As we've had our last game of the decade, I had planned to do something about the top twenty matches of the ten years just gone but I found it very difficult to leave some matches out, plus in truth it's some of the defeats which have stuck with me the most. And rather than doing a countdown I thought I'd just do it as a chronology of the decade.
Part two will follow tomorrow (that's the plan anyway).
3rd January 2000: Southend United 1 – 2 Rotherham United (Division 3)
I would have been at this game but have no recollection of it at all and our goal that day was scored by a player who I have no recollection of at all. Nigel Pepper played for us for seven months apparently and his goal here, one of two which Soccerbase assure me he scored for Southend, had the honour of being the first Southend United goal of the decade, indeed the century. However two goals from Leo Fortune-West were enough to defeat a Southend side full of such illustrious names as Prudhoe, Coleman, Beard and Tolson. In front of a crowd of 4,788.
8th October 2000: Blackpool 2 – 2 Southend United (Division 3)
Despite a run of five matches unbeaten which had hauled us into the top half, Alan Little was sacked in October 2000 and was replaced by Southend Legend David Webb. Webby’s return prompted a mass pilgrimage up to Blackpool for his first match back in charge. However things did not start well and with Blues 2-0 down at the break changes needed to be made. On came a young Kevin Maher and a King Kev-inspired side rallied in the second half. Goals from Mark Tinkler after 71 minutes and another substitute, Trevor Fitzpatrick, in the 89th, earned Southend a point.
10th December 2000: Canvey Island 1 – 2 Southend United (FA Cup 2nd Round)
The biggest cup tie in Essex for more than a decade almost needed to be postponed as enough rain to evoke terrible flashbacks in the minds of older Canvey fans lashed the South-East in the days before kick-off. But the game did take place, and it took place at Roots Hall on the advice of the Police. Goals from Scott Forbes and Ben Abbey put Southend comfortably in front before Canvey, with Steve Tilson pulling the strings in midfield, scored a consolation in stoppage time in front of the largest crowd at Roots Hall in at least five years.
6th January 2001: Southend United 0 – 1 Kingstonian (FA Cup 3rd Round)
This should have been a routine cup tie, however there is no such thing for Southend United and sure enough a goal after 8 minutes was enough to see Kingstonian (who included past and future Shrimper Mark Beard at rightback) into the 4th Round. Both teams went down to ten men on the stroke of half time with Leo Roget of Southend and Gary Patterson for the visitors being dismissed.
20th January 2001: Leyton Orient 0 – 2 Southend United (Division 3)
Who let the Abbey out?
17th November 2001: Southend United 3 – 2 Luton Town (FA Cup 1st Round)
Nothing overly historic happened in this game. It had no lasting legacy. It was just a very good, very entertaining cup tie. Luton were towards the top of League Two and I believe they went up that year however on this day they had no answer to new Southend Manager Rob Newman or his occasionally-brilliant but more often hopeless strikeforce of Mark Rawle and Tes (is God) Bramble. Goals from each of the Southend strikers were cancelled out by strikes from Adrian Forbes and Ahmet Brkovic before the game was decided in the 85th minutes through a Bramble overhead kick to send Southend into the second round.
22nd October 2002: Swindon Town 6 – 1 Southend United (LDV Vans Trophy 1st Round)
The above was the only game of Rob Newman’s first season in charge which I could be bothered to type about and this was the only game from his second season that I could be bothered to type about. We were just such a nothing side back then. I believe that this was our heaviest defeat of the decade. A near full-strength Southend side, albeit including a 36 year old Steve Tilson in midfield, were destroyed at the County Ground in front of a 1,700 crowd.
9th August 2003: Southend United 2 – 0 Cheltenham Town (Division 3)
With Rob Newman gone, former Colchester United manager Steve Wignall was appointed as manager and set about clearing out most of the crap that had been signed by the last two managers. ‘The Wignall Revolution’, as it was lauded on ShrimperZone, seemed to have achieved immediate results as on a sunny August afternoon Southend swept Cheltenham aside in a display of fantastic attacking football. Two goals from Wignall’s best signing, Mark Gower, won us the points and with the Broughton-Husbands dream ticket up top, promotion seemed a real possibility.
