wakes123
Manager⭐
Sounded like a character from some of the messages. RIP Shrimper.
Yes knew Les well back then , a bit of character to say the least , Rip Les old mateMate messaged me with the sad news ( big ) Les Baker from Hockley has passed away. Anyone on here who was around in the 70's would have probably known him.
He had his own crew from Hockley/Hawkwell, & was also a West Ham fan. R.I.P Les.
Yes I remember his car crash survival story and exactly that mostly normal mortals wouldn't have survived but not Les, strong as an Ox , although it may have made him a bit more of a Raging Bull.More sad news about a top lad passing.Always got on well with Les (and the Hockley lads)
Dont think any "sane"person would want to get on the wrong side of Les.
Remember working on a site in Eastwood, 1976 ,and an older Scottish bloke who i worked with (also ginger)lived in Hockley and knew Les.
He once said to me"you know big Les Baker".I replied "yes, great bloke he is metal"
The Jock laughed and said"thats strange,he said the same about you"
Les was not the same after his awful accident where i was told if he had not been so strong,he would not have survived.
RIP big Les...up there with Carl,Podge,Steve...heaven help them
Nice play on words there !Another funny Les story was the Cricketers trip to the Belgium beer festival in 1978. We are all on the coach Sunday morning except Les who is arguing the toss about his bar and room service bill. He'd run up such a bill that not only did he not have the money to pay it, the whole coach put together didn't. In the end they gave up and Les got on the coach, but to be honest we had caused such havoc for 48hrs they were glad to be shot of us. The brothel in the hotel got knocked severely as well.
Mate messaged me with the sad news ( big ) Les Baker from Hockley has passed away. Anyone on here who was around in the 70's would have probably known him.
He had his own crew from Hockley/Hawkwell, & was also a West Ham fan. R.I.P Les.
Thank youNice play on words there !
That's Ginger Lee who stands at the back of the West near the Blue Voice. He's lost a lot of weight and is not so well nowadays, but he's still with us, and still supporting Southend.Feel like I bumped into him fairly recently. Did Les used to stand at the back of the West by the Blue Voice? Did he also feature in the Wembley playoff YouTube video - BBC Essex one I think?
Anyway RIP fellow Shrimper
Ah, thanks for correcting me :)That's Ginger Lee who stands at the back of the West near the Blue Voice. He's lost a lot of weight and is not so well nowadays, but he's still with us, and still supporting Southend.
Les was a regular at Roots Hall, before a serious car accident nearly killed him in 74 or 75, & it took a long time before he recovered.sad to hear of fellow supporters passing.
Deepest condolences to his family and friends.
I sometimes read on here people that have left us and wish I could put names to faces.
Although you've mentioned the wrong 'Ginger' probably because of your age, i find it pathetic that local cowards had the gall to chant about a guy they slashed with knifes?.Yes I remember that, our fans made more of it than it really was hence the song Ginger is a jigsaw! I remember him trying to get involved in scraps every time we played Southend home or away. That pub was called the Drury, sad times after we moved from Layer Road it couldn't survive without the football trade, it is now a Sainsbury's local! RIP Ginger.
I've saw Les knock ten bells out of an ex army boxer outside The Spa once. And he didn't spill a drop doing it either.Although you've mentioned the wrong 'Ginger' probably because of your age, i find it pathetic that local cowards had the gall to chant about a guy they slashed with knifes?.
Where's the bravery & courage in doing that?. If you haven't the confidence just to use your fists in a situation, then run away?.
The guy you refer to, put alongside Les whose just passed away, put them side by side & i've no doubt they could have handled 6-8 of your crew no problem ( obviously if they had the bottle not to use a weapon?.
Although you've mentioned the wrong 'Ginger' probably because of your age, i find it pathetic that local cowards had the gall to chant about a guy they slashed with knifes?.
Where's the bravery & courage in doing that?. If you haven't the confidence just to use your fists in a situation, then run away?.
The guy you refer to, put alongside Les whose just passed away, put them side by side & i've no doubt they could have handled 6-8 of your crew no problem ( obviously if they had the bottle not to use a weapon?.