40 years ago today

[shrimperjon]

40 years ago today I attended my first ever game vs Lincoln. 0-0 and around 11500 in attendance. That season we won the title and gained promotion from Division 4. So 40 years and nearly 1000 games attended later we are likely to be leaving League 2 for the very first time, something I never believed would ever happen. So a proud anniversary for me but a sad sad situation for the club we all love

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

Were you posh and pay for a cushion on the East stand seating ?

 

[BluBayou]

Of all the Southend games I've been to this one has always stuck in my memory. Probably because I was a teenage schoolkid at the time and had been looking forward to this game for months. Us and Lincoln had been battling for top spot all season with us just ahead by a few points. Lincoln were an excellent side who were to only just miss out on promotion to Division 2 (now the Championship) on the last game the following season.

We had been getting consistent 5000 - 6000 gates all season and I don't think the club were expecting the attendance we got on the day (11,945). It was a fine spring day and, unusually, a Saturday afternoon kick-off. I got to the North Bank well before kick-off and was amazed to see the queues snaking back from the North Bank turnstiles. As I stood in the queues, I could hear the banter going backwards and forwards between the North Bank and their fans massed on the South. I couldn't wait to get inside and immediately made for behind the goal.

It was the best pre-match atmosphere I ever experienced at Roots Hall. I particularly remember the photographers behind the goal turning around and photographing our fans because we were making so much noise. I wonder what happened to those photos?. The North Bank was packed and it got even more full after the police escorted a big mob of our fans off of the South Bank.

Our players ran out for the start of the game and stood in the centre circle waving. As I remember it, we had already been confirmed as promoted and we cheered them.

We started the game on fire playing towards the North Bank and Spenno soon had a close-range shot scrambled away. Then Tony Hadley thumped a header against the post - que massive crowd surge behind the goal. Lincoln hit back and I saw Alan Moody racing back towards our goal as their forward lobbed Mervyn Cawston. Moody did almost a bicycle kick to clear the ball off our goal-line as the Lincoln fans were poised to go crazy. I think Alan said after the game that he didn't think he was going to reach that ball.

The game seemed to peter out in the second half but we still had the best chances. Keith Mercer hooked a cross-shot over their goal and then Gary Nelson was through but shot high and wide. The Lincoln fans were the ones celebrating at the whistle but we were the better side that day and Lincoln were the chasing side so we stayed top.

It's amazing that I can still remember it all so clearly. When Tilly became Lincoln manager I spent some time on the Imps forum to see how he was doing and this game was still getting the occasional mention on their forum, some 30 years after.

Fantastic memories. I'm just fortunate I got to experience this. It's way better than Premier League tippy tappy played in an all-seater corporate arena.

 

[IloveShrimp]

Were you posh and pay for a cushion on the East stand seating ?

Used to be able to get a blanket too if I am not mistaken

 

[Pak Power]

I was in the mob on the south bank , infiltration we kicked off just after kick off

 

[HUMBLEPIE]

I was in the mob on the south bank , infiltration we kicked off just after kick off

Was you in the group route marched past the east stand and dropped in the north bank by the old bill.

 

[Pak Power]

No, I stayed in South Bank, when it kicked off, my mate got arrested and pulled out over the wall, and I disappeared into the SW corner awaiting further developments

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

Was you in the group route marched past the east stand and dropped in the north bank by the old bill.

I was, got split up from Pak Power.

 

[HUMBLEPIE]

I was in the paddocks near the north bank and as they walked passed a couple of them I knew because they came into an off license I managed in Shoebury.

 

[Letmein]

I was 11 and at the game with some friends/parents in the East stand. My only memory of it seems to be of a group of Lincoln fans lobbing half bricks up at the side of the east stand from the South bank (?). Halcyon days!

 

[ozzie]

Remember the game well.
Then straight after the game i headed to London to get a train to Germany to start a job.
Then sitting in the ferry over to Ostend with a few beers,reading the programme being sure we were getting promoted
Happy days

 

[rigsby]

I was 16 and just leaving school. I remember seeing a chest high kung fu kick in the South bank and someone flying backwards down about 10 steps.

I was on a first date with a girl from school and thought Southend v Lincoln would be a romantic surprise.....She never turned up for the 2nd date and i have never seen her since.

Since then my one and only true love has had its ups and downs but we are still together. My heart will still flutter on Saturday afternoon and Tuesday night could be the most wonderful experience of the year because we still have passion in our relationship....I wonder if Alison can still say the same.

 

[BluBayou]

Looking Back At: Southend Away, 1981 | The Stacey West

Saturday 11th April 1981 Southend United 0 Lincoln City 0 (Football League Division Four) Appointed manager in November 1978 Colin Murphy had been unable to [...]

staceywest.net

for the record book.