Question Do you remember the first time?

[OldBlueLady]

No. I know roughly when it was, but not exactly. A tomboy little girl who wanted to spend time with her Dad at this strange place just a few streets from where she'd been born, within the glow of the floodlights. I saw Billy Best, Bill Garner and Peter Taylor, so early 70s but can't be any more precise than that.

 

[IloveShrimp]

My first ever match was when I sat on my dads shoulders at Upton Park - West Ham v Derby County I think. I still have the West Ham scarf from that day. Then he took me to RH in 1971 after we moved to Wickford when I saw the light! If I had to choose a PL team to support it would be the Hammers but I will always be a shrimper till they die.

 

[Jai]

My Dad took me to my first ever football match when I was 9. Col U v Orient in 89 (my dad is an Orient supporter and we were living just outside Ipswich at the time).
I'll be honest I did have a bit of an affiliation to Ipswich at the time as all the kids at school did.
We moved to Southend in 1990.
My first Southend game, a mate from school's uncle took a bunch of us kids down to the Hall in 1992. The opposition? Ipswich! We lost 2-1 (I think Spinner got our goal) but from that moment, Southend were my team.
Me and my Dad still have a lot of banter with the Southend/Orient rivalry and I did give him ALOT of crap when Orient were in the NL. Regretting that a bit now....

My first game too!

 

[Derbyshire Blue]

"Do you remember the first time?"---- a bit like sex --- I can't even remember the last time !!!!!!

It reminds me of the Pulp song too, although I don’t fancy starting a thread of “Do you remember the worse time?”!

 

[Rob1920]

A 3-0 home win v Swindon, think it must have been 1974 or 5.

And there was me thinking it would always be like that..?

 

[Thundersley Blue]

First game my Grandfather took me to see Wealdstone v Hendon at Lower Mead. The second game my other Grandfather took me to see Margate v Worcester City at Hartsdown Park.
My Dad finally took me to see my first Southend match v Bristol City in November 1964, a 1 - 1 draw.

 

[Derbyshire Blue]

I love how well you can all remember these, that first connection can last a long time, if not for life.

I hope @StanleyVictorCollymore works with @OldBlueLady on the importance of Junior Blues. Not the most pressing priority I grant you!

 

[getintoem]

Don't know anything about the match but it was at Grainger Road in 1954, I was 4 years old. All I can remember is it was a sunny day, we were not under the cover of the grandstand (in what I now know was the south-east corner), there were not many people where we were and I amused myself by running about on the terracing.

My next recollections are from Roots Hall and I think I was there for the first match at the new stadium, but having not missed many home games from the mid 50's through the 60's and 70's it's all a bit of a blur now. By the 80's I was married, moved away from the area and attendances became far less frequent unfortunately.

 

[They Call It Madness!!!]

Pre season friendly vers. Chelsea, I think 1994? They had there Orange and silver Cools kit. I went with my uncle, walked into the West stand and had a fixed grin on my face. It was like the pitch was grinning back at me. Hooked from that moment.

Iorfa scored and we had 1 disallowed. Lost 2.1 that day but Southend United won my heart. I must have been about 8 or 9 and grew up not realising Southend had a football team let alone one that was in the old Division One.

Went to about 9 or 10 games that season, was a member and remember having a purple membership card. Use to remember the sound of feet hitting the metal fence at the bottom of the West (what a sound).

Fast forward, first away game was vers Orient and Alan Littles first game. 3.0 win, Neil Campbell brace, Lars Unger played too! ALAN LITTLES BARMY ARMY on repeat for about 70 minutes of the game. What a memory.

Love you Southend United x

 

[tallboyblue]

Pre season friendly vers. Chelsea, I think 1994? They had there Orange and silver Cools kit. I went with my uncle, walked into the West stand and had a fixed grin on my face. It was like the pitch was grinning back at me. Hooked from that moment.

Iorfa scored and we had 1 disallowed. Lost 2.1 that day but Southend United won my heart. I must have been about 8 or 9 and grew up not realising Southend had a football team let alone one that was in the old Division One.

