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5 years ago today

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A truly memorable day in our clubs history, and especially for those supporters that stayed until the final whistle I like many, was ready to head for the exit on the blow of the dreaded final whistle but I had not accounted for a sublime piece of skill by Joe Pigott to take it to penalties. With the momentum and passion from our fans now in our favour, a steely determination from our penalty takers, and the final mind games and great skill of our keeper Dan Bentley took us up to League One.

All the players that day were heroes and I doubt we’ll ever be able to replicate that euphoria, given the importance of the situation, the last gasp timing of it and its esteemed location, but hey let’s hope there will be many more similar moments in the future.

I miss that feeling so much. One minute, one minute, where’s YouTube?
 
Was on a high for a week. Terrible match though but a great day, one of the best of my life.

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Unbelievelable feeling when that penalty was saved - one of my best football days ever (only because I can still remember it clearly, unlike Bury and Peterborough :Unsure:).

Still can't believe Simon Hooper went on to be a Premiership ref; absolutely useless performance!
 
I had travelled over from Lourdes to see our first Wembley appearance, two years earlier, in the Football League Trophy. Probably wouldn't have done it again for the same competition......... but the prospect of promotion was too grand an occasion to miss. It's quite interestring to compare the two.
Against Crewe the pre-match atmosphere was incredible. Was it The Green Mann we had taken over? I remember going in as Luggy was coming out. It was that ambiance that lives on in the memory........the match? What match???......we didn't turn up did we?
Arriving around Wembley for the Play-off Final I think I was searching for the same atmosphere two years hence but if it was there, I didn't find it. Like MK I don't remember the game being much of a spectacle, perhaps it was too tense with too much riding on it. Additional time was the heartache I feared and with 120 minutes gone I had put my jacket on for a quick and shy departure, then........................:Smile: The next half-hour of so was probably one of the most stressful in my life, certainly as far as supporting Southend goes. That penalty shoot out and the resulting celebration will live with me for the rest of my life.
In the present situation that anniversary is tinged with sadness. I have the team's celebration as a screen filler on my computer and the likelihood of relegation, tarnishes a bit that day and that memory.
 
That day made me fall back in love with football again. I hadn't watched a game, even on television, for ages but I still kept an eye on Southend's results. It had been more than a decade since I'd last been to a Southend game because me and my Dad went together and he died in 2004.

I bought a ticket on a whim. Went on my own. The game itself wasn't one of the all time classics. But I will never forget how long time seemed to stand still as that ball was going in for the equaliser. And the moment of silence before everyone erupted...

Then the stranger next to and I were hugging each other and screaming our heads off. Then the next jittery, anxious eternity coming down from the adrenaline rush to settle down and plead quietly for the penalties to go our way.

Then ecstasy all over again.

Woo! What a day.

On the tube on the way home, it was a funny feeling seeing the crowd of Shrimpers disappear a bit of a time at each interchange until I was the only one.

There was a bloke in a Wycombe shirt who travelled all the way to the same station as me. We sat opposite each other for most of the journey both at different extremes of football emotion.

We didn't say anything to each other until after we both stood up and were waiting for the doors to open. I put a consoling hand on his shoulder and he patted my hand and said "cheers". It was a nice little moment of friendliness before we both went our separate ways.

Poor bloke. It must have been gutting to have to sit looking at a happy Southend fan all the way home after losing the game that way.

That, as much as the joy of celebrating the equaliser and the win, reminded me how much I did love this. I still don't watch football on the telly, but I bought a season ticket for the next season as soon as they went on sale.

And I've been coming back for more ever since.
 
One of the best days of my life. But I do agree with a post from above, it was a terrible football match.

Anyway does not really matter now, them memories of what eventually unfolded will last a lifetime

*EDIT* needed to add that Adam Barretts penalty is the best I have ever seen!
 
THAT last-gasp goal was the most euphoric moment as an SUFC fan, to the point where I wasn't even tense during the penalties; I was too emotional to care. I only calmed down when we got to the sudden death phase.

MK is right, though, it was an absolutely terrible game. When I heard the line-up I was furious; I told my mum and step-father that it was going to be awful and unfortunately I was right.

We set up not to lose rather than to win and the gap between Corr and the midfield was too big most of the time.

There were moments - we were unlucky with Corr's disallowed goal but Bolger's push cost us that one, and we should have had a penalty when Corr was shoved in the second half - but that's all they were, isolated moments. During open play we were really poor but I only partially blame the players for that; the shape of the team was really negative.

It would have been harsh had Wycombe won but they did create chances and we would only have had ourselves to blame for not being braver.

BUT...

What a feeling afterwards! The trip to Liverpool Street, singing and chanting in the station - even the guy behind the till at Marks & Spencers was grinning and briefly sang 'Everywhere we go...' - and on the train the songs continued. Shame I had to leave at Stratford but there you go.

My other half was happy for me but unfortunately the extra time and penalties cost her most of Eurovision.
 
You can watch highlights of the game again today at 5pm on Sky Sports Football (Ch 403).
 
SOUTHEND United’s play-off win handed Will Atkinson the biggest buzz of his career – when he was not even on the pitch!

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