100 Best ...

[Jonny_Stokes]

Tony Richards - because he scored a hattrick against scummy Brighton in the Cup.

.....

 

[The Eternal Optimist]

Quote[/b] (Jonny_Stokes @ Aug. 25 2006,11:56)]Tony Richards - because he scored a hattrick against scummy Brighton in the Cup.

 .....

Pony couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo!

 

[Slipperduke]

Rob Newman

Everything you could ever ask for in a centre-back. Big, strong and impervious to pain, Buzz was a one of very few standout players during the late 90s.

Often seen lumbering forward for corners and growling incoherently, he racked up a startling amount of goals and, someone cleverer than me may confirm this, but I believe he was top goalscorer two seasons on the trot. Admittedly that may say more about the standard of the team than anything else, but that's beside the point.

Whatever you said about his lack of pace or finesse, he had spirit in abundunce. He worked his nuts off, quite frankly, and that's all you can ever demand from a player.

As a manager, I guess he fell a little short of what we needed, but not for lack of effort. Better managers than him would have struggled given the state of the club. In amongst the debts and the behind the scenes wrangling he guided us to a few memorable results and was sadly sacked after one of them; a mind-bendingly dull win over Leyton Orient.

A true servant of the club and one of the few who should be remembered from a period that I'd like to forget.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Quote[/b] (The Eternal Optimist @ Aug. 25 2006,12:04)]

Quote[/b] (Jonny_Stokes @ Aug. 25 2006,11:56)]Tony Richards - because he scored a hattrick against scummy Brighton in the Cup.

 .....

Pony couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo!

I didn't say he scored it for you, did I?

Actually, being serious, I'd have said Ricky Otto. But somebody already did!

 

[Slipperduke]

Quote[/b] (Uxbridge Shrimper @ Aug. 25 2006,09:42)]He was more overworked than a prisoner in a Soviet Gulag.

Similie of the Day!

 

[hullbridge shrimper]

Ron,Ron

Bring him on

Ron,ron,ron,ron

Pountney.

 

[Angell Delight]

So difficult as I really can't decide between Collymore and Chrissy Powell. The fact Stan was only here for 8 months should mean Powell is the choice but (magnificent player, servant and "nicest guy in football" that he was) Collymore is the most talented player I believe will EVER wear a Southend shirt. I may be wrong but I really can't see anyone being greater than him, not in my lifetime anyway.

So it's Stanley for me, with Powell his nearest challenger. Roycey and Freddy deserve special mentions also.

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (Angell Delight @ Aug. 25 2006,13:07)]So difficult as I really can't decide between Collymore and Chrissy Powell. The fact Stan was only here for 8 months should mean Powell is the choice but (magnificent player, servant and "nicest guy in football" that he was) Collymore is the most talented player I believe will EVER wear a Southend shirt. I may be wrong but I really can't see anyone being greater than him, not in my lifetime anyway.

So it's Stanley for me, with Powell his nearest challenger. Roycey and Freddy deserve special mentions also.

Read the rules! You can't have anyone already mentioned and both have been taken already whilst you were making up your mind.

Unless your username is because you are a fat b*****d who likes puddings but can't spell, I can think of at least one of your heroes who hasn't been taken yet.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

I vote for Brett Angell. Because he was good. And stuff.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (Jonny_Stokes @ Aug. 25 2006,13:17)]I vote for Brett Angell. Because he was good. And stuff.

(a) You've already voted, so your vote for Sir Brett doesn't count.

(b) Well make sure that Pony finishes outside the top 100 anyway, don't you worry...

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

With apologies to royfox for stealing his choice, I'm going for:

Spencer Prior

Probably the finest defender Southend have ever produced (if you call Chrissy P a Palace product), although his finest years were spent away from the Hall.

He burst onto the scene as a tall, pacy, raw but promising centre-half during the yo-yo years. IIRC his first season he was a bit part player, but as Webb returned to try and save the club relegation the young Prior, who can only have been about 17 years old, earnt himself a regular place in the side in the closing matches and his bullet header from what seemed to be outside the area (although in all probability was much closer than that) earnt us a 1-0 win against Chester on the final day of the season, but in the end results went against us (bloody Gillingham) and it just wasn't enough to keep us from relegation to the 4th division.

A horrific injury, the worse I have ever witnessed, meant he was out for ages and I don't think he was ever quite the same afterwards - he certainly seemed to stop launching himself with his slide tackles - but his career slowly got back on track and he was a member of what, until recently, I could safely say was our greatest ever squad as he helped us to consecutive promotions. I think he scored 2 goals that momentous season: one of the ten we scored against Aldershot, in the club's record win; and the greatest diving header ever. Sadly this was in the wrong net away at Bournemouth, but it was a fantastic finish from about an inch off the ground, on the edge of the D, straight into the bottom corner.

