Memory Lane 7/12/1968. F.A.Cup 2nd.Round Southend United 10, Brentwood Town 1

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

This Saturday the 7th.December is the F.A.Cup 2nd.Round in which we have to travel to Chesterfield, it also marks 45 years to the day that we played Brentwood Town in the legendary record score match. My question to all fans of a certain age who witnessed the massacre what are your abiding memories?. Having beaten King's Lynn 9-0 in the 1st.Round we played a league match at Colchester the week before Brentwood and were thrashed 4-0. The week leading up to the cup-tie a well known England International who was a Brentwood Vice President had said "I really fancy our chances". The rest as they say is history. The Southend team that day was as follows:- Trevor Roberts, Tony Bentley, Graham Birks, Sammy McMillan, Micky Beesley, John Kurila, Eddie Clayton, Phil Chisnall, Gary Moore, Billy Best, Ian"Chico"Hamilton.

 

[eaststander]

Remember this! Think Brentwood scored first. It was 5 1 and the great Billy Best hadnt scored? Then scored the last 5 goals I believe. He was in the record books for the fastest 5 goals scored in the FA cup . Not sure if this still stands though. :unsure:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I was there but about all I remember is BB's 5 goals and Gary Moore weighing in with a couple.:cricko:

 

[Kevin Hogg]

I was only six. I remember my dad telling me about 9-0 and then 10-1. Happy memories..of my dad.

 

[GrumpyBlue]

Yeah I was there - happy days :cricko:

 

[RobM]

A quote from the Brentwood goalie...." Don't know why I bother kicking it ...keeps coming back!"

I think it is the only circumstance of the same two players scoring hat tricks in consecutive rounds. Best got 5 v Brentwood, Moore 4' McMillan the other I think.

 

[RobM]

Think you will find Brentwood equalised, not take the lead.

 

[Voice of Reason]

I was there the thing I remember most apart from all those goals was the size of the wagon wheels they sold onthe south bank.45 years later and still a shrimper and a chocoholic

 

[Pak Power]

Yes I was there, and I remember the waggon wheels too; and king Billy Best of course

 

[Skyblue]

Think you will find Brentwood equalised, not take the lead.

Thats right they did, and I remember being a bit worried because it was a well worked goal and they acctually looked a decent side. Looking at the side we had I'm not supprised we were rolled over on occasions and dished out some spankings ourselves because it was full of creative ball players who had fantastic imagination with the ball but were a bit lazy without it. Billy Best for me was pure majic, a pint size David Speedie type of player without the attitude. Brilliant in the air and if I remember rightly a couple of his goals he litterally walked into the net around a bemused keeper. Always wondered who got to keep the ball.

 

[RobM]

Possibly the only time we will hear " we want eleven"... Apart from being accompanied by "players on the pitch at the end!"

 

[Firestorm]

Iirc we scored 2 in the next round , Swindon, before being besten by Mansfield in the 4rh td.
We syill hold the FACup record for most goals scored in the first 4 rounds.

The Mansfield reference reminds me of one of my favourite football trivia questions . Which England International had a Brother who played for Wales ?
Dave Hollins was in goal for Mansfield he was a Welsh International and Brother to Chelsea John

 

[Firestorm]

Possibly the only time we will hear " we want eleven"... Apart from being accompanied by "players on the pitch at the end!"

Apart from the LDV ;)

 

[ozzie]

i think i remember running home after the game,one of the saturday afternoon sports progs or the next days paper said /wrote that billy best might soon be called up to the scotland squad,coz he kept getting so many goals.if im right,just shows you how good a player billy was,top scottish players then,unlike now:smile:

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Abiding memories......what do you want at my age........I was there, that's about it! I do however have have better recollection of the other First Round tie we won 10-1, that was against Golders Green back in back in 1934. :winking:
More seriously, I followed the whole Cup run that season. Although the scoreline for the first two rounds were impressive, the best performance was a great and unexpected victory at Swindon, who I think were undefeated (certainly at home....did they have Don Rogers, that seems to ring a bell?) up to then. I persuaded a few friends from college, to join me on the day out, which started with a visit to Stonehenge (Still got photos of the friends next to the stones, somewhere downstairs). Lunch at a great pub, then onto the ground. I've got the programme somewhere as well as a copy of the 'Pinkun' local paper, which turned out a front page report amazingly quickly after the game was finished. That was a GREAT day! The next Round I went to Mansfield where, IIRC we nearly got an equaliser, to force a replay but went down 2-1. Think they got someone like West Ham at home in the Fifth Round.

 

[Skyblue]

i think i remember running home after the game,one of the saturday afternoon sports progs or the next days paper said /wrote that billy best might soon be called up to the scotland squad,coz he kept getting so many goals.if im right,just shows you how good a player billy was,top scottish players then,unlike now:smile:

I think if were playing now , he'd be the first name on the sheet! Then again if he were playing now we wouldn't have a hope in hell of keeping hold of him for long.

 

[RobM]

Yes they best west ham then lost to leicester. Crimes the rubbish I remember!

 

[RHB]

Crickey, 45 years ago, I was 17 and a veteran South Banker (when it was a proper south bank) and I was there. My abiding memory,along with others here, was Billy Best scoring for fun. Strangely, I also remember what an ugly bloke John Kurila was (bit unfair, but he had huge ears).

 

[DoDTS]

In fairness in those days we were spoiled, as scoring 4, 5 or 6 was not that uncommon for us. It was a wonderful day though especially after the Kings Lynn match and we really did think we were world beaters at the time.

 

[RobM]

John kurila was one tough defender as I recall. No idea about his personality, I was just a kid in those days.