20th September 2003: Southend United 2 – 2 Carlisle United (Division 3)
How little we knew. In truth I could have listed any of 15 abject performances in the early part of this season, for example the Boston game a few weeks later where we lost 2-0 following a Duncan Jupp missed penalty (our 7th in a row). However the Carlisle game stands out because the visitors were the worst side in the Country by a distance. They came to Roots Hall with three points to their name and without even a goal away from home and that run looked to continue as two goals in a minute from David McSweeney (a sweet volley IIRC) and Leon Constantine put Southend 2-0 up in the first quarter of the match. However the joy would not last and by the time Richie Foran equalised with ten minutes left the boos were echoing around the Hall.
4th November 2003: Swansea City 1 – 2 Southend United (LDV Vans Trophy 2nd Round)
I can’t tell you much about this game as I was not one of the 38. Those who were – I salute you.
19th November 2003: Canvey Island 2 – 3 Southend United (FA Cup 1st Round Replay)
The second Canvey vs Southend cup tie ended in a draw at Roots Hall and therefore resulted in this replay at Park Lane. Wignall had been relieved of his duties some time earlier and David Webb had stood in for a 4th spell in charge. When Webby took the job he stressed that it was purely on a temporary basis and this match, in which he was joined in the dugout by Paul Brush, would prove to be his last. Canvey twice led through Lee Boylan and Jeff Minton however Southend had fought back twice through Tes Bramble and Jay Smith. With five minutes to go Mark Warren was given a straight red card but with the match drifting into extra time the ball broke free in stoppage time to Smith who curled a beautiful shot past the Canvey keeper and put Southend into the next round. It was a pivotal time in our history as rumours were rife that Stan Collymore was due to be appointed as the new manager within days and when Ron Martin ruled Stan out of the running an approach was made for Oxford United manager Ian Atkins which was turned down. In the meantime the caretaker duo of Tilson & Brush took charge.
13th December 2003: Swansea City 2 – 3 Southend United (Division 3)
A remarkable game at the Vetch in which Southend not only won despite having three players sent off but became the first side in history to score when reduced to eight men.
14th January 2004: Scarborough 1 – 0 Southend United (FA Cup 3rd Round Replay)
Personally this was probably the low-point of the decade for me. Making a long, late-night trek back from one side of the country to another after a defeat is hard-enough. When it’s to non-league opposition in the middle of winter and means that we miss out on a glamour cup match with Chelsea it’s even worse. A rubbish performance.
20th January 2004: Southend United 4 – 0 QPR (LDV Vans Trophy Southern Semi Final)
Every bit as good as the performance at Scarborough the previous week had been poor. QPR came to town top of the division above us and fielded a full-strength team under Ian Holloway but were blown away by a Drewe Broughton-inspired Southend side. Broughton bagged a second-half brace after Leon Constantine had opened the scoring but the game will best be remembered for Steven Clark’s brilliant 67th minute goal in which he took the ball from deep inside the QPR half and reminded us all of why he was so highly regarded when we first signed him from West Ham.
17th February 2004: Southend United 1 – 1 Colchester United (LDV Vans Trophy Southern Final)
Yet another LDV match from that season but they were all so memorable. This match was Colchester’s first competitive visit to Roots Hall in many years and when Kem Izzet scored for them in the 3rd minute to level the match on aggregate it looked like it could be a long night. But on the stroke of half time Drewe Broughton scored to put us back in front over all and ultimately take Southend United to their first ever major cup final. Thank you DREEEEEEEEEEWWWWWEEEEEEE.
21st February 2004: Leyton Orient 2 – 1 Southend United (Division 3)
In truth I could have entered any one of a number of embarrassing defeats to Orient in this list, both at home and away. I settled on this one as it summed that spell of matches up. A goal up at half-time thanks to Lawrie Dudfield, a Leon Constantine missed penalty and not one but two own goals from Tes Bramble & Drewe Broughton gifted the three points to the hosts and sent their fans home with grins on their ‘orrible East London faces.
