Southend United All-Time Draft

[Spaceman Spiff]

But I’ll have George too if you’re offering!

 

[Napster]

who's next?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

who's next?

@Spaceman Spiff

ps Spiff - You can play players where you like, but I'd an expert to confirm how often he played there as neither of us saw him play

@B.B.The Legend Lives On.

 

[Firestorm]

Spiff

 

[bigmolt]

This was a wonderful article about Jimmy McAlinden. If you haven't read it yet, and you have five mins to spare give it a go.
One of my dads fav players ever!!


https://www.irishnews.com/sport/foo...true-giant-and-gentleman-of-the-game-1064086/

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Is it my turn? If so I need a bit of grit in midfield and will turn to a recent legend (for me) who was player of the year last year: Ryan Leonard

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

@Spaceman Spiff

ps Spiff - You can play players where you like, but I'd an expert to confirm how often he played there as neither of us saw him play

@B.B.The Legend Lives On.

Have just finished doing my research on Billy Best regarding his playing positions and they are as follows:- Before joining Southend United in January 1968 Billy Best played in all five forward positions for Northampton Town's 1st. Team (No.7=26, No.8=12, No.9=2, No.10=8, No.11=1). When playing at Roots Hall Billy played the majority of his 245 matches at either No.8 or No.10, in fact according to the history book Billy played as a winger(No.7=6 & No.11=3)only 9 times in total, although in his final season at Roots Hall 1972-73 he tended to play behind the front two in mid-field(which did seem quite bizarre at that time). In his one and only substitute appearance in 1972-73 against Watford at Roots Hall(0-0)he did replace Alan Moody but this may have been tactical?. On returning to the Cobblers the following season's of 1973-74 & 1974-75 Billy played once again as either a No.8 or No.10, he did however play at(No.2=1, No.3=4, No.4=1 + 1 sub.). From 1975-76, 1976-77 & 1977-78 which was Billy's last in the football league he made about 100 appearances generally as a centre-back for the club. Having been released by Northampton Town at the end of that season he spent a further four season's playing at Bedford Town before they folded at the end of 1981-82.(he was also voted player of the year twice just as he had been at both Southend United & Northampton Town). Billy then joined Corby Town for the 1982-83 season helping the club to win the Northants Senior Cup Final 3-2 at Kettering and in this match he became the then club's oldest ever 1st. team player at 39 years, 8 months & 1 day. Billy did play most of his five season's in the Southern League at centre-back before retiring to concentrate on his painting & decorating business.(Billy at 5ft. 6ins once told me he loved playing at centre back, because the older he got the less he had to run back). "Bless Him"

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

OK, there's been a run on central midfielders and there's only one left in the higher tiers and (with all due respect to the likes of Anthony Grant, Dave Martin and Luke Guttridge) so unlike Phil Brown I'm going to pick him whilst I can.

He's the first player I've picked who hasn't played at the highest level, but that may be just a matter of time.

He's the player I most look forward to see pull on the blue shirt on Saturdays with his ability to play the right ball. He makes my midfield somewhat diminutive but good luck getting the ball off of us, with the 6th pick of the 7th round I choose Dru Yearwood. Savour him whilst you can folks.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Rd 1
1. Steve Tilson (Manager)
2. Freddy Eastwood
3. Stanley Victor Collymore
4. Alan Moody
5. Billy Best
6. Dave Webb (Manager)
7. Dave Smith (Manager)
8. Barry Fry (Manager)

Rd 2
1. Mervyn Cawston
2. Darryl Flahavan
3. Spencer Prior
4. Chris Powell
5. Peter Butler
6. Steve Thompson (Manager)
7. Adam Barrett
8. Simon Royce

Rd 3
1. Mike Marsh
2. Paul Sansome
3. Ricky Otto
4. Jonathan Hunt
5. David Crown
6. Keith Jones
7. Mark Gower
8. Dean Austin

Rd 4
1. Justin Edinburgh
2. Kevin Maher
3. Paul Clark
4. Richard Cadette
5. Simon Francis
6. Nicky Bailey
7. Leon Cort
8. Brett Angell

Rd 5
1. Ian Benjamin
2. Andy Ansah
3. Daniel Bentley
4. Colin Morris
5. Eddie Perry (Manager)
6. Harold Halse
7. Ron Pountney
8. Anton Otulakowski

