a sitter in the first half. Looked like the squad were more interested in going to Cardiff for their Xmas pee up than playing this match although I suspect this was the game that Brown had truly lost support.

To rub insult into the wounds, none of the players clapped the away support, it was freezing cold too. Awful
 
Stuart W said:
I thought of the more obvious ones; Harlow, Aylesbury, Scarborough, Hull (twice), Gillingham (too many to count) and Grimsby, but settled for a match played on Tuesday March 4th 1975 at Huddersfield. I took two friends from university (both serious Wolves fans), the ten mile bus ride to Leeds Road Huddersfield, having sung the praises of Dave Elliott, Chris Guthrie, Alan Moody and Peter Silvester amongst others. We were mid-table and Huddersfield were rock bottom, and less than 3 weeks previously we had beaten them 1-0 at Roots Hall.

For whatever reason we had Elliott, Moody and Neil Townsend out, replaced by debutant Terry Brisley, Steve Dyer and Andy Ford. We were brushed aside 4-1 which was flattering to us, and I never suggested taking my colleagues to a Blues game again!

One other point, I would strongly suspect that the turnout of Southend fans that night was probably the lowest I have ever seen us muster. I stand to be corrected, but I don't believe there was any official supporters coach (not even a mini-bus). Not a night to remember.
Click to expand...

Terry Brisley, possibly an escapee from the forgotten players thread. Not as a footballer but as a Southend player. Remember him at Orient and Millwall. Actually played in the Millwall promotion winning side with Josh Wright's dad.

Distant midweek away matches back in the late 60s early 70s often had no organised transport resulting in some very low numbers of away supporters - like single figures on some occasions.
 
Mick said:
Terry Brisley, possibly an escapee from the forgotten players thread. Not as a footballer but as a Southend player. Remember him at Orient and Millwall. Actually played in the Millwall promotion winning side with Josh Wright's dad.

Distant midweek away matches back in the late 60s early 70s often had no organised transport resulting in some very low numbers of away supporters - like single figures on some occasions.
Click to expand...
Mick, I am sure you will remember it well, can you please confirm that I have not made this up as it is almost 50 years ago and sometimes the memory can plays tricks?
1968-69 hitch-hiking to Scunthorpe United away, getting picked up after coming off the A1 by the team coach, arrive at the ground then it starts lashing with rain "Match Postponed". A few weeks later we are hitch-hiking again to Scunthorpe United for what is our final match of that incredible season. Having just arrived at more or less the same place just off the A1 as we did a few weeks earlier who or what should come along,Yep you've guessed it the bloody team coach, so I think we hid? just to make sure that Ernie Shepherd didn't think we were taking the p.... Think this was maybe the time when Keith Lindsey's Mum & Dad gave us a bed for the night? These were"Great Times" with "Great Memories" and as of today "Many Great Friends" and it was also one of the all time "Great Seasons". Even though we never won anything that particular season we most certainly had a "Great Time".
 
Mick said:
Terry Brisley, possibly an escapee from the forgotten players thread. Not as a footballer but as a Southend player. Remember him at Orient and Millwall. Actually played in the Millwall promotion winning side with Josh Wright's dad.

Distant midweek away matches back in the late 60s early 70s often had no organised transport resulting in some very low numbers of away supporters - like single figures on some occasions.
Click to expand...
Back in those days,it was very frequently a question of waiting to see whether there were enough of us,not to”fill the coach” but to make the trip vaguely viable.
 
B.B.The Legend Lives On. said:
Mick, I am sure you will remember it well, can you please confirm that I have not made this up as it is almost 50 years ago and sometimes the memory can plays tricks?
1968-69 hitch-hiking to Scunthorpe United away, getting picked up after coming off the A1 by the team coach, arrive at the ground then it starts lashing with rain "Match Postponed". A few weeks later we are hitch-hiking again to Scunthorpe United for what is our final match of that incredible season. Having just arrived at more or less the same place just off the A1 as we did a few weeks earlier who or what should come along,Yep you've guessed it the bloody team coach, so I think we hid? just to make sure that Ernie Shepherd didn't think we were taking the p.... Think this was maybe the time when Keith Lindsey's Mum & Dad gave us a bed for the night? These were"Great Times" with "Great Memories" and as of today "Many Great Friends" and it was also one of the all time "Great Seasons". Even though we never won anything that particular season we most certainly had a "Great Time".
Click to expand...

Yes, correct indeed ! The first of those matches we were hitch-hiking to was a midweek match as it had already been called off once earlier in the season as was the second one.

No way to bring a great season to an end - a 4-1 defeat and 2 goals for Nigel Cassidy.

The very best season ever for Southend-watching !!

I'm not sure that was the match we stayed at the very hospitable Lindseys' place, half think that might have been early the following season. I've got a feeling a car was involved in that one, coming back the following day.
 
Zeuss said:
Back in those days,it was very frequently a question of waiting to see whether there were enough of us,not to”fill the coach” but to make the trip vaguely viable.
Click to expand...

On those only just viable longer trips there were invariably two seats per person - handy for sleeping on the way back !
 
Harlow away in an FA Cup replay, we lost 1-0 and missed out on a trip to Leicester in the 3rd round (they also lost 1-0 at Harlow in a replay) the old sports centre had one small stand and the rest of the 5,000+ crowd were standing on the grass banks round the ground, most of the home support were teenagers in parkas who were trying to wind us up, I had to go to work the next day and suffer even more!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

.



Club News
Fixtures and Results
League Table
SUFC Ticket Stats
Shrimpers Trust
SoccerBase
SUEPA (Ex Players)
Shrimperzone on Facebook
Shrimperzone on Twitter
Shrimperzone on Instagram
SUFC Exiles


ShrimperZone Sponsors

FFM MSPFX Foreign Exchange Services

Zone Advertisers MFF2

Zone Advertisers Zone Advertisers

ShrimperZone - Player Sponsorship


Southend United Away Travel


All At Sea Fanzine


Back
Top