21st March 2004: Blackpool 2 – 0 Southend United (LDV Vans Trophy Final)
Our first appearance in a showpiece match was in many ways an anticlimax. An offside goal from John Murphy after 67 seconds knocked the stuffing out of us and in truth we were well beaten. But I’ll never forget the feeling of walking out into the Millennium Stadium and seeing our players warming up in front of 20,000 Southend fans. It’s something that will stick with me for as long as I live.
Apparently Tony The Kray is still upset about the decision to wear Silver shirts...
8th May 2004: Southend United 1 – 2 Torquay United (Division 3)
An eventful season concluded with a narrow defeat to Torquay, who were promoted that day. At the end of the game, the Southend players stayed on the pitch to applaud their opponents and Tilly had them stay out there to watch them celebrate. I’ve always considered this match a turning point with everyone at the Club determined to be celebrating themselves twelve months later.
8th October 2004: Southend United 2 – 1 Boston United (League Two)
Tilly’s first full season in charge began quietly but things were beginning to come together going into October (with the exception of a 4-0 hammering up at Darlington). In the week leading up to the Boston match much had been made of the likely appearance of former England legend Paul Gascoinge for the opposition. Gazza cried off just before the match and I don’t think he played for them again but the 5,688 fans who came along to the game were compensated with a dramatic evening’s football. With Southend 2-0 up and comfortable, Darryl Flahavan got himself sent-off towards half time for a blatant handball. With no sub keeper on the bench the gloves were thrown to Tes ‘The Cat’ Bramble. When Andy Kirk pulled one back for the visitors in the 49th minute I suspect that most would have taken a point but a combination of gutzy defending and unorthodox goalkeeping, including one diving effort which any keeper would have been proud of, secured the win for the hosts.
16th October 2004: Southend United 4 – 2 Swansea City (League Two)
On the bench for the Boston game was a young striker named Freddy Eastwood who had been just signed on loan from Grays. With Tes Bramble having injured himself in goal, Eastwood came in for his debut just eight days later. It took him just 7.7 seconds to score his first goal in professional football – a World record, and he went on to score a hattrick. However, at the other end of the field the master was at work. As good as Eastwood was that day, Lee Trundle was better. Trundle ran the show, scoring one, setting up another and winning the Soccer AM crossbar challenge straight from kick-off after our 4th.
To be continued...
Part two will follow tomorrow (that's the plan anyway).
3rd January 2000: Southend United 1 – 2 Rotherham United (Division 3)
I would have been at this game but have no recollection of it at all and our goal that day was scored by a player who I have no recollection of at all. Nigel Pepper played for us for seven months apparently and his goal here, one of two which Soccerbase assure me he scored for Southend, had the honour of being the first Southend United goal of the decade, indeed the century. However two goals from Leo Fortune-West were enough to defeat a Southend side full of such illustrious names as Prudhoe, Coleman, Beard and Tolson. In front of a crowd of 4,788.
8th October 2000: Blackpool 2 – 2 Southend United (Division 3)
Despite a run of five matches unbeaten which had hauled us into the top half, Alan Little was sacked in October 2000 and was replaced by Southend Legend David Webb. Webby’s return prompted a mass pilgrimage up to Blackpool for his first match back in charge. However things did not start well and with Blues 2-0 down at the break changes needed to be made. On came a young Kevin Maher and a King Kev-inspired side rallied in the second half. Goals from Mark Tinkler after 71 minutes and another substitute, Trevor Fitzpatrick, in the 89th, earned Southend a point.
10th December 2000: Canvey Island 1 – 2 Southend United (FA Cup 2nd Round)
The biggest cup tie in Essex for more than a decade almost needed to be postponed as enough rain to evoke terrible flashbacks in the minds of older Canvey fans lashed the South-East in the days before kick-off. But the game did take place, and it took place at Roots Hall on the advice of the Police. Goals from Scott Forbes and Ben Abbey put Southend comfortably in front before Canvey, with Steve Tilson pulling the strings in midfield, scored a consolation in stoppage time in front of the largest crowd at Roots Hall in at least five years.