Rd 6 Order
1. Dave Cusack
2. Sam McCrory
3. Jimmy McAlinden
4. Peter Taylor (player)
5. Derek Spence
6. Andy Ford
7. Les Stubbs
8. Pat Scully


Rd 7 Order

1. Mark Bentley
2. Michael Timlin
3. Ronnie Whelan
4. Frankie Banks
5. Ryan Leonard
6. Dru Yearwood
7. Peter Watson
8. John McKinven



Rd 8
1. Bill Garner
2. Peter Watson
3. Roy Hollis
4. [Spiff]
5. [Lord F]
6. [FBM]
7. [Ricey]
8. [Finney]

 

[Napster]

Ooh this is hard. I need a defender. So how about a defender my Dad says is the best defender he's ever seen, One who, although was never promoted with us, played over 250 times for us in the 1960s. His younger brother played for England, some say it should have been the other way round.

Peter Watson.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Ooh this is hard. I need a defender. So how about a defender my Dad says is the best defender he's ever seen, One who, although was never promoted with us, played over 250 times for us in the 1960s. His younger brother played for England, some say it should have been the other way round.

Peter Watson.

Good pick.

He was going to be my centre-half but then Paul Clark was still available in the 4th round and I didn't feel I could pass over him.

@Firestorm

 

[Firestorm]

2nd most appearances ....
On the left Wing ...John McKinven


Six foot Two , Eyes of Blue

Bill Garner

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

2nd most appearances ....
On the left Wing ...John McKinven


Six foot Two , Eyes of Blue

Bill Garner

Damn you. I was hoping to get McKinven with my next pick.

@Napster back on the clock

 

[Napster]

I need some muscle in my team. Not one for the purists, but one who will fight from the very first minute. Someone who will shed blood and add some aggression into the team.

Roy McDonough.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Ok, I'm also going to go with someone who may not please the purists but unlike Donut knew where the back of the net was. In fact nobody in Southend history has found the back of the net more.

With 135 goals, he's Southend's all-time leading scorer, I select Roy Hollis.

A member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame after rattling in 59 goals in 107 appearances for the Canaries (including a Freddy Eastwood-esque hattrick on debut instead 30 minutes). That success earned him a move to Spurs but despite scoring twice on his debut for Spurs and regularly in the reserves he couldn't permanently dislodge Len "the Duke" Dequemin from the Spurs side. That set up a move to Southend where he plundered Division 3 South defences and rewrote the record books.

He was selected for the Third Division South representative team in both 1956/57 and 1957/58.

A tall, ungainly player, who knew where the back of the net was, he sounds like an earlier version of Brett Angell. But as impressive as Brett Angell's goalscoring was, Hollis managed more than twice as many.

@Spaceman Spiff you're on the clock

 

[Special Blue]

This is Great well done YB best thread in ages.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

So, I need a decent right back. We haven’t been blessed with oodles of brilliant full backs in recent years, and with Powell, Austin, Edinburgh etc gone I’ve had to do a bit of research.

That research leads me to believe the best option unpicked is a defender we signed from Spurs and who went on to make 297 league appearances, scoring 5 goals, including during our one title winning season...

Michael John ‘Micky’ Stead

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

So, I need a decent right back. We haven’t been blessed with oodles of brilliant full backs in recent years, and with Powell, Austin, Edinburgh etc gone I’ve had to do a bit of research.

That research leads me to believe the best option unpicked is a defender we signed from Spurs and who went on to make 297 league appearances, scoring 5 goals, including during our one title winning season...

Michael John ‘Micky’ Stead

What about 2005-06?


By my count central defence is now the most sought after position with 8 central defensive spots needing to be recruited (or maybe more if someone wants to play wing-backs) whilst manager is the most filled position with three-quarters of the teams set at that role.

@Lord Football needs both so it will be interesting to see what way he chooses as he's on the clock.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Oh yeah, how the hell did I forget about that!

 

[Lord Football]

Well my next pick is a manager. I'd better get in before I lose him. This is the man who quite possibly saved Southend United before being treated appallingly by the Chairman. We all know the story of how he built a team in a week, kept us in the league, got us into the play offs, got us to Wembley before Ron Martin did the dirty.

Paul Sturrock