Having previously partnered the legendary Paul Clark (one of only a handful or so players more deserving of legend status than Prior), Prior had to step up a level for our first ever season in the second tier, as his defensive partner moved on, but Spinner stayed a couple of seasons and played an important part in helping Southend establish themselves at that level. For that alone, he is one of Southend's greatest 100 players. What makes him near enough unique, is that he has had two spells at the club worthy of inclusion. Reluctantly the club sold him onto premier$hite Norwich and when Martin O'Neill moved from Norwich to Leicester he took Spinner with him. From Leicester he moved to Jim Smith's Derby where for a time he lined up alongside Sir Chrissy Powell in defence, before a move to a 4th premier$hite club, Man City. The transfer fees he cost, make him the second most expensive Southend player of all time.

Finally in 2004, Steve Tilson pulled off arguably his greatest coup as Southend manager, persuading his old team-mate to finish his career at his home club. Southend at this stage had been in the doldrums for over a decade - we hadn't finished top half since his last spell at the club, but with Prior's experience and know-how at the back, combined with his long missed ability to clear crosses gave confidence to a defence and a keeper which the previous season had been battling relegation to the conference. After a slow start, Southend gradually started climbing the table, based more on their defensive stability and a run of clean sheets than the goals of star striker Freddy Eastwood. Prior's aged legs meant he couldn't play every game but a 2-0 defeat away at Boston when Prior had been rested convinced Tilson that he couldn't risk resting him any more and Prior played every remaining game as Southend scorched to the top of the table on the back of a club record unbeaten spell based on a rock solid defence. A spell of nerves saw them drop into the play-offs but Prior's big-time experience was crucial in seeing Southend through the play-offs, during which we didn't concede a single goal in 300 minutes of football.

The following season Prior struggled with injuries, but when he reclaimed his place in the team a crucial string of clean sheets saw the club out of a rocky patch when the good start threatened to fizzle out and again rocketed the club to the top of the table, a position they never looked like relinquishing. Tilson then persuaded the veteran to stay on for one last season to try and help establish Southend back in the second tier.

Although the legs had clearly gone, Prior managed to coax the defence to 2 wins out of the opening four, to give the team the belief that they could play at this level. He has hopefully accomplished the job Tilly kept him on to do and although his Southend career is drawing to an end, when he goes we should look back on a Southend legend. Never a ball-playing centre-half, his prone-ness to treading on the ball made a number of fans blind to his outstanding contributions to the club as a stopper. Achieving consecutive promotions to the second tier once is a fantastic achievement, but twice is truly astonishing when you consider playing at this level is something the club has been striving to do for 100 years.

Spencer Prior is truly a Southend legend.

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Aug. 25 2006,13:41)]Spencer Prior is truly a Southend legend.

In your opinion

 

[Desert Shrimper]

I'd like to go for Gary "Psycho" Bennett. Not the most obvious of choices I know but for me as a youngster he was what being a footballer was all about. He always gave 150%, played like he was fighting for his very life and wasn't too bad at sticking the ball away. Two goals with a badly broken nose in our 1990 3-2 victory over Lineker, Mabbutt etc sum the guy up for me.....

PSYCHO

 

[leeblue]

KEVIN MAHER
As Chris Powell already taken i will pipe up for the man who lifts the trophies. I have been a supporter for twenty + years now and in that time not witnessed the type of stick handed out to Kev at the beggining of his SUFC life. He could have left the club many times but chose not too, in the last three seasons he has come of age and now is one of the first names on the team sheet and a fantastic leader, i could have reeled off plenty of names from the past who may have been a bit more spectacular but for his sheer determination i pick kev

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Quote[/b] (Matt the Shrimp @ Aug. 25 2006,13:30)]

Quote[/b] (Jonny_Stokes @ Aug. 25 2006,13:17)]I vote for Brett Angell. Because he was good. And stuff.

(a) You've already voted, so your vote for Sir Brett doesn't count.

(b) Well make sure that Pony finishes outside the top 100 anyway, don't you worry...

Yeah, but I was just being a c%&t for the sake of it

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Aug. 25 2006,13:41)]With apologies to royfox for stealing his choice, I'm going for:

Spencer Prior

Probably the finest defender Southend have ever produced (if you call Chrissy P a Palace product), although his finest years were spent away from the Hall.

He burst onto the scene as a tall, pacy, raw but promising centre-half during the yo-yo years. IIRC his first season he was a bit part player, but as Webb returned to try and save the club relegation the young Prior, who can only have been about 17 years old, earnt himself a regular place in the side in the closing matches and his bullet header from what seemed to be outside the area (although in all probability was much closer than that) earnt us a 1-0 win against Chester on the final day of the season, but in the end results went against us (bloody Gillingham) and it just wasn't enough to keep us from relegation to the 4th division.

