Memory Lane 50 Years ago Today- 1971-72 Promotion Season - Wednesday 3 May 1972 - We finish as runners up! - Southend United 2 Gillingham 2

[Tangled up in Blue]

Interesting you should say that.
Having been at Basildon Station a few times on match days, there are clearly more West Ham fans going east, but more than you might think going west to our beloved Hall.
Have on occasion got the other line to Prittlewell, and those in blue get on from as far afield as Shenfield.
The point is there are more than a few surrounding areas from which potential supporters come beyond the obvious Southend.

Like me for example.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Like me for example.

Note my lack of geography!
A map would tell you east and west should be reversed a la Basildon Station.
In my mind's eye, I was on the platform going left, lol!

 

[Pak66]

50 years ago today Southend United 'invaded' Gillingham . I know there have been bigger away games 'Liverpool , Chelsea , Sheff Wed , Derby 'twice and Everton . But to those Southend United Supporters of a certain age Gillingham will always be very special . I would like to mention the Leigh Comm Boys who went and are no longer with us Bob Jennings , Ian Southgate , Alan Vincent , Tony 'Weasle Livermore , Dave Pearman , Fat Harry Roberts , John Welham , John Wheatley Trevor 'Ollie' Oliver , Mark 'Crust' Smith , Rick Farrell , Dick Hughes , Paul Osborne and Doug Kerry . This flag is a relic from that day that was on one of the Leigh Com coaches that went.

Sad news "Tank" Ian Smith(what a character!) another of our infamous crew left us last week, the funeral is at Southend Crem date to be confirmed

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Sad news "Tank" Ian Smith(what a character!) another of our infamous crew left us last week, the funeral is at Southend Crem date to be confirmed

T.J told me he will be doing the eulogy, that will be interesting!.

 

[Zeuss]

I don’t think I’ll be treading on anyone’s toes when I remind/inform folk that we concluded our famous 1971/2 promotion season with a well-deserved benefit match for Tony Bentley,who spent a full 10 seasons with us and,unlike someone else who springs to mind now,.was a very good right-back.
His former club Stoke City, mid-table top division,had just won the League Cup to qualify for Europe! They sent their full squad inc. Gordon Banks,George Eastham etc. to face ours and triumphed 4-2.
Scorers: Billy Best,Terry Johnson and John Ritchie 3,Jimmy Greenhoff.
Peter Goy, R I P, took the yellow flag.

 

[LCBB72]

I don’t think I’ll be treading on anyone’s toes when I remind/inform folk that we concluded our famous 1971/2 promotion season with a well-deserved benefit match for Tony Bentley,who spent a full 10 seasons with us and,unlike someone else who springs to mind now,.was a very good right-back.
His former club Stoke City, mid-table top division,had just won the League Cup to qualify for Europe! They sent their full squad inc. Gordon Banks,George Eastham etc. to face ours and triumphed 4-2.
Scorers: Billy Best,Terry Johnson and John Ritchie 3,Jimmy Greenhoff.
Peter Goy, R I P, took the yellow flag.

Gordon Banks did not play that night . I am not sure but Lawrie Leslie Southend coach may of played for Southend that night against his former club Stoke .

 

[Whispering Bob]

Gordon Banks did not play that night . I am not sure but Lawrie Leslie Southend coach may of played for Southend that night against his former club Stoke .

Yep, Banks pulled out, being an aspiring young keeper at the time I was absolutely gutted.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

I was kindly sent this 1971 article by 'Shrimp Exile' from the 'Book of Football' which I've posted up on SUEPA social media but thought that it also belonged on this great thread - well worth a read, and how ironic that just twelve months later promotion was finally achieved.

 

[ozzie]

Just a note...but today 50 years ago....inbetween the seasons,the highpoint was Essex week at Chalkwall Park.
Today we played Middlesex in the Sunday league..JPL or what ever it was called.We always got a big crowd in.
As usual a crowd of North Bankers stood together and watched the game.
During the game,the late great KEITH BOYCE got a hattrick.When he bowled the next ball after it (4th ball)..the Msex batsman took no chances and tapped the ball foreward...even before the crowd could start to applaud KB....our mate and legend...DAVIE CR&&P shouted out....
COME ON BOYCIE PULL YOU WEIGHT....and the whole crowd who heard him burst out laughing...a TOP lad David.Cr&mp

 

[ozzie]

What ever happened to those great Essex weeks at Southend...money i expect

 

[Pak66]

Just a note...but today 50 years ago....inbetween the seasons,the highpoint was Essex week at Chalkwall Park.
Today we played Middlesex in the Sunday league..JPL or what ever it was called.We always got a big crowd in.
As usual a crowd of North Bankers stood together and watched the game.
During the game,the late great KEITH BOYCE got a hattrick.When he bowled the next ball after it (4th ball)..the Msex batsman took no chances and tapped the ball foreward...even before the crowd could start to applaud KB....our mate and legend...DAVIE CR&&P shouted out....
COME ON BOYCIE PULL YOU WEIGHT....and the whole crowd who heard him burst out laughing...a TOP lad David.Cr&mp

Yes I remember that match well.
60 over match and it was my first County Match.
I was told it would be an all day event.
The mighty Essex had Middlesex bowled out for 41,
Essex got 43 in the blink of an eye at it was all over by about 1.30 in the afternoon and I think they had only started at about 10.30 !
I was hooked.
I always remember the "Great Boyce" and his Sixes at Chalkwell Park smashing local shops windows.