6th January 2001: Southend United 0 – 1 Kingstonian (FA Cup 3rd Round)
This should have been a routine cup tie, however there is no such thing for Southend United and sure enough a goal after 8 minutes was enough to see Kingstonian (who included past and future Shrimper Mark Beard at rightback) into the 4th Round. Both teams went down to ten men on the stroke of half time with Leo Roget of Southend and Gary Patterson for the visitors being dismissed.
20th January 2001: Leyton Orient 0 – 2 Southend United (Division 3)
Who let the Abbey out?
17th November 2001: Southend United 3 – 2 Luton Town (FA Cup 1st Round)
Nothing overly historic happened in this game. It had no lasting legacy. It was just a very good, very entertaining cup tie. Luton were towards the top of League Two and I believe they went up that year however on this day they had no answer to new Southend Manager Rob Newman or his occasionally-brilliant but more often hopeless strikeforce of Mark Rawle and Tes (is God) Bramble. Goals from each of the Southend strikers were cancelled out by strikes from Adrian Forbes and Ahmet Brkovic before the game was decided in the 85th minutes through a Bramble overhead kick to send Southend into the second round.
22nd October 2002: Swindon Town 6 – 1 Southend United (LDV Vans Trophy 1st Round)
The above was the only game of Rob Newman’s first season in charge which I could be bothered to type about and this was the only game from his second season that I could be bothered to type about. We were just such a nothing side back then. I believe that this was our heaviest defeat of the decade. A near full-strength Southend side, albeit including a 36 year old Steve Tilson in midfield, were destroyed at the County Ground in front of a 1,700 crowd.
9th August 2003: Southend United 2 – 0 Cheltenham Town (Division 3)
With Rob Newman gone, former Colchester United manager Steve Wignall was appointed as manager and set about clearing out most of the crap that had been signed by the last two managers. ‘The Wignall Revolution’, as it was lauded on ShrimperZone, seemed to have achieved immediate results as on a sunny August afternoon Southend swept Cheltenham aside in a display of fantastic attacking football. Two goals from Wignall’s best signing, Mark Gower, won us the points and with the Broughton-Husbands dream ticket up top, promotion seemed a real possibility.
20th September 2003: Southend United 2 – 2 Carlisle United (Division 3)
How little we knew. In truth I could have listed any of 15 abject performances in the early part of this season, for example the Boston game a few weeks later where we lost 2-0 following a Duncan Jupp missed penalty (our 7th in a row). However the Carlisle game stands out because the visitors were the worst side in the Country by a distance. They came to Roots Hall with three points to their name and without even a goal away from home and that run looked to continue as two goals in a minute from David McSweeney (a sweet volley IIRC) and Leon Constantine put Southend 2-0 up in the first quarter of the match. However the joy would not last and by the time Richie Foran equalised with ten minutes left the boos were echoing around the Hall.
4th November 2003: Swansea City 1 – 2 Southend United (LDV Vans Trophy 2nd Round)
I can’t tell you much about this game as I was not one of the 38. Those who were – I salute you.
19th November 2003: Canvey Island 2 – 3 Southend United (FA Cup 1st Round Replay)
The second Canvey vs Southend cup tie ended in a draw at Roots Hall and therefore resulted in this replay at Park Lane. Wignall had been relieved of his duties some time earlier and David Webb had stood in for a 4th spell in charge. When Webby took the job he stressed that it was purely on a temporary basis and this match, in which he was joined in the dugout by Paul Brush, would prove to be his last. Canvey twice led through Lee Boylan and Jeff Minton however Southend had fought back twice through Tes Bramble and Jay Smith. With five minutes to go Mark Warren was given a straight red card but with the match drifting into extra time the ball broke free in stoppage time to Smith who curled a beautiful shot past the Canvey keeper and put Southend into the next round. It was a pivotal time in our history as rumours were rife that Stan Collymore was due to be appointed as the new manager within days and when Ron Martin ruled Stan out of the running an approach was made for Oxford United manager Ian Atkins which was turned down. In the meantime the caretaker duo of Tilson & Brush took charge.
13th December 2003: Swansea City 2 – 3 Southend United (Division 3)
A remarkable game at the Vetch in which Southend not only won despite having three players sent off but became the first side in history to score when reduced to eight men.