A horrific injury, the worse I have ever witnessed, meant he was out for ages and I don't think he was ever quite the same afterwards - he certainly seemed to stop launching himself with his slide tackles - but his career slowly got back on track and he was a member of what, until recently, I could safely say was our greatest ever squad as he helped us to consecutive promotions. I think he scored 2 goals that momentous season: one of the ten we scored against Aldershot, in the club's record win; and the greatest diving header ever. Sadly this was in the wrong net away at Bournemouth, but it was a fantastic finish from about an inch off the ground, on the edge of the D, straight into the bottom corner.

Having previously partnered the legendary Paul Clark (one of only a handful or so players more deserving of legend status than Prior), Prior had to step up a level for our first ever season in the second tier, as his defensive partner moved on, but Spinner stayed a couple of seasons and played an important part in helping Southend establish themselves at that level. For that alone, he is one of Southend's greatest 100 players. What makes him near enough unique, is that he has had two spells at the club worthy of inclusion. Reluctantly the club sold him onto premier$hite Norwich and when Martin O'Neill moved from Norwich to Leicester he took Spinner with him. From Leicester he moved to Jim Smith's Derby where for a time he lined up alongside Sir Chrissy Powell in defence, before a move to a 4th premier$hite club, Man City. The transfer fees he cost, make him the second most expensive Southend player of all time.

Finally in 2004, Steve Tilson pulled off arguably his greatest coup as Southend manager, persuading his old team-mate to finish his career at his home club. Southend at this stage had been in the doldrums for over a decade - we hadn't finished top half since his last spell at the club, but with Prior's experience and know-how at the back, combined with his long missed ability to clear crosses gave confidence to a defence and a keeper which the previous season had been battling relegation to the conference. After a slow start, Southend gradually started climbing the table, based more on their defensive stability and a run of clean sheets than the goals of star striker Freddy Eastwood. Prior's aged legs meant he couldn't play every game but a 2-0 defeat away at Boston when Prior had been rested convinced Tilson that he couldn't risk resting him any more and Prior played every remaining game as Southend scorched to the top of the table on the back of a club record unbeaten spell based on a rock solid defence. A spell of nerves saw them drop into the play-offs but Prior's big-time experience was crucial in seeing Southend through the play-offs, during which we didn't concede a single goal in 300 minutes of football.

The following season Prior struggled with injuries, but when he reclaimed his place in the team a crucial string of clean sheets saw the club out of a rocky patch when the good start threatened to fizzle out and again rocketed the club to the top of the table, a position they never looked like relinquishing. Tilson then persuaded the veteran to stay on for one last season to try and help establish Southend back in the second tier.

Although the legs had clearly gone, Prior managed to coax the defence to 2 wins out of the opening four, to give the team the belief that they could play at this level. He has hopefully accomplished the job Tilly kept him on to do and although his Southend career is drawing to an end, when he goes we should look back on a Southend legend. Never a ball-playing centre-half, his prone-ness to treading on the ball made a number of fans blind to his outstanding contributions to the club as a stopper. Achieving consecutive promotions to the second tier once is a fantastic achievement, but twice is truly astonishing when you consider playing at this level is something the club has been striving to do for 100 years.

Spencer Prior is truly a Southend legend.

I refer Royfox to the Honourable Gentleman's statement

 

[gbshrimper]

MARTIN LING

Was around when I first started following the Shrimpers - and I just liked him, thought he did a good job and scored a few important goals - obviously wouldnt be in anyones all-time greats list, but would like to see him in the top 100.

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (The Bloke In The Pram Shop @ Aug. 25 2006,13:45)]I'd like to go for Gary "Psycho" Bennett. Not the most obvious of choices I know but for me as a youngster he was what being a footballer was all about. He always gave 150%, played like he was fighting for his very life and wasn't too bad at sticking the ball away. Two goals with a badly broken nose in our 1990 3-2 victory over Lineker, Mabbutt etc sum the guy up for me.....

PSYCHO

He would have been my second choice.

http://www.red-passion.com/issue25/interview.htm

http://www.red-passion.com/issue26/interview.htm

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Quote[/b] (gbshrimper @ Aug. 25 2006,14:21)]MARTIN LING

Was around when I first started following the Shrimpers - and I just liked him, thought he did a good job and scored a few important goals - obviously wouldnt be in anyones all-time greats list, but would like to see him in the top 100.

Ledge

 

[Rayleigh Weir]

All my real favourites have gone, so my vote goes to "Roy, Roy, Super Roy McDonough"

The dirtiest player this country has ever produced.

An old school, 'hard as nails' forward who showed the triumph of determination and aggression over technique. Roy was an inspiration to all slightly oversized, underskilled footballers that you could actually get by on sheer bloody-minded enthusiasm to make contact with the ball whoever was between you and it - I swear I once saw him slide tackle the dug-out when someone rolled a ball into it.

Roy spent two spells with the Blues scoring only around 30 goals, but picking up the majority of his 13 league red cards (ending with an impressive career total of 21 including non-league matches).

Roy was definitely not the most gifted player I've ever seen, but always gave 110% and would quite happily tear someone limb from limb for the cause - a true cult hero figure...