Went to about 9 or 10 games that season, was a member and remember having a purple membership card. Use to remember the sound of feet hitting the metal fence at the bottom of the West (what a sound).

Fast forward, first away game was vers Orient and Alan Littles first game. 3.0 win, Neil Campbell brace, Lars Unger played too! ALAN LITTLES BARMY ARMY on repeat for about 70 minutes of the game. What a memory.

Love you Southend United x

Can’t remember the game but it was at the Grainger Road stadium.

 

[old leigh shrimper]

Vague memories of my first game ...Peter Taylor was playing, ..... i think about 1974.
first season i went to most matches was 77/78 season.
First away game was Aldershot with an older cousin....i don't remember the score but do remember we had 'chicken in the basket' in a pub on the way home!

 

[andyblue]

First game was as an 8 or 9 year old with my Dad. Must have been late 70’s. Don’t remember the year or score but it was against Watford. Two things I remember of the day…..we were on the South Bank and there was a fight between Southend and Watford fans nearby. I remember my Dad swiftly moving us away from the trouble. Second thing I remember was the open air urinal at the back of the terrace. It was the dirtiest, smelliest place I had ever visited in my short life to that point…..despite all that I was hooked and 40 odd years later there’s still only one team in my life.

 

[overseas shrimper]

I sure do.

It was the 8th of May 1993 v Luton Town at roots hall. So many good memories of that day, albeit a little faded.

I remember we needed a win to avoid relegation from the now championship.

A screamer from Andy Sussex and it was Stan collymores last game for the club. I only got to see him play once and I'm sure he scored but it was ruled out.

Pitch invasion at the end. Collymore stripped to his pants and jumping on Spencer priors back as he ran around.

It was the day a love affair with this club began.

I'm in the northbank somewhere as a skinny 15 year old.

I went to this game. Afterwards I walked back to my recently acquired, pretty flash car (for me back then) but could't find it. At first I thought I had maybe misremembered where I had left it. Then I accepted what I didn't want to accept. My car had been stolen.

 

[overseas shrimper]

I am in awe of those that can recall exactly when their first game was, who it was against, what the result was, the incidents and (probably) which direction the wind was blowing.

Me? All I know is it was in 1987 during the 87/88 season.

Just looked at our fixtures from last season but nothing stood out to jolt by memory.

 

[ESG]

Her name was Liz and she hailed from Corner Brook Newfoundland

Easter Saturday April 21st 1973 beating Chesterfield 5 - 1. In the day when men were men we'd administered a 5 - 0 thrashing to Port Vale on Good Friday also at The Hall.

 

[Floval Flyer]

Friday 8th May 1981.
Friendly versus Wolves, we’d just been crowned Div 4 champions, dear old Dave Smith was manager & we had the likes of Poutney & my hero, Derek Spence!

My Dad took me with my brother & we sat in the black seats in the South side of the East End.

What stands out the most isn’t the football but that you used to sit on this little leather cushion that, if I remember rightly, got lobbed onto the pitch at the end of the game by seemingly hundreds of us.

It’s makes me nostalgic & a little sad to think of that wide eyed little boy sitting on his Dads lap taking it all in drinking hot chocolate & eating a United Extra time bar.

I was at that game too, and IIRC our players were throwing replica signed balls into the crowd. I actually caught one and still have the ball in the loft.

 

[Floval Flyer]

Cannot exactly recall which was my 1st ever game, but am sure it was a Friday night game in the 78-79 season.

Not stopped going ever since

 

[Floval Flyer]

I was at that game too, and IIRC our players were throwing replica signed balls into the crowd. I actually caught one and still have the ball in the loft.

Found some pics of the signed ball in my photos, can still make out Dave Smith, Derek Spence, Tony Hadley, Mervyn Cawston and Alan Moody

 

[tia]

My first football match was early 1986 Spurs v Liverpool at White Hart lane.Liverpool won 2-1.My Dad and Uncle took me

 

[SU BLUE]

1948 at Sutton road we played Orient. Can’t remember the score though