14th January 2004: Scarborough 1 – 0 Southend United (FA Cup 3rd Round Replay)
Personally this was probably the low-point of the decade for me. Making a long, late-night trek back from one side of the country to another after a defeat is hard-enough. When it’s to non-league opposition in the middle of winter and means that we miss out on a glamour cup match with Chelsea it’s even worse. A rubbish performance.
20th January 2004: Southend United 4 – 0 QPR (LDV Vans Trophy Southern Semi Final)
Every bit as good as the performance at Scarborough the previous week had been poor. QPR came to town top of the division above us and fielded a full-strength team under Ian Holloway but were blown away by a Drewe Broughton-inspired Southend side. Broughton bagged a second-half brace after Leon Constantine had opened the scoring but the game will best be remembered for Steven Clark’s brilliant 67th minute goal in which he took the ball from deep inside the QPR half and reminded us all of why he was so highly regarded when we first signed him from West Ham.
17th February 2004: Southend United 1 – 1 Colchester United (LDV Vans Trophy Southern Final)
Yet another LDV match from that season but they were all so memorable. This match was Colchester’s first competitive visit to Roots Hall in many years and when Kem Izzet scored for them in the 3rd minute to level the match on aggregate it looked like it could be a long night. But on the stroke of half time Drewe Broughton scored to put us back in front over all and ultimately take Southend United to their first ever major cup final. Thank you DREEEEEEEEEEWWWWWEEEEEEE.
21st February 2004: Leyton Orient 2 – 1 Southend United (Division 3)
In truth I could have entered any one of a number of embarrassing defeats to Orient in this list, both at home and away. I settled on this one as it summed that spell of matches up. A goal up at half-time thanks to Lawrie Dudfield, a Leon Constantine missed penalty and not one but two own goals from Tes Bramble & Drewe Broughton gifted the three points to the hosts and sent their fans home with grins on their ‘orrible East London faces.
21st March 2004: Blackpool 2 – 0 Southend United (LDV Vans Trophy Final)
Our first appearance in a showpiece match was in many ways an anticlimax. An offside goal from John Murphy after 67 seconds knocked the stuffing out of us and in truth we were well beaten. But I’ll never forget the feeling of walking out into the Millennium Stadium and seeing our players warming up in front of 20,000 Southend fans. It’s something that will stick with me for as long as I live.
Apparently Tony The Kray is still upset about the decision to wear Silver shirts...
8th May 2004: Southend United 1 – 2 Torquay United (Division 3)
An eventful season concluded with a narrow defeat to Torquay, who were promoted that day. At the end of the game, the Southend players stayed on the pitch to applaud their opponents and Tilly had them stay out there to watch them celebrate. I’ve always considered this match a turning point with everyone at the Club determined to be celebrating themselves twelve months later.
8th October 2004: Southend United 2 – 1 Boston United (League Two)
Tilly’s first full season in charge began quietly but things were beginning to come together going into October (with the exception of a 4-0 hammering up at Darlington). In the week leading up to the Boston match much had been made of the likely appearance of former England legend Paul Gascoinge for the opposition. Gazza cried off just before the match and I don’t think he played for them again but the 5,688 fans who came along to the game were compensated with a dramatic evening’s football. With Southend 2-0 up and comfortable, Darryl Flahavan got himself sent-off towards half time for a blatant handball. With no sub keeper on the bench the gloves were thrown to Tes ‘The Cat’ Bramble. When Andy Kirk pulled one back for the visitors in the 49th minute I suspect that most would have taken a point but a combination of gutzy defending and unorthodox goalkeeping, including one diving effort which any keeper would have been proud of, secured the win for the hosts.
16th October 2004: Southend United 4 – 2 Swansea City (League Two)
On the bench for the Boston game was a young striker named Freddy Eastwood who had been just signed on loan from Grays. With Tes Bramble having injured himself in goal, Eastwood came in for his debut just eight days later. It took him just 7.7 seconds to score his first goal in professional football – a World record, and he went on to score a hattrick. However, at the other end of the field the master was at work. As good as Eastwood was that day, Lee Trundle was better. Trundle ran the show, scoring one, setting up another and winning the Soccer AM crossbar challenge straight from kick-off after our 4th.
To be continued...
Last edited:
