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Memory Lane Billy Best

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Billy Best was not only a goalscoring legend but someone who conducted himself on and off the field with the utmost integrity. Despite being intensely competitive, I don't recall ever seeing him get involved in any brawls, mouthing off at the ref or anything untoward. A model professional in every respect and I feel privileged I was able to watch him so many times.
 
Sorry to be a bore but Billy Best was simply the most wonderful player that I have seen in a Blues shirt and that is from 1959
His work rate his ability to compete in the air against the big boys,his finishing skills were all sublime: but his acceleration off the mark and his capacity to beat anybody in a 1 on 1 race was just absolutely breathtaking
Bring him back pleeeese
 
If I remember rightly, BB was signed at the same time as Howard Moore. We had a reserve match v Luton and we played a strong team with Best and Moore so that fans could see them. Billy Best scored but all the talk was about Howard Moore who looked fantastic down the right wing. But Howard Moore never made it with us as a first team player, Best had it all. An astonishing player. Not to forget also that he played quite a bit in midfield but still scored goals. Very sad when he left to go back to Northampton.
 
shrimp in orbit said:
If I remember rightly, BB was signed at the same time as Howard Moore. We had a reserve match v Luton and we played a strong team with Best and Moore so that fans could see them. Billy Best scored but all the talk was about Howard Moore who looked fantastic down the right wing. But Howard Moore never made it with us as a first team player, Best had it all. An astonishing player. Not to forget also that he played quite a bit in midfield but still scored goals. Very sad when he left to go back to Northampton.
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He played a hand full of first team games..He was living in Southchurch a few years back but sadly passed away in 2012.
 
shrimp in orbit said:
If I remember rightly, BB was signed at the same time as Howard Moore. We had a reserve match v Luton and we played a strong team with Best and Moore so that fans could see them. Billy Best scored but all the talk was about Howard Moore who looked fantastic down the right wing. But Howard Moore never made it with us as a first team player, Best had it all. An astonishing player. Not to forget also that he played quite a bit in midfield but still scored goals. Very sad when he left to go back to Northampton.
Click to expand...
Southend United(5),Luton Town(1) the reserve match mentioned above was played on the 29th. January 1968 two days after Billy Best made his league debut for us in a goal-less draw at Chester. The strong reserve line-up that night was as follows:- Ray White; Tony Bentley; Frank Matthews(1); Mike Beesley; Eddie May; Sammy McMillan; Howard Moore(1); Phil Chisnall; Andy Smillie; Billy Best(2); John McKinven(1). Luton Town's line-up was as follows Taylor; Hare; Rioch; Brown; McDerment; McLeash; Ryan; Wainwright; Green(1); Woods; McIntyre. (QUESTION: Can anybody remember which Luton Town player from this line-up made a guest appearance for Southend United nearly 5 years later?). Howard Moore made his league debut at Newport County(lost 2-0)on Tuesday 6th. February. Both Billy Best & Howard Moore made their home league debut's the following Saturday(10th.) in the 1-0 home defeat to York City(9,134) a match that was featured on Southern TV(Now Meridian). The contrast between the two players is clearly there to see as Howard Moore made just 6 league +1 substitute appearance for Southend United & 17 league appearances for Gillingham without scoring, whereas Billy Best made 246+1 substitute appearances in league and cup scoring 123 goals for Southend United and 267+4 substitute appearances in league and cup scoring 56 goals in two spells at Northampton Town.
 
B.B.The Legend Lives On. said:
Southend United(5),Luton Town(1) the reserve match mentioned above was played on the 29th. January 1968 two days after Billy Best made his league debut for us in a goal-less draw at Chester. The strong reserve line-up that night was as follows:- Ray White; Tony Bentley; Frank Matthews(1); Mike Beesley; Eddie May; Sammy McMillan; Howard Moore(1); Phil Chisnall; Andy Smillie; Billy Best(2); John McKinven(1). Luton Town's line-up was as follows Taylor; Hare; Rioch; Brown; McDerment; McLeash; Ryan; Wainwright; Green(1); Woods; McIntyre. (QUESTION: Can anybody remember which Luton Town player from this line-up made a guest appearance for Southend United nearly 5 years later?). Howard Moore made his league debut at Newport County(lost 2-0)on Tuesday 6th. February. Both Billy Best & Howard Moore made their home league debut's the following Saturday(10th.) in the 1-0 home defeat to York City(9,134) a match that was featured on Southern TV(Now Meridian). The contrast between the two players is clearly there to see as Howard Moore made just 6 league +1 substitute appearance for Southend United & 17 league appearances for Gillingham without scoring, whereas Billy Best made 246+1 substitute appearances in league and cup scoring 123 goals for Southend United and 267+4 substitute appearances in league and cup scoring 56 goals in two spells at Northampton Town.
Click to expand...
Didn't Peter Woods sign for Southend in 1972
 
B.B.The Legend Lives On. said:
Southend United(5),Luton Town(1) the reserve match mentioned above was played on the 29th. January 1968 two days after Billy Best made his league debut for us in a goal-less draw at Chester. The strong reserve line-up that night was as follows:- Ray White; Tony Bentley; Frank Matthews(1); Mike Beesley; Eddie May; Sammy McMillan; Howard Moore(1); Phil Chisnall; Andy Smillie; Billy Best(2); John McKinven(1). Luton Town's line-up was as follows Taylor; Hare; Rioch; Brown; McDerment; McLeash; Ryan; Wainwright; Green(1); Woods; McIntyre. (QUESTION: Can anybody remember which Luton Town player from this line-up made a guest appearance for Southend United nearly 5 years later?). Howard Moore made his league debut at Newport County(lost 2-0)on Tuesday 6th. February. Both Billy Best & Howard Moore made their home league debut's the following Saturday(10th.) in the 1-0 home defeat to York City(9,134) a match that was featured on Southern TV(Now Meridian). The contrast between the two players is clearly there to see as Howard Moore made just 6 league +1 substitute appearance for Southend United & 17 league appearances for Gillingham without scoring, whereas Billy Best made 246+1 substitute appearances in league and cup scoring 123 goals for Southend United and 267+4 substitute appearances in league and cup scoring 56 goals in two spells at Northampton Town.
Click to expand...
The only one who would of been worth guesting would of been Bruce Rioch not his brother , must of been a friendly if he did .
 
ozzie said:
i remember H.moore and even somewhat Matthews...but even then our reserve team brings a big "Smillie" to my old face..a TEAM worth watching
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That line up was better than some first teams ....I always rated Ray White in Goal, but he had Sir Trevor to contend with...He ended up running a kitchen studio up by Chalkwell park with his brother I used to supply and got into a few sports shops with Alan Gemmal ex Cecil Jones and Spurs for awhile, one down Hamlet court road I seem to recall. I remember his last one by Barclays bank in Leigh...Ray White Sports.
ed0d8b5e83fbcc8fc5a5e2567ffda0c1---year-old-goalkeeper.jpg


Ray White, 16 year old Southend United goalkeeper catches a ball during training ahead of the new season............23rd July 1964.
 
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great photo,was that the "old" supporters club shed behind him??
Before it ended up as Brother Grimms shed at the back of the South bank??
Ray as a 16 year old!!!!
Why do those day everybody...look a lot older than they were!!
 
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