Memory Lane Billy Best

[wildheart]

Have to agree with the above. Billy Best was a fantastic player for us and to a lesser extent Northampton Town. His goal against Villa at the south bank in the cup 71 is etched in my memory for ever. Only Freddy & Stanley get anywhere near to this man’s ability in my 55 years at the Hall?

 

[Pak Power]

BILLY BEST – THE KING OF ROOTS HALL - News - Southend United

 

[Voice of Reason]

Still my favourite ever player. Have a signed shirt hanging up at home and when I met him to get it done was absolutely starstruck. I was probably 55 at the time but you don't often get the chance to meet your heroes.

 

[ozzie]

Great,great read,made my week..after finishing it i had tears in my eyes.
Still and always will be our greatest player.
Long live the King

 

[blues exile]

As a player, he epitomised all the best qualities of the game. An object lesson in sportsmanship and how to conduct yourself on the pitch, apart from his obvious footballing skills. Nobody like him since. Simply the Best.

 

[Billy is the best]

5 ft 6 and a terrific header of the ball
Happy Birthday Billy

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

We were lucky that Billy was with us at the right time. Players had no agents in their ear. Money wasn't so important, and loyalty was. If a player was happy at a club, he would stay for years. He was too good for Southend, but thankfully not many clubs came knocking. They tended to wait for a club to announce a good player was available for sale. Nowadays with that goal scoring record of 1 in 2 games, bigger clubs would have been queuing up, and he would be offered silly money. We would have had him for 2 seasons maximum nowadays.

 

[Big Bad Barry Corr]

Older fans might like to know (or may be aware) that the great Billy Best will be celebrating his 80th birthday on the 7th September.

Still beloved and celebrated by so many “of a certain age” over fifty years since he played his last game for Southend as (probably) the greatest player to wear the beautiful blue shirt, I along with Mr Brabbing - the greatest of all “Billy aficionados” were talking about this & thought it might be nice for anyone who would like to send “The King of Roots Hall” birthday greetings via Shrimperzone, which I can then cut and paste and pass on.

I have kept in contact with Billy since writing a piece on him in the programme a couple of years ago and he still follows the Blues avidly (I send him a programme after every match) and I know that greetings from his fans for such a special birthday would mean the world to him.

Thank you. #BillyIsBest #TheKingOfRootsHall ️

 

[Harry Bullocks]

He was a legend

Happy special birthday !!

 

[Swiss Tony]

Happy 80th birthday King Billy Southend’s greatest player and the reason for my love affair with the Shrimpers have a great day.

 

[Essex Exile]

He’s here, he’s there, he’s every f**king where Billy Best, Billy Best

Still got great memories of my boyhood hero and true Blues legend

 

[SparkfilmsTV]

Billy Best! Top player. Much respected ( from Colchester ).

 

[SUFCbaldy]

Happy birthday 80th Billy. My footballing hero in my early teens. Thanks for all the memories

 

[blues exile]

Happy birthday Billy and thank you for providing so many unforgettable moments which I still remember with fondness all these years later. So many highlights to look back on, not just the goals but the way you conducted yourself on and off the pitch.

 

[Voice of Reason]

Happy birthday Billy and thank you for providing so many unforgettable moments which I still remember with fondness all these years later. So many highlights to look back on, not just the goals but the way you conducted yourself on and off the pitch.

Happy birthday king Billy. In my mind still the greatest player to wear the blue shirt

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Happy birthday Billy, our SUEPA goal machine. Thank you for the treasured memories

 

[Thor1]

Great, great player. He sucked you into the game and one of the main reasons I kept going back. Friday nights were never the same after he left.

 

[fishpaste]

Happy Birthday Billy.Greatest memories of a blues player.

 

[Billy is the best]

Happy Birthday Billy. So many great memories.returning home from a Friday evening match my father would ask the score and “ how many did Best score”

 

[40yearsafan]

Happy Birthday Billy. It was you leading the line in 1968 that led to my following the mighty Blues for the past 55 years. My all time favourite player.