 

[Crowstone Crevette]

Yes I remember that match well.
60 over match and it was my first County Match.
I was told it would be an all day event.
The mighty Essex had Middlesex bowled out for 41,
Essex got 43 in the blink of an eye at it was all over by about 1.30 in the afternoon and I think they had only started at about 10.30 !
I was hooked.
I always remember the "Great Boyce" and his Sixes at Chalkwell Park smashing local shops windows.

The John Player League (JPL) consisted of a forty over a side match played from 1.00pm on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[Mick]

The John Player League (JPL) consisted of a forty over a side match played from 1.00pm on a Sunday afternoon.

Still off topic but ....

The match in question was a Gillette Cup match played on a Wednesday and scheduled to last 60 overs per side. In the event it lasted just over 37 overs in total. Keith Boyce's 5-22 was somewhat overshadowed by John Lever's 5-8. The groundsman got a bit of stick.

 

[mfurok]

Still off topic but ....

The match in question was a Gillette Cup match played on a Wednesday and scheduled to last 60 overs per side. In the event it lasted just over 37 overs in total. Keith Boyce's 5-22 was somewhat overshadowed by John Lever's 5-8. The groundsman got a bit of stick.

I was working on Chalkwell Beach on the deckchairs that day and so much wished I had been there.

 

[ozzie]

Last footnote....today 50 years ago,19.08.72....we played our first away game atPLymouth.A
Im sure one of the lads wrote the two coaches were from Southend YC...IIRC,we left Southend friday midnight.Stopping off somewhere for a pee and a roadside snack,someone pushed two canoes into some river.
We got to Plymouth early and a few of us went down to the sea.I still remember thinking WOW,coz the sea water was clear and you could see small fish swimming around.
Unlike by us,theThames, where you see nowt only dead animals and the odd murdered dead body floating down from the "smoke".
It was an interesting day,cannot remember the score but ive got a feeling a 2-0 beating

 

[TSG]

Last footnote....today 50 years ago,19.08.72....we played our first away game atPLymouth.A
Im sure one of the lads wrote the two coaches were from Southend YC...IIRC,we left Southend friday midnight.Stopping off somewhere for a pee and a roadside snack,someone pushed two canoes into some river.
We got to Plymouth early and a few of us went down to the sea.I still remember thinking WOW,coz the sea water was clear and you could see small fish swimming around.
Unlike by us,theThames, where you see nowt only dead animals and the odd murdered dead body floating down from the "smoke".
It was an interesting day,cannot remember the score but ive got a feeling a 2-0 beating

(If it was the 2-0 loss) I hitchiked, on my own at 16, starting somewhere on the A127 around 10pm with a couple of quid in my pocket; 2 lifts later, through London, till the start of the M1 I think. Got some kip on some grass, waking up at dawn where a lorry driver was also ready to go and he took me a fair way, can't remember much after that, other than the result! Sure I scrounged a lift on one of the coaches. Gee, what could have happened, crazy!!

 

[ozzie]

Hitchiking to watch the Blues,ive/we have done that many a time. The "Brothers" had understandably the hump with me and i ended up hitching to Dover and Chester..Scuni and Swansea,Wrexham,Crewe etc...but bloody good times,like all the "lads" who done it those days.
It was so memorable..kipping on the side of a motorway ?? What would happen today?
If you got back in time( or early sunday morning) head for the nearest London tube station,pay 5p,for the cheapest ticket then go to Barking-Stratford,what ever and get over the fence at Westcliff(or Prittlewell) for nowt...what great days

 

[TSG]

Hitchiking to watch the Blues,ive/we have done that many a time. The "Brothers" had understandably the hump with me and i ended up hitching to Dover and Chester..Scuni and Swansea,Wrexham,Crewe etc...but bloody good times,like all the "lads" who done it those days.
It was so memorable..kipping on the side of a motorway ?? What would happen today?
If you got back in time( or early sunday morning) head for the nearest London tube station,pay 5p,for the cheapest ticket then go to Barking-Stratford,what ever and get over the fence at Westcliff(or Prittlewell) for n

owt...what great days

Prittlewell was best, never anybody there, straight through the gate Just thought, M1 Plymouth, probably not, think that was Stoke with the lorry driver, probably lost 2-0 there as well! Did hitch Plymouth though, along with many others. Mate & I got drunk along the sea front one Friday night and decided to hitch to Rochdale I belive it was, anyway, arrived very wet, match was postponed, waterlogged pitch!!

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Hitchiking to watch the Blues,ive/we have done that many a time.

Keith Franklin & me did that to Gillingham in 75. We wrote 'Gillingham' on a piece of cardboard, & hoped for the best!. Got lifts from Leigh to Thurrock, then nothing for about 1/2 hr. Turned out Keith was holding our sign upside down FFS!.

 

[ozzie]

Keith.F ..what a legend...always the end off a Leigh Comm joke...good bloke...as you lads sang at Roots Hall ( going to
to Brentford away71-,72),,,FRANKLIN IS OUR LEADER"
Would not change a second from those days